Passover was different for me as a kid than it is for me as an adult. With the best of intentions and tradition at heart, my mom set out to make sure we celebrated and observed Passover as best she could. There was no looking for chametz and certainly no mysterious final search complete with feathers and a candle (Do me a favor and try to explain that tradition to someone who isn’t Jewish. “Oh, we go around the house with a feather, a candle and a paper bag looking for pieces of bread that we’ve intentionally laid to be found. It’s totally normal.” Trust me. We don’t. seem. normal).
But anyway, I digress. My point is we didn’t grow up with a lot of observance but we definitely grew up with a lot of tradition. For example, as a young kiddo, my beloved grandpa would say, in a clear, booming voice, “LO! This is the bread of affliction!” He was so loud that I’m positive our Christian fundamentalist neighbors heard us (and loved it!). But, as we got older and our grandparents couldn’t travel, that job fell to my brother. The Seder meal food was always the same. Every year, every attendant received an elegant dish full of the saltiest water and one hardboiled egg, which at no other time in life seems good but during an incredibly long Seder seems akin to eating a bagel and lox. It’s that good (and Seder is that long).
My beloved brother and my girls
But now that I’m an adult and living a bit more of an observant life and my oldest is finally old enough to actually have memories and like, keep them and stuff, I’ve been thinking a lot about what Passover memories she’ll take with her as an adult. Maybe it’ll be that time last Passover when we drove from Asheville, NC to Atlanta to visit family and had to stop at a local mountain gas station so that I could make us a Kosher for Passover meal of egg salad and matzah (the locals thought we were craaaaaaaaaay). Or maybe it’ll be this year as she sits through her first Seder (or at least some of her first Seder). Who knows? Whatever those memories are though, I hope they bring her happiness as mine do for me.
My little loves. What memories will they take with them?
So, the recipe! One glorious thing that the health food world has given us is quinoa and though the Rabbis TRIED to take it away from us by deeming only certain kinds of quinoa Kosher for Passover, I have clung to it like white on Sephardic rice. The recipe for this post can be eaten with or without the matzah crunch. I just LOVE sushi with tempura crunch so thought, why not matzah!? Fry it up in some butter and let those bad boys sing! Also, Kosher for Passover nori DOES exist so before you write me telling me it doesn’t, know that I’ve done my research.
Ingredients
- 2 parboiled asparagus stems
- Handful of cilantro
- ¼ avocado, sliced into strips
- 1cup quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp ice cold water
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 matzah broken up into tiny bits (I suggest putting it into a sandwich bag and then breaking it up).
- 2 kosher for Passover Nori sushi sheet (Natural Earth sells them KFP)
Instructions
- FOR QUINOA - Place quinoa into a saucepan, add 2 cups of vegetable stock and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until tender. Place cooked quinoa in a bowl and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, separate out 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa into a bowl. Add the honey and mix to combine.
- FOR OMELETTE - Heat a tsp of oil in a small pan over medium heat. Whisk together the eggs and cold water. Pour egg mixture into the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic and salt to the omelette and cover pan with a lid. Cook for another 2 minutes or until the eggs are set. Remove from pan and cut into 1/2 strips. Clean out pan.
- TO MAKE MATZAH CRUNCH - Using your clean omlette pan, add the tbsp of butter to pan and place it over medium heat. Once melted, add the broken bits of matzah to the pan. Stir continuously until golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool.
- TO MAKE SUSHI - Place a nori sheet on a bench (or a bamboo sushi mat, if using). Spread quarter of the quinoa mix on half of the nori sheet, working from the edge closest to you and right to the sides. Layer avocado, omelette, asparagus and cilantro across the middle of the quinoa and lighting the edge closest to you, begin to tightly wrap the rolls all the way to the end. Run a wet finger over the edges of the nori paper to seal the roll. Trim ends with a sharp knife, then cut into 1/2 rounds and top with matzah crunch. Serve with the ever so delicious kosher for passover soy sauce.
