Recipes for Shabbat

Pesach

By Eileen Goltz

The Sedarim and their accompanying 27 obligatory courses notwithstanding, we all overeat the entire week of Pesach. The dilemmas then becomes, when does enough food become too much food and how can we still eat nutritiously yet still remain true to the guidelines set forth by ancestors who could have never contemplated our obsession with junk food.

During Chol Hamoed all I want is to keep my cooking duties to a minimum, serve easy to make NON matzo based dishes AND reduce the calories.

Not too much to ask for says the balabusta who just finished cleaning the house from top to bottom and served 27 people dinner 2 nights in a row.

The following recipes are all fast, easy, tasty, and lower in calories than the prepackaged stuff we find in the Pesach sections of our supermarkets. The best part, however, is that they absolutely positively contain no matzo, matzo meal or even a speck of a macaroon.
Enjoy!

ZUCCHINI AND SMOKED SALMON ROLLS WITH DILL SAUCE (fish)

This looks like sushi and is a great substitute for gefilte fish.

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Steam the salmon until just opaque in center, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. Line baking sheet with paper towels. Slice enough 1/8-inch-thick lengthwise strips from center portion of each zucchini to make 24. Steam the zucchini in batches until just tender but very pliable, about 3 minutes. Transfer them to paper towels and pat them dry. In a bowl combine the mayonnaise, 3/4 cup dill and vinegar in small bowl. Season the dill sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Place paper towels on a cookie sheet and set it aside. Flake the cooled salmon coarsely into large bowl, discarding skin and bones. Gently mix in the smoked salmon, chopped pickle the remaining 3 tablespoons dill and 1/4 cup dill sauce. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the salmon mixture at end of each zucchini strip. Roll up the strips, enclosing the salmon mixture. Place the rolls, seam side down, the prepared cookie sheet. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cover the reserved sauce with plastic wrap and refrigerate and sauce separately; chill.) This can be made 1 day ahead. Serve rolls with remaining dill sauce. Makes 8 servings.

APPLE ROSEMARY AND THYME CHICKEN PACKETS (meat)
This chicken is incredibly easy to prepare. Boneless chicken breast seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and the subtle apple flavor of a Granny Smith or Mutsu makes a delicious dinner for chol hamoed.

Preheat oven to 350. Cut 6 circles of parchment paper 18 inches in diameter. Place on a work surface and lightly coat the top of each circle with cooking spray. Rinse and pat dry chicken breast halves. Lay 1 piece of chicken on half of each parchment circle. Sprinkle the minced garlic over the chicken breasts. Thinly slice the unpeeled apples and arrange the slices over the chicken. Top each chicken breast with a sprig of rosemary and thyme (our sprinkle the dried over the top) and drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice over each breast. Fold over parchment and crimp the edges to seal. Place packets on a large baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, until packets are puffed and lightly browned. Place parchment packets on serving plates, break oven, and serve immediately. Serves 6. The parchment packets can be made up 8 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

INDIVIDUAL VEGETABLE KUGELS (pareve)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease or spray 12 muffin tins or ramekins with nonstick Passover cooking spray. Melt margarine in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté onion, celery, carrots and peppers for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Set the mixture aside. Place drained spinach in a bowl. Add the eggs and nutmeg and mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste. Add the sautéed vegetables and ground nuts. Mix thoroughly and then spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool 10-15 minutes before removing from tins. Serves 12.

CITRUS ZEST SALMON (fish)
The zest from orange and lemon rinds add a depth to the subtle taste of the salmon.

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl combine the parsley, dill, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and orange juice. Mix well. Coat the bottom of large glass baking dish with half the liquid mixture and then sprinkle the orange and lemon zest over the juice mixture. Place the salmon fillets in baking dish on top of the zest and then spoon the rest of the juice mixture over the top of the fish. Sprinkle the almonds over the top the filets. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, place the lemon slices on top of the almonds and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

CARAMELIZED ONION AND RED PEPPER SAUCE (pareve)
This amazing sauce can be made a week ahead of time and frozen and defrosted to be served over chicken, fish or even left over turkey.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over low heat and saute the onions slowly until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers and celery and increase the heat to medium. Saute until the peppers and celery begin to brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes and pour over baked chicken or fish. This sauce can be made ahead of time, frozen and reheated. You can also puree the sauce for a smoother texture. Serves 4 to 6.

Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve.