Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

3/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup coconut milk

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups oats

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

Chocolate chips to taste

Mix together dry ingredients. Add oil and combine. Add milk and combine. 

My girl doesn't like chocolate in her cookies so I reserved about 1/4 of the dough for her. I added about 3/4 cup chocolate chips to the remaining dough. 

Make into tablespoon sized balls and put on cookie sheets. Bake in (preheated) 350 degree over for about 10 minutes. 

Chocolate Mousse

Now, chocolate mousse sounds complicated. And when you look up recipes you see gelatin, egg, etc. Bleh. It doesn't have to be hard though!

1 Cup Whipping Cream

6-8 ounces Chocolate

Water

Possible: Confectioners Sugar

Melt chocolate over a double boiler (I use a metal mixing bowl). As it is melting add a couple tablespoons of water to make the chocolate smooth. Once melted, set aside and let cool. 

If your chocolate is sweet, don't worry about sugar (I use semi sweet and don't add sugar). If you are using a bitter chocolate add some confectioners sugar to the next step. 

Whip cream until peaks form.

Slowly add in the cooled chocolate (about a third at a time). After each addition whisk it into the cream. Once all chocolate is added cover and cool in the fridge. Serve chilled. 

Birthday Tres Leches Cake

1 yellow cake (2 layers), your favorite recipe

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 milk

Raspberries

Chocolate buttercream (your favorite, I use Mark Bittman's recipe)

(Whipped cream for filling optional)

Place each layer of the cake on a separate plate with a rim. Poke holes in the cake with a fork. Mix the milks together thoroughly and  pour over the layers evenly. Let soak at room temperature (spooning excess over) for 30 minutes. Place layers in refrigerator to harden. Pull out the bottom layer. If you are using excess whipped cream in the center put some on now. Place raspberries through the center of the cake. Place more whipped cream on top. (Or just use raspberries). Get second layer from refrigerator and very carefully place on top (I used large spatulas). Frost with chocolate buttercream and top with more raspberries. 

Bean Dip

1 Can of vegetarion refried beans

2 Tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup salsa

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheese

Melt butter in sauce pan and add beans, mixing until creamy. Add in the cheese and stir until it melts and is thoroughly combined. Add the salsa and stir. Serve warm with tortilla chips. 

Second Seder Menu

Lemony Salmon

Roasted Green Beans

Green Salad

Veggie Tray

Fruit Salad

Matzo Hash

Haroset

Guest Dishes:

Roasted Turkey Breast

Gravy

First Seder Menu

Traditional Brisket

Roasted Green Beans

Matzo Ball Soup

Green Salad

Haroset

Half Sour Pickles

Guest Dishes:

Sweet Carrots

Cauliflower

Haroset

3 large Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cored

1/2 cup pecans

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar

Run through the food processor. Add Manieschvitz Concord Grape Wine to moisten. 

Fondue Au Gratin Potatoes

5 red potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

1/2 onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons matzo meal (or flour if it isn't Passover)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup heavy cream 

1 cup white wine 

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9x11" casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour, salt, and garlic powder and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in cream and wine. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds.
Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish and season with salt and pepper. Top with the diced onions, then pour half of the cheese mixture on top of the onions. Layer the rest of the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and top with the remaining cheese sauce. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 80 minutes

Adapted from Six Sister's Stuff

The kids and I ate half a pan for lunch. 

Traditional Brisket

4 pounds of brisket (I like costco, they trim it well)

1 medium sweet onion, sliced

1 box of broth (beef, but at Passover I use vegetable)

Dried onion

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Caraway seed

Coat the non-fat side of the brisket with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet or pan large enough for your brisket. Sear the top side first and then the fat side. Remove brisket to slow cooker. In the skillet sauté about half of the onion and then deglaze with the broth. Place the remainder of the onion on the brisket.  If your brisket is in two pieces, place the slices between them. Cover the top of the brisket in dried onion. Add the broth to the pot. Sprinkle in some caraway seeds. Cook on high for 5 hours. 

Pull brisket out and let it cool for a few minutes and then slice. In a separate pan ladle out three or four ladles of broth. Add more dried onion, salt and pepper (other seasoning to your taste). Reduce the broth by about half. Place the sliced brisket on a tray and then pour the reduction over it. Serve immediately. 

Lemony Salmon

3.75 pounds of salmon (you can adjust the recipe for the size of your fillet)

4 Meyer lemons (conventional are fine, just adjust for size, Meyers are small)

2 tablespoons of oil (olive or butter)

1 handful of fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Cover a large cookie sheet with foil and place salmon on sheet. 

Zest and juice your lemons into a small mixing bowl. Finely chop the parsley and add it in along with the oil. Add salt and pepper to your taste and whisk until combined. Pour over the salmon, ensuring that the top is completely coated. Leave marinating for up to two hours. (In the fridge is safest). 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once preheated, bake salmon for approximately 30 minutes. Let rest on counter for 10 minutes before serving to complete the cooking process. 

I use this for most thick fish. 

Matzo Ball Soup

1 Rotisserie Chicken (Costco)

1 Onion

2 Stalks of celery

2 Carrots

2 Bay Leaves

Herbs (thyme, parsley, etc)

2 boxes of chicken broth

Salt and pepper

Matzo ball mix (follow ingredient directions on package)

At least six hours before separate chicken. Put all skin, bones and in edible pieces in a stock pot. Separate white and dark meat and shred white meat into soup sized pieces (you will need about half). 

Pour broth over chicken in pot. Add the skin only of the onion. Clean and peel the carrots and add the peel. Cut the top and bottom of the celery and place them in the pot. Add the bay leaves. Add stems of herbs. Salt and pepper.  Simmer this together for about 5 hours. (Cut up your veggies while you wait) At that point strain the broth and discard the chicken and other items. 

Put the pot back on the stove with the broth. Add half the white meat chicken, the cut up veggies, and chopped herbs. Simmer for 30 minutes. At this point follow the directions to make matzo balls. After 15 minutes add the balls (about 1/2 rounds) to the broth and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Serve 2-3 balls per person with some soup.