We have two Adars this year, so we need two Purim issues, right? Of course! So this column will continue the Purim surprise dishes we presented last month. The theme? All is not as it seems, just as the Megillah teaches us! If my readers remember, each dish, last month, had some element of concealment; it was more than it appeared to be. I love this theme. It’s like people. Each of us has so much potential. When called upon to do so, we somehow find ourselves able to tap into resources we did not even know we had. We all have hidden depths that we just need to mine and – voila! – the world becomes a better place through our efforts.
So, too, do these foods contain more culinary potential than was expected. (Watch out. I might have to start singing the Transformers song: “Transformers, more than meets the eye...” What? You do not have five- to nine-year-old boys? Hmmm... You’re missing out.) Speaking of children, as my children decide which costumes they want – the latest idea is Black Flash. Is Black Flash even a thing? Where am I going to find a Black Flash? They were Red Flash last year, but that’s “so last year, Mom.” Ninjas, astronauts, and more are being suggested. What will they be in the end? I guess we’ll all find out when Purim rolls around.
But back to food: In the last issue, you learned how to make Meatball Surprise, Iron Steak Surprise, and Cookie-Filled Pretzels. Here you will find a few more recipes to round out your menu. Should we hide beef salami in matza balls? What’s not to love? Have an egg roll filled with lamb Baacon! Yes, sign me up! Making a seuda filled with hidden mysteries is fun.
To go with the dishes below, you can prepare grape juice ice cubes with grapes or blueberries inside them. (The grapes have to be smaller than your ice cube tray, of course.) Just pour grape juice into an ice cube tray, insert the fruit, and freeze. Because the juice is purple, it will hide the grapes, which will gradually emerge as the ice cube melts. You can also place a secret message inside each guest’s place card. When they turn it over, they will find a blessing or a joke (depending on your crowd).
So, here goes:
Stuffed Matza Balls
4 large eggs
3 T. vegetable oil
1 c. matza meal
11/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/3 c. club soda
Whisk oil and eggs to blend in medium bowl. Mix in matzah meal and salt. Add club soda and blend well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Can be prepared 1 day ahead.
Stuffing
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 c. finely-chopped onion
1/4 c. finely-chopped celery
1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
3/4 c. finely-diced beef salami
1 large egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
Heat oil in a small skillet over medium flame. Add onion and celery and sauté until vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Add parsley and garlic and sauté 1 minute. Transfer vegetable mixture to processor. Add salami, egg, salt, and pepper; grind to coarse paste. Transfer stuffing to small bowl.
Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap; lightly brush plastic wrap with oil.Using moistened hands, roll matza ball mixture into 12 (1 1/2-inch) balls and place on prepared sheet. Make deep hole in balls. Place 1 tablespoon of filling into each hole. Reform matza balls, enclosing stuffing.
Bring large pot of salted water (or chicken soup) to boil over medium-high heat. Drop matza balls into pot. Cover and cook until matza balls are tender and cooked through, about 35 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer matza balls to bowls filled with your favorite chicken soup. Makes 12 balls: 4 to 6 servings.
BAT Egg Roll
I have avocados on my mind. I really like eating them; they’re good for you (it’s the good kind of fat, I hear), and they are delicious. These egg rolls look “normal” to the untrained eye, but the flavor takes them out of this world.
Oil
2 large avocados; perfectly ripe (peeled, pitted, and sliced)
1/2 lime
Salt
6 to 7 slices heirloom tomatoes, each cut in half
12 to 14 slices lamb Baacon (cooked)
12 to 14 egg roll wrappers
1 T. flour
Water
Heat about 2 inches of oil to 350° F. in a large frying pan. Place avocado slices on a plate or large bowl. Drizzle with lime and then sprinkle with salt, as desired. Place flour in a small bowl and add water to make into a watery/thin paste. Place one egg roll wrapper on your work surface, with one corner pointing towards you to form a diamond. Lay half of a tomato slice in the middle. Lay 1 slice of avocado on top of the tomato, and then one slice of Baacon, broken in half. Finish with another slice of avocado.
Fold the part of the wrapper pointing towards you over the avocado stack. Fold the left and right points over the middle and roll egg roll nearly all the way, taking care to fold tightly with no openings for ingredients to fall out or leak. With your fingertip, dab a bit of the flour mixture on the remaining corner at the top and then seal this corner onto the egg roll to close it.
Repeat steps with remaining ingredients. Carefully place a few egg rolls into hot oil and cook until golden brown, turning them over once during the frying. Remove from oil and allow to drain and cool on a plate lined with paper towels or napkins. Serve whole or cut in half at an angle with a dip of your choice. (Duck or soy sauce are good options, or even BBQ sauce!)
Hidden Oreos!!! (Or Hydroxes!)
These brownies are really very fun - if you plan out where you put the cookies, and where you cut the brownies - no one will suspect there are cookies inside until they bite into them.
1 1/4 sticks unsalted margarine (or butter)
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. chocolate chips
16 Hydrox cookies (or Oreo)
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8 x 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, and set aside. Place the margarine, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt into a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for 1 minute. Stir well, then microwave for another minute. The mixture should be very warm to the touch.
Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix well until combined. Fold in the flour until fully combined, then gently fold in the chocolate chips. Be sure not to let them all melt into the warm batter. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, and spread out evenly. Place the whole Hydrox or Oreos evenly over the batter, and top with the remaining batter.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Serve to cries of “Ooooh! Look what’s inside.”
Bracha Shor is president of Sweet and Good Catering and a sought-after speaker for workshops, retreats, classes, camps, bar/bat mitzvas and more. Email her for your next event at bshor@sweetandgoodcatering.com, or call 410-900-6640.
