What are you eating during Passover?

[Hallie_D]

Anyone have anything really yummy they like to make for Passover "regular meals" as opposed to seders? Especially vegetarian or fish-based dishes, since I don't eat meat. I'm trying to plan menus and just feel incapable of coming up with anything that sounds appealing except for gazpacho (if I can find good tomatoes)--not that gazpacho is a meal. I'm trying to get away from kugels and other heavy, egg-based dishes, really looking for something non-traditional that still is kosher for Passover (ashkenazic-style kosher). I'm making an eggplant shnitzel with lemon-tomato sauce for the seders. I also usually make a roasted beat salad and sauteed beet greens, and DH makes a roasted potato-onion-red pepper dish that lasts several days.

Has anyone done anything interesting with quinoa?

Thank you!!!

[babybunny]

I don't have any suggestions, but I am looking for a recipe to make for my Jewish friend to eat on Sunday night during our Sopranos party (1st episode of the final half of the last season). Everyone else will be eating pasta with meat-based sauce, meatballs and sausage and semolina bread. He said he would bring his own food, but I'd rather he didn't. What would be acceptable as a chicken dish and still be in the theme of an Italian dinner? Any ideas?

[Hallie_D]

It really depends on how strictly observant your friend is...many people use special dishes and cookware, and thoroughly clean out their oven, for cooking Passover food, to completely prevent the food from having contact with the types of food forbidden on Passover. If that is the case, it would be appropriate for your friend to bring his own food. Please don't take it as an insult--Passover has a lot of rules to follow food-wise, and it is very difficult to follow them even if you were raised in a Kosher home.

If he is not that observant, but wants to only eat foods that are in the style of "Kosher for Passover," you'll have to prepare something that has no wheat, oats, rye, barley, or spelt, and, depending on his family's traditions, possibly without corn, rice or legumes. You couldn't use breadcrumbs, or mix cheese with the chicken. You can't use oil made from corn or legumes (olive oil is safe), and you can't use a tomato sauce with corn syrup or any grain product.

Aside from corn, most fresh fruits and vegetables are Kosher for Passover. Maybe a vegetable soup? With no pasta or beans or corn, of course...Salads are also good. A caprese salad (tomato, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil) might be acceptable to him and in the Italian theme...if he will eat cheese that isn't Kosher for Passover.

There are a million rules to follow, and even less-observant Jews sometimes observe a thousand or so of them! :-) I would talk to your friend about his observance level, because it would be uncomfortable for everyone if you took the time to make something for him that he felt he couldn't eat. If you wanted to make a gesture of providing something for him, you could pick up a can of macaroons at the grocery store. Not Italian-themed, but definitely safe for Passover!

Sorry this turned into a novel...hope it was helpful in some small way.

[alexsmommy]

I'm not Jewish, but I just wanted to say that I thought it was nice that you took the time to write out this explanation. I work in a "frum" community so I know most of this, but I have found myself explaining it to several people as we have reform and conservative friends in our social circle with all sorts of kosher observence levels. This came up for a dinner party where the host wanted to be considerate and make something for the Jewish attendants and was a little put off that some ate the dishes she researched and some didn't. She was fine the next day when someone called her and went into a detailed explanation, but hurt and uncomfortable feelings could have been avoided on both sides if she had understood the complexities of "Kosher for Passover".
Alaina
Alex Feb '03
and #2 in early summer '07

[gatorruth]

we had a very interesting Seder-- one family was vegetarian, one family was gluten-free and 2 were regular eaters!! Very interesting!! The vegetarian family went to Whole Foods and purchased a bunch of tapanades, hummus, and other dips that we ate with matzah crackers. It was unusual and yummy. She also made a dish with eggplant, garbanzos and a few more ingredients. If you eat beans, let me know and I'll get the recipe. You may want to check www.epicurious.com for more ideas. I made a cauliflower and leek kugel from that site that was delish.

Happy planning ahead!!

Ruth