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Beating Kevin

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Pesach Ain't Easy+ meal ideas

Everything is off balance during Passover. My house is upside down right now. With boxes of Passover pots and pans and random spices and very sharp knives that only get used once a year. There are crumbs of matzah everywhere. For a holiday about freedom and controlling your own destiny, the preparation and execution is oppressive and out of control. Cleaning, cooking, aching backs, and seriously high receipts from Shoprite in Plainview remind us that redemption is not a walk in the park.

I'm in a little bit of a Passover haze. The holiday is in full swing and I literally do not know what to eat. When I would normally grab a granola bar, now I grab... matzah and cream cheese. When I could throw together a pasta salad, now I grab.... matzah and cream cheese. Everything is out of sorts. Eventually, you get sick of matzah and cream cheese and the creative side of you takes over. As they say, "necessity is the mother of invention." I start exploring old recipes with appropriate Pesach substitutions and googling new recipes. Moroccan soup, zucchini fritters, spaghetti squash marinara start popping up in my mind.

This seems to be the goal of Passover- to take you out of your comfort zone so that you remind yourself of your resourcefulness.

Anyone who has started a new profession, moved homes, or started over in some way, knows that redeeming your life takes hard work and sacrifice. It is an act of changing course, of reimagining your life and executing a new future. There are many steps towards the process and you are forced to get creative.

Pesach is our yearly reminder that we and our families have the strength to withstand some upheaval for the sake of our own growth. A zissen pesach, my friends.  May your resourcefulness yield creative and new and enjoyable recipes!

Here are a list of recipes that frequent my Kosher for Passover kitchen:

Roasted eggplant
Eggplant Parmesan
Zucchini Fritters
Shakshuka
Ratatouille
Guacamole
Hearts of palm, tomato, and avocado salad
Quinoa with beets and sweet potatoes
Cauliflower Fritters