Patch Picks: Recipes for a Light, Easy and Healthy Passover

It's that time of year again for the Jewish community: Passover arrives in less than two weeks, with the first Seder set for the night of Monday, April 18.

Besides for retelling the story of the Jews' exodus from Egypt, the Seder is a time when the whole family gets together for a festive meal—sans the bread, which is prohibited for consumption during this weeklong holiday.

Here are five recipes (intended for eight people) that will help you and the rest of  your family enjoy a light, healthy and easy Passover, whether it's on the two Seder nights or afterward:

Bitter greens, blood orange and Vidalia onion salad

Salad:

12 cups mixed greens (arugula, watercress, dandelion, radicchio, endive)

4 blood oranges, peeled and sliced

1 large Vidalia onion or another sweet onion, sliced thin

Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp. fresh oregano

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

½ tsp Kosher salt

½ tsp freshly-ground pepper

¼ cup honey

½ cup olive oil

In blender, blend lemon juice, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, salt and pepper.  Add honey, blend until mixed, and add olive oil slowly. 

Toss salad ingredients together and dress with vinaigrette.  Refrigerate extra vinaigrette and use in a week.

Roasted Salmon Mimosa

For the Salmon:

8 6oz. salmon filets, skin removed

Kosher salt & freshly-ground pepper to season

For the Sauce:

2 tbs. Olive Oil

2 large shallots, chopped

1 cup fresh orange juice

2 cups dry sparkling wine

For the garnish:

Fresh dill, minced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Preheat roasting pan:  In shallow roasting pan large enough to hold salmon and allow for 2” clearance on each side of the salmon filets, add olive oil to coat roasting pan. Put in hot oven for 5 minutes.

Put salmon in hot roasting pan, season with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes.

While salmon is roasting, heat a large skillet over high heat, add olive oil, reduce to medium, and add shallots.  Cook for a minute (shallots will have just softened).  Add orange juice, turn up heat to high, and stir until reduced by half.  Add sparkling wine and reduce heat to medium-low.

Turn salmon and roast for another 10 minutes.

Serve salmon with wine-orange sauce and garnish with fresh dill.

Simply Steamed Asparagus

2 lbs Asparagus, trimmed

½ cup water

In microwave-safe container, put asparagus and ½ cup water.  Salt, cover with plastic wrap (leave one side uncovered) and microwave-cook for 6 minutes.  Asparagus will be al dente.  Cook 2 minutes longer if you prefer softer asparagus.

Quinoa with apricots, Gaeta olives and toasted almonds

3 cups Quinoa, rinsed

2 cups Vegetable broth, heated to boiling

1 cup dried apricots, chopped

½ cup Gaeta olives, chopped

½ cup almonds, toasted

1 bunch scallion, white part only and sliced thin.

Fresh parsley for garnish.

To quinoa, add heated vegetable broth and stir in dried apricots.  Let stand for 10 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed.  Add olives, almonds and green onion.  Garnish with fresh parsley.

Lemon Bars

Crust:

1 10-ounce can coconut macaroons
¼ cup margarine, melted

Filling:

1 ½ cup sugar
4 large eggs
½ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
2 tbs. almond flour
½ cup powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9 x 13 pan with aerosol oil.

In food processor fitted with knife blade, process macaroons into rough crumb.  Mix with the melted margarine and pat in pre-oiled pan.

Combine sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and almond flour and blend until smooth.  Pour over crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  Cool and cut.  Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Julia Enerson of Fair Lawn is a business owner and chef. When she’s not cooking for the brothers at Chi Phi, a fraternity house based at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, she’s helping busy households have quality family meal time and save money through Julia’s@Home. Contact her at 201-796-8029 or jmenerson@aol.com.