My Vegan Seder

I love Passover.  I may have mentioned that it is my favorite Jewish holiday (see last Friday's post)! There are so many reasons to love it (and I love them all), but I enjoy planning the seder meal most because it gives me a chance to be creative, try out new recipes, and delight my guests with new tastes.  The seder is a traditional meal that tells the story of and celebrates the Jews' freedom from the Egyptians.  There are traditional dishes such as haroset (an apple/walnut "dip" that represents the mortar from the bricks that the Jews used to build the pyramids while enslaved), as well as matzah ball soup, (a "dumpling" soup made out of matzah, the unleavened bread that Jews carried as they escaped Egypt). This year's menu will include both of these traditional dishes and more, all prepared vegan.  In the past, I have included a non vegan main dish, but have finally made the transition to all veeg for my guests this year.

I will be serving buffet style with the following dishes:

Vegan Matzah Ball Soup: I have tried many a vegan matzah ball recipe with mixed results.  Here's hoping that the recipe from Mayim's Vegan Table is a success.

Quinoa Patties: I am making these (something new this year), using matzah meal, Ener-G egg replacer (instead of eggs) and vegan cheese (Daiya is my preferred brand).

Polenta Cakes With Wild Mushrooms, Figs and Hazelnuts: This recipe from new cookbook Pure Vegan looks amazing.  I think it will make a beautiful entree dish, along with the quinoa patties.

Kale Salad with Roasted Fennel and Tomatoes: This is my new favorite salad, inspired by the one I tasted at The Source Cafe in Hermosa Beach.  It sings spring and adds some beautiful greens to the buffet. 

Mediterranean Salad with Kalamata Olive Vinaigrette: I am so excited to try this recipe from The Candle 79 Cookbook.  This book is gorgeous!  Arugula and fingerling potatoes bring a new twist to the traditional ingredients of tomatoes, cucumber and red onion.  Tossed with a kalamata olive vinaaigrette - um...I might eat the whole thing myself.

Potato Kugel: Passover wouldn't be Passover without a kugel or two.  Click here for my favorite vegan recipe.

Passover Rolls: I use Ener-G egg replacer in this recipe that my mom introduced me to several years ago.

As for the seder plate, I veganize that too!  Here's what I use:
Charoset: I use my cousin Janet's family recipe, sweetened with agave.
Karpas: Flat leaf parsley
Maror: Horseradish
Chazeret: A piece of romaine lettuce (though, I might use arugula this year as I will have it handy for the salad above).
Zeroa: Traditionally a shank bone, I use a roasted beet instead.
Beitzah: This is traditionally a hard boiled egg.  I am going to use an avocado pit this year.

And last but not least, dessert...

I am dying to try the Chocolate, Fruit, and Nut Clusters from Mayim's Vegan Table, and will have to try this Salted Chocolate Tart.  Chocolate Matzah Bark is always a mainstay.  I am going to try this Almond Coconut version too this year.

Happy Pesah!  Wishing you a delicious and fun seder!