Passover Favorites

Potato Latkes

Serve these hot with applesauce, fat free or light sour cream and chopped green onions if desired. The original recipe called for 3 eggs and 1/2 cup peanut oil, and I used 1 egg, 6 tablespoons egg substitute, and 2 to 3 teaspoons canola oil. I also decreased the salt from 1 1/2 teaspoons to 1 (but you can cut it down further or leave it out if you are cooking for someone on a low sodium diet. These were delicious and real easy to make!

Original recipe contains 121 calories, 7 grams fat, and 63 mg cholesterol per latke.

2 cups peeled and shredded Russet potatoes, firmly packed (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup grated or finely chopped onion
1 large egg
6 tablespoons egg substitute
2-3 tablespoons low sodium matzo meal (a little less than 1 matzo, processed into fine crumbs)
1 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 teaspoons canola oil


Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth or double thickness of paper towels and wring to extract as much water out of the potatoes as possible
In medium bowl, stir the potatoes, onion, egg, egg substitute and matzo meal and salt together well.
In a large heavy-bottomed non stick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Make sure the oil is spread evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Place 1/4 cup (level measure) of potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Spray tops with canola cooking spray. Brown on one side about 3 minutes, turn over and brown the other side (about 3 minutes).
Serve these hot with applesauce, fat free or light sour cream and chopped green onions.
Makes 10 latkes

PER LATKE (if 2 teaspoons of canola used): 71 calories, 3 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 1.5 g fat (.2 g saturated fat, .7 g monounsaturated fat, .4 g polyunsaturated fat), 21 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 237 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 19 percent.

Spinach and Mushroom Bake

This is a nice side dish or brunch dish. It's loaded with vegetables, too! I made the salt optional but it really does need a little if you use low-sodium chicken broth powder. If someone at your Seder is on a low-sodium diet, prepare it the low-sodium way, and just ask people to add their own salt at the table. If you are serving more than 9 people, double the recipe and use a 9x13-inch baking pan instead.

1 cup chopped onion
2 cups (about 8 ounces) sliced mushrooms
2 cups grated or diced carrots
1 cup diced zucchini
2 10-ounce boxes frozen, chopped spinach (thawed and gently squeezed to eliminate excess water)
1/2 cup Matzo Meal (use unsalted if someone is on a low-sodium diet)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 teaspoon salt (add more to taste), optional
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons low-sodium chicken broth powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9x9-inch or 8x8-inch baking pan with canola cooking spray.
Coat a large nonstick frying pan with canola cooking spray. Add the onions and mushrooms, cover pan, and let cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are lightly browned.
Add the mushroom mixture to a large bowl along with all remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly (a wooden spoon or your hands work best). Spread into the prepared pan and bake until firm and lightly browned on the bottom (45-60 minutes).
Makes 9 servings

Nutritional information per serving (using low sodium matzo meal): 104 calories, 8 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 2.6 g fat (0.8 g saturated fat, 0.7 g monounsaturated fat, 0.4 g polyunsaturated fat), 72 mg cholesterol, 3.5 g fiber, 134 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 21%.

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

The original recipe called for a stick of margarine. We have cut this to 3 tablespoons, and are using a no- or low-trans-fat margarine with about 8 grams of fat per tablespoon (kosher versions are available). If you want to make half a recipe, pour the potato mixture into a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate and bake for the same amount of time.

4 pounds small, new red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed (if you use larger red potatoes, just cut them in half)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons dill weed (dried)
1 whole garlic bulb; separate the cloves and peel them
3 tablespoons no-or low-trans-fat margarine (with 8 grams fat per tablespoon), melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to coat the potatoes well.
Pour mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and use a scraper to scrape all the margarine and seasonings from the sides of the bowl, drizzling over the potatoes in pan.
Bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are cooked throughout and lightly browned.
Makes 12 servings

Nutritional information per serving: 121 calories, 4 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 2.2 g fat (0.4 g saturated fat, 0.5 g monounsaturated fat, 0.9 g polyunsaturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 2.6 g fiber, 200 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 16%.