Pesach dinner!!!

Brisket of Beef

If possible, use a first-cut brisket -- it's a leaner piece of meat.


Ingredients
1 brisket of beef (about 5 1/2 pounds), top flap removed and fat trimmed
1 1/2 Teaspoons salt or to taste
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions (about 2 1/2 pounds), thinly sliced
2 garlic
2 Cups dry red wine
5 medium carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
2 celery stalks peeled to remove strings, cut into 2-inch pieces
One 28-ounce can plum tomatoes with juice, pureed though a food mill



Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Trim any remaining excess fat from brisket. Season both sides of brisket well with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Add brisket, and brown very well, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium low, add remaining tablespoon olive oil, onions, and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until quite brown and very soft, about 25 minutes. Add red wine, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook about 2 minutes, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add carrots, celery, and tomatoes, and stir well to combine.
Return brisket to the pot, spooning some liquid and vegetables over it. Cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook until very tender, about 3 hours, carefully turning meat after 1 1/2 hours.
Let cool slightly, and remove brisket, being careful not to shred it. Transfer sauce and vegetables from the pot to a food processor, and process until very smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. If preparing the day before, return brisket to pot, pour sauce over, and refrigerate. If serving right away, return sauce to the pot. Slice meat across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and place in sauce. Warm over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.
If refrigerated overnight, remove brisket from refrigerator, and slice across the grain. Add sliced meat to sauce, and reheat over medium-low heat untill warmed through, about 30 minutes.

(from marthastewart.com)

Matzo Ball Soup

Matzo Ball Soup Cooking the matzo balls in the chicken stock may make the soup a bit cloudy, but the matzo balls will soak up flavor from the rich broth. If you desire a clearer soup, simply strain out the cooked matzo balls and vegetables, and heat them in the remaining chicken stock.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

3 Tablespoons rendered chicken fat (available at butcher shops or in the meat markets of large supermarkets) or vegetable oil

1 1/2 Teaspoons salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons matzo meal

Homemade Chicken Stock

3 medium carrots sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

2 medium parsnips peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

Fresh dill for garnish

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and chicken fat until combined. Whisk in 1/2 cup water and salt. Add matzo meal, and whisk until combined. Cover and refrigerate batter until firm, 2 to 4 hours. Line a baking pan with parchment. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large wide saucepan, and reduce heat to a simmer. Slightly dampen your fingertips, and form 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into a 1 1/2-inch ball, being careful not to compress the mixture too much. Place ball on the prepared pan. Repeat process with remaining batter. Using a large spoon, slide the matzo balls into the simmering stock. Once all the balls have been added, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add carrots and parsnips, cover, and continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the matzo balls are cooked through. To test if the matzo balls are done, remove a ball from the water, and slice in half. The color should be light throughout. If the center is darker, cook 5 to 10 minutes more. To serve, fill the soup bowls evenly with soup and vegetables, allotting each person one or two matzo balls, depending on his or her appetite. Garnish with fresh dill, and serve immediately. (from marthastewart.com)

Roasted Root Vegetable Tzimmes

Ingredients

1c dried fruit (any combo of apricots, prunes, raisins) cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 orange zested and juiced

3 carrots, peeled cut into 1/2 in rounds

1 sweet potato, peeled cut into 1 in cubes

1 rutabaga, peeled cut into 1 inch cubes

2 parsnnips, peeled cut into 1/2 in rounds

2 T butter

1 large onion cut into1/2 in pieces

1 leek, white part only cut into 1/2 in rounds

1c orange juice

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3T honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

dash nutmeg

1t salt

several grinds of black pepper

Directions

1. mix the dried fruit, orange zest and juice of the zested orange in a small bowl.

2. mix the carrots, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, and parsnips in a large bowl

3. melt butter in a saucepan and saute the onions and leeks for 8-10 min, until golden brown.

4. to the pan add the 1c of orange juice, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, nutmet, salt and pepper

5. let simmer for 5 min on low heat. add the dried fruit mixture and simmer 2 min more

6. pour the hot mixture over the root vegetable, mix well.

7. pour into the baking pan and bake at 425F for 45-60 min, turning vegetables after 25 min. (from la'academie)

Sweet Noodle Kugel (Dairy)
Ingredients

8 ounces flat medium egg noodles, cooked 5 min in boiling water and drained.

8 ounches cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

2t vanilla

3 eggs

1/4 c milk

8 ounces sour cream

8 ounces cottage cheese

2 ounces melted butter

1/4 t salt

1/4 t cinnamon

Optional topping: 3/4 cup corn flake crumbs mixed with 2 T melted butter and 1T sugar

Directions:

1. Mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs, mix well then add the sour cream, cottage cheese, melted butter, csalt and cinnamon.

2. In large bowl combine the cooked noodles and filling mixture.

3. pour into baking dish. refrigeragte for sevral hours or overnight.

4. bake at 350F for 25 min. sprinkle on corn flake crumbs. bake 20 min more or until set and crumbs are browned.

5. let cool before cutting and serving. 6. to reheat kugel, bake at 325 F for 20 min, cover with foil if the top gets too brown. (from la'academie)