Pesach brunch ideas?

[Diane in Bexley]

Having some people over Sunday around lunchtime after services. Would like to do brunch type food, rather than heavy lunch after 2 Seders in a row. Besides matzo brei and fruit salad, what else could I serve for 12 people at a brunch? Thanks in advance for your suggestions/

[EllieS]

What about doing something like shakshuka with eggs on top? that and matza with a bunch of spreads are all you need. You could also make cheese latkes to add something sweeter to the meal.

[Diane in Bexley]

Ellie, can you please explain what shakskuka is? Never heard of that - what ethnicity is that? We are Hungarian. Also, can you share recipe for cheese latkes? Thanks!

[EllieS]

The best way to describe Shakshuka is that it is kind of like middle eastern ratatouille. Very popular in Israel. It is basically tomatoes and onions and spices with eggs broken over the top and baked.

I really don't have an exact recipe for the cheese latkes, more by feel, but here goes:
1 pkg farmers cheese
3/4 c sugar
2-3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch salt
1/3 c cake meal
Mix all ingredients together and fry in butter until browned. The first batch always comes out looking a little funny (but still taste really good) so I just consider those little pre-meal snacks.

[ferret]

For Hungarians, think of shakshouka as a deconstructed letcho (spelling it phonetically). rather than scrambling in the eggs they're coddled in the mixture.

[cheesecake17]

It's great fr brunch since the tomato mixture can be prepared in advance. Before you serve, heat up the mixture and add in the eggs.

[4greatkds]

Potato starch cheese blintzes are delicious and taste like year round blintzes.You can definitely do a farmer cheese filling. I do it every year. How about eggplant parm? Both can be made ahead of time.

[MartyB]

I hear you. I am wrestling with having light/milchig the first day lunch vs the second. The thought of having a seder followed by a heavy lunch followed by a seder may be too much. I think I may prefer seder, light lunch, seder, heavy lunch light dinner.

[GilaB]

My mother makes matza-cheese blintzes, with the outer blintz wrapper replaced by matzas soaked until they become flexible. They're a patchke, but really good. I can get the recipe from her if you like.

[weinstein5]

Bubble - basically a matza meal pancake sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar

[Diane in Bexley]

Any recipes for a Pesach coffee cake would be very helpful, as I would like to make something sweet. Thanks!

[queenscook]

Maybe this will fit the bill; it's a great cake regardless of whether it's literally a "coffee cake" or not.

Raisin Streusel Cake

Streusel:
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp. mix of "sweet" spices (I use ginger, nutmeg, & allspice)
2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup matzo cake meal

Cake:
1/2 cup matzo cake meal
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

5 large egg whites, room temperature (SAVE YOLKS FOR NEXT STEP)
1 cup sugar

5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup oil
2 T. grated lemon peel
1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup raisins (a mix of golden and dark is nice)
1/3 cup pecans, broken

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat 12 X 10 inch pan with 2-inch-high sides generously with oil or spray/lasagna-size pan with spray.

For Streusel:
Mix 1/4 cup oil, sugar, and spices in medium bowl. Gradually add matzo meal and mix until crumbly.

For Cake:
Combine matzo cake meal, potato starch, salt, and ginger in small bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. (If using KitchenAid, transfer to another bowl.
Using same beaters, beat egg yolks and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in another bowl (if using KitchenAid, use emptied bowl) until mixture is thick and slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted. At low speed, beat in orange juice, then oil, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Add dry ingredients and stir until well blended. Fold in egg whites in two additions.
Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle half of streusel over. Sprinkle with raisins and pecans. Spread remaining cake batter over. Sprinkle with remainder of streusel. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out dry, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. Cover with foil and let stand one hour to soften topping. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep covered and store at room temperature.) Cut into squares and serve.

[milklady]

I like the idea of farfal granola that's on the Chow site. That would be great with yogurt.

I think that lox, cream cheese, onions and tomotoes, served with matzo, would go over really well.

You could do a frittata (matzo free!) with lots of veggies.

People tend to like sweets at brunch, some kind of cookies or matzo brittle would be good.

[DeisCane]

There is a KFP pancake mix that is actually pretty good.

[Diane in Bexley]

DC, think I can find this in Columbus, OH? Are there other things I could use to make pancakes with? I do want to make this milchig as we are having heavy meat for the 2 Seders Can you make panckes with matzo cake meal? I also have a big container of potato starch. I make Pesach "noodles" with it, essentially crepes I cut in strips. What if I made cheese blintzes with potato starch crepes? Could do a farmer's cheese filling?

[DeisCane]

It was a big brand and I bought it in a regular supermarket. I think it was Manischewitz. Yeah, here it is.

http://www.amazon.com/Manischewitz-Pa...

[sharonfl]

I've converted a year round pancake recipe for Passover, but it calls for buttermilk (I use Friendship which has a KLP run) I can give you that recipe. It also calls for KLP baking powder (Gefen makes it). But I don't know what you ingredients you have available in Columbus. I also make blintzes which are pretty similar to the ones I make during the year. The crepes use cake meal instead of flour. Got the recipe from one of Gil Marks' books. He also has a potato starch variation (never used that one). I use farmer's cheese for the filling.

[Diane in Bexley]

Sharon, can you please share your blintze recipe? That is starting to sound like a good option. Thanks!

[sharonfl]

It's from Gil Marks' "The World of Jewish Desserts". The cake meal batter for the crepes is: 3 eggs, 3/4 cup cake meal, 1 1/2 cups water or milk (I use milk), 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt. I whisk everything together except the cake meal and then add the cake meal while whisking. Cake meal has a tendency to lump. Lightly grease a 6 inch skillet and cook the crepes until they look dry on top (2-3 tbsp of batter). Stack them cooked side up on a plate and separate with sheets of wax paper. The potato starch batter is 4 eggs, 3/4 potato starch, 1 cup milk or water, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 tsp salt. Never used this variation. The filling is 2 pkgs of farmer's cheese (about 15 oz), 1 egg, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt. The recipe also suggests lemon or orange zest instead of the cinnamon. I'm sure those would taste good as well. Depends on your preference. You could make the crepes ahead of time and fill and roll closer to serving time. Also I forgot to mention that I let the cake meal batter sit a few hours to soak up the liquid. Do you know how to roll them or not?

[ferret]

Frittata/quiche is always a good choice. Or if you want to do it just a little less heavy (less heavy than a traditional lunch, that is) then brisket hash (diced potatoes and onions added to diced brisket or lox and fried to a nice crust) with a fried or poached egg on top (you can do it with lox or smoked salmon also) - one of my favorite breakfasts.

If you're sticking with milchig then you can also make yogurt parfaits (layer yogurt and berries in a clear cup)..

[Diane in Bexley]

Ferret, good idea but one of the Seder desserts is lemon curd layered with berries and this will be a lot of the same people. Do want to keep it milchig. Perhaps fill potato starch crepes with lox, cream cheese, and dill filling?

[DeisCane]

Another idea: combine matzoh brie and lox, eggs and onions.

[ferret]

I do lox omelets all the time, adding cream cheese before the omelet sets and chopped lox after, so it warms but doesn't "cook."

One other idea, a quinoa rice pudding. You can add shredded coconut and pineapple or raisins/cinnamon or chopped pears poached in white wine or....

Here's a recipe:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/534...