Falling in the spring, as it does each year, Passover is a great time to take advantage of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially after enjoying delicious soups and stews during the chillier winter months. Springtime and Passover and asparagus seem to all meet at the same time each year.
While I try to stay more on the “cleaner” side of eating during Passover, sometimes those old “Passover favorites” are hard to resist, and well let’s face it: Passover only comes once a year, so why not indulge a little?
So, how about a meal that serves as a “Passover compromise”—a healthy entree and a more decadent side dish/dessert to enjoy? Here is my version of a healthy entree complimented by one of our Passover favorites—taken from Susie Fishbein’s Passover cookbook.
Asparagus Chicken
Ingredients
3–4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pound medium asparagus spears – washed and ends trimmed off
¼ cup Passover mustard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Toothpicks
Directions
Preheat oven 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Blanch asparagus in salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until bright green and slightly tender. Drain and cool slightly. Cut asparagus spears in half. Discard bottom half (or save for another recipe). Flatten chicken. Place asparagus in chicken and roll. Secure ends with a toothpick.
Place chicken on baking sheet. Combine mustard, oil, and lemon juice: stir with a wire whisk until blended. Brush mustard mixture on chicken. (If you find that the mustard is too powerful, you can temper it with a dollop or two of honey, to taste.) Bake 20 to 25 minutes depending on thickness of chicken. Remove toothpicks before serving.
You can also make this dish an appetizer by cutting the chicken into ¼ inch strips and cutting the asparagus into 5-inch pieces.
Cranberry–Pineapple Kugel
Ingredients
Cranberry Base
Nonstick cooking spray
4 cups matzoh farfel
1⁄3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
2⁄3 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup orange juice
Pineapple Topping
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup potato starch
1 (20-once) can crushed pineapple, drained
Directions
Preheat oven to 350-dgrees F. Heavily spray a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the farfel into a large strainer. Wet the farfel under running water and drain. In a large bowl, mix the farfel, sugar, cinnamon, cranberry sauce, oil, and orange juice. Use a wooden spoon to thoroughly combine. Press into the prepared pan. Prepare pineapple topping: in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar. Add the oil, potato starch, and pineapple. Mix. Pour over the cranberry base. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes. Run a knife or spatula around the perimeter to loosen the kugel before unmolding.