Category: Passover

Marzipan Butter Cups

It’s so weird to be posting post COVID-19. It’s like there was life before the Carona virus and life after the Carona virus and they just aren’t the same.

And I don’t mean just because we are quarantined, and our kids are being homeschooled, and we’re all juggling this new reality of social distancing, nonstop cooking, cleaning and keeping the kids busy. By now, that seems like regular life.

Having been hit with a really bad case of the virus, over 2 weeks of nausea, vomiting, fever and body aches, and 6 days in the hospital, I feel SO LUCKY TO BE ALIVE! Every day that I wake up and I’m breathing, I am so thankful and emotional that I get to live this life – even if it’s hard, and every day feels like a challenge.

The love that I received from this amazing community that we’ve built here is truly beyond words. The messages, the prayers, the GREATEST HUG that held me tight is something that I will never forget and I am so grateful for. I’ve often called the BusyInBrooklyn community my “instafam” but I never realized just how great it really is until I fell ill. I am so thankful for each and every one of you, and your support through this time has meant the world to me.

Of course to all of my amazing friends who sent over dinners, toys for my kids, gifts and flowers, how can I ever thank you? Even though you were juggling your own crazy quarantine life, you made it happen and I am so lucky to have you in my life!

I’m taking things slow these days, one step at a time. Of course Pesach is coming and like much of the world, I’m making Passover for the first time, but I’m keeping things sans-pressure. We will get through it, we will manage and it will be beautiful no matter what!

As we celebrate the Exodus from Egypt this year, I’m reminded that although we are quarantined in our homes and it somehow feels like we’re in exile, I have truly never been more free! Our freedom is a state of mind that we get to choose every day. It is a realization that our circumstances don’t get to define how we allow ourselves to feel. If there is life and health, there is hope. Everything else is just details.

To me, nothing is more reminiscent of Passover than the taste of marzipan! All the Pesach desserts were always scented with the essence of almond, and I couldn’t love it more. My kids are big on rainbow-cookie-flavored desserts, so I came up with this easy and delicious way to enjoy it! Making homemade marzipan is super easy, and when it’s enrobed in my favorite kosher for Passover chocolate chips, made by California Gourmet, it just takes it over the top.

Wishing you and yours a kosher and happy and safe Passover!

Marzipan Butter Cups
YIELD: 10 cups

3/4 cups blanched almond meal or flour (see note)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp water
1 tsp pure almond extract
10oz. California Gourmet KFP chocolate chips

Place the almond meal, powdered sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor with the S blade attached, pulse until the ingredients are incorporated. Add the water and almond extract and blend until a paste forms and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the paste is very sticky, add more powered sugar until it’s easy to handle.

Form the paste into a log and wrap tightly in parchment paper to form a log, twisting the paper like a candy wrapper. Place the marzipan in the freezer to set.

In the meantime, place the chocolate chips in a Ziploc freezer bag and add to a large bowl. Pour boiling hot water over the bag and leave it in the water until the chocolate starts to melt, about 2 minutes. Remove the bag from the water and mix the chocolate in the bag to move around the chips that arent melted, return to the water until all the chocolate has melted completely.

Set 10 paper cupcake liners on a baking sheet. Snip the corner of the Ziploc bag and pipe chocolate into each liner to cover the base. Bang the tray down on your counter to flatten the layer of chocolate.

Remove the marzipan from the freezer and slice into 10 rounds. They should be the width of the cupcake liner – if they are smaller just flatten with your hand. Place the marzipan on top of the chocolate layer, and cover it with more chocolate, banging the sheet tray on the counter to evenly coat the marzipan.

Sprinkle with more sea salt, if desired, and freeze until solid.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

NOTES: if you don’t have almond meal or flour, you can create your own by pulsing 1 cup of blanched slivered almonds in the food processor until finely ground.

If you don’t have a food processor, use finely ground almond flour and mix by hand.

If you don’t like almond extract, you may use vanilla extract although the flavor will be different!

VARIATIONS: you can make marzipan out of any nut and use the corresponding extract to enhance the flavor. Alternatively, you can use nut butter and add powdered sugar to make it more of a dough, then fill as above.

 

Related Kosher for Passover Recipes:

chunky monkey marzipan nice cream
marzipan date truffles
apple crisp with marzipan crumble

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Pastelon Shepherd’s Pie

Yes, it’s true – plantains and I are having a moment. Ok fine, not a moment, a year. Or three. Or four.

I’ve basically been a fan of plantains ever since my first Whole30 back in 2014. I didn’t even know what they were back then, but when I found Whole30-approved plantain chips in Trader Joes, I was all in. I started noticing the plantains at my local Caribbean grocery, and I learned to make my own chips as well as tostones (twice fried plantains) which I devoured with guacamole and tuna tartare (OK I’m hungry now).

I realized that plantains could make an amazing stand-in for the overused potato on Pesach, so I started to experiment further with different recipes. My plantain nachos were a big hit, and I heard from some readers who started to make my sweet and savory plantain tortillas all year long!

And then there was that summer when I discovered plantains at my local Shoprite in upstate New York and I ate my fair share of maduros – fried ripe plantains with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a squeeze of lime. Better than ice cream.

Plantains, like bananas, change color as they ripen – although unlike bananas, they can be eaten at any stage, so long as they are cooked. Green plantains are very starchy, while yellow and black ones are sweeter and a bit easier to peel. When plantains are fully ripened and black – they only look scary on the outside, but on the inside the plantains are still quite firm. It’s at this point that you can fry them in oil for maduros, or boil them up for mash.

I recently happened upon a recipe for Pastelon – a Peurto Rican lasagna that uses plantains instead of lasagna noodles. It made me think of using mashed plantains instead of potatoes for Shepherd’s Pie and that’s how this recipe was born! It makes a great one pot meal for Chol Hamoed, and can even be prepared and frozen in advance.

Wishing you and yours and Kosher & Happy Passover!

Pastelon Shepherd’s Pie

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced small
1 red pepper, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. ground beef
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup sliced pimento stuffed olives
15oz. tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mashed Plantains
5 black (ripe) plantains
2 tbsp melted refined coconut oil, divided
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder

Method:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Peel the plantains and slice them in thirds. Add to the water and cook until soft and tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain (see note).

While the plantains are cooking, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add onions and peppers and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to saute until softened and fragrant. Add the ground beef and cook until crumbly, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain most of the fat that renders out of the meat. Add cumin, paprika, oregano, olives, tomato sauce, salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer. Remove from the heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the drained plantains into a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add 1 1/2 tbsp of the coconut oil, coconut milk, salt and chili powder. Spread the plantain mash on top of the beef mixture and brush with remaining coconut oil. Sprinkle with chili powder and bake for 20-25 minutes.

VARIATION: You can also make a savory mash using green plantains instead of black. Add some sauteed onions and/or garlic to the mash for added flavor.

NOTES: If you don’t use coconut milk over Passover, reserve 3/4 cup plantain cooking liquid in this step to use in place of the coconut oil. You may also substitute any other oil instead of the coconut oil.

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you may prepare the meat in any oven-safe pot, or transfer the mixture to a pie or casserole dish for baking.

FREEZING: this recipe may be prepared in advance and frozen ahead of time.

Related Recipes:

plantain nachos
fish tacos with savory plantain tortillas
nutella crepes with sweet plantain tortillas

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Ratatouille Roast Chicken

Y’all know I’m not really one for traditional dishes, but if there’s any time where tradition plays an essential role, it’s Passover, or Pesach. The Passover seder is all about the rituals that we observe each year – from preparing our homes and making them chometz-free (free of any leavened grains), to eating matza and morror (bitter herbs), drinking four cups of wine, hiding the afikomen and reciting the Haggadah. It’s all about, as Fiddler-on-the-Roof used to say, TRADISHUN!

Because this holiday has always been about creating special memories with family, I’m all about the simple kosher-for-Passover foods that my mom prepared each year. On the eve of Passover, we would all wash up with soap, put on some aprons and get to work peeling and chopping veggies for her classic Pesach dishes.

We’d fill mason jars with ratatouille, mock chopped liver, cucumber salad and vinaigrette (a salad of cooked beets, carrots, potatoes and red onion) and each meal over Passover, we’d dig a little deeper into the jars, until they were finished. Somehow, we never got bored of eating the same dishes over and over again because that’s what the holiday was all about.

This ratatouille dish is not quite the same as my mom used to make (since she did not use any processed ingredients like spices or tomato paste!), but it’s definitely inspired by the Passover dish of my youth.

Ratatouille Roast Chicken

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (pargiot)
1 medium eggplant, diced small
1 medium zucchini, diced small
1 red pepper, diced small
1 red onion, diced small
1 heaping cup grape tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
5 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
fresh basil, for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, pepper, onion, tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate the ingredients.

Place the chicken thighs on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper. Spread ratatouille mixture over the chicken. Bake, uncovered, for one hour, stirring the vegetables occasionally. Garnish with fresh basil.

Serve warm with mashed potatoes, quinoa or rice.

Related Recipes:

chimicken
pulled pesto chicken with fire roasted tomato jam
harissa roasted chicken

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Ferrero Rawcher Bites

It’s only taken 8 years, but welcome to the new and improved BUSYINBROOKLYN site! I’ve modernized the design, cleaned up some of the old junk and here we are! Clean, simple, and dare I say millennial? That’s my new favorite word!

I would love to hear your feedback on how you like it and if there is anything I can do to improve the design! Leave a comment below to let me know!

The new blog style may be streamlined and fresh, but the food here is just what you’re used to. Fun new recipes with a twist!

If you’re a regular around here, you know that date & nut bites are my all time favorite snack – and these will look familiar. I’ve made these marzipan flavored ones in the past, and if you’re lucky enough to own my cookbook, you’ve probably tried the much-loved pecan pie bites that are a family staple.

If that’s not enough, I’ve also made them into fun hamantaschen and gingerbread truffles. And I’m testing other flavors as we speak. Because (repeat after me) DATE NUT BITES ARE THE WORLD’S GREATEST SNACK.

Ferraro Rawcher Bites
YIELD: approximately 25 bites

18 plump medjool dates, pitted
6oz. (1 heaping cup) hazelnuts, plus extra for garnish
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/3 cup chocolate chips
Maldon sea salt flakes, optional, for finishing

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet and toast for 12-15 minutes until the skins start to crack. Wrap the nuts in a kitchen towel and roll them around to remove the skins. Cool completely.

Add the dates, hazelnuts, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and sea salt to a food processor and blend until nuts are finely chopped and evenly distributed – the mixture should stick together when pressed between your fingers.

Form the “dough” into small balls and press a hazelnut into the center, flattening it.

Place the chocolate chips into a Ziploc freezer bag and place in a mug or glass measuring cup. Pour boiling water over the bag and let it sit until the chocolate melts completely. Snip off the corner of the bag and drizzle the bites with chocolate. Finish with Maldon salt.

NOTE: These bites freeze great and can also be eaten frozen.

Related Recipes:

marzipan date truffles
cowboy cookie dough bites
gingbread truffles

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Mexishuka (Mexican Quinoa Shakshuka)

If a food could be my spirit animal, that food would be shakshuka. It’s versatile. Colorful. Sweet. Spicy. Photogenic. And oh. so. delicious. Don’t we all just want to be like shakshuka?

Well I’ll tell you what. We all want to at least be like a decently cooked one. I was reminiscing about my seminary days in Israel recently, and I was telling my Shabbat guests about the foods they used to serve us. This dish of rubbery eggs cooked in tomato sauce came back to me, and I finally realized, so many years later, that that was my first shakshuka experience. And what a bad one it was!

I don’t know why our Israeli chef couldn’t make a decent pot of the stuff. Maybe it’s because he was making it on a larger scale. Or maybe he was afraid of giving us salmonella. But those eggs…man where they rubbery. I think it was everyone’s least favorite lunch. Whenever shakshuka was served, we’d fill our bowls with Israeli soup croutons and eat them like cereal and milk, with just a splash of soup. It’s no wonder I put on 15 pounds that year!

Fast forward many years (I won’t date myself!) and I was eating at some Israeli restaurant. I went for the shuka and I was hooked. I forgot all about my rubbery egg days and the rest is history! I’ve been putting my own twists on the classic Israeli dish ever since.

I’m not so sure the Israelis would back me up on my varied interpretations of shakshuka, they’re purists when it comes to their food. They like their hummus straight up with tahini, their falafel without the fanfare, and their lemonana with strictly lemon and mint. Of course I go and trash up all their traditions with things like chestnut hummus, falafel latkes and strawberry limonana but that’s just my thang.

I’ve done the shakshuka thing in so many different variations. I cooked it up with a matbucha base, always make my quick and easy marinara base, I even stuffed it into a portobello, and tried a lightened up version with spaghetti squash. There was also the chickpea one, the zoodle one, and that beet and goat cheese one that Amy guest posted after my baby was born. So yes, I’ve rode that shakshuka train to breakfast glory and back! But THIS. This is next-level shakshuka. This is the best. freakin. shakshuka. I. have. ever. eaten.

When I started cooking this dish, I was pleasantly surprised to see how easily adaptable the Israeli flavors were to Mexican cuisine, where cumin and chili peppers play a pivotal role. I threw in some chili powder, jalapenos and black beans, but the real star is the quinoa. It makes this dish so hearty, you don’t even need to eat it with pita (oh yes I said it. No pita. Please don’t come after me Israeli food police).

I was putting the finishing touches on this dish when my husband surprised me by coming home in between meetings. I was so happy I had what to feed him, and he just kept coming back for more because it’s just. that. good. We polished off this skillet in no time and I’m already dreaming about making it again.

As for the bygone shakshuka of my past, I’m happy to say I have mastered the art of the perfect runny-egg shakshuka. May those rubbery eggs rest in peace.

In the meantime, I’m already dreaming up another shakshuka variation. I’m thinking something picante with eggplant. What do you say?

Have you ever put a fun spin on shakshuka? What’s you favorite version? Share it with me in the comments below!

Have an eggscellent day!

Mexishuka (Mexican Quinoa Shakshuka)

1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1/2 large red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
1 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
5 eggs
1/2 cup feta cheese
handful of cilantro

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onion, peppers and garlic. Saute until the onion is golden and tender. Add the cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder and cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and continue to saute for a minute or so. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, the black beans and the quinoa and stir to combine. Add the vegetable stock, salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes, until the quinoa is cooked through. Using a spoon, create five wells in the sauce and carefully fill them with eggs. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat until the whites have set but the yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle crumbled feta over the eggs and garnish with cilantro.


Related Recipes:

quick and easy shakshuka
portobello shakshuka
spaghetti squash shakshuka
garbanzo bean shakshuka
zoodle shakshuka
beet, kale and goat cheese shakshuka

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