Last minute Pesach recipes by popular demand!

Matzo balls: (Family recipe from my mother’s grandmother, Netta Jacobs, not like you are used to, everyone loves them)

2 matzos

3 oz margarine (melted), chicken fat or olive oil, or skip it, plus other oil/marg/fat for frying

2 eggs

2 small or one large onion, chopped small

parsley – about 1/8 cup

salt and pepper

nutmeg

matzo meal

Brown onions in oil or fat. I salt the onions, it helps them cook, then I don’t add other salt.

Soak matzot in water until soft. Squeeze very dry (easiest to do in a colander), fluff with fork

Add brown onions, margarine, beaten eggs and spices.

Add matzo meal to bind – the trick to keep them light is to add the minimum.

Roll on a plate of matzo meal into small balls – to keep them light, handle them as little as possible.

Make a pot of boiling salted water and cook 20 minutes in this – then add them to the soup.

They will be tastier if you cook them 30 minutes in soup, but you will lose some of your soup since they soak it up.

The challenge with these matzo balls is that the lighter you make them, the more likely they are to fall apart. Every time they come out a little different but they are always very tasty!

Anchovy Eggs – another recipe from Mom’s family – we love these and eat them instead of eggs in salt water these days (we used to eat both!) People who don’t like anchovies like these eggs, but the person who makes them should like anchovies.

Hard boil 12 eggs. Cut them in half horizontally and put yolks in a bowl. Cut the bottoms off each half egg to make the “hats” for the eggs – kids love to put the hats on.

Soak a can or 1.5 cans of anchovies in water 10 minutes to reduce the salt. Drain and chop small.

Mix the egg yolks with the anchovies, 1-2 Tbsp cider vinegar, ½ grated onion (small side of the grater, include the juice). I also add lemon juice – 1-2 Tbsps, and one teaspoon mayonnaise. Put the filling back in each egg, then put the hat on top.

Eat these eggs at the seder and on the hag days – they do not keep long.

Passover granola – My dad found this recipe on the internet and Alen now makes it every year. Great with yogurt.

3 cups matza farfel

2/3 cup sliced almonds

½ cup coconut

2/3 cup pecans broken into large pieces

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

6 tablespoons margarine (use butter, it makes it more yummy)

1/3 cup honey

2 cups chopped dried mixed fruit of your choice (raisins, craisins, apricots, dates, figs, etc.)

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine farfel, almonts, coconut, pecans and spices

Melt or microwave butter and honey together for 1 minute

Stir butter mixture into farfel mixture until it is all coated

Spread on large cookie sheet and bake 15-20 minutes. Stir half way through to brown evenly.

Cool and then add the fruit.

When totally cooled, put in airtight container. Serve for breakfasts or snack.

Haroset balls by Alen (recipe from Curacao & Surinam called Garoza balls adapted by Alen.)

Dried figs, apricots, dates, apples, craisins

Cherry jam

Honey

Cinnamon

Grated coconut

Finely chopped almonds

Combine in a bowl finely chopped fruits, about 2 cups in all. Add a tablespoon of cherry jam, a tablespoon of honey, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 handful grated coconut and 1/2 handful of chopped almonds. Mix/knead with hands till mixed consistently in large ball. Put a couple of tablespoons of cinnamon on a plate, make small balls 3/4 in. diameter, roll in cinnamon, freeze until the start of the seder. They don't freeze solid.