Happy Passover Round-Up

Passover is almost here, which means a very limited diet for some, but fear not, as there are still plenty of delicious goodies to eat.  I've assembled a round up of Passover friendly eats for you here, and feel free to chime in with your suggestions too!

Chocolate Matzoh - There's nothing like a beautiful matzoh on this non-bready holiday, and I love decking mine in chocolate and fancy accouterments such as pistachios or dried fruit.  Here's a simple recipe for a dark chocolate truffled sea salt matzoh I made last year.  

Homemade Macaroons - A very different but equally delicious treat that sounds similar to the elegant French confection, this one is coconutey, a little creamy and often drizzled with chocolate, in honor of this holiday.

Classic Chicken Soup - One year, I decided to make a from scratch chicken soup, instead of having my hand in dessert and it came out great.  I recommend it, as it's low maintenance and goes a long way.  Anyone from adults to very small children will find comfort in this classic. 

Matzoh Brei - Another Passover staple, Matzoh Brei always wins big point, especially as a breakfast dish.  It's made of eggs and milk-soaked matzoh that creates a comforting dish not unlike Mexican chilaquiles.  

Shakshuka - The recent recipe I've tried for Shakshuka would also make a nice Passover dish, not so much for a Seder but more for the everyday weekly meal.  All you need is 5 simple ingredients, including eggs, tomatoes, spices and olive oil and you've got yourself a hearty breakfast or dinner.

There's No Passover Without Chicken Soup

During this Passover season, I'm proud to say that I took on a huge task at the Seder, which involved making two large batches of homemade chicken soup - to feed 22 people!  I was definitely in the mood for a challenge, and wanted to prove to myself that I can make a tasty, homemade chicken soup that would make my parents proud.  I wanted to impress my mom especially since she's the chicken soup master, and my dad is quite the connoisseur too, eating chicken soup since early days when my grandmother used to make it each week, using their  farm fresh chickens of course.

Anyway, on to my version, which I couldn't believe how simple it was to make.  The key, as with most good food, is the quality of ingredients...so buying a really good, organic chicken, and fresh, bright veggies.  The rest is really up to the soup gods, as you throw everything in one big pot, cover with with water and slow cook it for about 3 hours.  You'll absolutely love the way your whole apartment (or house) smells while you're making it, and you won't think of anything but home sweet home.
Here's the recipe I used from the April issue of Food Network magazine.

While the recipe also helps you make the ever-so-coveted matzoh balls, I left those to the experts (aka Mom!)