VegInDC

Quinoa, while seemingly a grain is actually a seed. It makes a great protein source during Passover and year round. This pilaf is a simple and tasty addition with Sephardic roots as it incorporates apricots and pistachios.

This will be the fourth year we do a vegan Seder. I have honed our menu over the years and have taken great joy in veganizing many of the main dishes I grew up eating at Passover. Passover can be a challenging holiday for vegans. Many recipes call for an inordinate amount of eggs. Additionally, many Jews of Ashkenazic decent forego the eating of kinyot (items like beans, rice and other legumes that "rise.") There are three key components to a Passover Seder food-wise. The Seder plate contains the various symbols that are used to tell the story of our liberation from Egypt. Additionally, there are foods you eat during the course of the Seder before the sulchan orech or "festive meal."

What is Passover without Matzah Ball soup? Traditionally, matzah ball soup is anything but vegan. Served in chicken broth with matzoh balls full of egg and chicken fat. But nothing is too daunting for me to try and make it vegan (and gluten free). And so I did. The secret here is to bake the matzoh balls instead of trying to cook them on the stove in the soup or water where they would simply fall apart. They also reheat really easily in the microwave so these can be made ahead of time and then re-heated and placed into the soup.

This recipe comes courtesy of a family friend who passed it onto my mom years ago. The trick (secret?) is to use prepared potato latke mix instead of fresh potatoes. The dried potatoes soak up the liquid really well and the end result is a delicious Passover kugel.

Traditional Ashkenazi charoset contains apples, nuts, cinnamon and sweet wine. Sephardic charoset is a bit more interesting culinarily as it tends to use dried fruits and different spices for a different flavor and consistency.    Also, if you were to pick one type that is more reminiscent of the mortar used by the Israelite slaves, it would hands down be the Sephardic charoset which is stickier and more mortar like. I make both for our Seder and this specific Sephardic recipe is one my mom has adapted through the years. 

My mom has made a spinach kugel for Passover for as long as I can remember. However, I also remember that her recipe calls for a dozen eggs. This was one of my favorite Passover dishes--I loved the way the nutmeg gives it an unique flavor. I set out to veganize this a few years ago and have been very pleased with the results. If you don't want to use silken tofu in this recipe, you can try Follow Your Heart's new Vegan Egg instead. Just be sure to bake it longer, as the Vegan Egg product takes more time to set.