[CH] A Chilehead's Passover

The Old Bear (oldbear@arctos.com)
Sat, 11 Apr 1998 15:46:47 -0400 

For those Chileheads whose heritage included wandering for forty 
years in the dessert hoping that Albuquerque might be part of the 
promised land, the following recipe comes from Wednesday's food 
section of The Boston Globe.  I'd suggest increasing the amount of 
chopped jalapeno and adding some other chiles to improve the 
complexity of the flavors:

   MEXICAN MATZO BREI

   This recipe is adapted from "Fast & Festive Meals for the 
   Jewish Holidays," by Marlene Sorosky (William Morrow, 1997). 

   For guacamole filling: 

    1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped 
    1 scallion, finely chopped 
    2 tablespoons sour cream 
    1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 

   For omelette: 

    1 matzo, broken into 2-inch pieces 
    3 eggs, lightly beaten 
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
    1 tablespoon butter for pan
    1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese 
    1 small jalapeno pepper, cored and finely chopped 
    Salsa, for serving (optional) 

   For the guacamole, stir together the avocado, scallion, sour cream, 
   and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Set aside. 
 
   For the omelette, place the matzo in a colander in the sink and 
   pour boiling water over it.  Let stand 2 minutes.  Squeeze out the 
   liquid and place the matzo in a bowl.  Add the eggs, salt, and 
   jalapeno, and mix well. 

   In a 10-inch, nonstick frying pan, melt the butter. Pour the matzo 
   mixture into the hot pan and cook over medium heat, pulling the 
   eggs toward the center of pan with a spatula and tilting the pan 
   to allow uncooked portions to flow into empty spaces until set. 

   Sprinkle the omelette with cheese.  Spread the guacamole filling 
   over half the omelette.  Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 
   5 minutes.  Fold the omelette in half and slide onto a serving 
   plate.  Divide it in 2 and serve at once.  If desired, garnish 
   with salsa. 


Another favorite of mine is a recipe which I adapted from Lynn Nusom's
New Mexico cookbook several years ago:

  Chopped Liver in the Santa Fe Style
  -----------------------------------
     1 lb    chicken livers
   1/2 cup   canola oil (or Chicken Fat)
   1/4 cup   chopped fresh cilantro
   1/3 cup   white tequila
   1/4 tsp   garlic salt
   1/4 tsp   ground white pepper
     2 tsp   finely chopped chiles
     2       medium size green onions, chopped

  Wash chicken livers well and pat dry on paper towels.  Put oil (or
  melted chicken fat) in a frying pan and saute chicken livers until 
  they are just cooked through.  Do not overcook, or they will be
  tough.

  Let cool and chop livers finely in a food processor.  Do not puree. 
  It is important that there be some texture.

  Add cilantro, tequila, garlic salt, pepper, finely chopped chiles 
  and chopped green onions.  Blend by hand until smooth.

  Put in terrine or other appropriate serving container.  Refrigerate,
  covered with plastic wrap, for at least six hours.

  Serve with crackers or Aviv whole-wheat matzoh (the world's only 
  matzoh that does not taste like cardboard.)


And keep in mind that 100% agave tequila is not distilled from grain.  :)

Cheers,
The Old Bear