Passover is almost here. If you are like me, you either cook old family favorites or look for new ideas for the seder and beyond.

Here are a few recipes that I’m going to try this year. After Passover, we can compare notes.

Let’s start with dessert since that seems to be the hardest course to make satisfying . Here’s a no-bake, make ahead, three ingredient cake that takes its inspiration from old fashioned icebox cake.

Easy No-Bake Chocolate Matzah Cake
Courtesy of Tori Avery

INGREDIENTS

• 21 oz chocolate bars
• 7 matzo squares
• 1 small bottle sweet kosher wine or grape juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a double boiler or the microwave, melt the chocolate bars until smooth.
2. Pour sweet wine or grape juice into a shallow baking dish or pan. Soak the matzos for 45-60 seconds until they’ve absorbed some of the wine or juice. Don’t let them soak too long, or they’ll get mushy and fall apart! Remove matzos from liquid.
3. Place one moistened matzo in the center of a small tray or plate. Using a spatula, spread the matzo generously with melted chocolate, covering the whole surface of the matzo.Place one moistened matzo in the center of a small tray or plate. Using a spatula, spread the matzah generously with melted chocolate, covering the whole surface of the matzah.
4. Take another matzo and layer it on top, then spread it with chocolate. Repeat the process until you have seven layers of chocolate matzos. Put an extra thick spread of chocolate on the top layer.

5. Place the layered cake in refrigerator and let it set for about an hour, or until chocolate has hardened. After the chocolate has set, store the cake at room temperature. Use a sharp knife to cut and serve. Feel free to dress up the cake however you’d like. Some people add whipped cream and nuts. If you want a taller, thicker cake, feel free to add more layers. The thicker the cake, the longer it will take to set in the refrigerator.

Note: Cherry wine might be nice. Raspberries, nuts, chocolate curls would all be appropriate garnishes. If you want to get fancy with this cake, make the melted chocolate into a lighter mousse. But that’s really extra work.

Looking for a soup for your vegetarian or vegan guests but one that still has lots of flavor? Here are links to Vegetarian Matzah Ball Soup and a Spring Vegetable Soup

(eliminate any ingredients that don’t fit your Passover customs.)

Joan Nathan’s Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: my search for Jewish cooking in France contains some of my favorite recipes along with fascinating narratives about people, places and the varied cuisine of France. Nathan is a very pragmatic cook and while her recipes may have a lot of ingredients at times, they are down to earth and clear. I’m definitely trying this recipe from the Provence area of France. It appeared in the new York Times this week along with an article about Carpentras, the town that the recipe comes from.

Provencal Veal Breast Stuffed with Swiss Chard
8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large onions; 2 diced, 1 cut into 2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon) plus 2 cloves, unpeeled
• 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped (1 teaspoon chopped)
• 2 pounds Swiss chard (2 to 3 bunches), leaves and stems chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 square matzo, crumbled into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 boneless breast of veal, about 4 pounds, trimmed, butterflied, bones reserved (a butcher can do this, or order it for you); or lamb
• ½ cup Côtes du Rhône or other dry red wine
• 3 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then cut on the diagonal in 1-inch slices

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the filling: In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onions, season with salt and pepper and sauté until softened. Mix in the chopped garlic, thyme and rosemary. A few handfuls at a time, stir in the chard and, using tongs to toss, cook with the onion mixture until all the greens are soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer chard mixture to a large bowl. Stir in tomatoes, egg and matzo pieces, mixing well. You will have at least 5 cups cooked filling.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lay the meat flat on a clean work surface, season the top with salt and pepper and spread a thin layer of the filling (about half) evenly over the surface of the meat, leaving a 1-inch border. Reserve and refrigerate the remaining stuffing. Tightly roll the meat and secure it with kitchen twine, making a knot every 1 1/2 inches and tucking the meat in to enclose the ends. Season the outside of the roll with salt and pepper.
3. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet, turn the heat to medium-high and brown the stuffed veal on all sides. Transfer to a large roasting pan with a lid. (If your skillet isn’t large enough, brown veal directly in the roasting pan, laid over 2 burners of your stovetop.) To the pan where you browned the meat, add wine and simmer for about a minute, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Spoon liquid over the meat. Scatter the carrots, large onion pieces and whole garlic cloves around the veal, place the bones, and pour in about 8 cups of water or enough to come halfway up the meat.
4. Reduce oven to 325 degrees and cook, covered, 2 1/2 hours, basting every 20 minutes or so, until veal is cooked through and tender, 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
5. Remove the meat from the pan, set aside to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Strain the sauce, reserving the carrots and discarding the bones and the onions. Refrigerate sauce and carrots.
6. The next day (or when ready to serve), remove and discard the fat from the sauce and simmer sauce in a small pot until reduced by 1/3. Season with salt and pepper. Using a long sharp knife, slice the veal into 1-inch portions. (Pull out kitchen twine as necessary). Carefully transfer slices to a large ovenproof serving dish or roasting pan, scatter the reserved stuffing around the veal and pour the braising liquid and carrots over the top. (You can refrigerate the whole dish at this point, to be reheated just before serving, or proceed to reheat the meat now.)
7. Just before serving, reheat in a 350-degree oven, covered with foil, about 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve in individual portions or on a platter, with a little chard stuffing and carrots on top of each slice for color, and drizzled with some of the braising liquid. Serve this really easy side dish which will go with many other roasted or baked foods.

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 2 pounds red potatoes, halved or chunked
• 1/3 cup olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large plastic bag, combine soup mix, potatoes and olive oil.
3. Close bag and shake util potatoes are well coated.
4. Pour potatoes into a sheet pan and bake about 40 minutes stirring occasionally until brown and tender.

NOTE: Garlic, herbs, or red onion can be added to the mixture. Finally here’s a great vegetarian entree that’s simple, familiar and kid friendly. In fact, we are serving this to our MESH guests during Passover.

Here’s a link to Matzah Lasagna from the Genius Kitchen.
You might want to add some garlic, mushrooms, or mix a variety of cheeses. Even sneak in some spinach or broccoli for extra nutrition. And no matter what you think, don’t leave out the water. Can be made in a 9x 13 pan with 1 1/2 matzah board pre layer.

BATAYAVON!