APPETIZERS AND SIDES

Charoset [Vegan, Pareve, Kosher for Passover]

Do a web search on "charoset" and hundreds of recipes will pop up. This seder plate constituent is also a delicious addition to the seder meal and a wonderful passover week snack. It's great mixed in yoghurt! This version comes from our friend, Rabbi Sheila Weinberg. Feel free to add other fruits and nuts to this basic recipe!

Mock "Chopped Liver" [Vegan, Pareve, Sephardi Kosher for Passover]

One of the dishes I've missed since my 1978 vegetarian epiphany is chopped liver. This recipe, made from the most unlikely of ingredients, doesn't really taste like the original... I thinks it's better! It is certainly healthier and easier to make. And it's nice to have something other than grapefruit when the gefilte fish is served!

Deviled Eggs [Pareve, Kosher for Passover]

This is a very popular appetizer that impresses guests, everyone loves to eat, and hosts hate to make! A lot of work is involved and probably isn't worth the effort for fewer than a dozen eggs. However, once the eggs are peeled, there isn't much additional work required for larger numbers of eggs. That said, the end products are super yummy! (Thanks to Robin, my Bro', for this recipe!)

SOUPS

Red Lentil Soup [Vegan, Pareve, Sephardi Kosher for Passover]

This is my personal favorite soup! I lament that over sixty years of my life were devoid of this soup! At a recent dinner party, I watched 10 guests literally scrape their bowls to get every last bit. Try it... it's very easy to make and will make you a culinary star with friends and family! [Note: requires fresh dried herbes de Provence]

"Chicken" Matzoh Ball Soup [Vegetarian, Pareve, Kosher for Passover]

If you're Jewish and become a vegetarian, this is not only inevitable, but among the highest priorities! This soup evolved from Marcy's recipe, originally made with a potato peel stock. Once some excellent vegetarian broths became available on the grocery shelf, the soup became much easier and faster to make. The great thing about it is, it's as good as real chicken soup and much healthier... at least for the chicken!

Marcy's Carrot Soup [Vegan, Pareve, Kosher for Passover]

Marcy is an expert at creating soups and casseroles out of odds and ends in the fridge and on the shelf. This exceptional soup is based on a Weight Watchers recipe, but was usually constructed from ingredients she found around the kitchen, begging to be used. I finally pinned her down to a recipe that could be duplicated! A culinary winner!

Chinese Hot and Sour Soup [Vegetarian, Vegan if egg is omitted]

I love hot and sour soup. It is my usual starter when dining in Chinatown. When I decided to start making it at home, all of the recipes contained very exotic ingredients which could only be found in an Asian grocery. Since there was no nearby Asian grocery, I attempted to make a passable H&S using common ingredients, readily available at the local supermarket. What resulted was more than passable... perhaps surpassing.

MAINS

Kasha Varnishkes with Seitan "Brisket" [Vegetarian, Pareve]

I love Kasha and Bowties, but I miss the brisket. Fortunately, there is a plant-based meat substitute that comes very close in texture and taste (or at least after 40+ years, I think it is similar). Seitan (wheat glutin) is relatively tasteless, but can be marenaded to take on a beef-life flavor. Here is our version.

Sweet and Sour "Meatballs" [Vegan, Pareve]

Here's a favorite of ours that works wonderfully over rice or mashed potatoes. It's quick and simple.

Vegetarian "Meat Loaf" [Vegetarian, Pareve]

With the availability of plant-based meat substitutes like Beyond Beef and Impossible Burger, vegetarian versions old favorite meat dishes are now more authentic in taste and texture. This recipe creates an amazing faux meat loaf.

Tofu and Chinese Vegetables [Vegan, Pareve]

This wholesome, one-dish meal is very tasty and easy to put together. It has plenty of protein and yet is light and filling. Get out the chopsticks!

Corn Casserole [Dairy]

Actually, this often resembles a pudding or flan. In any case, it has a wonderful, primitive nature. It is an easy dish which goes well with a variety of cuisines. It's great with my Vegetarian Chili, but is also a most appropriate addition to a Thanksgiving dinner, given its native American roots.

Vegetable Chili [Vegan (non-dairy)]

This recipe is a hybrid of many different versions of chili I've seen in recipe books and on the Web. Like a stew, it is a complete meal. I've always found pure bean chilis to be heavy and, uh... you know! This recipe has plenty of various kinds of beans, but it is also abundant with several vegetables and lots of tomatoes. I recommend making it mildly spicy to accommodate a variety of tastes... folks can always add some hot sauce if it's too wimpy.

Spinach Bake [Dairy, can be made with Passover ingredients]

I've always called this a crustless quiche, but some have said it's more like a soufflé. Hence, to end the dispute... it's a spinach thingy that gets baked: a spinach bake. This is a failsafe dish if you're looking for positive feedback from dinner guests. It's delicious and can be reasonably undamaging caloricly... or not. It goes well with almost anything and it is a heavy source of protein.

BREAD

Challah (for bread machine) [Vegetarian, Pareve]

After baking over a hundred loaves of bread from kits, this is my first "from scratch" endeavor! I love challah but I'm sometimes disappointed with what I've bought in stores. So, I figured it would be cool to try it on my own. Thanks to Gill Diamond for the basic recipe. It results in a delicious and perfectly textured challah every time. My recommended brand of flour and yeast is in the recipe. It gets high marks on the kvelling scale!

Kentucky Spoon Bread [Vegetarian, Dairy]

My daughter Rachel makes this perennial Thanksgiving favorite. Instead of the usual dry, crumbly texture of traditional cornbread, this recipe produces a moist, spongy bread, bordering on soufflé. We find it goes perfectly with Mexican cuisine. If you're adventurous, try adding some shaved green chili to the mix!

DESSERTS

Challah Bread Pudding [Vegetarian, Dairy]

So, you have half a loaf of challah left over from Shabbat. What do you do with it? You could make French Toast. Meh! Here is a wonderful alternative from sous chef Marcy... Challah Bread Pudding.

Hamantaschen [Vegetarian, Pareve]

This is the quintessential snack of the annual Purim holiday. These scrumptious triangular cookies, filled with a variety of sweets, are often referred to as Haman's Ears (Hebrew: oznay Haman). Beware... they are irresistable!