Need help with Passover menu

CharlieD

CharlieD

New member
On the other board I posted "a vegetarian chalange" question. And though in truth it is not completely vegetarian, but definitely vegetables and fruits are involved. during the discussion somebody asked me a question about legitemacy of the chalenge and this is what I responded. I will copy below. But I also want to ask for your help, becasue it really did not get far on the other board. I need help with side dishes, appetasers and deserts. here it goes:

Originally Posted by froggythefrog
Just curious: What did you do last year? Why do you have these particular restrictions? Is this an actual contest?


There is no contest. The Passover is coming. During that time the common prohibition against leavened bread in reality is much more. There is no end to how strict people get. This is what we do during that time. We only use home made products. The only thing that is not homemade is wine (and there are some people that do make their own wine) Grape juice, actually I do make my own grape juice and salt. That is it. If it is fish, for example I buy whole fish with head and scales and clean it myself. If it is vegetables or fruits they must have skin so they can be peeled. No spices are used in my house, no garlic, even though garlic can be peeled but there is a tradition of not to use it, in my family. I can go on. But those are the general rules that we fallow.

As far as last year, we had some kugels, you know grated veggies, some salt, some chicken fat that I render myself, eggs, baked in the oven. The mash potato is very popular during that time. But how much mash potato can one have during 8 days period. Fruit salads, homemade apple sauce. That is about it.
 
I'm not Jewish so I don't know much about what you can and can't have. PieSusan would probably be a good one to ask. I did find this site that may be able to help: Passover Recipes. I spent a little time looking through the site and some of the recipes look really good. Sorry I couldn't be of more help Charlie.
 
Thank you mama, you have been very helpful actually. Your atempt to help is more than somebodie's help. As far as what allowed or not is in my original post. Thank you again.
 
You're welcome Charlie. The mushroom lasagna looks really good.

I seem to remember PieSusan posting a chocolate torte recipe here somewhere a while back that looked really good too.
 
Charlie, I am not at all familiar with the dietary restrictions you are following, so, earlier today, on my lunch half-hour, I saw your post and was looking up Passover recipe sites to post to you when I got home from work tonight.

Sounds as if you've already looked at some of them and are not interested.

I'm sorry I can't help more, as I have no experience with Passover cooking.

Lee
 
Thank you everybody. As I've stated before during the Passover there are no limit to restrictions. And mine are set pretty high, so none of the above sights or recipes really work. Imagine a vegan with an allergy to any kind of grain. That is were I stand. So it is really not about Passover recipes, it is about making something on a vegetarian side using only few ingradients. Like roasted vegetables for example.

Thank you again for trying.
 
I know what you mean, Charlie. I kind of look at Passover as being more about the tradition that the actual food simply because there are so many restrictions that you have very little room for creativity food-wise. (Although there are a lot of variations on charoset - which is my favorite seder dish.) Sephardic Jews seem to have more variety in their passover foods. Are there any traditional Sephardic dishes you could incorporate?
 
Sorry, but no help here either. Catholic with no restriction, and you're talking to the Dough Boy who uses both sourdough starter and commercial yeast. You have presented quite a challenge to us non-Jews. Let us know what you decide. It's nice to learn about the foods of other cultures and religions.
 
CharlieD said:
On the other board I posted "a vegetarian chalange" question. And though in truth it is not completely vegetarian, but definitely vegetables and fruits are involved. during the discussion somebody asked me a question about legitemacy of the chalenge and this is what I responded. I will copy below. But I also want to ask for your help, becasue it really did not get far on the other board. I need help with side dishes, appetasers and deserts. here it goes:

Originally Posted by froggythefrog
Just curious: What did you do last year? Why do you have these particular restrictions? Is this an actual contest?


There is no contest. The Passover is coming. During that time the common prohibition against leavened bread in reality is much more. There is no end to how strict people get. This is what we do during that time. We only use home made products. The only thing that is not homemade is wine (and there are some people that do make their own wine) Grape juice, actually I do make my own grape juice and salt. That is it. If it is fish, for example I buy whole fish with head and scales and clean it myself. If it is vegetables or fruits they must have skin so they can be peeled. No spices are used in my house, no garlic, even though garlic can be peeled but there is a tradition of not to use it, in my family. I can go on. But those are the general rules that we fallow.

As far as last year, we had some kugels, you know grated veggies, some salt, some chicken fat that I render myself, eggs, baked in the oven. The mash potato is very popular during that time. But how much mash potato can one have during 8 days period. Fruit salads, homemade apple sauce. That is about it.
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So... You already have a main dish, & just need sides, appetizers & desserts, yes? You only want ideas, not actual recipes (as you prepare the dishes)? May I ask what the main dish will be? If you haven't decided yet, there's always brisket & roast chicken. Take a look on the web for Wolfgang Puck's braised short ribs (& his gefilte fish w/ horseradish.)

A potato dish I like is hasselback potatoes (try a google for the idea). They look "dressier" than a plain potato.

Side ideas - roasted asparagus or brussels sprouts with lemon or lime juice, broccoli, squash, cauliflower, roasted root vegetables. Brussels sprouts braised in cream. Carrot & raisin salad.

Salmon/potato pancakes w/ yogurt & dill sauce.

Take a look on this site in the Vegetable catagory.

Apple cake and/or chocolate nut macaroons.

How about sponge cake (or poundcake?) ice cream sandwiches?

Here are some interesting ideas in this slide show from Gourmet:

http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/menus/2008/04/passover_slideshow#slide=14
 
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I really, really messed up here. Passover or not is really doesn't make any difference.

What i should have done is to say: I have such and such ingedients and ask for recomendation. I bet word passover throws a lot of people of. Do we have such forum here: "I only have these ingredients"

If I were to ask you like that, would that have made a difference?
 
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Charlie, I'd love to help, but I'm not exactly sure I understand the question. If you're looking for suggestions, you'd have to list the complete limitations you adhere to. For many years I've done Seders at my home with multiple mains, one of which is vegetarian. It is a challenge to come up with something different each year.

A blintz offers a lot of options, from savory to sweet fillings. There's a recipe I stole from someone else HERE

I made THIS tomato and mushroom soup last year. It's made with a vegetable stock.

GAZPACHO was a few years ago.

I'm thinking of making THIS Greek salad with a cooked dressing (you use a salad spinner to extract the pulp/juice from tomatoes and reduce that to make the dressing. It calls for garlic, but you could easily leave that out. It plays a minor role.

There's an Israeli dish called SHAKSHUKA that my wife loves.... way to spicy for me.

Like the blintzes, many times I'll soak matzoh in water (or milk or stock) to soften, and then place a filling on it, and roll them up like manicotti.

I've used cake meal to make my own pasta. It tends to be a little brittle, but it worked.

Hope this gives you some ideas...
 
UnConundrum said:
... you'd have to list the complete limitations you adhere to. ...
Click to expand...

CharlieD said:
... We only use home made products. The only thing that is not homemade is wine, Grape juice, and salt. That is it. If it is fish, for example I buy whole fish with head and scales and clean it myself. If it is vegetables or fruits they must have skin so they can be peeled. No spices are used in my house, no garlic, even though garlic can be peeled but there is a tradition of not to use it, in my family. ...
Click to expand...


I haven't really decide on anything yet. I fell last friday and could barely walk until today, taking pain killers kills me. I do not know how anybody could be adicted to them It puts me out of comission, I cannot think, I do not realise what is happening with me, it's pretty lousy. BUt I better start think fast. Thank you everybody.
 
CharlieD said:
I haven't really decide on anything yet. I fell last friday and could barely walk until today, taking pain killers kills me. I do not know how anybody could be adicted to them It puts me out of comission, I cannot think, I do not realise what is happening with me, it's pretty lousy. BUt I better start think fast. Thank you everybody.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about your accident. hope you get better soon. I know what you mean about the pain killers. They usually put me to sleep and even if I'm awake I don't care about anything.

Jim
 
Thank you, I am much better now, but I really was out to lunch witht that pain, taking pain killers makes me crazy, I don't know how anbody could be aducted to that garbage. i wasn't sure what day it was or what was going on.
 
Phiddlechik, thank you, unfortunately non of this will work for me, becasause the key word is Not Passover, but rather the items that I have to work with.
 
Also, I'm just curious, how do you make your own salt?
"We only use home made products. The only thing that is not homemade is wine (and there are some people that do make their own wine) Grape juice, actually I do make my own grape juice and salt."
 
Phiddlechik said:
Also, I'm just curious, how do you make your own salt?
"We only use home made products. The only thing that is not homemade is wine (and there are some people that do make their own wine) Grape juice, actually I do make my own grape juice and salt."
Click to expand...

I second this request CharlieD - exactly how do you make your own salt?
 
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