Happy Passeaster Fools' Day!

Today's Easter and Passover and April Fools Day all at once, which is pretty much winning the variable-date holiday lottery, and definitely cause for brunch. So I invited some people over, cooked something relevant for each holiday, and drank far too much of the sangria D. brought over. It all got devoured before I even thought to get out my camera, so no photos (update: photos of leftover charoset and sangria; you're on your own for the rest), but here's my recipes:

Passover: Coconut Charoset


This isn't traditional for anybody as far as I could tell, but it was all things I had in my pantry. I kept going back and forth over whether to make Charoset or just cooked apples; in the end I wound up somewhere in between and it was delicious. I like the slippery texture and extra protein from the flax seeds, but if you don't have any just up the amount of nuts to make up for it. This makes enough to serve many; all measurements are pretty rough since I made it up as I went along. Orange zest or a splash of wine would probably go well too.

4 apples
1/2 cup almonds (or walnuts)
1/3 cup golden flax seeds
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
~1 tbsp apple pie spice (or 2tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp alspice, 1/2 tsp cloves, pinch of nutmeg)
1 tsp cardamom
lemon juice
pinch of salt
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
Butter

1) Pulse the nuts in a food processor until roughly ground/finely chopped (or just buy them that way). Put aside in a bowl. Peel and core the apples, chop roughly. Either pulse the apples in the food processor until they're finely chopped (but NOT yet turned into applesauce) or mince them by hand. Put in a bowl and toss with some lemon juice.

2) Heat a good bit of butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the apples and nuts and stir for a minute. Add everything else (best to start with less than the total honey/sugar and spices and add to taste), plus another teaspoon or so of lemon juice. Mix thoroughly. Cook partly covered until the apples start to soften but don't quite lose all of their crunch, maybe 10-15 minutes. Serve with matzoh for the observant or crepes (below) for the not.


Easter: Arugula Zucchini Frittata
Easter for me is all about chocolate and jelly beans. But since I'm waiting for tomorrow's sales to buy my candy, second place goes to eggs, spring veggies, and salted pork products. I found this recipe from Bon Appetit for a leek-and-asparagus frittata, which seemed appropriately spring-like, then proceeded to change everything about it except the method, because I had a zucchini and onions in my fridge but no leeks or asparagus. Also I'm not too crazy about asparagus. Anyway, I encourage you to do the same. Serve with a slice of baked Easter ham, or some tasty crispy bacon. Feeds 5, apparently.

2 slices bacon (or some bacon fat, or butter, or olive oil if you're being responsible)
1 zucchini, sliced into half moons (I used the medium setting on my mandoline then cut the rounds in half, makes things way easier.)
1 onion, chopped
8 eggs
1 large handful of arugula, torn up a bit
1/4 cup ground romano cheese
S&P

1) In an oven-proof skillet (I used my cast iron), cook the bacon. When crispy, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and enjoy as chef's treat, leaving the drippings in the pan. Alternatively, heat up some butter, oil, or bacon fat reserved from last time you made the stuff.

2) Saute the onion over medium heat in the bacon (or other) fat. After about 2 minutes, add the zucchini. Saute until the zucchini is softened and the onions are transparent.

3) Meanwhile, beat the eggs. Add the cheese, arugula, a generous pinch of salt, and an equally generous dose of black pepper. Mix well.

4) Here's where my instructions start to match up with BA's. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies and stir once or twice to get it all mixed in. Cook partly covered over med-high heat until almost set - there will be a bit of raw egg in the center; don't worry about it. Stick the whole pan under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until it's puffed up and cooked through. Cut into slices and dig in.


Because they're delicious and it's brunch: Crepes
This recipe is very slightly adapted from the 1975 edition of the Joy of Cooking. It's the only thing I still make from that book, but I love it.

3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk (I used drinkable coconut milk and found I needed a bit more)
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional but good)

1) Whisk together the dry ingredients.

2) In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Make sure the eggs are well-beaten.

3) Add the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Stir briefly. Don't worry if there's a few lumps; they'll disappear on their own. The batter should be somewhat thin, definitely of pourable consistency.

4) Heat a bit of butter in a smallish pan. Add about a quarter cup of batter. (I just use my quarter cup measuring cup, usually not filled quite all the way.) Tilt the pan so the batter covers the whole bottom, fairly thinly. Cook until the bottom starts to brown, then flip and cook til golden. Lather, rinse, repeat.

5) Serve with charoset, fresh berries and whipped cream, sliced mangoes and whipped cream, chocolate sauce, maple syrup, lemon curd, powdered sugar; you really can't go wrong.

Red wine = invisible fruits :-(

 

And because we're grownups and we can: Dolly's Sangria
This is roughly what I saw her do, with a little twist of my own.

1+ cup each:
-chopped peaches or nectarines
-green grapes
-fresh blueberries
-sliced strawberries
1 bottle white wine
2 cans Fresca
lemon or lime juice to taste
Ice
(1/4 bottle of red wine, optional but really good)

1) Mix everything in a big pot. Let sit for a while to soak the fruit. Drink in a large glass. Have seconds.