Passover Cookies

These cookies are like the passover cookies that they used to make at the old My Most Favorite Dessert shop on Madison Ave in the 80's....

"Actually Good" Passover Cookies:
by François Payard

Yield: Makes 40 cookies

Parchment paper
2 1/2 cups walnut halves
3 cups (k-p) confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites (size LARGE eggs- if you have Jumbo use 3)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

note: you can also make these nutfree by substituting 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips for the walnuts.

Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven. Cookies can easily burn if too close to bottom heating element! Heat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place walnuts on a work surface and finely chop. Transfer to a separate large baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 9 minutes. Let cool. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Stir in walnuts. Add egg whites and vanilla; mix with a fork until dough is just moistened. Should be like a heavy brownie batter. Drop batter by the teaspoonful onto baking sheets in evenly spaced mounds. Bake cookies until tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Cool thoroughly before carefully peeling off the parchment paper. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.


These are the best coconut macaroons ever-- nothing like those gross canned ones.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons
(Gourmet Magazine, March'92)

Yield: Makes about 30 macaroons

4 large egg whites
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (for not-passover also use 1 tsp coconut extract)
2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup matza cake meal (for non-passover use flour)
1/2 cup chocolate chips, or bittersweet chocolate

In a heavy saucepan stir together the egg whites, the sugar, the salt, the vanilla, and the coconut, sift in the flour, and stir the mixture until it is combined well. Cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, increase the heat to moderately high, and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until it is thickened and begins to pull away from the bottom and side of the pan. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, let it cool slightly, and chill it, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until it is just cold. Drop heaping teaspoons of the dough 2 inches apart onto buttered baking sheets and bake the macaroons in batches in the middle of a preheated 300°F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are pale golden. Transfer the macaroons to a rack and let them cool.
In a glass bowl in the microwave melt the chocolate, stirring until it is smooth, about 2 minutes, and dip the macaroons, 1 at a time, into the chocolate, coating them halfway and letting any excess drip off. Transfer the macaroons as they are dipped to a foil-lined tray and chill them for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chocolate is set. The macaroons keep, chilled and separated by layers of wax paper, in an airtight container for 3 days. (If the macaroons are made in advance, let them stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.)

Short Ribs and Horseradish Potato Puree

Seder 1
Daube of Short Ribs of Beef Picholine adapted from Terrence Brennan's recipe:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 medium celery ribs, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns
• 3 (3-inch) strips orange zest (removed from orange with a vegetable peeler)
• 2 bottles hearty red wine, such as Zinfandel
• 8 (1-pound each) meaty single-rib portions beef short ribs, sawed crosswise in half by the butcher- or 8 big strips of Flanken-style short ribs
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups pitted black olives (nicoise, or israeli)
• 6 anchovy fillets, chopped (optional)

In a large nonreactive pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, thyme, peppercorns and orange zest. Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool the marinade completely. Place the short ribs in a large nonreactive bowl and add the cooled marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least overnight, preferably 24 hours.
Strain the marinade into a large nonreactive pot and discard the solids. Bring the marinade to a boil over high heat. Simmer until reduced by one-fourth, 20 mins or so. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the short ribs in a large, flameproof nonreactive casserole (such as enameled cast iron). Add the reduced marinade and the stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and bake until the beef is very tender and pulling from the bones, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer the beef to a platter and cool. Discard the bones, trim away any excess fat.
Meanwhile, skim off and discard the fat on the surface of the cooking liquid. Put in refrigerator to cool further, and remove more fat that rises to the surface. Strain the sauce into a large nonreactive pot and bring to a boil over medium heat-high. Add the olives (and anchovies). Cook until the sauce reduces and is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, about 30 minutes. Return the short ribs to the pot. (The short ribs can be prepared up to 1 day in advance, cooled, covered, and refrigerated.) Assembly: Bring the short ribs and sauce to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the short ribs are heated through, about 10 minutes. Spoon a portion of the potato pure onto the centers of 8 warmed dinner plates, and top each with the short ribs. Spoon the sauce around the potatoes.

"Seder plate" Potato Puree (horseradish, parsley, salt)

• 6 medium (1 1/2 pounds) Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
• 3 tablespoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup peeled, grated fresh horseradish
• handful of fresh parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the potatoes in a large pot, add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of salt and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Drain and rinse under cold water until easy to handle. Pass the unpeeled potatoes through a potato ricer into a large bowl. Beat in olive oil and horseradish. Season with salt and pepper. (The potato pure can be made about 20 minutes ahead, placed in a heatproof bowl, loosely covered, and kept warm over a pot of simmering water

Delicious Passover Lemon Curd Meringue Kisses

This delicious, if labor intensive recipe comes from Amy Spiro and was published in The Jewish Week. I used a different recipe for the lemon curd, one which did not use margarine, but Coconut Oil which is Kosher for Passover.

Lemon Meringue Thumbprints:

4 egg whites
2 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
about 1 cup lemon curd (recipe below)
(Shredded coconut for garnish optional)

Beat the egg whites on medium until foamy – about 1 minute. Gradually add in the sugar and continue beating. Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form – any where from 10 to 20 minutes. You should be able to hold a spoon of meringue upside down without it sliding off by the time you count to 5.

Fill a piping bag with the meringue. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe 1" circles on to the paper. Then go back over and pipe rings around the top of the circles.

Bake on 250 F for 20 minutes – remove from oven and use the bowl of a teaspoon measurement to press down any centers that have risen too high – they may crack slightly, this is fine. Return to the oven for an additional 40 minutes, until the bottoms peel off the parchment paper easily and appear done. Let cool. Use a small spoon to scrape out any excess baked meringue, so that you have a nice depression in the center.

Carefully spoon or use a pastry bag to pipe  1/2 to 1 teaspoon of lemon curd in to the center of each cookie. Sprinkle with some shredded coconut if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

Lemon Curd

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

zest from 2 lemons

pinch of sea salt

6 Tbsp Coconut Oil

In a small pan, whisk together eggs, yolks, honey, lemon juice, salt and zest.

Add coconut oil and turn heat to low

Cook on low until fat is completely melted, stirring constantly

Turn heat down to medium and continue to cook and stir until mixture thickens, about another 5-7 minutes.

Immediately strain through a sieve and refrigerate. Curd will thicken as it cools.

Store, well covered in the refrigerator, and stir before using.

Fudgy Olive Oil Brownies for Passover or Any Time

Passover Fudgy Olive Oil Brownies

Ingredients

·       4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted

·       1/3 cup Olive Oil,

·       1/2 cup dark brown sugar

·       1/4 cup granulated sugar

·       2 eggs

·       1/2 cup matzo cake meal

·       2 tsp vanilla

·       1 tsp salt

·       1 1/4 cups chocolate chips, milk or semi sweet

·       *optional 1-2 Tbsp coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

1.     Preheat oven to 350

2.     Line an 8×8 pan with foil and spray lightly with baking spray

3.     In a large bowl, combine your melted chocolate and olive oil.

4.     Whisk in eggs, sugars and vanilla until combined.

5.     Add in cake meal and salt and stir until incorporated.

6.     Fold in chocolate chips.

7.     Spread in prepared pan and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if desired.

8.     Bake approx 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted 1″ away from the edge comes out clean, and the center is still slightly soft.

9.     Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Matzo Crack: Time for something (anything) Yummy for Passover

4 pieces matzo 1 cup salted butter 1 cup brown sugar 2 cups chocolate morsels 1 cup walnuts, pistachios or almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Lay pieces of Matzo in one layer on the pan. Break it into pieces to fit as needed.  Melt butter with brown sugar over medium heat.  Stir frequently until it bubbles.            Pour over matzo and spread to cover.  Put in the oven for a minute or two.  Sprinkle 2 cups of chocolate morsels on top and return to oven for 1 minute           to melt morsels.  Remove from oven and with a spatula spread chocolate. Sprinkle with nuts if desired.  Freeze 20 minutes until hard.  Crack into pieces and store in a zipper bag in the freezer.

The Passover tale of Golda- Lox and The Perfect Matzah Ball

 Here is the tale of Golda-Lox and the three dozen Matza Balls. Nice Jewish girl is in charge of making the seder. She makes a batch of matza balls, but they were TOO hard. Nobody really likes very hard matza balls. So, she tries a different recipe. She mixes them, and chills them, and boils them,but this time they came out TOO soft. They just turned to mush!
What to do? Being a crafty girl she adjusts the amount of matza meal, and, lo and behold, her matza balls were JUST RIGHT.
Here is the final very delicious, just perfect matza ball recipe... Sorry if you tried this earlier and found them too hard:

Lois Magid's Matzah Balls
(Like in the seder, there is a theme of "fours")
yeild: about 16

4 Eggs
4 Tablespoons Chicken Fat
3/4 cup Matzah Meal
4 Tablespoons Chicken Soup
1 Tsp. Salt
White Pepper
(chopped parsley or fresh grated ginger if desired)

Beat eggs slightly, stir in chicken fat, gradually add matzah meal.
Stir in the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Bring large pot of salted water to a REAL boil,
Moisten hands with water, and shape walnut sized balls of the mixture gently, not compressing them too much.
Drop into the salted, boiling water.
Cover the pot tightly, reduce heat to slow simmer, and cook for 25 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER OF THE POT while they are cooking.

hints/notes:
Don't let the water boil too vigorously, or they will fall apart.
You can make these with olive oil, they won't taste as good, but you might live longer. Try making them half chicken fat and half olive oil and see what you think. Remove to a plate and cover closely with plastic wrap
They can stay warm in the salted water for a couple of hours
They freeze well, or can stay tightly covered in fridge for 2-3 days.
I like to add a couple tsps finely chopped parsley, but some people don't like the look of the "flecks".

A Persian Passover Treat

Sohan Asal, Persian Almond Brittle with Saffron

 These candies, called Sohan Asal in Iran, and are a very traditional Passover treat. They make a terrific addition to any cookie platter, and are quick to make. A candy thermometer really helps.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups slivered almonds
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
2 tablespoons rose water (optional)
1/4 cup  chopped pistachios, for garnish

Preparation
Spread parchment baking paper on a cookie sheet or marble countertop

Cook the sugar, honey and oil together in a heavy saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Add the slivered almonds to the mixture, and continue stirring for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture turns a golden color and starts to come together.
Add saffron and rose water and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, until mixture foams and turns golden. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until the mixture reaches a golden brown color, and turns very foamy.

If you have a candy or deep-fry thermometer it should read 285 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, put a few ice cubes in a glass of ice water, drop a small amount of the mixture into the water, if it hardens immediately, it is done.

Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture on the parchment paper at 1-inch intervals, immediately scatter the chopped pistachios.

Allow the candies to cool thoroughly, then remove them from the paper and store in an airtight container for up to a week, between layers of parchment.

Sangria Haroset Style- My recipe in this month's Bitayavon! And our favorite Charoset Recipe

This is one of those recipes that came out of a semi-disaster. One Pesach "someone" got the idea to try a selection of some of the wonderful kosher wines that are plentifully available for Passover.
We had a crowd of college-age kids for second seder that year, so rather than waste the ones that, let's say, weren't all that great, I thought it would be fun to turn it into Sangria, and to tell the absolute truth, I was happy to dilute the alcohol level too.

This is the kind of recipe that begs for improvisation:

• If your wine is not sweet enough, boil equal parts of sugar and water together, let cool, and use this simple syrup to adjust the sweetness.
• You can change the brandy to Slivovitz, or anything in that category that works pesach-wise.
• I liked the idea of the apple juice and the apple slices just to carry over the taste of Charoset, and the pomegranates, well, because they are Pomegranates...but ANY fruit juice will be delicious, pick the level of "symbolic" that works.
• Feel free to add blueberries...blackberries....
  

Sangria Haroset Style

2 bottles red wine*
1 cup kosher for passover brandy (Kedem) or Slivovitz
1 cup apple juice
1 cup pomegranate juice
Simple Syrup to taste (about 3/4 cup for dry wine)
Apple Slices
Grapes cut in half
Pomegranate seeds

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate, airtight for at least 24 hours.

Basic, Ashkenazic Charoset (Haroset) Ingredients:

Charoset Pyramid (Haroset) with Playmobil workers

This is the most basic Charoset in the world. It is the one your grandmother made, and probably her grandmother too.

Making it has always been a big family effort as we make about triple this amount, and we chop it by hand (k'ton-ton style) in a wooden bowl with a half-moon chopper, except for when we are REALLY late on seder prep when we throw it all into the food processor, and lament that its not the same (experience), but agree that it still tastes good. You can gussy it up all you want, throw in chopped dates, orange juice or grape juice instead of wine, use almonds instead of or also.

The most fun thing is to mold it into a pyramid, and decorate it with playmobil or lego people as we have been doing since around 1988.

• 5 mixed apples, peeled, cored, in chunks
• 1 cup walnuts 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preparation:

In a chopping bowl with a chopper, start to chop apples until pieces are about 1/2 inch. Add walnuts and continue to chop until it is well blended, and.. like mortar.
Add the sugar, wine and cinnamon (and any fancy accoutrements). Taste. Add more sugar or cinnamon if you like, the sweetness will depend on the apples you use.

Passover Recipes

Check these Passover recipes

Passover Brownies

Passover Brownies
Good enough for anytime

So easy, if you just throw it all in a food processor:

Heat oven to 350

put following ingredients in food processor:
4 Eggs
2 sticks k-for-p margarine (I know...but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do)
scant 2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup Matza cake meal
1 bag chocolate chocolate chips divided

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips briefly in food processor
mix in half of the chips
put in greased 8 x 11 pan. bake about 30 minutes until knife comes out clean

When you remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle on the remainder of the chips. allow to melt, and spread over the top.
Cool well, cut into squares.

Quinoa and Spring Vegetable Pilaf from bonappetit.com

Here is a tasty Passover side dish idea:
Quinoa and Spring Vegetable Pilaf Quick Recipes: bonappetit.com

Here is Amanda's version, without peas, as appropriate for passover.
At least by our in-house Rabbinic authorities... wow... "raging debate"... who knew?
Raging Debate about Quinoa

Passover Menu. Traditions with a Twist (or two)

Fish Course--on deck

Chopped Liver with Jicama Slices and Celery Sticks

Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

Tri-Color Vegetable Terrine (below)

Turkey Roast with Mango Sauce and Mango Salsa

Asparagus

Cauliflower Kugel "Muffins"

Spring Garden Quinoa Pilaf

Lemon Meringue Pie (below)

Coconut Macaroons

Chocolate Cookies

This recipe by Levana Kirschenbaum is from www.chabad.org. You can make it a day or two ahead of time and keep it chilled. It makes a great change from Gefilte Fish, especially if you are making two seders.

3 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut in large chunks 1 large turnips, peeled and cut in large chunks 2 large parsnips, peeled and cut in large chunks 1 medium celery root, peeled and cut in large chunks 1/4 cup olive oil Pinch nutmeg 2 eggs 1/4 cup potato starch Salt and pepper to taste 1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed thoroughly dry 1/4 cup basil leaves, packed 1/3 cup tomato paste Place the leeks, potatoes, turnips, parsnips and celery root, with water to barely cover, in a heavy pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. If you have any liquid left in the pot, reduce on a high flame. The mixture must be absolutely dry. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade. Add the oil, nutmeg, eggs, potato starch, salt and pepper, and process the whole mixture, in batches if necessary, until perfectly smooth. Preheat the oven to 375*f. Grease a 2-quart rectangular mold with straight sides, and line with plastic wrap, letting the excess overhang. Divide the mixture in thirds, and place in three bowls. Process one third in the food processor with the spinach and the basil until smooth. Pack tightly in the mold. Pack the second (white) third on top of the green layer in the mold. Process the last third with the sun-dried tomatoes until smooth (rinse and dry the bowl of the food processor first to get rid of the green batch), and pack tightly on top of the white layer in the mold. Fold the overhanging plastic on top of the mold. Bake for 1 hour or until the top is firm. Chill the mold. Serve alone or with red pepper sauce (recipe follows). Red Pepper Sauce: 2 red peppers 1/2 cup basil leaves, packed 2 large cloves garlic 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons paprika Salt and pepper to taste Bottled hot sauce or cayenne to taste Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store refrigerated in a glass jar.

Another option is this one:

Roasted Vegetable Terrine adapted from Emeril Lagasse

• 1 (1-pound)  eggplant, stem and bottom end trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound zucchini, stems and bottom ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 1/2 pounds yellow squash, stems and bottom ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large red bell peppers (about 1 pound), roasted, with cores, seeds and skins removed
• 2 large yellow bell peppers (about 1 pound), roasted, with cores, seeds and skins removed
• 16 ounces fresh spinach, washed and stems removed, blanched and squeezed dry
• Sun-dried Tomato Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with olive oil. Lay the eggplant, zucchini, and squash slices in a flat layer, slightly overlapping. Brush with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until soft and just golden around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining vegetable slices.
In a food processor, combine the basil, parsley, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, and mix well.
In a 6-cup terrine (12 by 3 by 3-inches), arrange the eggplant slices across the bottom and over the sides, overlapping the slices to completely cover the terrine. Top with slices of red pepper, zucchini, squash, spinach, and yellow pepper.   Repeat layering with the remaining vegetable slices, brushing with parsley-basil. Wrap the overhanging eggplant over the bottom of the terrine. Wrap the terrine loosely in plastic wrap. Top with an equal sized terrine, or a piece of cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil. Place a brick or 2 heavy cans on top of the terrine and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
Remove from the refrigerator. Remove the weight and unwrap. Slice with a very sharp knife and serve 1 large or 2 thin slices per person with the Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce.

Sundried Tomato Sauce

• 1 cup tightly packed sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), reconstituted in hot water and drained
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, red pepper and black pepper, and puree on high speed. With the motor running, gradually add the oil through the feed tube and process until well combined.

Pour into a container until ready to serve.
Yield: about 2 cups

 Cauliflower Kugel Muffins (serves 6)

• 2 large onions thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 8 cups)
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup matzo meal  (breadcrumbs can be substituted if not for Passover)
• 3 tablespoons chopped dill 
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 

• Preheat oven to 450°F Toss cauliflower with 2 tablespoons oil, reserving remainder. Place cauliflower on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes tossing occasionally or until browned and tender. Reduce oven heat to 350
• Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium-high heat and add onions. Sprinkle with salt to help the juices come out. Sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes or until onions have softened.
• Turn heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 18 to 20 minutes or until onions are a thick tangled golden mass. Stir in honey.
• Pulse cauliflower in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in onions, eggs, matzo meal, dill and parsley. Season well with salt and pepper and place in oiled baking dish, or in well-greased muffin tins.
  
  
  
  
  
  Passover Lemon Meringue Pie
  Lemon Meringue Pie (very slightly adapted from The Molly Goldberg Jewish Cookbook) 
  1 crust for a 9-inch pie or Manischewitz coconut pie shell
  
  Filling:
  3 eggs
  3 egg yolks
  7/8 cup sugar
  6 tablespoons margarine or butter
  1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  grated zest from 1 lemon
  1/2 tsp. lemon extract
  Meringue:
  3 egg whites
  1/4 cup sugar
  1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
  (If not using the Manischewitz shell, make a passover crust of your choice or this one into a 9-inch pie pan. Line the crust with a sheet of foil and fill with dry beans to help the crust keep its shape and not shrink while pre-baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden. Remove foil and beans and set aside.)
  
  Prepare filling:
  Place 1 inch of water into the bottom of a double boiler and set the double boiler onto a burner.  Bring water to a boil, then turn heat down to simmer.
  Place the filling ingredients into the top of the double boiler and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens — 10 minutes or so.  When it's ready, the mixture will coat the back of a spoon: you can dip the spoon into the filling and run your finger through the coating, but the mixture won't seep back in to fill the space. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and set aside while making the meringue.
  
  Prepare meringue:
  Place the egg whites into a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, beat until the whites hold soft peaks. Add the sugar slowly and continue beating until the whites hold stiff peaks. Spread the meringue over the lemon filling, being sure that the meringue adheres to the crust all along the edge of the pie, sealing it completely, otherwise  the meringue will shrink and not cover the filling.
  Bake for 5-10 minutes until lightly golden.
  Refrigerate uncovered at least 4 hours or until time to serve.
  Do not cover with Plastic Wrap.

Roasted Parsnip Soup with Parsley-Dill Matzo Balls

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• This delicious soup makes a fantastic alternative to Chicken Soup for a Vegetarian, or just plain healthy Passover Seder. It is easily made ahead of time, and is a perfect opportunity to experiment with my recent practice of making "condensed" soup. Under this process, you use the minimum of stock or liquid while preparing a soup ahead of time, then thinning it as desired before serving. Why? Because it is just plain silly to take up twice the refrigerator or freezer space for the added liquid!

For the Matzah Balls, if you are not concerned about using meat, by all means use chicken fat, but margarine works fine, the matzo balls just come out somewhat heavier than the ones made with chicken fat (in other words, more sinkers than floaters).

• 
  
• Serves 8
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• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 big Bunch of Celery, sliced, leaves reserved
• 2 cups peeled parsnips cut in chunks
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green onions (scallions)
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1 large shallot
• 1 thin round of peeled fresh ginger
• 6 cups (or more) chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery leaves

Preheat oven to 400

Peel and cut parsnips into chunks, put onto a rimmed baking sheet with celery slices, drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and roast for about 30 minutes until soft but not brown.

Meanwhile while the parsnips are roasting, heat about 2 Tbs. olive oil In a large heavy pot, cook chopped green onions with garlic, ginger and shallot (can add some cleaned, sliced leeks if you have them) until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the roasted parsnips and celery, and 6 cups of stock, and simmer uncovered until everything is very soft. Cool.

Using an immersion stick blender, regular blender, or food processor puree the soup in batches until smooth, adding celery leaves to taste.

At this point you will have a very thick concentrated soup. If you are going to serve it right away, return to the pot, and thin with more stock or water (or milk), add more salt and pepper if desired, and serve with dill-parsley Matzah Balls. If you are making it ahead, just cool and chill (or freeze) the concentrated soup, and thin it as desired before serving.

Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill until cold. Cover; keep chilled.

Serve with

 Dill Parsley Matza Balls

4 Eggs
4 Tablespoons Margarine or Chicken Fat
3/4 cup Matzah Meal
4 Tablespoons Chicken Soup or Seltzer
1 Tsp. Salt
White Pepper

2 Tbs. washed chopped fresh dill

2 Tbs. washed chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger root


Beat eggs slightly, stir in margarine or chicken fat, gradually add matzah meal.
Stir in the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Bring large pot of salted water to a REAL boil, then turn down the heat to medium-high.

Moisten hands with water, and shape walnut sized balls of the mixture gently, not compressing them too much.

Drop into the salted, boiling water.
Cover the pot tightly, reduce heat to slow simmer, and cook for 25 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER OF THE POT while they are cooking.

hints/notes:
Never let the water boil too vigorously, or they will fall apart.
You can make these with olive oil, they won't taste as good, but you might live longer. Try making them half chicken fat and half olive oil and see what you think. 

Remove to a plate and cover closely with plastic wrap, or leave them in the water.
They can stay warm in the salted water for a couple of hours
They freeze well, or can stay tightly covered in fridge for 2-3 days.