Putzel Kitchen

Passover Recipes


Are you scrambling to get your Seder table ready for the Passover holiday?  Don’t fret, we have all the traditional recipes spelled out for you right here…you can even make your soup in the slow cooker.  Check out the how to videos for making & slicing brisket too.  Set the table ahead of time while the food is cooking so you can enjoy those FOUR glasses of wine!  Chag Sameach Pesach! חַג כָּשֵׁר וְשָׂמֵחַ

Gefilte Fish Terrine

If you are a fan of gefilte fish, then this will take your breath away. If gefilte fish makes you say, “Yuck, I hate that dreck,” then give this terrine a chance. The three colored layers look gorgeous on a plate and everyone will be raving about it.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pounds ground whitefish
  • 1 1/4 pounds ground gefilte fish mixture (traditionally carp, whitefish & pike)
  • 1 1/4 pounds ground salmon
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion, juices squeezed out
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups matzoh meal
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped dill
  • Juice & zest of 2 lemons

Instructions

Step 1

In three separate bowls combine: 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 eggs + 1/2 cup matzoh meal each. Season with salt & pepper.

Step 2

In bowl #1 add and mix gefilte fish mixture, lemon zest, juice & dill.

Step 3

In bowl #2 add and mix salmon and carrots.

Step 4

In bowl #3 add and mix the white fish.

Step 5

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and double line an 16" x 4" loaf pan with parchment paper.

Step 6

Layer the fish evenly in the pan with the gefilte fish mixture as bottom layer, salmon mixture as second/middle layer, and white fish mixture as top layer.

Step 7

Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes. Internal temperature of loaf should read 145 degrees F.

Step 8

Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate once cooled.

Step 9

To remove loaf from pan, place pan upside down on a baking sheet. Slice and serve chilled on a bed of lettuce with horseradish.

Notes

This should be made at least 24 hours in advance, and can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.



Short Cut: Call your fish monger and order the ground fish ahead of time. This will save you time and avoid a big mess and stink in the kitchen.

Think Out of The Ice Box: Try using red pepper in place of the carrots. Swap out cilantro and lime zest in place of the dill and lemon zest.

Chicken Soup

Homemade Chicken Soup is the definition of Jewish comfort food. A Bubbie, Nana, Grammy or Grandma uses chicken soup to cure the common cold, a broken heart or the winter blues. I always cook this traditional recipe for the Jewish Holidays. Although it is time consuming, it does not require sophisticated culinary skills to prepare a savory soup that will surely remind you of your grandmother.
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
5 hours 30 minutes
Total Time
6 hours

Ingredients

Yield: 12 - 15 servings
  • 1, 4 - 5 lb. roasting chicken, cut up
  • 1 lb. chicken feet (find it in your freezer section)
  • 1 lb. chicken wings
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 parsnip, diced
  • 1 turnip, diced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 3 celery Ribs, diced
  • 1 small fennel bulb, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, whole
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch fresh dill
  • 3 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 3 sprigs fresh oregano
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 sprigs fresh cilantro
  • sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Step 1

Rinse chicken under cool water until water is clear.

Step 2

Season generously with kosher salt & pepper and place in pot with chopped vegetables, herbs & bay leaves.

Step 3

Cover with cold water.

Step 4

Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. 

Step 5

Simmer uncovered for an hour, constantly skimming fat/scum off of top. Remove chicken breast, cool chop and reserve for later.

Step 6

Continue to simmer soup for 3 - 4 hours.

Step 7

Cool and strain.

Step 8

Add reserved chicken and fresh chopped carrots, celery, and dill to the strained broth. Reheat, check seasonings and ladle soup over warm matzoh balls

Notes

Source: My mom, of course!

Short Cut: Pick it up at your favorite delicatessen.

Think Out of the Ice Box: Use a soup mix and add your own chopped vegetables when serving.

Slow Cooker Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup definitely makes everyone feel better, but when you are under the weather manning the stove for 4 hours just isn't gonna' happen. This is when the slow cooker enters the kitchen. Put the chicken in the pot, cover, and get back in bed. Soup will be ready for dinner.
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Additional Time
10 minutes
Total Time
4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Yield: 3 quarts
  • olive oil to drizzle
  • 1 cut up chicken fryer
  • 2 T sea salt
  • 2 T freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 parsnip, peeled + chopped
  • 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 4 carrots, peeled + chopped
  • 1 bunch of fresh parsley
  • 1 bunch of fresh dill
  • 3-4 stems of fresh thyme
  • 1/2 pound chicken wings
  • 1/2 pound chicken feet
  • 8 cups water

Instructions

Step 1:

Place all the ingredients in slow cooker pot.

Step 2:

Turn slow cooker on high and set for 4 hours.

Step 3:

Strain soup and remove bay leaf, chicken feet + bones.

Step 4:

Adjust seasoning (often times needs more salt) and enjoy!

Notes

Chicken feet can be found in freezer section at grocer. Due to the gelatinous make up of the feet, it adds to the flavor and gives the soup a nice yellow hue.

Homemade Matzoh Balls

Fluffy homemade matzoh balls make the chicken soup complete. Need I say more?
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Yield: 10 matzoh balls
  • 1/2 C matzoh meal
  • 2 T chicken schmaltz (rendered fat)
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 2 T seltzer water, or as needed
  • 2 T fresh dill, chopped
  • sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Step 1

Combine egg yolks and chicken shmaltz. Then add the matzoh meal, chopped dill and salt & pepper

Step 2

Add seltzer water to egg yolk mixture (a few tablespoons as needed) to make mixture moist.

Step 3

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.

Step 4

Fold in egg whites to mixture.

Step 5

Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile bring soup to a boil.

Step 6

Make golf ball size balls out of mixture, and place in boiling soup. Boil 35 minutes, then turn down heat to a simmer and serve.


Beef Brisket

This beef brisket recipe has become the traditional holiday meal in my house. Everyone loves the leftovers on a challah bun just as much as they like it hot out of the oven. You want to always make this ahead of time, because it needs to roast “low and slow.” A.K.A. The meat needs to cook at a low temperature for a long time. Most important note: KEEP IT MOIST.
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Additional Time
12 hours
Total Time
16 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Yield: 10 servings
  • 4 - 5 pound beef brisket
  • ground seasoning (equal parts: salt, pepper, cumin, fennel, anise, caraway)
  • 1 - 28 oz can chopped san marzano tomatoes
  • 1 C beer or coke
  • 1 C beef broth
  • 3 T brown sugar
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 fennel bulb, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bottle fat boy BBQ sauce

Instructions

Step 1

Season brisket, fat side up.


Step 2

Cover brisket with sliced carrots, celery, onions, fennel & garlic.


Step 3

Pour canned tomatoes on top.


Step 4

Mix beer/coke, broth & brown sugar together. Pour over brisket.


Step 5

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.


Step 6

Reduce heat to 300 degrees F and cook another 3+ hours. For a tender brisket, the internal temperature should reach 180 - 200 degrees.


Step 7

Remove from oven and let brisket cool to room temperature. Then cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.


Step 8

Remove from refrigerator to slice. First slice off fat and then slice brisket against the grain into thin pieces.


Step 9

Place back in pan with sauce.


Step 10

Reheat uncovered at 300 degrees F after pouring more BBQ sauce over brisket. When reheating the meat you want the internal temperature to be 165 degrees.

Notes

Short Cut: You can’t rush a brisket or you’ll end up with dry, tough meat. Follow this recipe and I promise that you will have a home run!

Alternative Method: If you want to splurge, try using a veal cut for an extremely tender brisket.

Passover Toffee Bars

This recipe is great for kids who love to bake. It’s a good twist on the old chocolate covered matzah.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Additional Time
10 minutes
Total Time
35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 stick Unsalted Butter or Margarine
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/2 C Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 C White Sugar
  • 1 C Cake Meal
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 pkg Chocolate Chips
  • 1 C Chopped Nuts of your choice

Instructions

Step 1

Cream butter/margarine & sugar. Add salt, egg & flour.



Step 2

Pat flat onto a jelly roll pan. Bake 20 minutes @ 350 degrees F.



Step 3

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips onto hot toffee. Spread melting chocolate chips like frosting all over toffee.



Step 4

Immediately sprinkle with chopped nuts.