Jewish in a Gentile World

Gumbo is a New Orleans Creole soup/stew. Traditionally it's made with sausage and shrimp, neither of which are kosher for Passover or anything else! But it can be made without any meat. It's also made with what Creole cuisine calls the "Holy Trinity," peppers, celery and onion, but if that sounds too Christian for you, just think of it as "Kadosh! Kadosh! Kadosh!," the trifold repetition of the Hebrew word "Holy" that occurs in standard Jewish prayer. This is not a quick recipe, but it's worth the time! Like my other last-minute recipes this year, this is vegan, gluten-free and non-gebrochts and uses mostly ingredients that are readily available without any special Passover certification, although there are three that may be tricky at this late date if you don't already have them: potato starch, paprika and vegetable broth. Ingredients   1 cup quinoa 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 cup potato starch 2 bell peppers, diced 2 large celery sta...

I love roasted vegetables. They're a great appetizer, especially when drizzled with balsamic vinegar. But if you mix them with quinoa and crumble some feta cheese over the top, you have the protein needed to make it a proper meal! Like my other last-minute recipes this year, this uses mostly ingredients that are readily available without any special Passover certification. This recipe is gluten free and non-gebrochts. It can be made vegan by skipping the optional feta cheese but I like the flavor that feta brings to the meal. The feta is just crumbled on top at the end, so if you are serving both vegans and non-vegans, you can simply hold the feta aside and let people add it if they want. Ingredients 1 cup quinoa (measured before cooking) vegetables sliced lengthwise into strips such as: zucchini or other small squash (yellow squash, baby eggplant) 1 bell pepper(red, yellow, orange or green) asparagus, with bottoms cut off carrots, peeled 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 or 2 clove...

I'm getting a very late start on recipes this year, but I have three of them coming ASAP, all vegan made with quinoa and using mostly ingredients that are readily available. Today's entry is Quinoa Tabbouleh. Tabbouleh (pronounced tuh-BOO-lee and spelled in a variety of ways) is a popular traditional Mediterranean salad, found throughout the Middle East (including Israel) with variations in Greece and Armenia. The primary ingredients are parsley and bulgur wheat (oops). Obviously, bulgur wheat is not for Passover by anybody's standards! But I tried making it with quinoa instead of bulgur wheat and it worked nicely, a good side dish or lunch option. And other than the quinoa, the traditional ingredients are just fresh herbs and vegetables, lemon juice and salt, all of which are readily available for Passover. This recipe is gluten free and non-gebrochts. It is also vegan. The quinoa gives it plenty of protein, so it can be used as a vegan main course but it's really bett...

I've seen in the news a lot lately that Israel is talking about requiring haredi (right wing religious Jews) to serve in the military just like everybody else. Their exemption from the military has been a sore point for secular Jews in Israel, who are the overwhelming majority of the population. The haredi, meanwhile ...

Yes, I know, this is a very last minute recipe, but it's a nice side dish and all of the ingredients are easy to find! This a traditional Greek side dish. It takes some time to make it but it's easy to make and is totally worth it. And it's vegan and gluten-free, so it should work for everybody! Unless, of course, you're allergic to garlic, and yes, I know someone with that allergy. Tragic... Ingredients 2.5 pounds potatoes (preferably yellow potatoes or Yukon Gold) 1.5 cups water 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/3 cup lemon juice 5 cloves garlic, pressed 2 tsp. Kosher Salt handful of parsley, finely chopped Kashrut Notes Fresh produce is not a problem for Passover, which covers the potatoes, garlic, parsley and lemon juice if you're squeezing your own. If you don't want to squeeze your own lemon juice, Realemon brand is kosher for Passover without any need for special certification. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is kosher for Passover without any special certification...

Just like Bubbie used to make! Because, well, this is probably the recipe Bubbie used, based on the recipe from Leah Leonard's 1949 book, Jewish Cookery. Potato kugel is commonly available as a mix -- Manischewitz's mix even provides an aluminum pan to cook it in! (https://manischewitz.com/products/potato-kugel-mix/) -- and it's fine. A little salty for my taste without much texture but it's a good, easy side dish. If you want to put in a little more time (not really that much more), you can make your own! Most of the ingredients are things you would already have for Passover or can easily get. This is basically the ingredients for latkes, but baked instead of deep fried! This is more of a side dish than a main course, because it doesn't have much protein. This recipe is not vegan (includes eggs) but can easily be made gluten-free by substituting potato starch for matzah meal, and actually, I like it that way! Ingredients 2 pounds of potatoes (I used yellow potatoes...