I have no good excuse...

Loving these cupcakes my friend made for her boyfriend's birthday.


Although I have no good excuse, I want to apologize for my sparce blogging lately. I just started a new job and although I'm loving it, it's been...busy.

I have a few great recipe reviews to share with you, I just need to find a few minutes in my day to edit the photos and write up the posts. I promise, they are coming soon, including some belated Passover dishes that would really be wonderful any time of year. I've been up in Chicago for work this week, but when I get back I'm going to set aside some dedicated blogging time. If not, you can feel free to pester me - I deserve it.

love, d.liff



Very seriously my favorite breakfast. I use this recipe.  I still have 6-7 lbs of leftover matzo from Passover - win?

Passover Recipes

Passover is back at Sundown tonight!  Did you get your 5-lb of matzo free from Giant this year?  The Monkey Scientist and I each got 5-lbs so there will be lots of Chocolate Caramelized Matzoh (aka Matzoh Crack) made this year!  (But also, if you live in DC, let me know and I will absolute share a box or 2 with you!!)

I'm having a MUCH smaller Seder this year - only 4 of us.  Last year was such a blast, but a lot of work!  Passover Seder is one of my favorite nights of the year, so I still had to do something.  I'm trying a few new recipes that I will share with you later this week.

If you're celebrating, I hope you have a lovely Seder with your family and friends.  Below you can find a little recap of the delicious recipes I made last year.  I hope they give you a little bit of last minute inspiration.  I also threw in some recipes from around the web that I'm looking forward to making this year. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Caramelized Matzoh (Matzoh Crack) (dairy if you use Milk chocolate) - my favorite!!
Coconut Lime and White Chocolate Macaroons (dairy)
Eggplant Matzoh Lasagna (dairy)
Potato Kugel Klein (dairy)
Southwestern Pulled Brisket (meat)
Raspberry Coconut Macaroons - I'd use black or blueberries
Matzoh Pizza (dairy) - we made this all the time growing up!
Saffron Matzoh Balls (meat if put in chicken broth) - the Monkey Scientist is in charge of the matzoh ball soup at our place, but I love this fancy twist on a classic! I think we're going to make it!
Chopped Liver  (meat) - I'm dying to learn to make my own! Have you tried  before?
Classic Brisket (meat)
Flourless Chocolate Cake (dairy) - mine came out awful last year, I need to try this new recipe!
Spiced Lamb and Eggplant Matzoh Crepes (meat)  - umm, YUM!
Lemon and Honey Artichokes - great for Easter as well!

Southwestern Pulled Brisket

This is the last of my Passover recipe this year. I mentioned a few times that I made meat with all of my milk dishes.  Definitely not Kosher, but I felt like brisket was necessary for Passover.

I picked up this brisket frozen several weeks ago, before my farmer's market closed for its spring hiatus.  It was from a local farmer in southern Pennsylvania.  It was my inspiration for hosting a Seder!

Make sure you scrape up all the tasty brown bits before you put it all in the crock pot - they're the best part!!

The veggies in this recipe end up getting cooked to death.  I mixed a few into the meat, but most of them I threw out.  That's ok because they did their good deed - donating all of their delicious flavor to the brisket.

Chipotles in adobo are the best secret ingredient for anyone who lives spicy foods. My coworker told me she often mixes the adobo into my latin slaw and it comes out great! I need to try it next time I make the slaw.

The crockpot was the key to making this for Passover.  I had so many things to do, but being able to throw this in the crockpot in the morning and let it do its thing was a huge help!

This was far and away the biggest hit of my Seder.  My aunt has made this a few times for dinner and said it was really convenient and a big hit served with slaw. It's spicy and flavorful, while still juicy. It definitely isn't your traditional brisket, but it's a great alternative!  I recommend you make it anytime you need to throw a recipe together hours before your guests arrive.

Southwestern Pulled Brisket

From smitten kitchen

Ingredients

3 pounds beef brisket

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups water

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices

1 to 2 whole canned chipotle chiles en adobo [Read: 1 or 2 from a can, not one or two cans. Many misread this amount!] (I used two because I like it spicy!)

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup molasses

For serving:

If sandwiches, soft sandwich buns. If tacos, small soft tortillas. For Passover, either eat it alone or on matzo.

Instructions

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke. Add the meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker; leave the skillet on the heat.

Add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant, about one minute. Add vinegar and boil until it’s almost gone (and seriously, get your head out of the way of the steam; inhaling vinegar is no fun!), scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water and pour the mixture over the brisket. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; add the tomato juices, chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. Cover the cooker, set it on LOW, and cook the brisket until it pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 to 10 hours.

To serve, leave the meat in the slow cooker and use two forks to pull it apart and stir it evenly into the sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove and discard bay leaves, draining most of the liquid.

Don’t have a slow cooker? Cook in a Dutch oven in the oven at 350°F for 3 hours.

Potato Kugel Klein

Potato kugel is almost nothing like it's noodle alternative.  It is more of a casserole, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its place at the Passover table.  I made it as my second vegetarian side for my Seder.

This recipe had loads of onions and potatoes.  What recipe can go wrong when you have onions and potatoes?  I used one GIANT onion to get 5 cups.

Instead of using the fresh herbs or dill, I used dried herbs de provence.  They contain most of the same herbs and worked great.

Again, this recipe shouldn't be served with meat if you're being strictly Kosher.  We served meat at my Seder, but it was a very loose interpretation of the rules. At least I didn't serve any bread!

I also made this a day before, and kept it in the fridge until I was ready to bake it.  Making food ahead of time helped me keep a low stress level on the day of the meal.

I really enjoyed this recipe! I never thought I liked potato kugel (I'm partial to the noodle version) but this was fluffy and delightful.  It was super easy to make and enjoyed by all!

Potato Kugel Klein
from my mom's friend Suzie, who got it from Gourmet, Sept 1996
Serves 12-18

Ingredients
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter or margarine
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh marjoram
5 cups chopped onion
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp dried dill
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
2 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 cup matzo meal
3 russet (baking) potatoes, peeled (about 1/2 lbs)

Instructions
In a large, heavy skillet heat 4 tbsp butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and cook herbs 3 minutes. Add onions and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes, or until softened. Add mushrooms, dill, remaining 3 tbsp butter, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender.

In a bowl, stir together eggs, sour cream, and matzo and let mixture stand.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter a 13- by 9-inch baking dish.

Under running water coarsely grate potatoes into a colander. Squeeze excess water from potatoes and drain 2 minutes. Stir potatoes and onion mixture into matzo meal mixture. Spoon mixture into dish.

(At this point, you can cover and let sit in the refrigerator up to 12 hours, as long as the potatoes are drained well)

Bake in middle of oven 50 minutes or until golden.

Eggplant Matzo Lasagna

Some of my guests at my Passover Seder were vegetarian, so I tried to make a few dishes for them.  This  matzo lasagna was one of those options.

Of course, if you keep Kosher and are serving meat, you cannot serve this meal.  It's full of cheese! But the cheese is what makes this guy tasty.  I'd probably even add more next time around!

I made the lasagna a day or two earlier but waited until the day of my Seder to bake it.  The matzo soaked up some liquid and it tasted more like pasta.  Definitely the way to go.

Also, I used crushed tomatoes instead of pureed.  I'd probably add sugar next time to counteract the acid from canned crushed tomatoes.

The assembly is really easy, just like a traditional lasagna.  You just stack up the layers!

Once you get to the top layer, you bake it off.  Could it be any easier?  If it wasn't Passover,  you could use no-boil noodles instead.

I have to admit, this wasn't the biggest hit at our Seder.  I think the main reason was that it was cold by the time I served it since we ate outside.  I still liked it a lot and I think it would great if served piping hot!

Eggplant Matzo Lasagna
from my Mom, who I think got it from Cooking Light
Serves 6 for a meal, or 20 as a small side

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups sliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (or tomato puree)
1 large eggplan, cut into 1/2" slices (about 1 1/4 lbs)
Vegetable cooking spray
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1 15-oz container nonfat ricotta cheese
3-4 slices unsalted matzo

Instructions
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Stir in wine, basil, oregano, peppers, and puree. Partialy cover, reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooing spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning the slices over after 15 minutes. Remove from baking sheet, and let cool. Cut the eggplant slices into 1/2 inch pieces, and set aside.

Combine 1/4 cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese and ricotta cheese; stir well, and set aside.

Spread 1/2 cup tomato mixture in the bottom of an 11x7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Arrange 1 1/2-2 slices matzo over tomato mixture, and top matzo with half of the cheese mixture, half of the eggplant, and half of the remaining tomato mixture.  Repeat, ending with the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons grated cheese.

(at this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours)

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Caramelized Matzo

I tried to make a flourless chocolate cake for Passover and it really didn't come out well.  My aunt was visiting and suggested I make chocolate covered matzo - it is easy and everyone loves it.  It was a great suggestion!

What really sets this matzo apart is the carmel crunch.  It isn't hard to make but it adds that extra something that makes you eat enough to motivate a long run the next day.

I used bittersweet chocolate because that's what I had leftover from my failure flourless chocolate cake.  I'm not even a big chocolate person, but I love this recipe.



If you're having a lot of people, you can break this up into a lot of pieces and it will go pretty far.  I was surprised but I did have some leftover after my 20 person seder.

Did I mention how good this is?  Go make it.  Now.  Quick, before Passover ends!

Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzoh Crunch
From David Lebovitz
Makes approximately 30 pieces of candy

Ingredients:
4 to 6 sheets unsalted matzohs
1 cup margarine, cut into chunks
1 cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar
big pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (160g) semisweet chocolate chips (or chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate)

1 cup (80g) toasted sliced almonds (optional)

Instructions
1. Line a rimmed baking sheet (approximately 11 x 17″, 28 x 42cm) completely with foil, making sure the foil goes up and over the edges. Cover the foil with a sheet of parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).

2. Line the bottom of the sheet with matzoh, breaking extra pieces as necessary to fill in any spaces.

3. In a 3-4 quart (3-4l) heavy duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is beginning to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add the salt and vanilla, and pour over matzoh, spreading with a heatproof spatula.

4. Put the pan in the oven and reduce the heat to 350F (175C) degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. As it bakes, it will bubble up but make sure it’s not burning every once in a while. If it is in spots, remove from oven and reduce the heat to 325F (160C), then replace the pan.

5. Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread with an offset spatula.

6. If you wish, sprinkle with toasted almonds (or another favorite nut, toasted and coarsely-chopped), a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, or roasted cocoa nibs.

Let cool completely, the break into pieces and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. It should keep well for about one week.

Note: If you are strictly following Kosher Passover rules, omit the vanilla extract or find a kosher brand.

Coconut Lime White Chocolate Macaroons

I decided this year to host Passover at my apartment.  I invited most of my good friends (some Jewish, some not) and figured most of them would say no and maybe a few would come for dinner.  I was totally wrong and ended up having 22 people over!

Being my mother's daughter, I was so afraid I wouldn't have enough food.  I made this recipe before I realized how many people were coming over - I doubled it but I probably would have made 4 times this many had I realized.  Fortunately, a friend brought more macaroons over.

Keep in mind, when making macaroons for Passover, that some brands have HFCS in them.  I don't like to buy HFCS anyways, but corn isn't kosher for Passover if you're Ashkenazi so you really need to pay attention this time of year.  Fortunately, this brand (which you can usually find in the Latino section of the market) has all natural ingredients, and no corn!

The minute I saw this recipe, I was drawn to it.  Coconut? Lime? WHITE CHOCOLATE? Some of my favorite ingredients.  Of course, I missed a step (it wasn't a good baking day) and so the picture above and below are missing the egg whites.  I added them back in at the end, which I don't recommend but it did work.

Overall, really easy to make!  You basically just combine all of the ingredient and make little mounds of the coconut mixture.  1 bowl for easy clean up!

I would make the mounds a little smaller than I did.  The recipe says 2 tbsp, but I think you can go smaller than that.  Also, I just drizzled them with white chocolate at the end instead of dipping.  However, the recipe below is just as it was written on two peas and their pod.  Lots more Passover recipes to come in the next week!

Coconut Lime White Chocolate Macaroons
from two peas and their pod


Ingredients
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 large egg white
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3½ cups sweetened coconut
10 ounces white chocolate, chopped

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest, egg white, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir until combined. Add in the coconut and mix well.

3. With a spoon, scoop up about 2 Tablespoons of the coconut mixture and form into mounds that have a slight peak at the top. Place on lined baking sheets, about two inches apart. Bake cookies one sheet at a time for 15 to 2o minutes, or until cookies are set and slightly golden brown.

4. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. Remove with a spatula onto a cooling rack.

5. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Make sure you keep stirring the chocolate every 20 seconds or so until chocolate is melted and smooth.

6. Lay out a large piece of wax paper. Dip the cookies into the chocolate-just so the bottoms are covered in chocolate. Set dipped cookies on the paper to dry. Drizzle macaroons with white chocolate and let dry completely.

Makes 18 macaroons