Homemade Matzah & The Feast of Unleavened Bread

We are in the season of the Feast of Unleavened bread. We had a lovely Passover Seder with friends of ours this past Shabbat. So in light of this season, I thought I would share a homemade matzah recipe, no matter how you spell it (matzo, etc).

To get a recipe for Apple Walnut Charoset, click here. 

 Whole Grain Matzah - Unleavened Bread

Move two oven racks to the top and near top positions. You will be baking these in the top 1/2 to 1/3 of your oven. Prepare cookie sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine in a bowl (or in a food processor):

3 cups whole grain flour (I used a combination of spelt, wheat, corn and einkorn flours, and a few whole seeds of millet, flax and sunflower)
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well (if using food processor, use "s" blade or dough blade on pulse setting until combined well). Add flour as needed to get a dough that isn't sticky, but not too dry. Divide into 12 pieces (or for the size above, they were more like 14-16 pieces per batch). Roll out, adding flour as needed, to keep from sticking. You can roll out extra thin for a more cracker-like type of matzah or you can roll a little thicker to get a softer and thicker matzah. After rolling, make sure to pierce with a fork or dough docker to keep the matzah from rising. Bake on prepared sheets for 6 minutes per side, for a total of 12 minutes baking time. (The size of matzah in the photo above is about a larger hamburger bun size that is flat, but not as thin as cracker type.)

Variations: I added basil and sun-dried tomatoes to one batch. My son added honey to another batch. He also added basil and oregano to a batch that we eventually made into small matzah pizzas last evening. I want to try adding some garlic next. You can come up with variations just by adding favorite seasonings or add in finely chopped fruits or vegetables.

Preparing the Seder and Apple Walnut Charoset

This is a mixture on the Passover Seder plate symbolizing the mortar used by Hebrew slaves in Egypt. You may use a mixture of different kinds of apples. I used only Gala apples this year and it was delicious. This is Ashkenazic style charoset (or haroset, depending on how you spell it). 

To get a homemade matzah recipe, click here.

Apple Walnut Charoset

Combine in a bowl:

3 large apples, cored and chopped
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped (black preferred, but English will work)
1/3 cup Concord grape juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
honey or maple syrup, optional - to taste

Cover and chill. This recipe may be prepared using a food processor on the pulse setting to desired consistency. I like mine a little more on the finely chopped side.

Almond "Groundnut" Stew - West African Style

While living in Ghana, we enjoyed many new flavors and tried some new dishes. We often made many of our own stews without meat at home so we could enjoy what was common there. A West African meal, groundnut stew is surprisingly good. We enjoyed this last evening with two friends, one was vegetarian and one was not. They both really liked it.

My version is vegetarian and uses almond butter instead of the typical peanut butter (aka, "groundnuts"). It puts unique flavors together that our American palettes don't understand... until we taste it. Most often served with steamed rice, it is also very good with boiled medium ripe plantains (a type of banana that is cooked). For toppings, you may also put out other fresh chopped tomatoes, green onions, coconut (etc. - like for curry condiments). Slices of avocado or banana, on the side, would be enjoyed by those more sensitive to the spiciness of this dish.

The three flavors, that were often used together in Ghana, are hot pepper, fresh ginger, and garlic. These are the stars in this stew, along with tomatoes, onions and, of course, almond butter (or more commonly, peanut butter). It is my recommendation that you use only "natural" peanut or almond butter without sweeteners or oils or other ingredients. I made my own almond butter just before I added it to the stew last evening (2 cups whole almonds in the food processor, about 10 minutes, makes about 1 cup almond butter).

Almond "Groundnut" Stew

1 Tablespoon oil (I used coconut oil)
2 cups chopped onion (red is more authentic)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon peeled and minced, fresh ginger root (about 10-12 grams)

cayenne pepper to taste (or chopped fresh hot pepper, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
1 teaspoon chili power (optional)
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (or use canned tomatoes)
1-2 eggplant, chopped (optional)  *called "garden egg" in Ghana
1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or almond butter)

More optional ingredients: (add with tomatoes)
10 whole okra
1/2 cup chopped sweet potato

In a large saucepan, saute onions, garlic and fresh ginger in oil for a few minutes. Add seasonings. After a minute or so, add in tomatoes, optional vegetables, salt and water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. In a separate bowl, or larger-than-needed heat proof measuring cup (I use a 2 cup glass liquid measuring cup), mix peanut butter (or almond butter) and about another equal part of hot liquid from the stew (I use a ladle to get some from the pot) together with a whisk. When mixed well, add it slowly to the pot and simmer another 15 minutes or so. Adjust salt and seasonings as needed.

This would make a good choice for a crock pot meal and will be very freezer friendly after it has been cooked and cooled.

Date Pecan Treats

This is the other treat I took along to our family reunion. Chopped and mixed together, this can give a whole new flavor combination that people would not expect. I often put these morsels out next to the Truffles and let people decide for themselves.

Date Pecan Treats

3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped
1/2 teaspoon orange (or lemon) zest, fresh or dried
pinch of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Put all ingredients into food processor. Pulse until you have an even texture, not paste, but very small "crumbs" that will hold together into a ball. Roll into bite size pieces and place onto a dish and put into freezer to stay firm until ready to serve.

My son made these and they turned out well. If you notice an oiliness when you make these, that's normal. It's the oil from the pecans. I can hardly make these without pulsing just a tad too long and oiliness results. Not bad, just more slippery, but oh, so good!

Hummus Dip

Just recently my daughter and I attended a "Keepers at Home" group that we are part of through involvement with our local homeschooling group (and co-op).  The mothers take turns each month teaching useful skills to the girls to "keep" their future homes. It is a privilege and honor to do this. And it's fun to participate with your daughter and learn something fun like making a quick and colorful scarf by using hand knitting! =)

Recently I was able to take a turn doing what I love. I had an evening of making, tasting and learning all about simple healthy vegan foods. The girls watched as I made some things and talked about the foods. Then they also got their hands into it by making some things with me. And who can forget the tasting! We sampled a few things that I know they won't forget. And I mean that in a good way! =)

Our evening included making (and eating!) hummus. The following recipe is the one I followed (and improvised with). It can be found at simplyrecipes.com. You can also use this as a spread or salad dressing for any number of things. This is a nice creamy dressing that replaces the ever present ranch style dressings/dips that are always around at potlucks. Take some of this hummus along with some raw veggies, next time you are invited for a potluck meal! =)

Hummus

2 garlic cloves, mashed and minced
2 15-oz cans (about 3 to 3 1/2 cups) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
ground cumin, to taste (my addition - optional)

In a food processor, combine the garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt (and cumin, if using), starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste. Makes about 3 cups. Add more water, a little at a time, if it's thicker than you like.

Serve with sliced up vegetables. We used sliced cucumber to taste test, the evening I did this for the group. You can use: zucchini, cucumber, carrots (try slicing these on the bias for longer, bigger dippers), bell peppers (any color), thinly sliced raw sweet potato, celery (I love celery this way!), jicama, broccoli, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, etc.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: add a small amount (1 to 2 tablespoons) of roasted red peppers to food processor along with salt. Start with a small amount, tasting and adding more if desired.

This hummus can also be used as a spread on breads for sandwiches...with some veggies, makes a great sandwich! Thin with water, as desired, for a nice salad dressing.

Flavor it how you like, with any number of your own variations. There are so many things you can do with hummus. Be creative and have fun.

Tip: If you use warm beans, you may find the hummus to come out smoother.

Energy Bites

We've been snacking on these sweet morsels lately. They are popular at our house. If anyone knows me, they know that it's difficult for me to follow recipes to the letter. I'm always changing things out, probably because I didn't have the exact ingredients on hand.

So in usual fashion, I substituted similar items to achieve the desired result. I found the basis for my version here. Following is my "chocolate covered cherries" version. Easy to mix up. No further cooking or heat is used. Enjoy.

Energy Bites

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup sunflower seeds, made into a coarse meal
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup dried bing cherries, chopped
1/4 cup dried goji berries, crushed/chopped
1/4 cup carob powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a bowl with your hands. Cover and chill for an hour or so. You may find using a tablespoon or two, more almond butter will help to keep it together. Roll the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Store in fridge, or for longer than a few days, in the freezer.

Options: You could use raisins for the dried fruit. Peanut butter could be used instead of almond butter. Remember to be creative and use what you have and add here and there as desired. It's your creation! =)

Homemade Almond Butter

We enjoy almond butter instead of peanut butter these days. I like using raw nuts and seeds to make nut/seed butter. No roasting required. Good raw food.

I want to note here that it is harder to find true raw almonds. As many of you know, almonds are now routinely pasteurized in the US. This means that raw almonds are heated before they go to market and therefore are not truly raw. You may wish to seek out a health food store (or source online) that carries raw (versus pasteurized) almonds. They will cost more per pound, but they have all the life still in them.    

Making this recipe will generate some heat. If you prefer to make it on the cool side, thereby preserving all the enzymes and keeping it totally raw, then you'll need to be patient. Just process until you feel some warmth, but not too much. Stop the food processor and let it cool. After cooling, continue and repeat until smooth. This may take a few hours. You can do this over the course of the day, while doing other things.

To make 1 cup of almond butter:

Homemade Almond Butter

2 cups raw almonds
salt, to taste (optional)

Using a food processor with the "S" metal blade in, process the almonds for a few minutes until smooth. Every few minutes, you'll need to stop processing and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and continue. (A food processor works best, but a good blender can work in a pinch. A food processor is easier to clean, in my opinion, after making a nut butter.)

As a variation, you could add a (preferably raw) sweetener after the nut butter is smooth as a mix in. This will limit its use to sweet preparations though.

Look for a raw "peanut" sauce recipe coming soon that uses the (unsalted) basic recipe for almond butter.