Lemon Almond Sponge Cake for Pesach

Author: Jamie Schler 

The Lemon Almond Sponge Cake 
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest and juice from ½ lemon
¼ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup ground almonds
½ cup potato flour
Pinch salt + few drops lemon juice for whites
Handful slivered blanched almonds to decorate, optional

The Warm Lemon Sauce 
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest and juice from 1 lemon
2 Tbs potato starch
2 Tbs butter, cubed and softened

Instructions 

Prepare the Lemon Almond Sponge Cake: 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Have ready a springform pan – I used a 7 ¼ inch-diameter x 4 inch-high springform but a regular 8-inch pan is fine, too. 

Separate the eggs; place the yolks in a large mixing bowl and the whites in a medium bowl, preferably plastic or metal. Add a pinch salt and a few drops lemon juice to the whites and set aside. 

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks for three or four minutes until thick and pale. Add the sugar and continue beating until thick and creamy. 

Beat in the zest and juice of ½ a lemon and the vanilla extract until well blended and thick. Quickly beat in the ground almonds. 

Using very clean beaters, beat the egg whites on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to high; beat the whites until thick, glossy and peaks hold. Do not overbeat until the whites are dry. 

Using a spatula, gently but firmly fold the stiff whites into the lemon almond cake batter in 3 additions. Fold in the potato flour with the third addition of the whites in order to avoid overworking the batter. Fold in the whites just until all the lumps of white have disappeared. 

Gently pour the batter into the springform pan. Dust with a couple of tablespoons slivered almonds. Bake in the preheated oven 30 – 45 minutes, depending on your oven and pan size. The cake is done when puffed, set and golden. Gently press on the top of the cake and it should feel set, much like an angel or sponge cake. A tester inserted in the center should come out dry. 

Remove the pan from the oven onto a cooling rack and allow to cool before unmolding. Carefully run a long, thin blade around the sides to loosen the cake while still warm. 

Prepare the Warm Lemon Sauce by first bringing the water to a boil. 

Sift the cornstarch or potato starch into the sugar in a medium heatproof bowl and stir. Whisk in the boiling water then, when smooth, return to the pan and continue cooking over low heat, whisking or stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes until thickened to the consistency of a sauce. 

Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a cube at a time until the buttered is melted and incorporated and the mixture is smooth. 

Strain through a mesh strainer if necessary. Store in a jar in the refrigerator; to reheat, simply put the gelled sauce in a saucepan and heat very gently over low, stirring or whisking constantly, until pouring consistency (not too runny) and warm. Strain. Serve warm.

Dairy Free Passionfruit Ice Cream

6 eggs, separated

250g caster sugar

125ml [half a cup] vegetable oil

250ml [one cup] passionfruit pulp [about 10 passionfruit]

Beat eggs whites in electric mixer until stiff, then add half the sugar and continue beating until stiff, set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar until very pale and thick, then gradually add the oil until fully mixed in.

Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.  Add the passionfruit pulp and gentle fold in with a spatula.

Pour into freezer proof container and freeze overnight.  Serves 10.

Salmon Quinoa Salad

[Serves 4]

Fresh salmon
Quinoa
Tomatoes
Parsley
Lemon juice
Olive Oil
Salt
Pumpkin/Sunflower Seeds

Flake 4 x 125g pieces of cooked fresh salmon into bite-size pieces.

In a large bowl, combine 60g mixed leaf sald, 3 cups cooked and cooled quinoa, 200g chopped tomatoes, small amount of finely chopped parsley.

Dressing: whisk together the juice of 1 large lemon, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and season to taste. Drizzle over the sald.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Garnish with pumpkin or sunflower seeds [optional]

You can make this without the salmon as a vegetarian option.

Hazelnut Cake [Pesach]

500g ground hazelnuts
8 egg yolks
180g caster sugar
8 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 165 degrees C. Grease and flour a 23cm springform cake tin.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

In a separate large bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow in colour. Mix in the ground hazelnut mixture.

Gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture then add the remaining whites and fold in until no streaks remain. Pour into the springform cake tin. Bake in preheated oven for approx 45 minutes or until top of cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool on wire rack.

Icing:  Melt dark chocolate with a small amount of Nuttelex margarine and spread over the top, allow time to set.
Alternatively, make a chocolate butter cream and use as a filling and icing.

Pineapple Fridge Tart

Crust Ingredients: 
1 packet of tennis biscuits (crushed)
100g butter (melted)

Method: Crush the biscuits or whiz them in a food processor until broken. Add the melted butter and blend very briefly until just mixed through. Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish and spread out. Work the crumbs up the sides of the dish and flatten with the back of a tablespoon. Put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm while you prepare the filling. 

Filling Ingredients: 
1 tin of condensed milk
125ml (1/2 cup) lemon juice
1 400 gr tin ” crushed ” pineapple (well drained)

300ml cream (whipped until thick) 

Method: Mix the condensed milk and pineapple. Add the lemon juice Fold in the cream Pour over crust and decorated with pieces of fine tennis biscuits or pineapple pieces. Put in the fridge for at least three hours or overnight.

Hamentaschen

4eggs
1 cup oil
1.25 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon baking powder
half teaspoon salt
5 cups plain flour
grated orange rind [optional]

Mix together all the liquid ingredients, then add dry ingredients.
Roll out and cut into circles.
Place a teaspoon of filling in centre and pinch together to form hamentaschen.

For fillings use any kind of jam,  poppy seed or nut mixture

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 mins.

Easy Lamb Curry

Brown 4 x forequarter lamb chops in pan
Add 500ml jar of Patak's Rogan Josh simmer sauce
Add vegetables: potatoes, carrots and peas
Simmer for 30 mins
Cover with foil, put in oven on 140C for minimum of three hours

Tami's Salad Dressing

1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a jar. Then add oil and shake again to combine.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Recipe by Jessica Seinfeld

1 head cauliflower
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 pomegranate
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

​Heat the oven (with the oven rack in the middle) to 425°F.

Cut the cauliflower into small florets and put on rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Toss to combine and spread into a single layer. Roast until charred and just tender, about 25 minutes.

In a small pan, toast the pine nuts over medium heat until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Cut the pomegranate half in half again. Over a medium bowl, slide your thumb between the skin and the seeds to loosen. Pick out the white membranes. Slice the scallions and chop the parsley and add to the bowl. Add the vinegar and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine. Fold in the pine nuts.

Serve the cauliflower on a platter or large plate and spoon the vinaigrette over the top. Serve at room temperature.

Mango and Lemon Curd Pavlova

6 eggwhites
330g caster sugar [1.5 cups]
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp cornflour, sifted

1 tsp vanilla-bean extract
1 jar of Lemon Curd
1 cup (250ml) thickened cream, whipped to stiff peaks
1 mango, thinly sliced
Mulberries, to serve

Preheat oven to 110°C. To make pavlova, whisk eggwhites in an electric mixer with a pinch of salt until just before stiff peaks. Add sugar, 1 tbs at a time, whisking constantly until thick, glossy and sugar dissolves. Fold in vinegar, cornflour and vanilla.

Draw a 20cm circle on reverse side of a sheet of baking paper and place on a baking tray. Spoon meringue over circle to create a dome. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 90°C. Cook for a further 40 minutes or until crisp and dry. Turn off oven and leave the meringue in oven, with the door ajar, for 3-4 hours until cooled completely.

Gently swirl together lemon curd and cream. Spread over meringue and top with mango and mulberries to serve.

Zucchini and Corn Fritters

1/2 small zucchini (50g), grated
80g canned corn niblets or frozen corn niblets
1 egg, beaten lightly
olive-oil cooking spray

Combine zucchini, corn and egg in a small bowl; season. 

Heat a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat; spray with oil. 

Spoon fritter sized mixture into pan and cook for two minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. 

Cholent

This amount feeds about 6-8 people, double the recipe for a larger crowd. For a vegetarian version, just leave out the meat.


1/2 kilo beef goulash [beef cut into small cubes]
1 top rib bone [can also use smoked bones for a smokey flavour]
2 onions - chopped
2 cloves garlic = minced or finely chopped
tablespoon olive oil

half cup soup mix [split peas and barley], rinsed
1 can butter beans [lima beans] - drained
6 potatoes - cut into medium sized pieces
3 carrots - cut into small slices
1 parsnip - chopped finely
1/3 cup tomato puree or ketchup
1/3 cup soy sauce
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Vegeta flavoring

You can add any spices you want to, such as cumin, paprika or chili flakes.  Sefardi Jews add raw eggs, still in the shell, which cook along with everything else, and absorb the colour and flavour of the cholent.

Fry onion in the olive oil for about 10 mins, then add garlic and beef goulash pieces and cook for a few minutes until meat is browned on all sides.  Then add all the other ingredients and cover with water. Bring to boil and then allow to simmer, or leave on very low heat, or use a slow-cooker.  Cook for as long as you like, minimum 8 hours, maximum 22 hours.