Passover Brownies (Gluten-free)

I like to make a variety of goodies before Passover begins: walnut brittle, meringues, chocolate nut meringue-type cookies, brownies, and sometimes ginger candy.  This year I got strep throat right before Pesach, and in the interest of simplicity I had my husband whip up two pans of these very easy brownies.  Based on the "Pesach Brownies" recipe on page 199 of the Spice and Spirit Kosher for Passover Cookbook.   Multiply by two for two 9"x13" pans - "half pans".

Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C.

Beat together:
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup potato starch

Optional, but highly recommended, add:
1 cup whole, chopped, or ground walnuts
 I like LOTS of nuts, and I add extra on top. 

Bake in a greased 9" by 13" pan, 30 minutes or until the batter is firm.

You may also like other Passover Ideas.

Gluten-Free Passover Crepes

One of my favorite things to make on Pesach are crepes.  Once you learn to eye the ingredients they are easy to whip up for breakfast or lunch.  In the morning, I make about 3 from 2 eggs without measuring.  Before Shabbat, I use a recipe and make 9-12 eggs worth.  During the year we don't eat much dairy, but on Pesach, I love to melt cheese in crepes, make pizza wraps with homeade tomato sauce, or make tuna melts (pictured.)  Sometimes I spread them with my thick, sweet stewed tomatoes and add leftover chicken from soup, lettuce, and fresh herbs. 

Matzoh Ball Soup

Kneidalach or matzah balls are a traditional soup accompaniment year round, but for many, Pesach, or Passover, is when they expect this treat. 

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1.5 Tbsps cold water, seltzer/soda water, or cold broth
• 2 Tbsps oil or chicken fat (you could scrape it off the top of cold soup if you make it a day ahead)
• 1/2 cup matzoh meal
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of pepper
• wide pot with top and minimum 5 inches of broth

Directions:

1. Beat together with a fork eggs, oil, liquid.
2. Mix in matzoh meal, salt, and pepper.
3. Refrigerate for about an hour. The matzoh meal needs time to absorb the liquid and chill well.
4. Bring broth the a boil.
5. Wet hands with cold water and form small balls.
6. Simmer covered 20-35 minutes.

For matzoh ball tips and soup recipe see How to make great Chicken Soup.



You can make matzoh meal in your food processor from machine or hand-made shmura matzoh, or you can buy it plain or seasoned in little packets made by Manishevitz, Osem, etc.  How do you like your matzoh balls? Firm or fluffy? Small or soft-ball sized?

Please comment with your maztoh ball memories!

For more on making broth, see
How to make great Chicken Soup
Stock Pile - or - What I Learned from My Snails.

Herb Garden and YouTube

Hey there foodies!  I’ve missed you. I’ve been dealing with some rotating family illness, but all three of my kids are finally back in school, and I’m looking forward to getting back to blogging!  So, what have I been up to?

Steamed Aromatic Chicken Recipe

 

The last couple weeks I've been steaming chicken breast in my pressure cooker.  I've taken chicken from frozen to juicy with great speed.  Even my kids love it.  The first week  I started with a layer of herbal scraps: leek greens, parsley, and wilted basil.  Then I added 1-2 cups of water, a lightly greased steamer basket, and chicken breast.

Apple Crisp - No sugar added

My son actually requested I make baked apples.  This was very easy and tasty.  You could even skip the topping for a simple weekday treat.

Core and slice apples.  Layer them in a dish with cinnamon and spices of your choice.  I like a little salt and fenugreek.

In a saucepan or in the microwave warm margarine, butter, and/or oil. Mix in oats, cinnamon, fenugreek, and (optional) agave syrup.

Spread over the top of the apples.

Bake until golden brown.

Happy 100th Post on Cooking Outside the Box!

Repeats Including Zucchini Muffins

I began writing this blog for myself.  I wanted to record what my family liked so I could make it again.  Today, I want to mention a couple things that I have been making again, and again, and again.

My kids don't care for soup.  But I love Roasted Butternut Squash soup so much, I've been making it almost every week.  I often add some beer or Irish stout.  It seems easier every time, and the peels taste great in soup stock.

I've also made whole wheat zucchini muffins several times.  My kids love eating them, and I love knowing they're healthier than pasta.

Last week my daughter was home with an ear infection.  I asked her if she wanted to make muffins.  "I can help, for real??  Not just watch? Really help!?" was her excited reply.

She did get to really help.  Its a lot easier to be patient with only one kid home.  She counted in the prunes,  sprinkled in the salt and cinnamon, added premeasured ingredients, and did some excellent mixing.

Below is the recipe I am currently using.  Makes 24 muffins. [UPDATE: Zucchini Carrot Muffins - No Sugar Added]

1. Grate 3 zucchini and 2-3 carrots.  Put in a large bowl.
   
2. Blend2 eggs, 1/2 cup olive oil, 8 prunes, and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
   
3. Mix separately in a measuring cup:
   2 cups whole wheat four
   approx. 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
   About 3/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
   approx 1/4 teaspoon salt
   1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar (alternatively you could add vanilla extract straight to the set of ingredients in step #2.)
   1 cup raisins
   
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet by hand until the flour is just incorporated (don't blend smooth.)
   
5. Pour into greased muffin tins or a pan.  I use a soup ladle.  Silicon muffin tins don't need to be greased.  Stainless steel or aluminum do best when lightly greased and floured.
   
6. Bake at 350 F or 175 C for 14-25 minutes depending on the size of your muffins or loaf. 

Sweet and Sourdough Rolls

I tried to make bagels based on the Sourdough Oatmeal Bread recipe from Israeli Kitchen.  The dough fell apart in the boiling water, but I still got some very tasty rolls.  By substituting apple juice for water, I got a slightly sweeter dough, as well as what we call "mezonot rolls."  For observant Jews, that means instead of washing our hands in a ritual fashion and making the blessing on bread, then a full grace after meals, we say one blessing before eating the rolls and a short blessing afterward.  This can be preferable when you want a snack or when you have limited time, like at work.

Easy Brew Green Tea

I want to show you how to make quality tea without any fancy equipment.  No teapot required.



URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAxPqYIOnWs

Barley Casserole with Mallows, Tomato, & Basil

Last week I made Stinging Nettle Soup with nettles I picked near my building.  This week I collected large, round mallow leaves on the way home from dropping my daughter off at kindergarten. 


If you don't have mallows available, one thing you can take from this post is that barley can be used in casseroles like you might use noodles.  This could have been a casserole with thin layers of barley, spinach, basil, tomato sauce and cheese.  Either way, barley is a very healthy alternative to pasta, and even white rice.