A Vegetarian Passover Seder Is Easier Than You Think!

During Passover, just buying kosher food isn’t enough. The food must also be “kosher for Passover,” which means it doesn’t include any leavening agents. Also, its storage and preparation must be closely monitored and certified by rabbinic authorities. From that basic requirement, things quickly get more complicated.

Sephardic Jews of Middle Eastern, Greek, Yemenite, or Spanish heritage omit any foods with leavening or grain products, but eat rice and beans during Passover. Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern European heritage don’t eat rice, corn, or beans (called kitniyot) because 13th century Jewish authorities ruled that those products could be ground into flour and used like bread products. There was also the danger of contamination since those products were often stored in bags that had held wheat or flour.

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Here’s a great recipe for all you vegetarians who also honor dietary rules during Passover.

This recipe uses a basic vegetable broth. If you don’t want to make your own broth, use 1 – 2 vegetarian vegetable broth cubes per 2 cups water. Note however, that it will significantly increase the sodium content of the soup.

Golden Vegetable Broth

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The combination of vegetables and high-protein quinoa make this an elegant and tasty main dish. Quinoa is an herb - although it looks like a grain and cooks like one – and it’s kosher for Passover. This recipe is courtesy of the VeggieVisitors.com site.

Roasted Vegetables with Rosemary
Ingredients:
4-6 small new potatoes, sliced in half.
4 carrots, sliced into 2-3 inch chunks
1 whole onion, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
11/2 cups red or green bell peppers, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
1 yellow squash, cut into thick, ½ inch slices
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon dried Rosemary
2 cloves garlic, crushed
fresh Rosemary for garnish, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Toss vegetables and garlic in olive oil and herb mixture.
3. Spray a large, shallow baking dish with non-stick coating and place vegetables in a single layer.
4. Bake approximately 40 minutes, or until vegetables start to lightly brown.
5. Garnish with fresh rosemary and serve over quinoa.

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In Yiddish, a “tsimmes” is a long and involved procedure. To “make a tsimmes” means to make something unnecessarily complicated: “We were just going to serve coffee and cake, but she came in with a long list of recipes and made a big tsimmes out of the brunch.” Fortunately, there’s nothing complicated about this recipe. It’s as easy as it is delicious.

This is adapted from a traditional recipe from the Persistent Vegetarian State Web site.

Ingredients:
8 cups sweet potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut into large chunks.
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
½ cup raisins
1 cup orange juice
½ cup orange blossom honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon OR baking spices
3 tablespoons margarine, cut into small pats.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a large baking dish (13×9) with cooking spray and add potatoes, carrots, and raisins.
3. Stir orange juice, honey, and cinnamon in small bowl. Pour over veggies.
4. Dot mixture with small pats of margarine.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, uncovered. Stir well, and bake for another 20 minutes.

These rich, chewy brownies don’t have the “matzoh” taste of so many Passover baked goods. It’s adapted from a recipe in “The Kids Holiday Baking Book” by Rosemary Black. We replaced some of the eggs with bananas and applesauce to reduce the fat and cholesterol.
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