After the Seders: 4 Ways to Enjoy a Whole Week of Passover Meals
Every year people tend to get obsessive over their seder menu planning. And for good reason — Passover rivals Thanksgiving in culinary importance. But with so much attention paid to two seder meals, it is easy to forget that Passover and it’s many food restrictions, last an entire week. That means no sandwiches, no quick pasta dinners, and certainly no takeout pizza.
I used to let the prohibitions get me down, but I have learned it is much more effective to stay positive. Here are several ideas for how to enjoy the rest of the week’s flour-free meals, even after the seder leftovers run out.
Focus on what you can eat.
It can be all too easy to adopt a defeatist attitude on Passover, dwelling on all the delicious foods that are not available to you. Avoid taking this route at whatever cost, unless you want a holiday that seems to drag on endlessly.
Instead, turn your attention to the many foods — fresh veggies and fruit, herbs, eggs, fish, nuts, meat, chocolate — that you can eat. Passover does not have to equal a matzo fast — use it as an excuse to get extra creative with your cooking!
Load up on fresh ingredients.
Fill your fridge with fresh ingredients that will inspire quick, simple weekday dishes. For example when the lunch craving strikes, pair cooked quinoa with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, dill, mint, and scallions; top with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and a twist of salt and pepper. It is as simple and satisfying as anything you would make the rest of the year.
Make sure you are stocked up on building blocks.
In addition to fresh ingredients, load up your larder with boxes of matzo and matzo meal, quinoa, potato starch, Passover vanilla, and any other essentials that will prove indispensable throughout the week.
Pay special attention to breakfast.
Breakfast can especially difficult on Passover. Pancakes, bagels, waffles, scones, oatmeal. You name it, and it is probably not allowed. To keep your morning routine going strong during the holiday, whip up some matzo granola to serve with yogurt, or bake a springy frittata that can satisfy a crowd.
What are your favorite post-Seder Passover meals and recipes?