It’s Sunday, just three days before Passover. An alert goes off on my phone, and when I check it I see a message from Erica, the Magazine editor, asking where my post-Passover article is. My heart sank. How did I not do this earlier? What was I so busy with?
And then I remembered.
We’ve been running to shelters. School on Zoom. Nights without much sleep. Preparing for Passover while navigating crowded supermarkets – sometimes needing to duck into a shelter in the middle of it all. At the same time, I’ve been guiding women through my Passover prep program, constantly pivoting to make it work for clients in Israel and abroad. And then there’s the computer that decided not to type half the letters. No wonder the article wasn’t written yet.
Thankfully, I remembered that Erica and I had spoken months ago about putting together a collection of favorite recipes from the past few years. We agreed this was as good a time as any.
So even if you’ve seen some of these recipes before, maybe it’s time to bring them back into your rotation and enjoy them again with the people you love.
I truly hope that by the time you are reading this, we are past the warnings and sirens and beginning to heal – as a nation, in peace.
New York-Style Bagels
I bet you will have missed having some delicious bread or bagels over Passover, so I thought this would be the perfect time to bring this recipe back. My sister-in-law Sara once sent a photo to our family WhatsApp group of the most gorgeous homemade bagels she had made during the 2020 lockdowns. She described that classic crusty exterior with a soft, chewy inside, and, of course, I had to try them.
My daughter and husband were ecstatic, and now my daughter refuses to eat bagels anywhere else – she insists these are the best. Honestly, I find making them easier than running out to buy them, and much more affordable, too. I originally shared this recipe in July 2024, when I was feeling a little nostalgic for New York. Don’t be intimidated – these are much easier to make than you think.
Yields 8-10 bagels
Dough:
1 Tbsp. salt
1 kg. (8 cups) sifted flour
2 Tbsp. dry yeast
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 cups very warm water
Boiling:
3.5-4 liters water in a stockpot
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
Toppings:
Onion flakes/poppy seeds/sesame seeds/kosher salt
In a large mixing bowl, add the dough ingredients in the order listed above. Mix with a large spoon or use a mixer with a dough hook attachment. Knead the dough well until it feels stretchy. (For hafrashat challah: Separate an egg-sized piece of dough, but do not recite the blessing.) Grease the bowl with a drop of olive oil, cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise for 1.5 to 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F, ideally using the bottom heating element. Fill a wide stockpot with water, add the brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, line a tray with baking paper and sprinkle it with flour. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and divide it into 8 equal parts (or 10 for smaller bagels). Roll each piece into a smooth ball, then use your index finger to poke a hole in the center and swirl it around until the hole is about 4-5 cm. (1.5 inches) wide. Place the bagels on the lined tray until the water boils.
Carefully add the bagels to the boiling water, 3 to 4 at a time, for 3 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and return them to the baking sheet. Sprinkle your desired toppings onto the bagels and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Veggie Drawer Soup
This recipe was originally published shortly after October 7, at a time when we were all leaning on comfort food a little more than usual. And truthfully, this past month has shown me that we’re still there. When things feel heavy, having something warm and nourishing on the stove can make all the difference.
This soup is exactly that. It’s simple, flexible, and delivers every single time. It’s also the perfect way to use up any vegetables before they go to waste – just add what you have, let it simmer, and you have something truly comforting ready to go.
Yields 8-10 servings
2 onions, sliced
6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. garlic powder
8-10 cups of vegetables, washed/peeled/cut:
Peppers, carrots, zucchini, celery, sweet potato, leek, cabbage, broccoli...
½ cup of fresh herbs or 2 Tbsp. dry herbs: parsley/dill/coriander/basil
Start with sautéing onions and garlic, then peel and chop whatever vegetables you have in your veggie drawer, such as carrots, zucchini, peppers, cabbage, parsley, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, leeks, and broccoli. Really, whatever you’ve got, this will work. The important part is that you put love into it.
Add in the veggies you have, even if only three kinds. Add salt, pepper, and lots of savory spices that you like (turmeric, garlic powder, onion flakes, paprika, ginger....). Add in enough water to cover the veggies, then put in any greens like dill, cilantro (coriander), or parsley in the pot. If you don’t have fresh, you can use dry herbs.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Remove any greens that have stems before blending. The flavor is already in the soup!
Let cool and use an immersion blender or food processor with the steel S-shaped blade to blend the soup together.
Put the remaining soup in containers to share or freeze.
Crispy Potato Flake Chicken
This recipe was originally printed in 2021, and the response was so incredible that I knew it deserved to be shared again. Shake-and-bake chicken is one of those classic recipes that everyone loves – and for good reason. It’s simple, quick, and always comes out delicious. This version has a bit of a twist, using instant potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes) as the coating.
And then comes the bonus. When you’re left with boxes of potato flakes, this is one of my favorite ways to use them up. It turns into a real winner dinner – easy, reliable, and something we make all year long in our home.
Yields 6-8 servings
6-8 pieces bone-in chicken
1½-2 cups instant potato flakes
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. garlic crystals
1 Tbsp. onion flakes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. In a large bowl, combine the potato flakes with the salt, pepper, garlic crystals, and onion flakes. Wet each piece of chicken with water, then dip it into the potato flake mixture, coating it well on all sides. Arrange the chicken pieces in a large baking dish, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the top, then bake uncovered for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear. If needed, continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes until fully cooked through.
Variation: For boneless, skinless chicken breast, reduce the cooking time to about 45-50 minutes.
Chinese Almond Cookies
These cookies are the perfect way to use up any leftover almond flour you may have after Passover. You can also use up any leftover potato starch or simply use regular flour, if that’s what you have on hand. Crisp, light, and full of that delicious almond flavor, the cookies are simple to make and always feel just a little bit special. I first shared this recipe for Sukkot 2023, and it’s one I’ve come back to again and again.
Yields 2 dozen cookies
1/2 cup vegetable oil
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
½ tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups finely ground almond flour
1 cup flour (or potato starch)
1/3 cup raw almonds, for topping cookies
Egg wash:
1 egg
1 Tbsp. sugar
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
In a large bowl, mix the oil, eggs, and sugar until smooth, then add in the vanilla and almond extracts and stir. Add in the baking powder, salt, almond flour, and flour (or potato starch) and mix well.
Line a cookie sheet with baking paper, and, with wet hands, roll 1-inch-sized (2.5 cm.) balls of dough, placing them on the cookie sheet, keeping 2 inches (5 cm.) apart. Lightly flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass, pressing very gently. Gently press an almond into the center of each cookie.
In a glass, mix the egg and sugar and brush lightly over each cookie.
Bake cookies for 12 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!
As I was putting this collection of recipes together, I realized that each one carries its own kind of comfort.
The bagels are something many of us may have missed over Passover, and, for some, they bring back a sense of nostalgia – especially for those of us with North American roots. The soup is simple, but it’s truly food for the soul. The chicken recipe goes all the way back to my first article in The Jerusalem Post. At the time, I had no idea what lay ahead, or even if there would be a second article. I am so grateful to my readers who continue to send such warm feedback – it truly keeps me going.
And then there are the Chinese almond cookies. I first shared the recipe for Sukkot 2023, right before our world, especially here in Israel, changed so drastically. Maybe that’s why I felt drawn to include it again. The cookies bring me back to a time filled with so much joy, family, and light.
We may not be going back to what once felt like normal, but I hope that very soon we can all move forward into a time with a lot more calm and feelings of peace.
The writer is a kitchen coach who teaches women how to meal plan and cook so they get dinner on the table, and prepare for Shabbat and chag on time. For more info: www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com