Pesach recipes -- desserts, main, and sides all gebrokts

The following appeared as last year's spring issue of Kallah Magazine's Kallah in the Kitchen feature, but I don't need to grant any other credits as I wrote the article based on recipes I prepare regularly.

As I have a long-standing family tradition of enjoying gebrokts on Pesach, my Pesach menu includes not just matzah balls and matzah brei, but matzah kugel, matzah lasagna, and desserts made with matzah cake meal. I’ve included some of my favorite recipes for you to try this Pesach. I guarantee that they are all easy and delicious (unless you don’t follow the recipe correctly). As I am writing this while it is yet Adar, we will flip the order and begin with dessert:

Apricot squares (really, as good as anything chametz and perfect for mezonos for Kiddush – the standard Pesach cakes and cookies are shehakol.)

Dough ingredients:

½ lb. softened margarine

2 egg yolks

2 c. cake meal (that’s extra finely ground matzah meal)

1 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. grated lemon rind (you could skip this in pinch)

Filling

1 lb. jar apricot preserves

½ to ½ c. lemon juice

½ c. chooped nuts (may be omitted if necessary)

Combine all dough ingredients. Spread ¾ of it in a 9 x 13 pan . Bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees. Refrigerate remaining dough.

Spread filling over crust while hot. Put nuts on top, then crumble remaining dough to form a crumb topping. Bake again for 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into squares when cool.

Matazah Lasagna (Dairy) (I recommend that once you open the cottage cheese, you use the whole thing by doubling the recipe and preparing two tins.)

4 square matzahs

1 15 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

8 oz. cottage cheese

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Spread sauce on bottom of 8” square pan, layer a matzah, top with one quarter cottage cheese,  sauce, shredded cheese. Repeae until ingredients are finished. Top with last matzah, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Kiglach

4 c. matzah farfel

salt and pepper to taste

3 c. boiling water

6 eggs beaten

Combine farfel, salt, and pepper with boiling water. After water is absorbed add beaten eggs. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake for ½ hour at 400 degrees. You can serve as muffins with jam or syrup.

Matzah Farfel and onion sauté (great side dish)

2 lg onions, minced.

½ lb mushrooms, sliced (may be omitted if you have people who don’t like mushrooms)

¼ c. margaine

3 ½ c. matzah farfel

¼ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 c. chicken soup

1 c. water

Sauté onions and mushrooms in margarine until soft. Add farfel and stir until klightly browned. Add seasonings then the liquid. Cook over low heat and stir often until all liquid is absorbed.