Many of you will already have cooked for two Seder nights and numerous other meals so far this Pesach, but by the time it comes to these final days, you might be in need of some inspiration.
My starting point is to try to make use of your store cupboard Pesach ingredients — they supposed to be used during the festival after all, and will go out of date if you leave them. Ground almonds, matzah, potato flour, matzah meal, various nuts, and eggs are all items we tend to have more of at this time of year.
Some of the kosher butchers and fishmongers may be shut during chol hamo’ed and this year Pesach coincides with a bank holiday, so hopefully you will have stocked up on meat or fish, which are always a good stand-bys.
With these ingredients to hand, you might like to try a one of our family favourites, a Moroccan shepherd’s pie. The minced beef is flavoured with garlic, cinnamon and cooked with dried apricots before being topped with crunchy mashed potato. Or how about Passover chicken lasagne — made with layers of egg-coated matzah sandwiched between a tasty concoction of minced chicken, red wine, tomatoes, carrots, onions and red peppers?
For a lighter meal, main course-sized leaf salads with a topping such as sweet potato, goat’s cheese and pomegranates, or mozzarella and caramelised pear are tasty ways of escaping nuts and matzah for one meal.
Or for those seeking a balance of meals throughout Pesach, dishes like salmon and ginger fish balls served with crispy or jacket potatoes, or even a mixed fish casserole, including cod, haddock, salmon or sea bass, cooked with onions, garlic and tomatoes, are tasty and quick to prepare.
Vegetable gratins topped with walnuts and olive oil-coated matzah are delicious nd provide a substantial side dish with oven-baked chicken, turkey and salmon a.
Stuffed mushrooms, tomatoes, courgettes and aubergine can be transformed into flavoursome quick fixes that can be enjoyed hot or cold. And I have a perfect alternative to quiche — potato and mushroom pie. It takes just 20 minutes to prepare and there are variations to suit everyone’s taste.
