Passover breakfast recipes for little chefs
When Pesach catering starts to take its toll, let the children do the cooking, says Denise Phillips.
Denise Phillips is a Jewish cook and author
Here are four breakfast recipesmade with minimal ingredients that are the perfect substitutes for toast and cereal. All you have to do is clear up after them
Passover Blueberry Muffins
I love these blueberry muffins – breakfast on the run and a lunch box snack or treat when needed! They freeze too so make them in advance.
Preparation 15 minutes, Time Cooking 30 minutes, Makes 16 muffins
Ingredients
- 150g cake meal
- 100g ground almonds
- 2 teaspoons Passover baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 110g butter
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla essence
- 2 eggs
- 100ml milk
- 225g fresh or frozen blueberries (If using frozen, defrost and drain any excess liquid before cooking)
Method
- Preheat oven to 160ºC / Gas 3.
- Line muffin tin with paper cases.
- Mix cake meal, grounds almonds, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
- Cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and beat well. Add milk and cake meal mixture. Beat until combined. Stir in blueberries.
- Fill muffin cases so they are two-thirds full.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until just golden.
Mediterranean Omelette
This is a tasty savoury omelette made with thinly-sliced potatoes, tomatoes, olives and red peppers. It is perfect for a substantial breakfast or packed school lunch, easy to slice and to carry in a lunch box.
Ingredients
- 250g baby new potatoes –thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion – peeled
- 1 red pepper – cored and roughly chopped
- 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 12 black olives – cut in half
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 eggs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Cook the potatoes in boiling water for about five to eight minutes until just soft. Drain and set aside. Slice the onion into rings.
- Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil into a 20cm heavy based frying pan.
- Add the sliced potatoes and the onions and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are just golden. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together. Season well. Add the chopped red pepper, cooked potatoes, onions, tomatoes and olives.
- Line the frying pan with baking parchment paper.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan. Pour in the potato mixture. Cook covered gently for 10 to 12 minutes until the mixture is set. Slide out of the pan onto a chopping board and cut into wedges.
Apple Matzah Brei
Breakfast or brunch – apple matzah brei is the perfect answer. Using Pesach store cupboard ingredients this is easy to make and hopefully will satisfy hungry ‘little mouths’ for more than 10 minutes!
Preparation 15 minutes, Time Cooking 10 minutes, serves 2-4 people
Ingredients
- 4 large matzahs (broken into 4 cm pieces)
- 2 Granny smith apples – cored and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Passover baking powder
- Garnish: 1 red apple – cored and sliced
Method
- Soak matzah in cold water for five minutes. Drain in a colander.
- Chop apple, add honey and lemon juice.
- Whisk in one tablespoon oil, egg, and salt and mix together. Gently stir in matzahs. Mix in baking powder.
- Cut a circle of baking parchment paper, slightly bigger than the frying pan. Insert into the frying pan (this prevents the matzah brei from sticking to the frying pan).
- Heat one tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Spread matzah mixture evenly in the frying pan, pressing gently.
- Cook until underside is golden, about four minutes. Transfer to plates.
- Flip using a spatula. Cook until underside is golden, about five minutes. Transfer to plates.
- Slide out onto a chopping board and cut into wedges.
Matzah Granola
Breakfasts at Pesach can be a challenge to satisfy the family; this nutritious matzah cereal certainly helps to put off hunger pangs until at least 11am. It is delicious with milk or used as a topping for crumble or fruit pies. It is also super-portable for when you’re rushing out the door to visit family or doing activities with your kids. Just bag it up and go.
Preparation 10 minutes, Time Cooking 20 minutes, makes 15-20 servings
Ingredients
- 1 large box matzah (300g) – broken up into small pieces
- 400g pecan pieces
- 200g desiccated flaked coconut
- 200g slivered almonds
- 300ml honey
- 150ml vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100g raisins
Method
- Heat oven to 180ºC/ 350ºF/ Gas mark 4.
- Line two baking trays with non-stick baking parchment paper.
- Combine matzah pieces, pecans, coconut and almonds in large bowl.
- Stir honey, oil, cinnamon and salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling.
- Pour over the matza mixture; toss until evenly coated.
- Spread mixture evenly onto prepared baking trays.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, tossing occasionally, so that the mixture browns evenly.
- Toss matzah mixture with raisins; let cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
It will keep for several weeks.
Passover Memory – Denise Phillips
“When I was growing up, my mother, who was a great cook, would let me help her make the almond macaroons and cinnamon balls that she made every Pesach.
Wearing a little apron tied around my waist and with my sleeves rolled up, I would have to kneel on a chair so I could reach the mixture…. The recipes were her mother’s and I still use them today, with a few variations.
Because I was an identical twin, my mother would always make double the mixture, so my sister and I would have enough dough to make our share of biscuits without arguing!
One important lesson I learnt from my mother was to cook them on a low oven temperature, about 150ºC, so that they did not spread too much, and also to take them out when they are just cooked as they will harden as they cool.“
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