Matzo Brei is a classic Jewish frittata-like breakfast food often eaten at Passover. In this vegan version, soft, savory chickpea “eggs” flecked with mushrooms and rosemary contrast deliciously with shards of crispy, slightly charred matzah crackers. It’s comfort food through and through. Also a soy-free, nut-free recipe, can be gluten-free.
Vegan Matzo Brei (WFPB)
Baba ghanouj originates from Lebanon and is pronounced as ba-ba gha-noosh (or nooj) in Arabic. Baba ghanouj is also known as baba ganoush, bab ganouj or baba ganousche. It is written as بابا غنوج in Arabic.
The word baba means daddy and the word ghanouj means spoilt. So this is a spoilt daddy dip, haha.
It’s the dried mint in this very creamy and luxurious Baba Ghanouj recipe that makes this Lebanese eggplant dip taste even more spectacular.
A couple of my Lebanese friends even commented how wonderful it is as their family usually make it without. My Lebanese family wins!
This recipe is from my Mother’s recipe index, there are a couple of variations she has passed to me;
smokey
boiled
baked
with garlic, or without
with mint or without, but mostly with.
Whichever way baba ghanouj is made, this authentic Lebanese eggplant dip (or aubergine dip) is a great side dish for any mezze or meal.
When serving baba ganoush, it is always topped with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.
If you, your family or guests are plant-based or allergic to fish, a vegan smoked salmon is super easy to make with this vegan lox recipe! Typical vegan smoked salmon recipes can take up to 3 days of preparation, but not this carrot lox recipe! It’s much quicker.
This vegan lox recipe is so fast and simple. It’s great to make on the weekend to use for Sunday brunch or as a food prep for the rest of the week!
Whether you have a barbeque smoker or just whip up my marinade, you can have fun with different ways to prepare this delicious plant-based recipe.
The past few Passovers I just skipped it but this year I wanted to make a vegan version of Gefilte fish—a version without the cruelty and death, without the cold tastelessness and slime. And I wanted it to look like the original and taste like fish (but better).
This is the recipe I came up with. It’s made with chickpeas and sautéed vegetables. The fish flavor comes from the seasoning—kelp and dulce flakes (if you don’t have both you can just use whichever you have), Old Bay, and lemon. They look just like Gefilte fish, the texture is spot on and they taste like a much yummier version of the original “treat.” I’m so glad my Vegan Gefilte “Fish” will grace my seder table this year. Happy Passover and Enjoy!
Beet borscht, a gorgeous soup of Eastern European origin, is filled with summer-to fall produce and is as good (maybe better) served chilled as it is hot. Honestly, you can make borscht year round.
If it weren’t for the fact that it’s a bit messy to make, I’d have it regularly. As it is, I most enjoy it on special occasions, such as Rosh HaShanah (the Jewish New Year). It’s actually a favorite on this holiday for its subtle sweetness.
A Russian proverb says, “Borscht and bread will make your cheeks red.” Serve this with slices of fresh vegan challah and see if it’s true. I don’t recommend making this soup unless you have a food processor with a grating blade. Of course, you could do this with a hand grater, but you may never forgive me.
What am I, chopped liver? Fortunately, no. Made of onions, mushrooms, and cashews, vegan mock chopped liver has replaced the classic Jewish pâté as a contemporary appetizer for special occasions.
This plant-based look-alike (though not taste-alike) is often served as a Passover appetizer with matzo or matzo crackers. You can serve it with raw vegetables, too.
A sister recipe: A similar, now-classic recipe is made with green beans or peas. In the Ashkenazi tradition, green beans and peas aren’t allowed foods during the Passover week. But if it’s not Passover, or you don’t strictly adhere to the chametz rules, feel free to replace the mushrooms with an equivalent amount of steamed fresh or frozen green beans.
Of course, you need not wait for a holiday, or to be Jewish, to make this delicious spread. It’s welcome all year round. This recipe makes about 2 cups.
Everyone loves hummus — or at least, everyone I know! Here’s an easy homemade hummus recipe, with 12 tasty variations.
While packaged hummus is available almost anywhere food is sold, I still enjoy making my own. It’s easy and tastes better than store-bought. And this DIY version is more economical, yielding a larger quantity.
Hummus is useful as a spread for fresh pita as an appetizer, as well as in sandwiches and wraps. It’s also nice as a dip for cut fresh vegetables, including carrots, bell peppers, turnips, and celery.
Completely nontraditional and aligned with entirely the wrong Jewish holiday, these are definitely not your Bubbie’s matzah balls. Bound together with roasted pumpkin puree, I prefer to think of them more as matzah dumplings, since they bear a denser, more toothsome texture than the fluffy pillows of Passover lore. The goal of this wintery interpretation was not to perfect the vegan matzah ball, but to create something with the same sort of comforting flavors, revamped with a more seasonal spin.