Strawberry + Fried Halloumi Salad

And I will stroll the merry way And jump the hedges first And I will drink the clear Clean water for to quench my thirst And I shall watch the ferry-boats And they'll get high On a bluer ocean Against tomorrow's sky And I will never grow so old again And I will walk and talk In gardens all wet with rain

Sweet Thing, Van Morrison

Strawberry and Fried Halloumi Salad

Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 pint of strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced lengthwise 1 package

halloumi cheese

, cut into 3/4 inch cubes 1.5 tablespoons minced mint 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon honey 1/4 cup olive oil Kosher salt 4 cups baby arugula 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mint, honey, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add sliced strawberries and toss to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the halloumi. Cook halloumi until lightly browned on each side.

3. Add arugula to a serving bowl. Toss with strawberries and mint dressing. Top with fried halloumi.

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Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse

It's hard to believe that we're approaching April. I was certain that we were going to be perpetually stuck in February, à la Groundhog Day. To our delight, the majority of the snow around our house has melted. A few lingering patches still decorate the yard, but it's much better than it was just a few weeks ago. Spending time outside isn't as challenging as it had been. I don't need to protect myself with hats and gloves and scarves and bulky boot every time I take the dog for a walk.

This week, Eric and I are heading down to New Jersey for a visit with my family. While we're there to take part in the Seder, we're also going to celebrate a number of milestones. My nieces just had their birthdays and my grandmother's (who is turning 85) and my mom's are coming up.

Of course, Passover can be a tricky time for celebrating birthdays as the traditional cake is not an option. Yes, you can go the flourless route. But not everyone is fond of finishing their meals with such a dense dessert. This smooth and creamy vegan chocolate mousse is perfectly decadent in a "I can't believe it's not..." kind of way. In this case, the ellipses refers to the dairy, which I can guarantee you and your dinner guests won't be missing as you devour the whole bowl.

Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse

Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

3 - 13.5 oz cans full-fat coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
Fresh berries (blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)

Directions

1. Chill the cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let the cream separate to the top.

2. Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer), beat only the cream of the coconut milk at medium speed for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add agave nectar and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate.

3. Transfer a third of the plain whipped coconut cream to a separate bowl.

4. With the stand mixer turned on its lowest setting, mix in the cocoa powder with the remaining two-thirds of the whipped coconut cream. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and whip for another minute or two until the cocoa powder is fully incorporated.

5. Refrigerate chocolate mousse for at least 30 minutes to let it firm up.

6. Distribute the chocolate mousse into serving bowls.  Top with plain whipped coconut cream and fresh berries.

Spinach-Artichoke Matzo Kugel

There are a lot of Passover dishes to get excited about. Matzo ball soup, for one, is a favorite. No matter your preference of dense or light and fluffy, those dumplings always please. Gefilte fish, too, is consumed in great quantities and, personally, I can't get enough of it. Served with spicy beet horseradish, I'm perfectly happy with eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are also the sweeter elements of the Seder: haroset (chopped up fruit and nuts) and tzimmes, baked root vegetables (such as carrots and sweet potatoes) with honey and dates. Those two are easy to love.

But no one gets excited about matzo kugel. Often bland and heavy, a savory kugel typically consists of mushrooms and onions.  To my surprise, many recipes contain dairy, too. For a kosher household, like my parents', where brisket and chicken soup will be served, the use of heavy cream and butter (you know, the good things in life) are out of the question.

So, here was my challenge: to create a flavorful kugel sans dairy. Using a recipe from Cooking Light as a guide, I prepared a spinach-artichoke kugel, speckled with chopped roasted red pepper and diced parsley. It's a surprisingly light kugel, which I attribute to the extra egg whites. A little smoked paprika and cayenne pepper provide a kick that will surely make it a great addition next to roasted meats. For those vegetarians at the table, this could easily be a full-on entree, accompanied by a great big salad.

Additional recipes to serve during Passover:

Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons

Roasted Vegetable, Avocado and Kale Salad

Cauliflower "Couscous"

Moroccan Carrot Dip

Pickled Beets with Feta

Sweet Vermouth Cocktail

Beet and Quinoa Tabbouleh

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Quinoa Salad

Cucumber, Avocado and Kumquat Salad

Beet Dip with Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese

Pesto-Coated Carrots and Parsnip Fettuccine

Spinach-Artichoke Matzo Kugel

Source Adapted from Cooking Light, March 2014

Yields 10-12 servings

Ingredients

10 (6-inch) matzo crackers
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup hot water
2 cups diced onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 13-oz can artichoke hearts (I used the Whole Foods brand), drained and coarsely chopped
3 roasted red peppers, from a jar, coarsely chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 large egg whites
2 large eggs

Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Line a baking sheet (or multiple baking sheets) with aluminum foil. Lay matzo crackers flat on baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes, until browned slightly.

3. While the matzo is in the oven, whisk together the eggs and egg whites in a small bowl.

4. Take the matzo out and, using your hands, break into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Pour hot vegetable broth and water over the matzo and let sit for 10-15 minutes, until completely absorbed.

5. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, season with a teaspoon of salt and cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and let cook for another minute. Add chopped artichoke, roasted red pepper, and spinach. Season with another teaspoon of salt, along with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Taste for seasoning.

6. Mix the cooked vegetables with the matzo. Stir in parsley. Let sit for a minute or two and then pour the whisked egg over the matzo mixture. Stir to incorporate.

7. Transfer matzo kugel mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth top using a spatula. Cover with aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake, uncovered, for another 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into squares.