The Everything Kosher Slow Cooker Cookbook (42 page)

Breakfast Quinoa with Fruit

Quinoa, pronounced “KEEN-wah,” is actually a seed, not a grain, closely related to spinach. It is gluten-free and (where available) kosher for Passover.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4

Cooking spray

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water, heated to a simmer

1 pear, thinly sliced

1 packed tablespoon dark brown sugar

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teaspoon ground ginger

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teaspoon cinnamon

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teaspoon cloves

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teaspoon nutmeg

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cup dried apricots, quartered

1. Spray the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
   
2. Add all the ingredients except the dried apricots and stir. Cover and cook on low for 2–3 hours, or until the quinoa is fully cooked. Stir in the dried apricots and serve.
   

Kichel Cake

Be sure the cherries are patted dry so that their juice doesn’t stain the batter. Margarine is used so that this cake can be served as part of a meat-based meal. Feel free to use butter in place of the margarine, and evaporated milk (any variety) in place of the almond milk, for a dairy alternative.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8–12

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cup (1
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sticks) margarine, softened, divided

12 ounces Passover egg kichel or ladyfinger cookies, crushed into crumbs, divided

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cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

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cup almond milk

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teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup loosely packed sweetened coconut

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cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted

6 maraschino or canned sweet cherries, drained and patted dry with a paper towel

1. Use 1 tablespoon of the margarine and 2 tablespoons of the egg kichel crumbs to grease and flour a heat-safe pan or casserole dish that fits inside a 4-quart slow cooker.
   
2. In a large bowl, cream remaining margarine and sugar together.
   
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in remaining ingredients except the cherries. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
   
4. Cut the cherries in half; arrange, cut side down, evenly on top of the batter.
   
5. Place a heat-safe trivet or crushed aluminum foil in bottom of slow cooker. Carefully place pan on top. Cover pan with 4 layers of paper towels. Set cover slightly ajar and cook on low for 3–4 hours.
   

Gefilte Fish

It’s a little bit of work, but homemade gefilte fish is so much better than the rubbery version sold in jars.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 10

2 pounds carp

2 pounds pike

1 pound whitefish

3 medium onions, divided

3 carrots, divided

8 cups of water, heated to a simmer

2 celery stalks, cut into 1" chunks

3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

3 large eggs

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cup matzoh meal

1 (6-ounce) bottle horseradish, red or white

What Kind of Fish Is a Gefilte?

Gefilte is not a type of fish, but a ball of chopped and seasoned fish cooked in broth, usually served cold. The fish used is generally carp, pike, whitefish, or some combination of the three, depending upon personal taste. Bubbe (grandma) may have finely chopped all the fish by hand in an ancient wooden chopping bowl (and might even have had a live fish in the bathtub to assure freshness), but nowadays it’s much easier to have the fish store grind it for you.

1. Have the fish store grind together the fish, reserving the heads and bones for the stock.
   
2. Peel and quarter 2 of the onions. Peel and thinly slice 1 of the carrots. Peel and finely chop remaining onion and carrots together; set aside.
   
3. In a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker, pour in the water and add the reserved fish heads and bones along with the 2 quartered onions, the sliced carrot, celery, 2 teaspoons of the salt,
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   teaspoon of the black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Occasionally skim off any scum that may form on top.
   
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ground fish with the finely chopped onion and carrots, along with remaining sugar, salt, and pepper.
   
5. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and then mix into the fish mixture along with matzoh meal. Cover and refrigerate for at least a half hour.
   
6. Strain the broth. Cover and refrigerate the sliced carrots. Discard remaining solids. Return broth to slow cooker and set on high until broth starts to simmer.
   
7. With wet hands, take fish mixture and form 10 ovals. Carefully add to hot broth. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 2 hours.
   
8. Remove gefilte fish with a slotted spoon. Discard broth. Cover and refrigerate gefilte fish until ready to serve. Serve cold, topping each piece with a carrot slice and a teaspoon of horseradish on the side.
   

Gedilla’s Meatballs in Borscht

Gedilla means “joy” in Yiddish and was the nickname of the Ukrainian-born bubbe who made this dish every Passover. Her original recipe called for, among other ingredients, “less half a lemon.” Serve the meatballs with matzoh farfel to soak up the broth.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8–10

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 cup), divided

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 large raw beets, peeled and shredded

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 bay leaf

1 pound ground beef

1 egg, lightly beaten

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cup matzoh meal

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teaspoon black pepper

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cup tomato juice

4 cups Beef Broth or water, heated to a simmer (see
Chapter 4
)

2 cups matzoh farfel (for garnish)

1. Add
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   cup of the chopped onion, the carrots, the beets, and the cabbage to a 4-quart slow cooker. Drizzle in the olive oil; stir to combine. Sprinkle on the sugar, salt, and lemon juice; add the bay leaf. Set aside.
   
2. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, egg, remaining onion, matzoh meal, and pepper. Using your hands, roll the mixture into balls about 1" in diameter. Place meatballs on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.
   
3. Pour the tomato juice and the broth or water over the meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours or on high for 3–4 hours, or until the meatballs are fully cooked and the vegetables are tender.
   
4. Serve meatballs with some of the broth and vegetables. Optionally, sprinkle on the matzoh farfel just before serving.
   

Almond Cake with Honey Lemon Syrup

The long cooking time softens up the matzoh meal.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 12

Honey Lemon Syrup

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cup honey

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

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cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Almond Cake

Cooking spray

1 (6-ounce) package ground almonds

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cup matzoh cake meal

1 cup sugar, divided

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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teaspoon kosher salt

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

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cup vegetable oil

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cup sliced almonds

1. Make the Honey Lemon Syrup: Heat honey, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool. Set aside.
   
2. Line a 4-quart slow cooker with aluminum foil, allowing the foil to come at least 4" up the sides. Spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
   
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, matzoh cake meal,
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   cup sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
   
4. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs, remaining
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   cup sugar, lemon juice, and grated lemon peel for 2 minutes, then increase to high speed (for handheld mixer) or medium-high speed (for a stand mixer such as KitchenAid) for 6–8 more minutes until batter turns pale in color and thickens. Reduce speed back to medium and beat in vegetable oil for another minute. Use a spatula to fold in dry mixture until completely moistened.
   
5. Scrape batter into prepared slow cooker. Cook on high for 2–2
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   hours or until cake starts to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
   
6. Holding foil by edges, lift and remove cake from slow cooker; place on cooling rack. Let cool for 10 minutes; cake will sink slightly. Carefully peel foil from cake and place on serving dish. Slice cake into 12 squares. Sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds. Spoon cooled syrup over cake. Let cake absorb syrup for 30 minutes before serving.
   

Matzoh Lasagna

If kosher-for-Passover Parmesan cheese is not available in your area, simply omit it.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8

Cooking spray

4 matzohs

2 cups hot water

4 cups Marinara Sauce (see
Chapter 12
)

1 (16-ounce) carton small-curd cottage cheese

4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

1 (16-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese

For a Delicious Option…

Instead of Marinara Sauce, try this recipe with Eggplant and Tomato Sauce (see
Chapter 12
).

1. Lightly spray the interior of a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
   
2. Place matzohs in a colander set in the sink. Pour hot water over matzohs. Drain matzohs well.
   
3. Spoon about
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   cup of Marinara Sauce into the slow cooker to cover the bottom with a thin layer. Top with 1 matzoh. Spread a third of the cottage cheese on top of the matzoh. Sprinkle a third each of the Parmesan cheese and the mozzarella cheese over cottage cheese. Spoon a third of the remaining sauce over the cheese.
   
4. Repeat with remaining matzohs, cheeses and sauce, ending with matzoh and sauce.
   
5. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours until the cheese has melted and sauce has been absorbed into the matzoh.