Recipes to Survive 7 Days of Unleavened Bread
Recipes to Survive 7 Days of Unleavened Bread
With the mandate to keep leavening out of the territories of Israel for seven days after the feast of Pesach (Leviticus 23:5-6🔗), it can become a struggle to enjoy the taste of it after a while. So, every year it becomes my mission to find a new way to use matzah.
Sometimes they're successful. Sometimes not. Most of the time, we use matzah as a cracker - slathered in butter or cream cheese or jam! Some people like hummus or even a festive bean dip! However you choose to matzah, there are many ways to enjoy it.
But when you're -so over- dipping your matzah into different dips, here are some of the best recipes that we've found over the years.
Home-made Matzah
Start with trying to make your own matzah!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup water, or more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or as needed
- (Herbs and Spices can be added as desired)
Directions:
- Move rack to top of the oven and preheat to 475. Preheat a heavy baking sheet inside.
- Dust your work space and rolling pin with flour.
- Pour flour into a mixing bowl. Add water slowly while mixing until it forms a ball. Add more flour if it's too wet; add more water if it's too dry.
- Move the dough to your flour-dusted workspace and kneed rapidly for about a minute.
- Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, and then divide into 8 pieces. Roll into a ball.
- Roll each ball out into a flat, thin pancake.
- Use a fork and pierce each piece several times. This prevents the dough to rise and remain flat.
- Place each piece on the pre-heated baking sheet in your oven. Bake for 2 minutes, and then flip them and bake for another 2 minutes until the matzah is lightly browned.
- Move matzah to a cooling rack.
- Make all kinds of yummy treats out of it when cooled!
Matzah Ball Soup
Matzah balls are an Ashkenazi Jewish soup dumpling made from a mixture of matzah meal, eggs, water, and oil. Matzah balls are traditionally served in chicken soup, which is commonly referred to as "Jewish Penicillin." (Feeds 4-8 people)
Ingredients:
- 2-3 chicken breasts
- 8 cups of chicken broth
- 1 head of celery
- 1 small bag of baby carrots or 6 full size carrots
- 1 large sweet onion
- 1 box of Streits or Manischewitz matzo ball mix (two packets per box - you'll use both)
Instructions:
- Start by cooking the chicken breasts and setting them aside to cool. They can be roasted with olive oil at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or cooked in a skillet to your liking with an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Then begin to heat the chicken broth in a stock pot.
- Next, while waiting for the broth to begin boiling, dice the onion, carrots and celery.
- Bring the broth to a rolling boil and add the diced vegetables. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes for optimum flavor integration.
- While the veggies are cooking in the broth, cut up the chicken breasts into small chunks. (Shredding works well too!)
- Put chicken into boiling broth and allow to boil for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes reduce to a simmer/medium heat
- Next create matzo ball mix according to the instructions on the box. However, I suggest letting the mixture sit for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Once the matzo ball mix is ready, increase the heat of the broth back up to a boil.
- Gently hand-roll one spoonful of the matzo ball mix into a ball (about the size of a walnut) and place on a greased/oiled tray. Repeat until all the matzo balls are rolled.
- Use a clean spoon to carefully drop the uncooked matzo balls into the boiling broth, one at a time.
- The matzo balls will expand as they cook.
- Boil until cooked fully, floating at the top. They should be fluffy and soft after approximately 20 minutes.
- Once matzo balls are cooked, turn heat down to low, or even off.
- Once cooled slightly, serve with love!
Matzah Brei
A lot like French toast, this is matzah that is soaked in an egg mixture and pan fried.
Ingredients:
- Boxed Matzah
- 4 Eggs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp brown sugar or sweetener substitute
- Dash of salt
- 1 tbs butter
Instructions:
- Whisk eggs together with heavy cream until smooth
- Add vanilla, cinnamon, and brown sugar to egg and cream mixture
- Break 3-4 sheets of matzah into 2 inch pieces and stir into egg mixture until its all coated. Allow to sit and soak for approximately 20-30 seconds.
- Stir mixture once more and add salt
- Heat frying pan and melt tablespoon of butter
- Once butter is melted, add the egg and matzah mixture to pan
- Stir often until the egg coated matzah pieces are cooked
- Once cooked, immediately serve with your choice of powdered sugar, cinnamon-sugar, or maple syrup!
Matzah Pizza
An easy solution to your matzah boredom!
Ingredients:
- Matzah - boxed or fresh
- Jar of Sauce - your choice! Traditional tomato pizza sauce, pesto, etc. whatever you like!
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Toppings of your choice: turkey pepperoni, peppers, olives, fresh basil... the choice is yours!
Instructions:
- Place your sheets of matzah on a baking sheet. Give your matzah a second bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 3-5 minutes. This will make sure there's less moisture in the matzah so your pizza doesn't get soggy!
- After the double bake, spread a thin layer of sauce onto your matzah and give that another 3 minute bake in the oven.
- Once your sauce has baked on its own for a little bit, add your cheese and your toppings. Measure with your heart.
- Bake pizzas in oven until the cheese is melted and the corners of the matzah a dark brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Matzah Crusted Lemon Mustard Chicken
These baked chicken thighs are tangy and delicious!
Ingredients:
- 8 Chicken Thighs
- Lemon Juice
- 3 eggs
- Creamy Mustard (Daniah prefers Nance's Sharp and Creamy Mustard!)
- Matzah
- Dried Oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions:
- Crush your matzah into a "breadcrumb" consistency, usually best done by placing the matzah into a zipper plastic bag and pounding with a rolling pin or heavy bottomed mug.
- Place matzah-crumbs into a bowl and add oregano, salt, pepper, and mix
- Whisk eggs in another bowl.
- Fill another bowl with lemon juice.
- Dip each thigh into the bowls in the following sequence: lemon juice, egg, matzah crumbs. Place in glass casserole dish. Repeat until all thighs are coated and placed in dish.
- Bake chicken thighs at 350 degrees in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- Remove dish from oven and serve!