Passover ideas on Core

[Jonesy]

You could probably substitute potatoes for the cauliflower, don't you think? (my husband is not a cauliflower lover).

Lesley - I agree about the matzah meal, it's only 6 tablespoons, that's < one tablespoon per serving.

[Lesley1]

Sorry about the eggs. I will check the magazine and post over the week-end.

I'm sure that potatoes can be substituted. I also was thinking about broccoli.

I'm bringing this to a seder, where there will be other vegetables, so I'm not worrying so much about other people's tastes.

[saf2004]

Thanks Lesley,
I printed the recipe and gave it to my mom - she wants to serve it at our sedar, but also questioned the eggs. If you could let us know, i'd appreciate it!

[Lesley1]

Three large eggs. Sorry about that.

[saf2004]

Thanks Lesley! I can't wait to try it.....

[kaykay256]

Thanks from me, too. Right now I'm in a "whatever is easy and takes very little or no preparation" mood, so I don't know if I'll try it, but it does sound yummy.

[ema2two]

For what it's worth, I thought I'd share the Passover points list for the non-core things people may be spending WPA on during the week of Passover. I got this from my WW leader, but edited out the core foods, and the things that she included that were traditional Jewish foods for other holidays and not usually eaten on Passover (like noodle kugel and honey cake):

Chicken soup (1 cup) w/2 matza balls=3 pts
Chopped liver, 1/4 cup=5 points
Flanken (2 slices=4 oz)=8 points
Matza (1 board)=2 points
Whole wheat matza (1 board)=1 point
Matza cake meal 3 Tbsp=2 points
Matza farfel 1/4 cup=1 point
Gefilte Fish (1 piece)=2 points
Potato Kugel (3x3x1/4 inch piece)=3 points
Tzimmes, vegetable 3/4 cup=2 points
Haroset (1 cup)=4
Hard boiled egg=2 points CORE
Matza brie, 1 cup=6 points
Turkey (2 oz, light or dark)=3 points CORE
Cranberry sauce, 1/4 cup=2 points
Brisket, 2 oz=4 points
wine, sweet, 2 oz=2 point
fresh fruit, 1 cup=1 point CORE
Passover sponge cake, 1/12th of 9" tube=3 points
Honey cake (3x3x1 inch piece)=7 points
Macaroons, 2 prepackaged=2 points

Thanks for the leek kugel recipie--sounds great, but I don't know if I'll get to try it this year, or will have to save it for next year.

[Jonesy]

Ema, thanks for the post - very thoughtful of you! I will refer to it often next week.

[mylikeit]

Hi, Everyone, Joining in late. Ema, could you specify more about the Sephardic guidelines for Pesah? I'm curious about them. I've tried to follow my understanding of them (not having a Sephardic Orthodox Rabbi to ask) from reading up on the subject, but I would like more info. I will be trying to follow them more closely this year due to Core (last year on Flex it wasn't so essential to get those legumes in. . . ). I'm vegetarian, too, so I hope to use the legumes for some protein. Is brown rice kosher for Pesah for Sephardim? I would assume so if rice is in general, right? Sorry to be a dip about it. . . . . I feel like a newbie! Thanks in advance.

[mylikeit]

Found this recipe this afternoon on the Internet. I understand that quinoa is kosher for Pesah.

Quinoa Pilaf

ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup celery, minced
8 oz. mushrooms
1 med. onion chopped

directions
Saute onions, add celery then mushrooms
In a medium-sized bowl, soak the quinoa in cold water for 5 minutes.
Drain and rinse under cold running water.
In a medium saucepan, combine the soaked quinoa, vegetables and water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until just tender.
Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.

[ema2two]

I'll answer as best I can.

As background: because the Ashkenaz and Sephardic communities were separated in an era when rapid (or any) communication between them wasn't possible, there are areas where differing interpretations of certain laws developed. Sephardim follow certain ancient rabbinic decisors of Jewish Law and Ashkenazim others. On most topics both give you the same answers (not cooking on the Sabbath, not spending money on the Sabbath, etc.). On some issues, they differ on subtle aspects of the method of observance.

Neither group eats 'chametz' on Passover. This is anything made from the 5 grains (wheat, barley, oats, spelt and rye) mixed with water for more than 18 minutes. Ashkenazim don't eat a category of food called "Kitniyos" on passover. These are legumes, and also rice, which might be confused with the 5 grains. Sephardim allow kitniyos, though there are even subtle variations on which communities (Spanich/Portuguese, Syrian, Morrocan, Turkish, etc) allow rice and beans, only rice or only beans.

Quinoa is not technically a grain, and was recently ruled to be Kosher for Passover for Ashkenazim and Sephardim.

Like rice, however, it can pick up grain products while being processed/packaged. As a result, it is to be checked, grain by grain, before Passover, to make sure there is no chametz mixed in the package. The halacha (Jewish Law) actually states how to do this: Work in an area with good natural light and no small children or other distractions around. (As a mother of 4 under the age of 7, I love that detail). Cover the table with a clean white cloth or paper and spill out the rice in a pile. Move the grains of rice (or quinoa) one at a time to another pile, discarding any foreign or questionable grains. Then repeat the process for a total of 3 checks.

I've done it with rice and quinoa, and I didn't find the quinoa worth the effort. It's much tinier and tougher to do. Plus the grains develop a static electricity-type attraction to one another and your hands. Rice, on the other hand was easy once I got into a rhythm, and was a wonderful therapeutic activity to rid my mind of all my pre-passover lists, as I just focused on the rice for a time. I do it on years that I have the time as the preparations are being completed, and on other years we live without.

DH did most of the shopping this year, so I don't know if there was K-P brown rice. I am making a last trip to the store this afternoon after work, and I'll see if I see any.

Hope the explaination was clear enough. I'm not always good at explaining these things.

[mylikeit]

Thank you, Ema. Very well explained, and helpful. I love the description of how to check the rice and quinoa.

[ema2two]

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday.

Please check in and share tips and suggestions and let us know how you're doing this first ever Passover core-style. I'm actually looking forward to it and feeling less anxious about it.

[knlsmom]

This may be a little late, but I saw this on the WW vegetarian board. Looks Core to me (with 1 change, as noted). I'm thinking about making it, in addition to the Matzoh ball soup I was just informed I am in charge of for Tuesday nights seder. I left the recipe as posted by the orginal poster to give her credit.

Heather

WW veg board post:

Well, I really should be starting my morning walk, but I couldn't resist taking a little time to share a few Veg. Pesach Recipes.

First, the dish I am making to bring to Seder tonight. It's ovo-lacto, but appropriate substitutions could probably be made.

SPINACH LEEK PIE

CRUST

Cooking spray
3/4 lb. sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
3/4 lb. white potatoes (opt. - use all sweets) cooked and peeled
1/2 C. nonfat plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9X11 baking dish. Mash the potatoes with the yogurt and pat into the dish, spreading evenly over bottom and up sides.

FILLING

Cooking spray
2 leeks, white only, rinsed and sliced
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t. nutmeg
2 lb. spinach or 2 10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped, thawed and drained
1/2 C. lowfat white cheese (Core change, use FF)

Spray large skillet and saute leeks, mushrooms and garlic over med.-high heat until leeks soften. Spoon into the crust. Now saute spinach. Lower heat, cover and steam until wilted. Add nutmeg and chop the spinach. Spoon evenly over mushrooms & leeks. Sprinkle with the cheese.

EGG MIXTURE

4 egg whites
1 1/2 C. skim milk
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Paprika for garnish

In a bowl, mix all together. Pour over the pie. Top with a little paprika. Bake in preheated oven, 35-40 minutes, until top is firm. Serves 6.

Cal. 276, Total fat 3 g., Carb. 46 g.

Sorry, the recipes in this book don't list fiber. When I have a chance I will enter it in the WW Recipe Builder to get the point count.

More recipes to follow.

Shalom,
Earthinsong

[kaykay256]

OK friends - I have to tell you that I totally and completely blew it at Seder. I was just going to have a LITTLE bit of matzah, matzah ball, charoses, gefilte fish, etc., and try to keep it to my 35 points. WELL.....................I ate SEVERAL matzahs with real butter, a ton of charoses, and then even ate some delicious homemade fruit kugel and some Bartons chocolate. It really all tasted so good, but now I not only feel guilty, my stomach has been a mess ever since my binge. And to top it all off, my rings are tight and I'm afraid to step on my scale.

The good news is that as of right now I'm back completely on Core. I'll just avoid the non-Core foods for the rest of Pesach and get back with the program.

It's nice to know there are friends out there who care.