Pesach without meat?

Every year, I have to remind my daughter (now 11) that her vegetarian schnitzels are not available on Pesach. While Tivol is not necessarily the most healthful choice, it does give the illusion of a main dish so she doesn’t feel she is only eating sides and vegetables. On Pesach I always feel that we are shortchanging her (despite the fact that we are a kitniyot-eating family). This year I am hoping to get a little help from a new cookbook, the Vegan Passover Cookbook.

Rena Reich has recently published this e-book which contains recipes for appetizers, main dishes, sides and desserts. They are all vegan and kitniyot-free so they can even be served to our Ashkenazi guests. I am thinking about trying some of the main dishes, especially the mushroom burgers, since my daughter once ate a mushroom burger at a simchah and enjoyed it. And the chocolate chip cookies look so delicious I am definitely going to have to try them too.

The recipes are all made from ingredients you can easily buy at the store and nothing looks too complex. This is important especially if I end up making extra dishes in addition to my usual menu. I also love that Rena has included introductory notes to each recipe, where she draws you into her kitchen, family life and childhood memories. There’s even a section on how and why she became a vegan and how her life has been affected by it. This book is fun to read even before you get to the recipes.

If you are vegan, you’ll love the recipes for Pesach classics like matzah brei and matzah balls and ideas for a plant-based seder menu. And if you’re not, there are still some great dishes that are worth making even when Pesach is over. I like the orange soup, cauliflower poppers and chocolate torte.

I am hoping that this year my daughter will feel a little less deprived on Pesach. Maybe now that she is a bit older she can help make some of these recipes. And if we’re really lucky, we’ll convince the rest of the family to taste them as well.