VEGAN PASSOVER RECIPES by Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD
Sunday, March 28th, 2010
Don’t let the title intimidate you. Yes, it is a vegan cookbook, and yes, it highlights recipes for the Jewish holiday of Passover, which nearly coincides with Easter every year. But the recipes are good for any time of year and for non-vegans and non-Jews alike. Basically, they are healthful recipes that use no eggs or dairy, so if those two foods give you problems or you want some new recipes, your $6.00 investment will be well spent.
The cook “booklet” (47 pages of recipes) includes soups and salads, side dishes and sauces, entrées, desserts, and microwave dishes. (I am not a fan of microwaving, but many people are, so I think including a few of these is not a bad idea.)
In the brief Introduction, the staff of The Vegetarian Resource Group, who publishes this book, note that they hope the recipes “will spawn a whole new generation of individuals who make Passover a healthy and good-tasting Festival of Freedom for all people and animals world wide.” (An echo of my own thoughts that the recipes are good for any health-conscious cook.
Below are some sample recipes by Chef Nancy Berkoff that will give you a tam (taste) of what to expect from this user-friendly vegan cookbook that “happens” to be perfect for Passover or whenever else you wish to use it….in good health!
Vegan Passover Recipes, ©2002, is available from The Vegetarian Resource Group or Amazon. com.
1. Send $6.00 (total) to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD, 21203.
2. Call you order in with a Master Card/Visa by calling 410-366-8343 Monday-Friday, 9 am- 5 pm EST.
3. Log onto www.vrg.org and look for Buy Books on their menu.
4. Order directly from Amazon by clicking on the title in the icon below (Amazon did not provide an image):
SAMPLE RECIPES
“Cream” of Asparagus or Broccoli Soup
People will be amazed and delighted with this nondairy lowfat”cream” soup.” Chef nancy Berkoff
Ingredients
2 cups frozen (thawed) or fresh asparagus spears or broccoli florets
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup peeled & boiled white potatoes, mashed (or leftover mashed potatoes)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Directions
1. Microwave asparagus or broccoli and onions for 3 minutes or steam for 8 minutes, (using the vegetable stock), until very soft. Retain any liquid (about 1/2 cup).
2. In a blender, combine cooked vegetables, potatoes, and pepper. Process until pureed.
3. Place in a medium pot and allow soup to simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.
4 Serve hot, garnished with additional chopped steamed asparagus or broccoli.
My notes: I peeled and cooked the potatoes in water. While they cooked, I chopped the onion and steamed the broccoli together. However, I used a little more than the 1/2 cup liquid because I wanted a thinner soup. The whole recipe took less than 1/2 hour. I used a regular blender, not a hand held one, and I fork mashed the cooked potatoes before adding them to the blender. I also made the soup in two batches so the veggies weren’t crowded. Also, I garnished the soup with a grated yellow beet, although a carrot or (daikon) radish would work just as well.)
Ingredients
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup golden or black raisins
1/2 cup sweet red wine
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Directions
Place dates, raisins, and wine in a small pot. Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until dates are falling apart, about 10 minutes. Continue to cookuntil the mixture is almost a paste, about 8 more minutes. Remove from heat, stir in walnuts.
Serve warm or cold. Makes about 3 cups.
Baked Pears with Coconut Filling
This warm dessert is rich and delicious.
Directions
2 large pears (Anjou, Bosc, Comice, etc.) peeled, cored, and halved
1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened, dried)
2 Tbl. dry sweetener or maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Directions
In a baking dish, place pears cut side up. In a small bowl, combine coconut, sweetener, and spices. Mix.
Place 2 tablespoons of coconut mixture in each pear half. Bale at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender.
Note: I had some leftover mixture which I added to my oatmeal the next morning. ellensue
P.S. I plan to make two more recipes from this book during Passover and if so, will post them next week.
