Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Use Unleavened Bread

Unleavened bread can be a delicious addition to many recipes.


Matzo, or unleavened bread, is an integral part of the Jewish festival of Passover. Matzo can be purchased and eaten any time of the year, however it is most commonly eaten exclusively during Passover week. It can be hard to face the bland, dry cracker day after day. Matzo crackers, while plain, can be transformed with a few common ingredients. There are numerous ways to use up any leftover matzo or spice up your meals during Passover.








Instructions


Salty and Savory Ideas


1. Use unleavened bread as a bread-crumb coating for chicken, lamb or fish. Grind several sheets of matzo in a food processor until it resembles bread crumbs. Coat the protein in butter or a marinade and place it in a bowl with the matzo crumbs. Coat the meat or fish completely with matzo crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until meat is fully cooked, flipping once.








2. Make a matzo pizza. Spread pizza sauce or tomato sauce on a piece of unleavened bread. Sprinkle with cheese and add toppings as you'd like. Bake the pizza on a flat sheet at 350 F for 10 minutes or until matzo is crispy.


3. Break slices of matzo into quarters to simulate tortilla chips. Top with melted cheese, jalapeños, black olives and sour cream for matzo nachos.


4. Fry matzo and eggs for a breakfast dish. Run two to three matzo slices under water for 10 to 15 seconds until wet. Break the matzo into small enough pieces to fit a frying pan. Whisk four large eggs in a bowl. Add the moistened matzo pieces and allow them to soak up the eggs. Fry the matzo and egg mixture over medium-low heat and stir often until eggs are fully cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Smoked salmon can also be added to this recipe. Add the salmon to the frying pan before the eggs are fully cooked, and stir.


Sweet Ideas


5. Make matzo toffee. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and cover completely with matzo slices. Melt 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar on the stove at medium heat. Allow the mixture to boil for two to three minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the stove and add ½ tsp. vanilla. Cover the entire baking sheet of matzo with the warm mixture. Bake the matzo for 15 minutes. Take the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips over the matzo. Bake for an additional five minutes until the chocolate is melted. Top with walnuts, peanuts or pistachios and break into decorative pieces.


6. Use matzo as a graham cracker substitute for matzo s'mores. Break a slice of matzo into quarters and add four squares of a plain chocolate bar to each quarter. Microwave four marshmallows for 10 to 15 seconds until warm. Place two marshmallows on each of the two matzo pieces and top with another piece. Press on the top of the sandwich to melt the marshmallow with the chocolate.


7. Top matzo crackers with your favorite sweet spread. Melt chocolate in a double boiler and dip matzo pieces to create chocolate-covered matzo. Spread slices with nutella, honey, caramel or jam.

Tags: baking sheet, fully cooked, matzo into, matzo pieces, minutes until