Surviving Passover: A College Student’s Guide

This is a guest post by Emily Cutts, a junior at the U of M.

Pesach is here! While you may dread getting rid of your bread and living on matzo for the next few days, there are still some yummy chametz-free dishes to look forward to. As a college student (who doesn’t really know how to cook), I needed to find some recipes that are quick, easy and cheap to make. Almost all of these recipes don’t require a full kitchen, all you need is a hot plate (does anyone actual have those anymore?) and a microwave oven.

Matzo Farfel

A classic and simple recipe that is super delicious and moist, which is something that cannot be said for all matzo related things. You can go out and buy a box of matzo farfel, or you can just crumble up matzo that you may already have in your home. And for those of you who have never heard of matzo farfel just think Thanksgiving stuffing, but Kosher for Passover. Below is a simple recipe from About.com. You can also add vegetables to the recipe; at my house we use carrots, onions and celery that have been sautéed.

•    5 pieces of matzo
•    2 eggs, slightly beaten
•    1/2 cup matzo meal
•    3 Tablespoons oil
•    1 1/2-2 cups chicken soup broth

Directions:

1. Break matzot into a bowl. Pour water over the matzot to dampen, and then drain after a minute or two.
2. Add beaten eggs and matzo meal. Mix well, breaking matzot into even smaller pieces.
3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
4. Fry matzot until slightly browned.
5. Add broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until most of the broth has been absorbed.

Mock Macaroni and Cheese

I have to admit, I have never tried this but I like Mac and Cheese so I was really excited to find this recipe on the Jewish Federation of North America’s website. At first glance I was a bit worried, last time I tried egg noodles for Passover I did not enjoy them, but have no fear this recipe uses Matzo farfel (again).

•    3 large eggs
•    3 1/2 cups of matza farfel (or 6 matzos broken into small pieces)
•    1/2 pound of cheddar cheese
•    1 cup of milk
•    1/4 tsp white pepper
•    1 tsp salt
•    1 pint of sour cream
•    1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter cut into 16 pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish
3. Beat 2 of the eggs well with a whisk and pour over the matza farfel- blend lightly
4.Cut up cheddar cheese into small pieces
5.  Combine the milk, salt & pepper
6. Beat the remaining egg with a whisk and stir into milk, salt and pepper mixture
7. Layer into casserole dish as follows:
8. 1/2 farfel mixture, 1/2 cheddar cheese, 1/2 sour cream- in dabs, 1/2 butter- repeat
9. Make sure to distribute each layer evenly!
10. Pour milk mixture over the top
11. Cover casserole dish & bake 10-15 minutes until brown

Gefilte Fish

Gefilte Fish is possibly the most amazing/disgusting thing I have ever tasted. Who would have thought that a gray lump of ground up fish would be so tasty? As I said before, I am lacking in the kitchen skills department so this is something that I would buy from the grocery store. It is not overly expensive or hard to find, I prefer the Manischewitz brand. The nice part is that all the hard work is done for you and all you have to do is enjoy it.

Cauliflower Pizza

A must for anytime, but especially during Passover. This recipe is super simple and does not even require exact measurements. The recipe for the crust makes enough for one person but can easily be doubled as long as you know basic math skills. You can top it with anything you like.

•    1 cup cauliflower
•    1 cup shredded cheese of your choosing (I have used both cheddar and mozzarella)
•    1 egg
•    a little bit of your favorite seasoning and garlic if you are so inclined

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
3. In a medium bowl, combine cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Press evenly on the pan.
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes if you double the recipe).
5. Remove the pan from the oven. To the crust, add sauce, then toppings and cheese.
6. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted.
(Recipe modified from the Lowcarbfriends.com Bulletin board)

Treats!

While real food is fine and dandy, we cannot forget about Passover treats. Macaroons are little bits of kosher for Passover deliciousness. If you are so inclined, you can make them yourself and Noshin’ columnist Sara Rice has even posted a recipe. But if you are more like me you can head to the store and pick up a canister (yes, they come in a canister) of Manischewitz Macaroons.

(Photo:http://www.flickr.com/photos/idovermani/ / CC BY 2.0)