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Delicious Recipes for the Spring Holidays

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DELICIOUS RECIPES FOR THE SPRING HOLIDAYSo

By Great Performances

We celebrate all of life’s moments with food – and especially during the holidays. This month we’re observing Ramadan (Ramadan Mubarak!), Passover, and Easter among others. We’ve polled our GP family, including our friends over at Poster House, to get some of their family-favorite recipes.

From a fun spin on a hot dog from Liz to the truth about a beloved family dish from Jenell, we’re sure you’ll enjoy these recipes. We also have some recipes (including an award-winning one!) from our friends at Poster House, an incredible museum in Chelsea dedicated to the impact posters have had—and a beautiful venue for everything from corporate workshops to baby showers.

Let us know if you try any of these recipes at home! We’d love to see pictures and you can tag @GPFood on Instagram!

Char Grilled Baby Carrots

by Andrew Smith, Culinary Director

During the spring holidays I tend to look for something light that will work with all the holidays.

Ingredients

  • 17 ea baby carrots, grilled till cooked through approximately 10-12 minutes medium heat   
  • 1/3 cup chopped dill
  • 1 each fresh lemon juice and zest
  • 1 cup coconut milk yogurt (non-sweet)
  • 8 ea marigold flowers stem removed chopped
  • ¼ cup spiced almonds chopped ( agave, chili powder, cinnamon toss and bake 325 degrees 7 minutes)

Directions

Toss baby carrots in olive oil and salt to season. Then grill over a medium heat turning to avoid burning. Once cooked through place in mixing bowls with dill, lemon juice, lemon zest and chopped almonds. On a serving plater spread yogurt to create a bed for carrots and garnish with marigolds

Serves 6

Matzoh Dogs

by Liz Neumark

We have a weekly family tradition of preparing hot dogs for my father and my son. For Passover, we needed a Passover-friendly version of the traditional bun for the hot dog. And so, the matzoh hot dog entered the Neumark family cookbook!

Take a square of machine made matzoh and place it in a pan with water to cover the top (1/2“).

Press the matzoh between some paper towels so that it is pliable, damp and not too wet.

Take a hot dog and lightly spread some mustard around it. if you don’t like mustard, you can use some mayo or a little ketchup.

Roll the matzoh around the hot dog, like you are wrapping it in phyllo pastry, overlap it a little, then trim the extra for the next hot dog. The ‘pasty’ matzoh should form a snug blanket around the dog.

Heat a frying pan with grapeseed or vegetable oil – when you add the dog it will splatter so be ready.  Keep turning as it gets cooked and crispy.  Let the dog get hot inside too.

Enjoy with your favorite condiments!

Aunt Bev’s Noodle Pudding (aka Noodle Kugel)

by Jenell Cruickshank

Growing up I spent a lot of time with my Aunt Bev.  She always made the best food, typically Jamaican (oxtails, rice and peas, plantains, escovitch fish) for trips to the park, the beach, and most importantly the holidays. One thing in particular that we always looked forward to was her Noodle Pudding, this rich & creamy noodle concoction with just a little crunch on top amazing! No Mac and cheese needed on the dinner table when Aunt Bev’s noodle pudding was there! Everyone asks for seconds and takes a few slices home.

Unfortunately, Aunt Bev passed away but my mom carries on the tradition  making her Noodle Pudding for every holiday and It feels like a little part of her is still with us.

Once I started working in catering I realized Aunt Bev’s noodle pudding was her version of the very traditional Jewish dish Noodle Kugel ! it makes me giggle because all these years it was this magical recipe I thought she created herself. To my family it will always be Aunt Bev’s Noodle Pudding and look forward to having it this Easter Sunday 😊

Ingredients

For the Noodles:

  • 1 (8-ounce) package medium-wide egg noodles
  • 1 (16oz) package of sour cream  
  • 1 (8-ounce) package Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Sugar to taste
  • cinnamon or nutmeg to taste

For the Topping:

  • 1 1/2 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

  1. Gather the ingredients.00:46
  2. Heat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 x 13 x 2-inch (3-quart) baking dish.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well and set aside. 
  4. In a large bowl, beat together the sour cream, cream cheese, until smooth.
  5. Add the cream cheese mixture to the noodles.
  6. Add the vanilla & sugar make sure its well mixed.
  7. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. 

*** You can add raisins in the cream cheese mixture if you like.

Make the Topping and Bake

  1. Add crushed cereal on top of noodles
  2. Drizzle melted butter on top so all the cornflakes are covered.
  3. Bake in a heated oven for approximately 1 hour or until it is set in the center and golden on the bottom.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting into squares to serve. 

Great Grandma's Passover Mandelbread

by Samantha Hirsch, Director of Education at Poster House

It’s not Passover without this mandelbread recipe! Similar to a biscotti, dipped in coffee it’s a treat that makes you forget it doesn’t have any flour in it!

Poster House is one of Great Performances’ newest venues. A hidden gem in Chelsea converge, it’s the first museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to posters. Poster House is dedicated to presenting the impact, culture, and design of posters, both as historical documents and methods of contemporary visual communication. The beautiful space is perfect for a variety of events from company workshops to baby showers and more!

Ingredients

  • 2C Sugar 
  • 1/2 C butter (softened) 
  • 6 Eggs 
  • 2 3/4 C Matzo Cake Meal 
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt 
  • 3/4 C Potato Starch 
  • Choc. Chips/Walnuts 
  • Optional mixing Sugar/Cinnamon Mixture for Topping 

Directions

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time. Beat Well. Fold in the cake meal, salt, potato starch and add chocolate chips/nuts (if using). Mix well. On a greased/lined cookie sheet, spoon dough onto the sheet and form into 2 equal sized loaves about 2″ wide . Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture and bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes.

Chess Pie

by Sarah Sloan, Shop Associate, Curatorial Assistant at Navy Yard, Poster House

Chess Pie is a classic Southern dessert that is often overlooked. My grandmother’s was award-winning. In 1990, she entered her recipe into the Crisco National Pie Contest and won the blue ribbon for Mississippi, landing her a spot in the national competition as well as the inclusion of her recipe in Crisco’s “Pies for All Seasons” cook book. However, we always ate this one at Easter! This pie is absolutely divine and thinking of it brings back so many fond memories.

Poster House is one of Great Performances’ newest venues. A hidden gem in Chelsea converge, it’s the first museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to posters. Poster House is dedicated to presenting the impact, culture, and design of posters, both as historical documents and methods of contemporary visual communication. The beautiful space is perfect for a variety of events from company workshops to baby showers and more!

Ingredients

10-inch Crust: 

  • 1 cup all purpose flour 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 
  • 6 tablespoons Crisco butter-flavored shortening 
  • 5 tablespoons ice cold water

Filling: 

  • 3 cups sugar 
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 
  • 5 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons cornmeal 
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla 
  • 1 cup milk 

Directions

  1. For crust: Place flour, salt, and Crisco in a bowl. Mix with fork until the consistency of cornmeal. Add water one tablespoon at a time, until pastry follows fork around the bowl leaving bowl almost clean. Place dough ball on rolling board, shape into flattened ball. Roll until pastry is two inches larger than inverted pie plate. Place sheet in greased pie plate. Work out air pockets and press into plate. Trim edges. Cut tiny leaves from rolled pastry scraps and overlap around edge or flute. Do not bake. Heat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. 
  2. For filling: Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at low speed of electric mixer until blended. Beat in eggs, cornmeal, vanilla and salt. Add milk. Beat at low speed until blended. Pour into unbaked pie crust. 
  3. Bake at 325 degrees fahrenheit for 1 hour 20 minutes or until filling is set. Cover edge of pie with foil, if necessary, to prevent overbrowning. Cool to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate leftover pie.