Delicious Entrees for Your Passover Seder

Does your family have a favorite seder meal? Or is it time to try something new?

Beth Lee of OMGYummy.com loves her recipe for brisket and tzimmes because it’s a side dish and main course all in one! “The sweet from the dried fruit, carrots and yams combined with the sour/tang of the vinegar is a great spin on a typical sweet and sour Jewish brisket recipe,” Lee told the Journal. “Not a bite is ever left when I serve this at any Jewish holiday gathering.”

Braised Beef Brisket with Tzimmes

(Adapted from a Gourmet magazine recipe by Karen Stabiner, April 2005.)

12 servings

6-7 lbs first-cut brisket
2 medium onions, sliced thin (no need to chop)
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup red wine
3 ½ cups beef stock
¾ cup Sherry vinegar – an interesting ingredient that adds richness and a little tang to the resulting gravy
2 lbs carrots peeled and cut crosswise into 1-inch-long pieces
4 medium sweet potatoes or yams peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 ¾ cups dried pitted prunes dried apricots, and dried cherries (or whatever dried fruit you like or have in the house)

Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Add oil to your large roasting pan, straddled across two burners; over medium heat. Add onions and brown them; move them around to get a little color all over (about 3 to 5 minutes).
While onions are cooking, rub brisket all over with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Push the onions to the edges of your pan, turn heat up to medium to medium-high and place the brisket fat side down into the pan. Brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.
While the brisket is browning, combine the wine, stock and vinegar to become the braising liquid.
Remove the pan from heat, then pour the braising liquid over the brisket and onions. Cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil and braise brisket in the oven for 2 hours. Then, remove the pan from the oven carefully and place on a protected counter.
Next, remove the meat to a cutting board and slice it across the grain. Add the sliced meat back into the pan along with the dried fruit, carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle the rest of the salt and pepper over the meat and vegetables. Cook for about 1 more hour, covered. Check and if meat and vegetables feel fork tender, it’s done. If not, cook in half-hour increments until it is.
If you are not eating it immediately, refrigerate (covered) for up to two days or freeze.
To reheat, put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Discard as much fat as possible from the surface of vegetables and sauce. Then cover with foil, place in the oven until heated through, about 40 minutes. Check the sauce for seasoning and add any salt and pepper as needed once it is warm.
If the oven is not available and your meat is in a pan that is stove-top safe, you can reheat on medium low on the stove-top.

Debbie Kornberg makes her delicious crispy orange chicken dish year round, but it’s a particular favorite for Passover. 

“The orange, ginger and honey play well together and the crispy coating around the chicken ensures it stays moist while waiting to be served to your guests as you conduct the Seder,” Kornberg, chef, owner of SPICE + LEAF and cooking teacher, told the Journal. “If you are having a big crowd, you will want to double or triple the recipe as needed.”

Passover Crispy Orange Chicken with Ginger and Honey
By Debbie Kornberg

Serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup matzah meal (can also use almond flour to prepare gluten-free)
1 Tbsp potato starch (can also use corn starch)
2 Tbsp heaping, onion powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 cup grapeseed oil
2 small baby carrots – trust me on this
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1 orange, (1/2 for zesting and the other half cut into slices)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl combine matzah meal, potato starch, onion powder, turmeric, cumin and salt. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, crack eggs and whisk well.
In a large frying pan, place grapeseed oil and put on high heat. Place baby carrots in oil. You will know the oil is hot when the carrot starts to sizzle plus the baby carrot will help prevent the chicken from burning.
Dip chicken breast in egg and have it well coated and then dip into matzah meal blend, so it is well coated. When the oil is hot, place coated chicken into the hot frying pan and cook until it is a deep golden brown on both sides. Once chicken is cooked, place directly into a baking dish.
In a different bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, honey and ground ginger. Using a zester, zest the skin of half of an orange into the sauce and mix again.
Carefully pour orange-ginger sauce around the chicken. Best not to pour on top of chicken as it will make the chicken less crispy. Cut the remaining 1/2 orange into half slices and place around the chicken. Place in the oven and cook for approximately 30 minutes. Place on a serving dish and it’s ready.

Faith Kramer often offers a vegetarian main course at holidays.

“I find all my guests appreciate it whether it is the center of their plates or a hearty side,” Kramer, author of “52 Shabbats: Friday Night Dinners Inspired by a Global Jewish Kitchen,” told the Journal. “This mashed potato casserole is a twist on the traditional Askenazi kugel, adding some Sephardic flavors that help make the parve dish into a meal.”

Mashed Potato Kugel with Eggplant and Mushrooms

Eggplant and Mushroom filling:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1½ cups chopped onion
¼ tsp salt
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried mint
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne
3 cups eggplant, chopped
3 cups brown mushrooms, chopped
14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ cup chopped fresh mint

Potato Kugel:
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
½ tsp salt, divided
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided, plus extra for casserole
1½ cups chopped onion
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 Tbsp minced garlic
3 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp matzah meal
¼ tsp paprika
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Prepare eggplant and mushroom filling:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add salt, cinnamon, oregano, mint, black pepper and cayenne. Then add eggplant and more oil, if needed. Sauté 5 minutes.
Add brown mushrooms. Sauté 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and sauté until liquid evaporates. Stir in lemon juice and fresh mint. Adjust salt. Refrigerate, if made in advance. Return to room temperature before using.
Kugel:
Quarter potatoes. Place in a pot and cover with water. Add ¼ tsp. salt. Bring to a simmer. Cover, adjust heat and simmer until soft. Drain, reserving liquid. Remove peels if desired.
Heat 2 tablespoons. oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions. Sauté until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt, black pepper and cayenne. Add garlic. Sauté 1-2 minutes until golden. Stir into potatoes with ¼ cup reserved liquid. Mash, adding liquid if needed. Adjust salt. Stir in eggs. Mix in matzah meal.
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 2-quart casserole. Press half of the potatoes in the bottom. Cover with vegetable filling. Top with potatoes. Brush top with 1 Tbs. oil. Sprinkle it with paprika.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until crusty and golden. Let stand for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.