Mexican Inspired Matzo Brei

Photo by Eric Slatkin

Matzo Brei is easily one of my favorite types of Passover food tied only with matzo pizza (because pizza anything is the best). 

There are endless variations on matzo soaked in egg and cooked in fat (ideally butter). This is my favorite version: it's reminiscent of Huevos Rancheros or even a good Chilaquiles. The crispy buttery matzo combines perfectly with a little heat from the sauce, creamy avocado, and fresh cilantro. 

Ranchero sauce is made of chilis, peppers, and aromatics that are cooked and blended together, but you can also find many good pre-made Ranchero salsas at the market. It can also be substitutes with almost any another kind of chili based sauce that you prefer. 

Whether you make the matzo brei savory, sweet, or spicy, I've learned that one thing that is critical for good brei is a generous amount of butter or oil. Without a good amount of fat, the matzo can become dry and brittle. With fat the matzo is creamer and gets crisped and golden on its edges.

This recipe is featured in our Passover Assembly Line series! Video below.

Chag Sameach!

Mexican Matzo Brei
Serves 2-4

for the matzo brei-
4 matzos
4 large eggs
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon ranchero salsa (homemade or store bought)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon chili powder
4 tablespoons butter

for the toppings-
1 avocado, cut into thin slices
2 scallions, sliced thin
½ cup cilantro leaves
sour cream, to taste
hot sauce, to taste

Start by breaking up your matzo into large chunks into a sieve or colander. It’s ok if the matzo pieces are uneven. Rinse the matzo under cold water until dampened and just softened, about 10-15 seconds.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, ranchero salsa, spices, and salt together. Add the soaked matzo to the bowl, and stir until the matzo is coated in the egg mixture. Heat a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan. Once the butter has fully melted, add the matzo mixture to the pan in an even layer. Allow the matzo to cook and brown on one side for  2-3 minutes. Flip the matzo pieces over and cook them on the other side until they are nicely browned as well, another 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a large serving platter or individual plates. Top with sliced avocado, fresh scallion, cilantro, and sour cream and hot sauce if desired. Serve immediately.

Deep Fried Matzo Balls

Photo by Eric Slatkin

Why do matzo balls need to be confined to soup? In the spirit of freedom, these matzo balls are let go from their usual broth home, and instead,they're dunked into hot oil, fried until golden, and served with a spicy herbaceous schug dip.

These matzo balls are more hush puppy than airy donut. You have to expect denseness with matzo meal. Once you get over the absence of soup, and the slightly unexpected texture, you find yourself halfway through a second matzo ball... they are delicious and addictive.

Schug is a spicy cilantro and chili sauce, that is commonly found throughout the Middle East. I love the recipe from Zahav, by Michael Solomonov (brought to my attention by friend and collaborator Ellie Bowman), but there are many other recipes out there. You can often even pick up this stuff pre-made at your favorite Israeli restaurant or Middle Eastern market. 

And we've been putting these recipes into motion over at the Assembly Line.

More Passover recipes are on their way... 

Deep Fried Matzo Balls with Yogurt Schug Dip

for the matzo balls-

1 cup matzo meal

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

4 large eggs, beaten

¼ cup oil schmaltz or oil (vegetable or safflower)

vegetable oil, as needed for frying

for the dip-

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1-2 tablespoons Schug (spicy herb sauce*)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine the matzo meal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. To the matzo meal mixture add 4 beaten eggs, ¼ cup of oil, and spices. Stir until just combined. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. Once chilled, formed the dough into even-sized balls.

Fill a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot with 3 inches of oil. Heat until hot, about 350°-375°F when tested with a candy thermometer.

Drop the matzo balls into the oil in batches. Be careful not to crowd the pot, add 6-8 matzo balls at a time. Fry until golden brown on all sides.

Once cooked transfer to a sheet pan lined with paper towels and fry the next batch. You can can keep them warm in a warm oven if necessary. The fried matzo balls are best served hot and fresh.

for the dip-

In a bowl, combine the yogurt and schug. Mix until incorporated.

*Schug (also spelled Zhug or Skhug)

Schug is a spicy green sauce that originated in Yemen and is commonly eaten across the Middle East. It can be purchased in some Middle Eastern markets, or from Israeli restaurants. This recipe is from Michael Solomonov's Zahav cookbook:

Schug

20 serrano chiles, stems removed

1 cup parsley leaves

1 cup cilantro leaves

4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup canola oil

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients except the oil. Once processed into a coarse paste, transfer to a bowl. Whisk in the oil. The sauce will appear chunky, not smooth. Store in a container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Citrus, Pomegranate and Mint Salad

While it is still technically winter, Southern California is abundant with great fruit and vegetables right now. Citrus is in its prime and there are countless varieties available at local farmers’ markets. Everything from Murcat mandarins, to Meyer lemons, to Kaffir limes, to kumquats, to tangerines, to pomelos are in season. I am particularly in love with the soft pink-colored-not-too-sweet Cara Cara oranges, and the deep red floral and slightly bitter blood oranges.

This Sunday night marks the beginning of Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish new year for trees. While there aren’t too many customs and rules associated with the holiday, many Jews celebrate with a Tu B’Shevat seder and by planting trees. Some folks celebrate by eating as many as 15 different varieties of fruits and vegetables for the holiday.

This salad is meant to celebrate the fruit that is in season now, and here during Tu B’Shevat. The recipe calls for both Cara Cara and blood oranges, but you can pick any of your favorite varieties of citrus (you could even add more than 3 varieties of citrus). The idea is to pile up the citrus fruit on top of your favorite lettuce or greens, cover it with a layer of sweet and tart pomegranate seeds, good quality feta cheese, lots of bright fresh mint, and a drizzle of tangy pomegranate molasses vinaigrette. Pomegranate molasses is simply reduced/concentrated pomegranate juice. If you don’t have pomegranate molasses you can dress this salad with a simple combination of lemon juice and olive oil.

Enjoy!

Tu B’Shevat Citrus, Pomegranate, and Mint Salad

Serves 4-6 (recipe can be doubled or tripled as needed)

for the salad-

1 small head of lettuce, your favorite variety (Speckled, Romaine,Little Gem)

2 small Cara Cara oranges (or any available orange)

1 small blood orange (or any available orange)

2 tangerines

½ cup feta cheese, cubed small or crumbled

⅓ cup pomegranate seeds

¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

for the dressing-

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey, or to taste

½ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

Start by removing the peel and outer membrane from all of the citrus. Slice off the very top and bottom of the fruit. Next, cut the peel and outer membrane away from the flesh by standing the fruit on its bottom and carefully run the knife alongside the fruit, cutting away the peel one section at a time. Once you have cut away the peel, slice the citrus into half inch rounds. Alternatively, you can also fully supreme the fruit.

Lay the lettuce leaves down into your serving platter or bowl. If using large leaves of lettuce, slice the lettuce into smaller pieces. Lay the fruit on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and fresh mint. Season with a pinch of salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, honey and salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust according to your liking. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Pie

Photo by Eric Slatkin

I've recently been a part of  launching a new stop-motion digital How-To series called Assembly Line. We started out making sandwiches, and now we're  launching our Thanksgiving videos. We're doing a series on pies, both savory and sweet, to celebrate fall's best day.

I've never been the biggest fan of pumpkin pie, even though I love pumpkin and I love the spices that go into it. Most of the pumpkin pies I've had or made are a little too one-note or too bland for me. When we started thinking about doing a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, we knew we wanted to do something a little different.

The inspiration for this recipe is the beloved (controversially?) ubiquitous "Pumpkin Spice Latte." If people could love a drink this much, maybe coffee was this missing flavor in the pie? 

Adding just a small amount of espresso to the mix adds a note of depth and complexity to the pie. Have you ever added instant espresso to chocolate cake or brownies? It enriches the chocolate favor. Here, it enriches the overall flavor and you can taste a hint of the nutty bitter coffee been. I also add the espresso to the whipped cream. I love the flavor of coffee, and it definitely enhances the whipped cream, but it's not essential if you don't want too much coffee in your dessert. Although,  it helps liven things up after a rich heavy meal.

Different pumpkin pie recipes use different types of ingredients. A lot include sweetened condensed milk, but I often find those recipes too sweet. Some use just milk, some use cream, and here I'm using both milk and cream, in addition to some of the other familiar ingredients. The resulting texture is silky and smooth. For me, this pie has the right density; it's not too flimsy and not too firm. This is my new go-to pumpkin pie recipe, and I hope you enjoy it, too.

For more pie recipes from Assembly Line you can subscribe or follow us on YouTube, Facebook and/or Instagram!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Pie

Makes 1 pie

for the crust-

1¼ cup all purpose flour (I like King Arthur Brand)

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons ice cold water

for the filling-

1¾ (15 oz.) cups pure unsweetened pumpkin purée

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1-2 tablespoons instant espresso powder (1 or 2 depending on desired intensity, I use Medaglia D'oro brand)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

few gratings of fresh nutmeg (about an ⅛ teaspoon)

1 cup heavy cream

⅓ cup milk (I use whole, but any kind works)

3 large eggs

espresso whipped cream-

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).

for the crust-

To a food processor, add the flour sugar and salt. Pulse a few times to combine the mixture. Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients, pulse until pea-sized pieces of dough are formed.  (You can use a pastry cutter or just your hands to combine the butter if you do not have a food processor).

To the dough, add the apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of water at a time. Pulse until the dough comes together but is still crumbly and not too wet. It should stick together between your fingers when squeezed, if it doesn’t add another tablespoon of water. Roll the dough into a disc that’s about an inch thick - this will make it easier to roll out into a circular shape. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.  

Onto a lightly floured surface, roll the pie dough out until you have a 12-inch even circle. Carefully transfer the dough into a 9-inch pie tin. Lightly press the dough into the pan. Trim any overhanging crust. Decoratively crimp the edges of the crust with your fingers, or you can decorate the edges with the tines of a fork.

for the filling-

Combine the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, granulated sugar, espresso powder, salt and spices in a large bowl. Whisk in the cream and milk, then whisk in the eggs. Pour filling into prepared pie crust.

bake the pie-

Place the pie in the oven for 15 minutes at 400°F. After 15 minutes, lower the heat to 350°F and bake for 35-45 more minutes (it's super important to start off at a high temp and then lower - if you stay at 400 the crust will get burnt and the filling won't cook properly), or until a toothpick inserted into the batter comes out mostly pumpkin-free. A little pumpkin and dampness is fine, but you do not want super loose pumpkin batter on it. Also, you will be able to tell if the pumpkin is done by the amount it jiggles in the pan. You only want the slightest wobble in the center of the pie.

If the crust starts to get too brown, you can cover the crust edges with aluminum foil and continue to cook the filling.

Once cooked, let the pie cool on a rack completely. Refrigerate once the pie has cooled, and serve either cool or at room temp.

for the espresso whipped cream-

While the pie is cooling, prepare the whipped cream. Combine all of the ingredients in a large cool bowl. Using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat everything together until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip your cream.

to serve-

Top the pie with the espresso whipped cream. Garnish with ground cinnamon and/or more espresso powder. Slice and serve!

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

This gratin is the ultimate way to show those healthy cruciferous brussels sprouts who's boss. Here's the thing, I don't eat heavy cheesy dishes every day, but special occasions can warrant good cheese, heavy cream, and butter. As a special occasion dish this is heaven. The brussels sprouts are roasted before they are assembled into a gratin making them buttery and caramelized, and the mornay sauce (simply a Béchamel sauce with grated cheese added to it) are so happy to be paired with these strong-tasting cabbage-y things.

Gratins are great make-ahead dishes. You can assemble them up to a day in advance and heat them up just prior to serving. They also tend to freeze well.

One note about brussels sprouts: the smaller the better. Sometimes you're limited to whatever the store or farmers' market has to offer. I lucked out and found young, fresh, tiny little brussels sprouts for this dish. I find that the smaller brussels are milder, more tender, and more delicious than the big ones. Certainly, this recipe will work with larger guys, I would just make sure to roast them for longer.

This dish would be great with a bright fresh light salad to balance out the richness of the gratin. It could be paired with your favorite savory entrée. For vegetarians, this side works super well alongside mushroom dishes.

Brussels Sprouts Gratin
Serves 8-10
Adapted from Saveur 

3 lbs. brussels sprouts (about 3 pints), halved
4-6 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup half & half or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups shredded Gruyere, Emmental, or Swiss
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Start by cleaning the brussels sprouts and removing any browned or tough outer leaves. Halve your brussels sprouts. In a large bowl, toss the brussels sprouts with the olive oil; make sure the sprouts are evenly coated in the oil. Season the sprouts with salt and pepper.

Transfer the seasoned brussels sprouts onto a baking sheet. Be careful not to crowd the sheet pan, you want to the sprouts to lie in a single flat layer so that they can evenly brown. Roast the sprouts until tender and browned, about 15-20 minutes depending on their size (check after 15 minutes and gage how much longer they need; they should be fully cooked).

Next, make the mornay sauce. Start by making a roux. Add 3 tablespoons butter to a medium saucepan (4-6 quart) on medium heat. Once the butter has just melted add the flour. Stir and cook until the mixture is golden brown and smells toasty, about 30-60 seconds. Slowly add the milk and half & half, continuously whisking the mixture as you add the liquid. Bring the liquid to a simmer, continuing to whisk so as to avoid lumps. Let the mixture thicken and simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and add the shredded cheese to the sauce. Stir until incorporated an you have a smooth sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Transfer the roasted brussels sprouts to an oval gratin dish (about 10-11 inches in length), or you can also use a 9 x 11 baking dish. Pour the mornay sauce over the roasted brussels sprouts. Top with parmesan and a few more gratings of nutmeg, or some additional black pepper.

Loosely cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and let the top of the dish brown, about 5 more minutes. Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Strawberry Hamantaschen Tartelettes

I need no excuse to make a cookie, but holidays are a good one.  Purim is this Saturday, and Hamantaschen, a three-sided cookie with a filling, is traditionally eaten and given as gifts on this holiday.

There are 2 things that hamantaschen need to be: three-sided and filled with something (jam, poppy seeds, prunes, etc.)  These aren't bad requirements for a cookie.  The only problem is that most of the Hamantaschen I've eaten in my life kind of suck.  They tend to be large in size, with dry bland cookie dough surrounding average tasting jam.

The only exception to the sucky-hamantaschen rule are my grandmother's (of course).  Instead of cookie dough, she made a pastry dough that she typically used for peroshke.  She also made her hamantashen small. She also filled them with homemade jam.

Pie dough is my favorite type of dough, and I  thought why not make hamantaschen with that?
The result: it worked.

These don't taste like typical hamantaschen. They taste like little pies.  If you want to make them into tartelettes (in fact, my french roommate says they reminded him of these), you don't need to form them into triangles.  If you want to make them triangular, you need to make sure you fold over the corners really well. This is a versatile base to work with, and I'm sure I'll play around with this recipe in the future.

I apologize in advance for the directions on this one... I sort of winged it, and some of this you have to do by feel... make sure your dough isn't too wet, don't roll it out too thick, make sure you chill the dough, and make sure you chill the cookies before you bake them. They are a little labor intensive, but they're also fun to make, if you like this sort of thing.

Pie-Dough Hamantaschen with Strawberry Filling
Makes 30 cookies

for the dough-
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup very cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cubed
1/4 cup ice water

for the filling-
1/2 cup strawberry jam (thick is best, recipe below if you want to make your own)
3-4 strawberries, quartered and sliced very thin
1 egg
turbinado or coarse sugar

for the dough-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. For all pie dough, keep all of the ingredients as cold as possible.

In a food processor, add the flour and the cubed butter.  Pulse until the butter looks pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly.  Slowly add the ice water, a little at a time.  Pulse each time you add.  The dough is ready when it sticks together when you press it with your fingers.

Form the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disc, and cover it in plastic wrap.  Let the dough chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

to assemble-
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Make an egg wash by cracking an egg and beating it in a small dish.

Cut the dough into thirds, keep the dough you're not using in the fridge.  Roll the dough out until it is about a 1/4-inch thick.  Cut the dough with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. You can take the scraps of dough and re-roll those out so that none of the dough goes to waste.  If you want the tartelettes larger, use a 3-inch biscuit cutter or a glass (add more filling accordingly).

Spoon a 1/4 teaspoon of strawberry jam into the center of each round. Top the jam with a thin slice of strawberry.  Fold over the edges of the dough onto the jam, forming a triangle.  I start by folding one third, then another, then the last.  Pinch each corner super tight, otherwise the dough will unfold when the cookies bake. Here's a good tutorial.

Place the cookie on the baking sheet, leave an inch or two of room between each cookie.  Once you fill up the tray, place the tray of cookies in the freezer (or fridge) to chill for 15-30 minutes before baking. Take the cookies out of the freezer.  Brush the egg wash over the edges of the cookie, sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.

Fresh Strawberry Jam
adapted from Ina Garten's recipe

2 pints fresh strawberries, rinsed and cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
juice and zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over very low heat for 45 minutes, until the strawberries release some of their juices and the mixture boils slowly. Cook until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate, and the mixture starts to look thick and jammy. (I keep one in the freezer.) Pour carefully into a canning jars and either seal or keep refrigerated. Use immediately, or follow proper canning guidelines below.