Arizona Jewish Life reached out to a couple of local chefs and asked for their spin on a classic Passover recipe.
Chef John Collura took the traditional matzah brei turned it into an elegant and modern dish by using smoked salmon and kale. John then did a makeover on the classic brisket, adding a root beer glaze.
For those with a sweet tooth, Joanie Simon uses matzah as a base for her scrumptious confection.
We hope you enjoy these recipes and incorporate them into your Passover.
Toffee Matzah by Joanie Simon
This chocolate covered toffee matzah recipe involves three layers, plus toppings. The bottom layer is matzah, the second is rich caramel toffee and the top is chocolate. We added almonds and sprinkles to the tops of ours, but I have since seen all sorts of creative toppings including white chocolate drizzle, edible glitter and other candies.
Chocolate-Covered Toffee Matzah for Passover
Ingredients:
½ cup butter (use margarine if kosher)
4 sheets of matzah (kosher for Passover)
1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
2 cups of chocolate chips
pinch of salt
chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans), dried cranberries or raisins, coarse sea salt or sprinkles for decorating
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees and make sure oven rack is in the middle position.
Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, overlapping a bit on the ends. Liberally spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.
Place four sheets of matzah on the cookie sheet, so aluminum foil is covered. You may have to break the matzah into pieces, so they fit.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it has melted, add in the sugar. Lower the heat to low and stir the sugar and salt into the butter. Once the mixture bubbles, remove from the stove and pour over the matzah. (If you like your toffee more caramel-tasting remove after a few bubbles appear. If you prefer a richer, bolder toffee taste, allow the mixture to really bubble.)
Once you have poured the toffee over the matzah, work quickly using an offset spatula or butter knife to spread it across the matzah, covering the edges. A few tiny pieces may not get covered, that’s OK, the toffee will spread in the oven.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 10-20 minutes. It is done when the toffee is either bubbling or has a smooth sheen to it. Set your timer and check the matzah after 10 minutes. After the initial 10 minutes, if more baking time is needed then set the timer in increments of two minutes until the toffee is done. Make sure not to burn the toffee.
Remove the matzah from the oven and remove any pieces that aren’t fully covered in toffee. Spread the chocolate chips over the top of the toffee. Cover the entire cookie sheet by tenting a piece of aluminum foil over it. Wait for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the foil and spread the chocolate using an offset spatula or butter knife. You can add chopped nuts, dried cranberries, raisins, coarse sea salt or sprinkles on top.
Place the sheet in the refrigerator for two hours. Remove the matzah from the sheet, using the aluminum foil to lift it out of the pan. Break the matzah into pieces.
Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
Joanie is a full-time recipe developer, food photographer and video creator living in Phoenix with her husband Ryan and their two boys, Blaise and Calvin. She shares family-friendly recipes and the stories behind them at joaniesimon.com.
Click here to view the video of the toffee-making process.
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Root Beer Braised Brisket by John Collura
Ingredients:
2 pieces of matzah
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
or butter spray
1/3 cup kale
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon matzah meal
4 ounces smoked salmon
3 bay leaves
32 ounces of root beer
10 parsley stems
10 black pepper corns
2 garlic cloves
beef broth*
Directions:
Soak the matzah in water for 2 minutes, drain and set aside.
Add olive oil to a small non-stick pan or spray with butter spray.
Add kale to the pan and stir to soften (roughly 2 minutes).
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the eggs to the kale and stir until the eggs are cooked.
Place the drained matzah into the pan with the egg mixture and add the matzah meal. Stir to combine.
Add the smoked salmon to the other ingredients in the pan. Stir until all ingredients are heated throughout.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes one serving.
Ingredients:
3 pounds of carrots, peeled
3 pounds of yellow onions
1 stalk of celery
1 5-pound beef brisket
1 cup of a Manischewitz red wine
1 cup tomato sauce
Directions:
Preheat over to 500 degrees.
Cut carrots, onion and celery into 1-inch pieces.
Place all vegetables into a very large oven-proof pot.
Trim fat off of brisket. Sear brisket in an oven-proof pan at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes. After removing brisket, lower oven temperature to 275 degrees.
Place brisket on top of the vegetables in the pot.
Add wine, tomato sauce, bay leaves, root beer, parsley stems, pepper corns and garlic cloves to pot. Add enough beef broth so that the pot is 3/4 full. *Amount of beef broth varies based on the size of pot being used.
Seal pot with two layers of plastic wrap and then cover with two layers of aluminum foil. Make sure that the foil completely covers the plastic wrap, if any of the film is exposed outside the foil covering, it will melt and burn.
Place pot in the oven for 4 hours at 275 degrees – do not open until the time is up.
When done, uncover and discard bay leaves. Remove brisket to a serving plate and arrange vegetables around it.
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Salmon and Kale Matzah Brei by John Collura
Ingredients:
2 pieces of matzah
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or butter spray
1/3 cup kale
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon matzah meal
4 ounces smoked salmon
Directions:
Soak the matzah in water for 2 minutes, drain and set aside.
Add olive oil to a small non-stick pan or spray with butter spray.
Add kale to the pan and stir to soften (roughly 2 minutes).
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the eggs to the kale and stir until the eggs are cooked.
Place the drained matzah into the pan with the egg mixture and add the matzah meal. Stir to combine.
Add the smoked salmon to the other ingredients in the pan. Stir until all ingredients are heated throughout.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes one serving.
Chef John Collura is a restaurateur, Le Cordon Bleu graduate and has done more than 150 television cooking segments. Today, you can find him consulting and providing his expertise to various Valley restaurants. Chef John recently began jarring his homemade marinara sauce (a nod to his Sicilian heritage), called Mangia Mangia. You may see it on the shelves of your supermarket in the near future! In the meantime, visit mangiamangiasauce.com.
