Have a happy vegan Passover (archives)

Passover recipes for vegans

Looking for vegan alternatives to your traditional Seder meal? Here are just a few

Anthony Marcusa|Published: 03.25.13 , 14:41

Chocolate truffle pie from www.kveller.com

By Mayim Bialik

Ingredients:

1/4 cup almond meal--or just finely grind almonds in a processor to 1/4 cup worth!
1/4 cup matzah cake meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lb plus 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (do not exceed 61% cacao which I know you all want to!?)
6 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon (separate) unsalted pareve margarine
3 large vegan "eggs" where 1 egg = 2 tbsp water + 1 tbsp oil + 2 tsp baking powder (best cheap egg replacer for Pesach ever!)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
Sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 9" glass pie dish with margarine. Whisk almond meal, matzah cake meal, and salt together in a bowl.

Combine 1 lb chocolate and 6 tablespoons margarine in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-30 sec intervals until smooth, stirring often. Set aside to cool.

Beat "eggs" with sugar and vanilla about 2 min. Beat in orange peel, then chocolate mixture. At low speed, beat in dry ingredients. Transfer to pie dish, place on rimmed baking sheet because it will drip a bit!

Place sheet with pie in oven and bake until cracked on top and tester comes out with most crumbs attached, 45-50 min. Cool to room temp; center will fall, this is normal! Don't freak out.

Combine 1 ounce chopped chocolate and 1 tablespoon margarine in microwave safe bowl in 15 second increments until glaze is smooth, stirring often. Drizzle over pie! Sprinkle with almonds.

Can be made 1 day ahead, chill until cold, tent with foil and chill!

I highly recommend eating this with strawberries tossed with a little sugar (2 Tablespoons per 1 1/4 lbs hulled strawberries works nice). Add 1 teaspoons of orange zest if you're feeling frisky. And you will be after tasting this!!!

Spinach, leek and potato matzah gratin from www.vegkitchen.com

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes
1 cup raw cashews
1 medium ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into large chunks
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large or 3 medium leeks, white and palest green parts only,
chopped and well rinsed
10 to 12 ounces baby spinach, rinsed
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup matzah meal or quinoa flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 matzot
1 cup grated Daiya cheese, optional (see note)
1/3 cup pine nuts for topping, optional

Instructions:

Cook, bake, or microwave the potatoes in their skins until just tender. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Cover the cashews with 1 cup of boiling water in a heatproof bowl and let stand for at least 15 minutes. Drain the cashews, then combine with the avocado and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until smoothly pureed; drizzle enough water through the feed tube while the processor is running to give the mixture a thick, creamy texture.

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the leeks and sauté over medium-low heat until golden. Add the spinach in batches, covering and cooking until wilted to make room for all of it. Stir in the cashew cream, dill, and matzah meal. Season with salt and pepper.

Break each matzah in half, and place in a shallow container. Cover with room-temperature water in a shallow container until slightly pliable (don’t let them get mushy!), about 2 minutes; drain. Lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish.

Layer the casserole as follows: line the bottom with a layer of matzot, using two matzot per layer. Follow with a layer of potato slices, half of the spinach mixture, half of the optional cheese, and another layer of matzot. Repeat, ending with a layer of matzah.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden with spots of brown. Let stand for 10 minutes, then cut into squares to serve.

Note: Using Daiya cheese (which is made from tapioca flour), should be fine for Ashkenazi Passover, if you aren’t concerned that this product isn’t specifically Kosher for Passover.

Citrus spice charoset from Babble’s The Family Kitchen

Makes 4-5 cups

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups assorted raw nuts, chopped/pulverized (pistachios, walnuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts)
1 green apple, peeled/diced (about 1 1/2 cups diced)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2-3 Tbsp agave syrup (or honey or maple syrup)
3-4 Tbsp red wine
1 tbsp orange juice
1/4 cup tiny orange slices (plus extra for garnish)
1/4 tsp orange zest – grated over top

Instructions:

1. Prep your nuts by pulverizing them in a high-speed blender or food processor. The nuts should be very finely ground – a few chunkier bits are a nice touch. Peel and dice your apple and slice your orange.

2. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss well. Plate in your serving bowl and grate orange zest over top.

3. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with matzah, romaine lettuce leaves and a garnish of orange slices and horseradish.

Vegan matzah brei from Chef Chloe

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

5 sheets of matzah
7 ounces silken tofu
4 tablespoons vegan margarine
½ cup soy, almond, or rice milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
5 ounces baby spinach

Instructions:

Place the matzah in a large bowl and roughly break the sheets into halves or quarters using your hands. Fill the bowl with water and let soak for 5-10 minutes, or until matzah is soggy.

Meanwhile, combine tofu, vegan margarine, nondairy milk, salt, pepper, turmeric, onion powder, and garlic powder in a blender. Process until smooth.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions and mushrooms until soft and slightly browned. Season with salt, and add spinach and let cook until wilted.

Drain the matzah and add it to the skillet. Add the tofu mixture to the skillet too. Turn the contents of the skillet with a spatula until the matzah is coated with the tofu mixture. Let cook until lightly browned and crispy on edges.