Passover Blintzes

Passover is a holiday where the kitchen is a busy place.  Because of the different food restrictions of the holiday and the cost of prepared foods, I find myself in the kitchen a lot.  And since there are no short cuts, I find myself with a hungry family and a meal not quite ready, especially during the work week.  However, during the weekend, I like to treat my family to homemade blintzes.  Blintzes are a favorite around here, and they are time consuming to make.  However, because there are not as many favorite Passover recipes, I am more likely to prepare this recipe to satisfy their hunger.

Passover Blintzes

Batter:

6 eggs

1 cup potato starch

1 cup cold water

1 cup cold seltzer water

Sweet Cheese Filling:

1 pound farmer’s cheese

2 egg yolks

½ pound of cream cheese

2 T sugar

Blend the eggs in a blender; slowly add the potato starch, and both waters.  Blend until pale, yellow and foamy.  Pour into a bowl.

Lightly oil a 6 inch skillet over medium high flame.  Melt some butter in a small Pyrex bowl.  Brush the skillet with a bit of melted butter.  Using a ladle pour batter to coat pan, drain off excess batter.  When the crepe seems dry, use a rubber spatula to make sure the crepe is not sticking to the pan.  Shake crepe onto a cloth and let cool.  Brush pan with butter.  Stir batter and ladle onto pan.  Repeat until all batter is gone.  When the crepes are dry and cool, you may pile.

Mix filling ingredients until well blended.  Place a tablespoon of filing on the top third of the crepe in the middle.  Fold down the top, and the left and right sides, and then roll, into a blintz.  Repeat. 

Put folded blintzes into a greased Pyrex pan.

Preheat oven to 375.  Bake blintzes for 15-20 minutes.

Invention Invasion

Last night we attended the Invention Invasion at the local elementary school.  Our daughter had an invention.  The problem that her invention solved was "what to do if your parents won't let you have a pet."  She invented the "Auto Cat" (short for the automatic cat).  The cat and the three kittens are remote controlled pets.  They have special food.  They can sit.  They can play.  They can purr on demand.  And your mom doesn't have to clean up after them or take them to the vet!  Problem solved.

One child solved the problem of tasting gross food - a tongue cover!

Another child solved the problem of not being able to bend down to give the cat food - a tube that you can drop the food into and it will pour it into the cat bowl!

Another child the van-conveyor belt.  Have the parent put the juice box and snack on the belt, and it will rotate around the car to the child in the back seat.  No more flinging food to the back seat while driving on the highway!

Another child created the TOY CLEANER UPPER!  I need one of those.

I love seeing the problems that the kids solve.  They have great inventions.  The inventions don't have to work.  Just be a prototype.  A great activity for kids - creative minds.

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Dinner last night was amazing.  I made my second recipe from the Barefoot Contessa’s new cookbook, however I made it vegetarian.  It was called orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage.

 

12 oz. vegetarian sausage

1/3 c. olive oil

6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

½ c. red white

¼ c. tomato paste

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 pound orecchiette

One large bunch broccoli rabe

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place sausage on a cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with Pam.  Roast for 15 minutes. Let cool and slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the sausage slices and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic slices and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the red wine, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper and let the mixture simmer over low heat while you prepare the pasta and broccoli rabe.

Cook pasta for nine minutes.  While the pasta is cooking trim the stems off the broccoli rabe, and then roughly cut the broccoli rabe.  After nine minutes, put the broccoli rabe into the boiling water and pasta, and cook for another three minutes.  Drain.  Add the pasta and broccoli rabe to the pot with the tomato and sausage.  Stir in the parmesan cheese.

We got 8 servings out of this meal.  All four of us loved it!

Vote yes yes yes

Newton is having an important vote on Tuesday.  It is important to vote and for me to vote yes.  My kids attend a school that should have been replaced years ago.  Newton is experiencing a student population boom, and most schools are overcrowded.  There are many people trying to tell voters that we should get rid of METCO and the kids of newton teachers .....in reality that is not the problem.  The other side wants more cuts in salaries. Our mayor has cut fat in the government but there is no way you can demand union workers to go from paying 20% of their monthly health care premium to 50%.  Our mayor got the u ion to agree to 25%.  Sure it isn't 50% but this is what he was able to negotiate.  One step at a time.

Angier and Cabot must be replaced.  There is no way that these schools can continue to function as schools in their current conditions.  No student should have to sit next to a sub pump house while learning fractions - the pump is run during class time.

No student should have to sit in a classroom that is eighty degrees in January ....on a daily basis.  That same student then has to put on a winter coat to attend music class since that room is cold.

No student should have to be in a library that also functions as a specialist classroom and an ELL (English language learner) classroom.

Please vote yes yes yes.

Passover is Coming

Trying to do a better job planning Pesach this year.  This year I turned to Excel and typed up my proposed menus including every breakfast and every snack that I need to serve.  I had already poured over many cookbooks to decide which recipes would be made Pesach 2013, and which would have to wait around for a different year.  I then entered EVERY ingredient into the spreadsheet.  I then took the grocery list to Stop and Shop yesterday and the Butcherie today.  I have prepped a couple of spaces in the kitchen for the food.  A couple of spaces in the fridge and freezer.

Bought a few new things this year, and one of our old favorites: