Reuben a la Mama

So as I'm planning three major seders I'm catering (somebody please invite me to a second night seder so I don't have to do four), Mama is taking a brief time out to make some St. Patrick's Day treats for the Scots/Irish side of her family (of which there isn't actually one).  My first question was how to make a corned beef dish without resorting to a sit-down dinner.  So here we go, deconstructing a Reuben sandwich.

Start with slicing one of Mama's rye baguettes.  If you have to, you can buy a "cocktail rye" loaf at most supermarkets.  They are usually nowhere you would expect so ask the deli manager to find them for you.

Lay out the slices on a cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil.  Turn slices.  Brush again.

Bake at 350 until the slices begin to brown at the edges.

Meanwhile, put a nice package of a pound of deli sauer kraut (canned is a good backup), drained, into a medium frying pan.

Add a cup and a half of Mama's Russian dressing (whisk together 1 cup of mayo, 1 Tablespoon minced onion fresh or dried, 1 Tablespoon Frank's Red Hot, 1 Tablespoon Worcesteshire Sauce, 2 Tablespoons horseradish, 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika or mild chili powder) or bottled Russian or Thousand Island dressing (as you prefer).

Simmer and stir often.

Slice thickly a pound of good quality cooked corned beef from a real deli, or make it yourself, and trim to 1 x 2 inch pieces to suit the bread slices.

You may get company at this point, interested in your work.

Slice similarly, a pound of Swiss cheese.

Place the corned beef, then sauer kraut, then cheese, on rye. 

Bake for ten minutes at 350 degrees or until cheese begins to brown. Try to let them cool before you eat them, but I'll admit I had to beat back the hordes with a stick to take pictures of the final product.

Flourless Chocolate Cake (for Passover, or really any time of year)

It doesn't matter how many passover desserts we make, how fancy the macaroons are or how beautiful the raspberry almond tart is, this one is always the favorite. It's dense and rich, and not too sweet, so only a small slice is really required.

We like to serve it with fresh whipped cream (brightened up with a sprinkle of nutmeg) and a spoonful of some deliciously ripe berries. Oh, and the quality of the chocolate really matters, so make sure you use something that's really worth it.

Doesn't that look amazing?

Flourless Chocolate Cake

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 stick salted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp Grand Marnier or other liqueur (optional)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of waxed paper and butter paper.  Break or chop chocolate into small chunks.  In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter.  Microwave in 30 second bursts until butter is completely melted.  Remove from microwave and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is completely smooth, typically with a silicone spatula.  Stir sugar into chocolate mixture.  Add eggs, vanilla and liqueur and mix well.  Add cocoa powder and stir until combined.  Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust and the top of the cake doesn't jiggle when bumped (do not overbake).  Cool cake in pan for at least 10 m inutes before inverting onto a serving plate and removing waxed paper

You can also find the details on Recipixie.

Passover Kugel

Mama's great grandma brought this recipe from the old country. It's the exact same recipe we use to make our Hanukkah latkes, but it's baked into a casserole instead of fried. It's also great because it can sit in a warm oven for hours without losing any of its terrific flavor or texture, making it a perfect side dish for a lengthy seder. We like to use baby carrots for sweetness and Yukon gold potatoes for their firm texture, but feel free to experiment!

Passover Potato Kugel
8 cups shredded Yukon gold potatoes (peeling first optional)
1 Tablespoon salt
2 cups shredded or minced yellow onions
½ cup chicken fat or vegetable oil or parve margarine melted
1 Tablespoon ground pepper
6 eggs
3 cups shredded baby carrots
2 cups matzoh meal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray oil in large Pyrex baking pan (9 x 18). Wash thoroughly (and peel if you like) potatoes. Shred using food processor or by hand. Place shreds in colander and squeeze/drain potato starch from shreds. Transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients one at a time, mixing thoroughly by hand. Place in pan. Using fingers, poke indentations into kugel throughout. Bake for 1 hour or until browned nicely.

Matzoh Popovers!

Every year these popovers are a family favorite and a revelation to anyone who has never had them before. They're fantastic as dinner "rolls" to go with your Passover meal, but where they really shine is for sandwiches the next day. Our favorite fillings are leftover lamb (with arugula and a little horseradish mayo) or toasted with sharp cheddar cheese and a slice of tomato.

Make sure you make extra, because they go fast!

Passover Popovers
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups matzoh meal
¼ cup sugar
8 eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Grease two cookie sheets. Bring vegetable oil, water, and salt to a boil. Add matzoh meal and stir with a wooden spoon. When mixture is sticky, let cool. Transfer to stand mixer or have a line of strong helpers handy. Mix in sugar on low or with a wooden spoon. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Rinse your hands in cold water and make dough balls about the size of a plum, placing onto cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes until puffy, then turn down the oven to 325 and bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

Matzoh Cracker Fudge

This Passover dessert recipe has pretty much everything going for it: it's easy, delicious, good-looking, easily portable, made with regular pantry ingredients, and has infinite variations to suit your particular tastes.

After spreading out the chocolate, you can top your fudge with all kinds of things like toasted almonds, shredded coconut, cinnamon sprinkles, mini M&M's or sea salt. You can even swap some of the chocolate chips for peanut butter or white chocolate chips. (It is still plenty delicious, even without any toppings.)

Once it's been chilled and broken into pieces, it can easily be carried as a gift for a family hosting a Seder or to work or school for a snack. And if it's not Passover, you can swap the matzoh for saltine crackers.

Please let us know if you have any favorite variations!

Matzoh Cracker Fudge
Matzoh
2 sticks butter or parve margarine
1 cup brown sugar
12 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Any desired toppings (see some suggestions above)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put aluminum foil on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Lay matzoh across cookie sheet in a single layer, leaving as few gaps as possible. In a small pot on the stove, simmer butter or parve margarine and brown sugar for about five minutes. Spoon evenly on top of matzoh. Bake for seven minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Wait 5 minutes. Spread out the chocolate with a butter knife. Evenly sprinkle desired toppings over chocolate. Chill in refrigerator. Break into pieces and serve.