Passover Celebration Can Be a Low-Fat and Low-Cholesterol Occasion : How to Avoid Foods That Are Based on the Egg

The Jewish people love the Passover holiday (April 1-9)--families getting together, the traditions and all the special foods: gefilte fish, matzo balls, tzimmes, sponge cake. All these foods have as their foundation the high cholesterol egg. Can you get around this and still enjoy the delicious Passover treats? Yes, if you plan a menu carefully. Serve the same courses, but follow some of the suggestions and recipes that follow and you’ll enjoy a low-cholesterol, low-fat festival.

Instead of making gefilte fish, for instance, try poaching fish in a court bouillon made similarly to the cooking liquid of the gefilte fish. You’ll end up with some of the same tasty gel that makes gefilte fish so special, but you will have avoided the eggs.

Soup can be prepared almost totally fat-free. Start preparations a few days ahead, so you will have time for all the steps. Begin by carefully removing the skin and all the obvious fat from the chicken. Once you have made the soup, strain it and place it in the refrigerator so that any remaining fat will float to the top and solidify. Remove the fat from the top the next day or when ready to use. Make a double batch since this soup forms the basis for cooking many of the dishes suggested.

Matzo balls are another traditional item you can enjoy eating even if you have to avoid eggs and chicken fat. They can be made several ways: Make the usual recipe with egg whites instead of whole eggs and replace whole eggs with a readily available egg substitute. In any case, you don’t have to give up matzo balls just because the traditional ingredients aren’t on your diet.

Everyone Loves Turkey

Roast turkey is a low-cholesterol entree that everyone enjoys. Again, remove all obvious fat from the turkey. Remove the skin before cooking if you are very strict about avoiding animal fat. Or, remove the skin before serving, if you want the turkey to stay moist. For the stuffing, saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery in some of the nonfat chicken broth prepared earlier. It will give the stuffing a delightful flavor, as well as moisten it without adding cholesterol.

Vegetarian tzimmes is a delicious and wonderful treat that guests will enjoy even if it is not flavored by brisket. Depend on the natural sweetness of prunes, carrots and sweet potatoes, but if this combination does not satisfy your sweet tooth, add orange juice and small amounts of sugar to liven it up. To save calories, use the chicken broth instead of oil or margarine to start the cooking process.

Instead of a regular green salad for this special occasion take advantage of the spring vegetables just starting to come in, like asparagus. Try a marinated asparagus or broccoli or cauliflower salad, using low-cholesterol vinaigrette dressing. Allow only one tablespoon of dressing per person since everyone wants to “save himself for dessert.”

Of all Passover courses, desserts are the hardest to accommodate to a low-cholesterol diet. How can you make sponge cake without eggs or macaroons? Filled with all that delicious coconut, they are an absolute no. Here’s a chance to give guests a real treat that will prove all the fat and calorie sacrifices made in the rest of the meal really worthwhile. Serve bowls of smooth chocolate sauce and heaping platters of fresh spring fruits and matzo for dipping. Of course, you can buy chocolate covered matzo, but you don’t know what oil was used in that chocolate (it could be coconut or palm oil, definitely not acceptable on a low-cholesterol regime). This dessert will satisfy chocoholics, “dessertoholics” and aesthetes, alike.

POACHED WHITEFISH WITH COURT BOUILLON

Head and bones of whitefish

5 onions, coarsely chopped

4 carrots, coarsely chopped

Salt, pepper

8 to 10 (3-ounce) whitefish fillets or 1 (3 1/2-pound) whole whitefish

Lettuce leaves

Sliced carrots

Combine head and fish bones, onions, chopped carrots and salt and pepper to taste in large pan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.

Small fillets will cook very quickly. If using whole fish, wrap in cheesecloth, so ends may extend over edges of pot and serve as handles to turn fish. Slowly immerse fish into simmering bouillon. Begin timing when bouillon returns to boiling point. Allow 10 minutes cooking time per inch thickness of fish.

Turn half way through cooking time so both sides cook evenly. When fish is cooked, remove fillets from bouillon with slotted spoon or lift whole fish out with cheesecloth. Place on plate and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Strain some bouillon and reserve separately. Let cool. Bouillon will gel after cooling due to bones in cooking liquid.

To serve, place each fillet on lettuce leaf. Garnish with bouillon gel and sliced carrots. For whole fish, remove meat from bones in serving size pieces and proceed as directed. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

LOW-FAT CHICKEN BROTH

1 whole chicken, skin and fat removed

3 carrots, chopped

Top half celery bunch, leaves included, chopped

1 large onion, quartered

Several sprigs parsley

1 parsnip, peeled and sliced

12 to 15 black peppercorns

Bay leaf

Salt

Lemon juice, optional

Low-Cholesterol Matzo Balls

Combine chicken, carrots, celery, onion, parsley, parsnip, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt and lemon juice to taste in large pot. Add cold water to cover. Slowly bring to boil. Skim off any scum that forms.

Cover and simmer 3 hours. Taste to adjust for seasonings. Remove chicken and reserve for another use. Strain vegetables from broth and reserve some for garnish, if desired.

Place broth in refrigerator overnight or longer so any remaining fat rises to top and hardens. Remove fat.

Just before serving, reheat broth to boiling point. Serve in bowls garnished with reserved vegetables and matzo balls. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Recipe may be doubled and used in recipes that follow.

Low-Cholesterol Matzo Balls

1 cup matzo meal

Salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 package egg substitute equal to 4 eggs

1/4 cup low-fat chicken broth

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, optional

Place matzo meal in medium bowl with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Combine egg substitute, broth and parsley. Pour over matzo meal and mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour or longer.

Fill large pot with water. Season to taste with salt, then bring to boil. Moisten hands with cold water. Form dough into 8 to 10 large balls and drop into boiling water.

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove carefully with slotted spoon. Makes 8 to 10 matzo balls.

ROAST TURKEY WITH

MATZO STUFFING

1 (12- to 16-pound) turkey, skin and fat removed

Salt, pepper

Dash garlic powder

Paprika

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 cups chopped celery, leaves included

2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped

Low-fat chicken broth

10 matzos, broken, or matzo farfel

Rinse turkey with water, but do not dry. Season to taste inside and outside with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle with paprika.

Saute onion, carrots, celery and garlic in few tablespoons low-fat chicken broth until vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn heat off. Add broken up matzo and enough chicken broth to moisten.

Stuff cavity loosely with mixture (stuffing will expand inside turkey). Place extra stuffing in oven-proof dish and bake with turkey for last 1 hour of roasting. Baste extra stuffing with turkey juices.

Roast turkey, breast side down, at 325 degrees. After about 2 hours, turn turkey breast so it browns thoroughly on both sides. Cook about 2 more hours until done, basting with pan juices only.

To serve, remove stuffing from turkey cavity and combine with stuffing baked separately. Remove skin from turkey and slice. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

VEGETARIAN TZIMMES

5 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

5 medium white potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch thick rounds

1 teaspoon salt

Sugar or honey

Low-fat chicken broth

2 cups pitted prunes

Orange juice

Place carrots, white and sweet potatoes, salt, and sugar to taste in large pot. Add chicken broth to about 1 inch. Cover, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Add chicken broth as necessary to prevent sticking. Do not stir while cooking. Cook about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

About 1/2 hour before vegetables are ready, add prunes and continue cooking. If tzimmes does not taste sweet enough, add more sugar or orange juice to taste. If there is too much liquid at this point, place in casserole and bake at 325 degrees, about 30 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Recipe may be baked at 350 or 375 degrees, if prepared in separate oven than turkey.

STEAMED CHILLED VEGETABLES

IN LOW-OIL VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

3 tablespoons olive or safflower oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Water

1 clove garlic, chopped or whole

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Chopped green onion

1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard or dash Dijon mustard

Dash paprika

2 to 3 pounds assorted vegetables

Combine oil, vinegar, 3 tablespoons water, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, green onion, basil, mustard and paprika in jar. Shake well. Allow flavors to blend in refrigerator at least 1 hour before using.

Steam vegetables in lightly salted water. While vegetable are still hot, sprinkle with dressing, allowing no more dressing than 1 tablespoon per serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Dressing may be used on any salad or hot vegetable.

FRESH FRUITS AND MATZO DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE SAUCE

6 tablespoons margarine

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 (7-ounce) jars marshmallow cream

2/3 cup strong coffee or coffee liqueur

Assorted fresh fruit

Matzo

Melt margarine with cocoa and marshmallow cream in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add coffee and stir well.

Arrange fruit on platter. Break matzo into serving size strips. Dip fruit and matzo in chocolate sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.