Surprisingly Delicious Matzah

April 2, 2014

Passover, also called Pesach or the Feast of Unleavened Bread, begins on the 14th of Nisan which usually falls in the month of April. It is a unique and special privilege to experience any of the biblical feasts in Jerusalem. For the uninitiated, let me tell you this feast has a direct effect on the daily lives of the residents of Jerusalem—Jewish and Christian alike. Why, you ask? During the week-long feast, no food containing leaven may be eaten or sold. Grocery stores block off whole aisles or cover shelves with plastic, cutting out holes where there is an unleavened product; restaurants offer limited menus and many bakeries close.

In the season of unleavened bread, the challenge is to find creative ways to turn matzah into something delicious. From a culinary perspective, matzah (unleavened bread) is not very interesting or tasty as it contains just two ingredients—flour and water. In fact, it has been called “the bread of affliction.”

A quick Google search of “ways to use matzah” resulted in 332,000 entries. There was even a humorous song entitled, “20 Things to do with Matzah;” however, most of those were not related to eating. The humble matzah has been the brunt of many jokes but it turns out to be surprisingly versatile and adaptable. This month, rather than a single recipe, we want to give you a few ideas and a word of encouragement to continue the search on your own.

Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

Traditional Passover foods are matzo ball soup or gefilte fish which are served at the Seder meal. However, the week is just beginning, and there are many meals to be prepared before we can eat bread again.

For breakfast a matzah brei can be made. In its most basic form, the brei is fried matzah and eggs; either cooked like a frittata or broken into pieces like scrambled eggs. Add roasted peppers, olives, mushrooms and seasonings to make a savory treat. Or if you prefer sweet, top the brei with syrup or a dark chocolate sauce and sliced bananas.

Matzah can substitute for a bagel if topped with cream cheese and lox; become a pizza crust or used in lasagna. In your favorite kugle recipe, replace the regular egg noodles (they have leaven) with matzah! And what about matzah nachos? The possibilities are endless.

When it comes to dessert ideas, the humble matzah takes on a life of its own. I found a recipe for “Absolutely Magnificent Caramel Matzoh Crunch” which made my mouth water. Toffee bars, S’mores, lemon cheesecake or a torte-like ice cream cake are a few more ideas.

What about special diet needs? While there are five grains, wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oats, from which it is permissible to make matzah, the custom has been to use wheat. Don’t let that stop you. Recently, gluten-free oat matzah has become available and there are many gluten-free Passover recipes online.

Now the Week Is Over

Passover week has ended. You’ve enjoyed matzah in many recipes but you still have boxes of it in your cupboard. Get out your food processor and turn it into matzah meal. Add the seasonings of your choice and use it like bread crumbs in meatloaf or to bread fish or chicken.

Then, once again go and enjoy all those foods with leaven—a croissant at your favorite bakery, a pita with falafel for lunch, challah on Shabbat. But most of all, remember that celebrating Passover is a unique opportunity to join the Jewish people in obedience to the faithful God who brought them out of Egypt and admonished them to, “observe this thing [Feast of Unleavened Bread] as an ordinance for you and your sons forever” (Exod. 12:24).

Source: By Janet Aslin, BFP Staff Writer

Photo Credit: Hanna Wynne/worldofwynne.com