Not all quinoa is created equal—at least that’s the case when it comes to finding Kosher for Passover quinoa. It was only recently that this healthy rice/noodle alternative became a hit amongst healthy eaters and though it’s not as popular as it was a few years ago (every fad must end, no?) it absolutely it still embraced every year in my household come Passover. I remember a few years ago, the Trader Joe’s brand of quinoa was one of the few brands that the Orthodox Union had certified as kosher for Passover and you best believe Jews were throwin’ some ‘bows to get their hands on boxes of the stuff. I mean serious, it was like black Friday at a Wal-mart. You’d think they were giving the stuff away from free the way we hoarded it but no, it’s just that it was a better option, FINALLY, than those Kosher for Passover noodles we ate year in and year out (if Jew keep strict kosher during Passover, then Jew know what I’m talking about). Quinoa came at a time where, if I had to look at one more bowl of sad, soppy potato noodles during Passover ONE MORE TIME, I was gonna lose it. The certification process for quinoa is insane and basically, if the OU deems it worthy of it’s Passover certification well, let’s just say it’s like one of my students getting into the Ivies . . . it’s a big deal and it’s very validating. And so, I bring you a list of recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers out there to help broad your quinoa horizons, whether it being during Passover or any time throughout the year. I hope you enjoy! Just 11 more days until Passover . . .
I’m currently sitting in bed. I’m sitting in bed and I’m trying to take care of myself. It hasn’t been easy lately. Every since having our second baby, I feel like I’m in a constant game of catch-up. I know this sounds crazy, but I’m not sure why having the second kiddo destroyed me as much as it did. OK, “destroyed me” is a little dramatic, but I can’t seem to stay awake past 9pm, which means I average a decent night sleep. And, thank Gd, my kids are pretty decent sleepers. So why am I so tired?
I’ve decided there are tons of answers to this question. Maybe it’s the fact that I over-schedule my day, just like most every other person I know. It also probably has to do with not exercising as much as I should but mostly I think it has to do with the amount of stuff I have reeling around in my head. I appreciate the feminist movement and I consider myself a feminist but I’m not sure the feminist movement of the 70s knew what it was getting into when it rallied for fair and equal employment opportunities for women. But, I am grateful. I used to work in a school whose administration over-valued stress and exhaustion. People were heralded for working long hours; the bags under their eyes their little red badges of courage. Now I work for a school where taking a ‘mental health day’ is understood. I have a boss who openly talks about why she doesn’t want us answering texts and phone calls after working hours — the boundary of work and life firmly in tact and celebrated. But still, I get home after picking up the girls and I still struggle with balancing all my responsibilities. When beloved friend and co-author, Sarah at The Patchke Princess started her Sheet-Pan Dinners Instagram handle, I started following immediately. She’s a lot braver than me when it comes with experimenting with sheet-pan dinners, but nevertheless, she has inspired the recipe in this post. We eat meat at least once a week, aside from Shabbat, and being able to throw it on a sheet pan, combine it with roasted vegetables and the perfect seasoning without having to clean anything else makes me so happy. I mean seriously, it is the little things and no additional cleaning is to be celebrated as a big ‘little thing’. Consider this sheet pan chicken a blank slate for which to experiment for further dinners. I hope you enjoy.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Place a large 9 x 13″ rimmed baking sheet in the oven while the oven is heating. While that’s heating, combine Ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise, kosher salt and black pepper into a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Clean chicken and dry well. Using a spatula or spoon, coat the chicken in the Ranch mayonnaise mixture. Place the chicken skin-side down on the pre-heated baking sheet. Let that cook for about 10 minutes.
While the chicken cooks, combine all the vegetables into a large bowl. Add olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to the bowl and stir until well-combined. Once the chicken has cooked for 10 minutes, add the vegetable mixture to the sheet-pan, making sure that none of the vegetables overlap, and cook for another 20 – 25 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Ummmmm, is this not the most amazing cake you’ve ever seen? And it’s KOSHER FOR PASSOVER! That part, I cannot get over. Melinda at Kitchen Tested made this for my birthday (which, yet again, falls on Passover) and I’m just so touched and overwhelmed by it’s creativity and beauty. I mean, look at the thing. This sure beats all those dang potato starch cakes from Passover birthdays of yore. See below for Melinda’s post, the recipe to this glorious post PLUS, an opportunity to win something fancy!
Happy early birthday, Whitney! I know your birthday isn’t for another week but how could I resist giving you this beautiful cake, right?!?! Okay, so it’s story time…
My birthday is in May and normally Passover is over already but one year when I was a kid, my birthday actually fell out right in the middle of this chometz-free holiday! My cousin and I celebrated our birthdays together rolling down amazing grassy hills at our Passover program, playing with snails and hanging out with our families. When it was time for dessert, we each got our own cake to blow out the candles then everyone wanted a slice. What came next was a tasteless Passover cake with an overly sweet frosting…NOT good! Not good at all. To this day, I still think about that cake and how it made me feel like I never wanted to have a Passover birthday again. But that has all changed! Forget about the potato starch, matzoh cake meal and imitation vanilla! It’s time for cakes that you could eat all year long that just happen to be Passover friendly and delicious.
So now let’s get to your special birthday cake. These layers of chocolate chip cookie cake, whipped cream and chocolate ganache are EVERYTHING!
QUICK TIP *How to line a round pan with parchment paper: Place the round pan on top of a sheet of parchment paper. Using a knife with a sharp tip, trace the pan on to the parchment paper then set the pan aside. The traced circle should easily pull away from the rest of the parchment. Spray the pan with cooking spray, place the parchment circle inside of the pan then spray the pan again with more cooking spray. Set aside until ready to bake.
(Whitney, again) Also, because I am so grateful to you for reading this blog, I thought I’d do a birthday giveaway in honor of you! I found the perfect present for you too! A matzah cell phone case from Amanda at Sealed with a Case. Cases are available for the iPhone 4/4S, 5/5S, 6/6 plus as well as the Samsung Galaxy models – and they are available with black, white or clear sides. You can enter by clicking the following link —-> (a Rafflecopter giveaway)
The chocolate chip cookie layer is made with almond flour and it is light and fluffy, just like a piece of cake. You can even make regular sized chocolate chip cookies with this recipe so double the recipe and you can have cake AND cookies. Did I mention that this recipe is completely dairy free and grain free? Let’s just call this cake “healthy” and eat more than one slice!
Passover Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
INGREDIENTS:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Batter
3 cups almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
⅔ cup honey
½ cup coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache:
1 cup chocolate chips
¼ cup whipping cream
Whipped Cream:
1 cup whipping cream (suggested brand: Rich Whip)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
Bake the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line three 8 or 9 inch round pans with parchment paper *quick tip below on a quick way to line a round pan with parchment.
In a mixing bowl, blend the almond flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid into the dry and stir until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir again. Chill the batter in the fridge for 15 minutes.
When the cookie batter has chilled, separate the batter into the 3 prepared round pans and spread out with a spatula. To make sure each pan has the same amount of batter, use a measuring cup to place the batter in the pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the tops of the cookies have turned golden brown and the center of the cookies have set. Leave the cookies inside the pan on the counter to cool completely. When the cookies are cool, run a sharp knife around the edges then flip on to a cooling rack. Peel off the parchment paper and discard it.
Prepare the Ganache and Whipped Cream
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Whip on high until stiff peaks form.
While the whipped cream is whipping, prepare the chocolate ganache by combining the chocolate chips and more whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds then stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds then stir again until the chocolate has melted.
Stack the Cake
Place the first cookie on a cake platter or plate and top with a third of the chocolate ganache. Allow to set for just a few minutes then add a large dollop of the whipping cream and spread on the cake. Top with a second cookie then repeat the layering process two more times, ending with chocolate ganache and whipped cream on top of the cake. Top the cake with chocolate shavings and birthday candles!
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