Seasonal Cooking

In modernity, after the destruction of the second Temple, the food most associated with Passover is matzah.  However, Passover was originally known as Hag Ha-Aviv (the holiday of spring) and it was connected to the beginning of the barley harvest.  The newly harvested barley could not be eaten until after the first sheaves of grain were offered to the Priests the second day of Pesach. The word Omer means “a measure or portion” (referring to the grain), and the Counting of the days of the Omer, in biblical times, coincided with the time period between the barley harvest and the harvesting of the first spring wheat, traditionally when Shavuot was celebrated.

The Romans and Greeks in ancient times prayed to their Goddesses of grain for a productive harvest.  The Jews, however, prayed to God to watch over the crops during the typical windy season in Israel.  A northern wind could bring rains that would destroy the new barley crop and a southern, hot, wind could stop the growth of the new wheat before it was to be harvested.  Barley was the mainstay of the Jew’s diet in biblical times because it was a very adaptable plant to cultivate in the different climates of Israel and very resistant to the dry desert heat.

Barley has been around since the Stone Age and cultivated in the Levant for more than 5000 years.  Remnants of the grain have been found in Egyptian pyramids and recipes for barley beer appear in Sumerian and Egyptian writings.

Although the majority of barley grain is used today in making malt for beers and feed for livestock, barley has seen a resurgence of popularity in recent years.  In order to make it palatable for human consumption the outer hull of the barley is ground off, “pearled”, three times and the bran is removed so that it will absorb water and swell. Although cracked, hulled, barley grains can be found in health food stores, pearled barley is readily available in supermarkets and is easier to use in most recipes.

Whether you live in a climate that is still cold during the early period of the counting of the Omer this year or whether summer has already preempted spring, enjoy the following barley recipes to commemorate Hag Ha-Aviv.

Eat in Good Health!

 Spring Barley Risotto with Asparagus and Lemon

Summer Barley Salad

This time of year it is a challenge to find recipes that won’t be dry and tasteless by the time everyone comes back from Shul on Friday night.   Chicken being the most budget friendly can easily dry out, but there are some recipes that hold up better than others.  In general saucy chickens with or without the bones can stay pretty moist as long as they don’t lose their liquid, so add a little extra and don’t let it heat at too a high a temperature.  Breaded, fried or baked, chicken usually does pretty well too, the coating helps lock in the moisture and it is still very good if you have to serve it room temperature.   Here are ten  chicken recipes that would be perfect for a late Friday night or any weekday dinner.

Apricot Chicken Tajine

Chicken Meatball Stew

Kishka Stuffed Chicken

Chicken in a Pot (excuse the pictures, this dish is truly delicious)

Magluba (1 pot meat)

Spicy Chicken and Grape Lettuce Wraps

Chicken with Green Olives and Prunes

Pecan Crusted Chicken

Jamie’s Speedy Coq Au Vin (a juicy chicken perfect for a late friday night)

Herb and Pumpkin Seed Drumsticks

With Passover a wonderful memory and your matzo coma beginning to wane, you must be ready for a dish that has no resemblance to anything you might have eaten throughout the holiday.  It’s time to put away your braising pot, toss your oven mitts to the side and retire your roasting pan at least for the week. The following are some wonderful dishes that sing spring and wake up your taste buds to the promise of a new season.

Pineapple Mango Chutney

That’s right, it’s time to barbecue.  I know there’s still a chill in the air, but don’t be a wuss, you’ve spent way too much time in the kitchen simmering soup and braising brisket.  Breathe some of that fresh air and get your grill on.  I’m talking Korean Kalbi ribs, simple, fast and they can be made indoors if you don’t have a sweater!  This dish takes the humble flanken, which is a short rib that is cross cut rather than cut parallel to the bone.  The result are strips of meat interlaced between sawed off bones, rather than one hunk of meat perched atop a single long bone.  Flanken often benefits from a nice slow braise, but when they are cut super thin, they are wonderful after a simple marinade tenderizes and flavors them.  I love to pair them with fresh Pineapple Mango Chutney and a side of Quick Fried Rice. The chutney, which features Asian infused pineapple, jicama and mango lends a refreshing note and can be served alongside the ribs or dolloped on top of them. The flavor profile is a perfect balance to the Asian inspired ribs. And, what would flanken marinated in hoisin, soy and ginger be without a side order of authentic fried rice?  Lonely!

Quick Fried Rice

All these recipes are found in The Kosher Carnivore, but they are yours today with my wishes for a sizzling start to spring.

Main Image – Korean Kalbi Ribs

Just because it’s Pesach does not mean that we cannot have lasagna or pizza – it just means we have to make them differently. Using matzah instead of noodles or pizza dough is a genius idea – I have tasted some Matzah Lasagnas and Pizzas that are out of this world. How do you use matzah to replicate chametz dishes?

Enjoy these recipes:

Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Matzo Lasagna
Wild Mushroom Matzo Pizza 
Spinach and Artichoke Matzo Pizza 
Pear, Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Matzo Pizza
Pesto Matzo Pizza
Caramelized Onion Matzo Pizza 
Margherita Matzo Pizza
Roasted Garlic Matzo Pizza
Dessert Matzo Pizza 

We’ve cooked and cooked to prepare for Pesach—but now it’s the first morning of chol hamoed, and our families begin to roll back into the kitchen. They want to eat again! Serving refreshing, filling, and light Pesach breakfast and lunches—while offering variety—can be almost as big of a challenge as preparing yesterday’s yom tov feast.

From filling and hearty breakfasts, to easy-to-pack take-along lunches for chol hamoed outings, to the snacks that tide them over until dinner, these Pesach solutions will satiate your family from dawn to dusk.

BREAKFAST

Cheese Pancakes 
These pancakes are an all-time favorite in my family—I even make them for dinner almost every week all year round. Though the original chametz recipe calls for ¾ cup flour, it took much less potato starch to reach the same consistency.

Avocado Salsa 
Avocados offer a refreshing twist for the palate and compliment the egg and cheese dishes—breakfast time or anytime.

Two Tone Zucchini Frittata 
For those who don’t have many starch options besides for matzah, but still want to start the day with something filling, these frittatas are a complete meal.

Omelette Roulade 
This roulade is a twist on a traditional egg dish—and is a much more practical idea when serving a large amount of people breakfast in the morning, freeing the home cook from skillet duty as the entire roulade bakes in the oven. Use any vegetables you have on hand to vary the roulade every time.

Chocolate Spread
This is a classic Israeli breakfast staples—shmear it on matzah, or use it on top of pancakes or blintzes for a guarantee that even the pickiest children will be running to the breakfast table. This Pesach version is Malky Vorhand’s brainstorm.

LUNCH

Grilled Chicken Mango Salad 
Often, men like to have a filling meat lunch, even if its Chol Hamoed. If everyone else is eating dairy, you won’t have to prepare a whole separate meal. Use your leftover grilled chicken for this refreshing and satiating salad. Credit goes to Malky Vorhand.

Chocolate Cheese Blintzes 
Wrapped in a neat crepe package, blintzes are an easy and filling lunch take-along on a trip and make a great sandwich replacement. They don’t need to be served hot to be delicious and filling. Serve them plain, or add the chocolate spread in the center for an additional dimension of flavor.

Vegetable Cutlets 
These are a great veggie burger alternative—when you’ve overdosed on potatoes, these are filling, are lighter, and offer a little more variety. Though they’re delicious right out of the fryer, they’re neat, easy to eat, and portable for a take-a-long lunch. Eat alone, or if your customs allow, create a sandwich with matzah and some crunchy lettuce.

Mayonnaise 
Mayonnaise is a staple that can serve as a base for so many dishes. When you have a good kosher for Pesach mayo recipe, it fills a lot of needs and is much more delicious than any store bought variety. To achieve the right consistency, eggs need to be beaten at a high speed for a long time, with the oil added extremely slowly, drip by drip. This is not the time to pull out your hand mixer—a Kitchen Aid or Bosch is necessary.

Waldorf Salad 
Orange Carrot Salad 
Red Potato Salad 
Eggplant Babaganoush 

SNACKS

Chocolate Cheese Snack 
These chocolate cheese snacks are easy to take along—bake them in individual disposable holders so they’re neat and easy to transport. I tried three different cheesecake recipes to find the one that works best—and once again, Malky Vorhand’s won hands down.

Pesach Fingers 
This great take-a-long snack couldn’t be easier to prepare.

Most people only eat compote on Passover. Maybe because it’s so much easier to make it for dessert than to patchke with 5 dozen eggs and potato starch? It is so wonderful to have the house smelling of fruit and cinnamon. Nothing like it.  There was even a whole food holiday devoted to it last month – National Fruit Compote Day, check out the article for fun facts about this French dessert.  Here are five fabulous compote recipes, but they are so versatile – how do you compote?

Dried Fruit Compote 

Dried Fruit Compote with Green Tea and Lemon

Compote 

Cranberry & Ruby Grapefruit Compote 

Rhubarb Vanilla Compote

After days of heavy yom tov eating, our stomachs and taste buds are likely craving lighter fare. These wholesome dairy, pareve, and meat options offer a refreshing change of pace—and are easy to prepare after a busy day.

Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

These eggplant parmesan stacks are both delicious, and visually appealing

Marinara Sauce
This marinara sauce is very versatile, and can be used in a variety of Pesach dishes.

Greek Salad

A perfectly light, but filling salad, to compliment any dairy meal.

Pesach Crumbs
Try these, and you will forget that they are Pesachdig! Make extra, as you will want to use these
crumbs for shnitzel and other Pesach specialties.

Skirt Steak Salad

A deliciously filling dinner salad that can be prepared in just a few minutes. As with all my other Pesach recipes, the salt amounts listed are for kosher salt only. If you are using regular iodized table salt, please make sure to reduce the salt amounts.

Hasselback Potatoes with Balsamic Mayonnaise Dipping Sauce

These potatoes turn out crisp on the outside, and perfectly tender on the inside. Break off the crisps and dip them into balsamic mayonnaise dipping sauce for a really delicious experience.

Pan Seared Tilapia

Really simple to prepare, but oh so tasty.

Quinoa Salad

Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. Perfect for Pesach, quinoa is protein rich, has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture, and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. Quinoa is available at your local health food store.

Once we’ve gotten ourselves past the Seder accoutrements ~ the ceremonial foods, the hearty meal and the sweet desserts, we can look forward to some of the other holiday treats.  In my household, running a close second to the chocolate covered matzo, is matzo brei.  Matzo brei is the quintessential Passover brunch food; although it’s just as appreciated as a light dinner, too.

Loosely translated, matzo brei is matzo fried with eggs.  And while that is often the case, it can be so much more!  For instance, is your favorite style more matzo than egg, like a pancake; or is it more egg than matzo ~ frittata style?

Important to the making of any good matzo brei is the crumble to soak ratio.  The matzo should be broken into large pieces, about the size of a half dollar.  The soaking should soften the matzo just enough to still retain a crisp bite of texture.  Too soft and the brei will be like scrambled eggs.  Too crisp and it will not be able to absorb any flavor.  Most recipes, even Bubbe’s, will have you soak the matzo in water.  Ideally the matzo should be soaked in milk or cream for your dairy selections.  For meat dishes, soaking in chicken broth will add an additional nuance.

No matter which recipe you use, be sure to fry the batter undisturbed in butter, schmaltz or olive oil for several minutes over a low fire for a beautifully bronzed crust before turning.

For those with a sweet tooth, in its most traditional form the matzo brei is buttery soft with crispy edges, served with cinnamon sugar, honey and a medley of fresh berries.  Others opt for a savory version of salami rendered in peppered schmaltz.  But one look in your holiday fridge can offer an endless range of options ~ even during this holiday’s restrictions.

Put that leftover dill to use with a lox and onion matzo brei.  Fold in dollops of cream cheese for a rich flavor.  Another option is to sauté chicken with red peppers, ginger and scallions which will bring an Asian flare to the week.

Or perhaps a dessert style matzo brei is more to your liking?  Try one with farmer cheese lightly whipped with lemon zest and vanilla, or turn the classic cinnamon into a sweet treat with toasted chestnuts, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Here’s one of my favorite recipes; it’s so delicious that you’ll enjoy it year round!

Salami and Eggs Matzo Frittata

Whenever you talk about Passover cooking, everyone groans and says they are so sick of potatoes. But potatoes on Passover don’t have to be boring. The average American eats about 140 lbs of potatoes every year – that’s a lot. But just think – potatoes can be mashed and fried, boiled and grilled, chipped and chopped. Raw or cooked – everyone enjoys potatoes in their diets.

Here are some great Passover Potato recipes:

Hassleback Potatoes 
Accordion Potatoes 
Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes 

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Dairy Potato Leek Quiche
Creamy Mashed Potatoes 

Potato Pancakes with Guacamole and Poached Eggs

Potato Pancakes with Guacamole and Poached Eggs 
Creamy Smashed Potatoes with Chives 

Red Potato Salad

 Red Potato Salad 

Almond Caper Potato Salad 
Parsley Smashed New Potatoes 

Potato Kugel Cups

Potato Kugel Cups 
Herb-Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes 

Herb Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes

Sauteed Potatoes 
Spanish Omelet/Tortilla De Patatas 
Potato-Pepper Frittata 

Watch Jamie Make Potato Chip Chicken Schnitzel:

Read About the Health Benefits of Potatoes.

Click to read about National Potato Chip Day and National Potato Lovers Day.

After the Seder Plate is washed and the haggadahs are shaken out and put away, there is an inner sigh of relief mixed with contentment, a feeling of release after all those weeks of build-up leading up to Seder night. We are full, we are sated with the work of our hands…that is, until the next day when the festive intermediary days of Chol HaMoed are upon us and somehow, despite all the food….everyone is hungry. Again?

Chol HaMoed Pesach is a particularly beautiful time of year – with spring buds and blossoms all abloom, it presents wonderful opportunities to spend time with family, go on outings or activities and to leave our kitchens! Nonetheless, at the end of the day, there are still hungry mouths waiting for dinner, especially after a long day out. Now is the perfect time to get organized and anticipate those “forgotten” meals of Pesach. A little advanced planning now will go a long way towards ensuring stress-free meals on days when time and energy are at a premium. Plan a holiday week menu now to minimize shopping trips and maximize your family-time.

With so many heavy holiday meals behind us, lighter fare is always a welcome change. I recommend choosing fish or dairy dishes that are either easy to prepare or whose steps can be broken down and done in advance. Grandma Sylvia’s Salmon Croquettes are always a family favorite – the croquette mixture can be made in the morning or the night before, and the onions can be sliced in advance as well.  Roasted Halibut with Orange Gremolata can be assembled in advance and put in the oven right before serving time – by the time you’re done setting the table, it’ll be fresh and ready!

Look for recipes that your family will enjoy and that will allow YOU to enjoy the holiday as well!

From my table to yours, best wishes for a Happy & Kosher Pesach!

Wine and dine your guests this holiday, in the comfort of your own home.

Chef David Kolotkin, executive chef of The Prime Grill in New York City, brings his passion and innovation to your table this Pesach. Learn the secrets behind the unique flavors and flare Prime Grill diners enjoy. Chef David’s love for cooking didn’t sprout in a commercial kitchen. They were born in his childhood home, enjoying his mother’s delicious home-cooked meals and bonding moments with his parents in the kitchen. There, his deep respect for food grew, leading to his illustrious culinary career. Now, this Pesach, find that same inspiration—in your own home, around your own table with these recipes:

Chilean Sea Bass Mousse Wrapped with Smoked Salmon with Horseradish Lemon Aioli

Sweet and Sour Beets with Basil

Dry Rubbed Double Cut Veal Chop for Two

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Wine Recommendation: Domaine du Castel Petite Castel

A full bodied white win such as a Viognier would definitely work well with the sea bass, souffle, and veal chop, but a medium bodied red wine might work a little better and be a more festive option.  Pinot Noir has a lighter body and higher acidity than big red wines (Cabernet or Merlot) and will complement the subtle flavors found in this fish appetizer and veal main rather than overwhelm them.

Enjoy a gourmet dinner at home.

Syrian Haroset - Victoria Dwek

My father-in-law, a Rav, told me he was once asked, “Why is haroset delicious if it represents such sad things?” He responded, “Every difficulty in life is really sweet—they are blessings from G-d.” Every ingredient in the haroset is symbolic of the Jewish labor in Egypt. The walnuts are the pebbles of the bricks. The dates represent the mud, and the wine is the blood of the babies who were used in place of bricks when the quotas weren’t filled. As most Sepharadim eat gebrokts, the matzah meal represents the straw, also used to make bricks. This recipe is from my husband’s grandmother a”h, Rosa Dwek, from Aleppo, Syria.

Moroccan Charoset Balls – Lauren Dadoun

Moroccans roll charoset into balls and place individual servings on each plate. That’s what I always remembered in my grandmother’s home, and that’s what I do today. When I first got married, for the first 10 years, my family and I would travel back to Montreal to spend the holiday. When I started making my own Pesach, I called my mother, not knowing what to do or what recipes to use. This is my great grandmother’s authentic charoset recipe, straight from Casablanca.

Persian Charoset—Haleg – Reyna Simnegar, from Persian Cooking from the Non-Persian Bride

Persian charoset (Haleg) is fabulous! This is my mother-in-law’s charoset recipe. I buy already ground walnuts and almonds to make my life easier. I also purchase date paste so I don’t have to grind that either. The rest of the ingredients I process together into a wet paste similar in texture to chummus. Charoset spice is made by Sadaf and you can get it online; or simply mix equal parts of cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. Keep haleg refrigerated and if it gets too thick, thin it with grape juice or even sweet wine to give it a grown-up twist!

Ashkenaz Charoset – Etty Deutsch

My sister-in-law’s grandmother, of Polish descent, makes the best charoset—it’s become somewhat of a legendary recipe for the extended family. When I called her, though, she told me that her recipe was never written down! I recreated this version based on her instructions.

7 Fruit Charoset from Surinam

Coconut is the base of Surinam charoset; the ingredients reflect the tropical source of this recipe. Originally, Surinam cherries were simmered and added to the fresh fruits. Today, since most cherries available do not have the same taste, cherry jam is used instead. Some families replace one or two of the ingredients with peaches or pineapple. Like other Sepharadim, Surinamese Jews wouldn’t only make charoset for the seder— they make enough to eat all week long with matzah.

When 800,000 Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, many took refuge in the newly discovered South America. When the Portugese took control of Brazil, prosecutions began again there, and the Jews who had established successful plantations were forced to move again, this time to Surinam, which was under Dutch rule. The area where they settled became known as “Joden Savanne.” When the British colonial government took over, the Jewish community enjoyed additional freedoms and the community flourished. When it switched back to Dutch rule, these freedoms went undisturbed. Though the community now numbers only a few hundred individuals, it is the oldest Jewish community in the Americas.

I don’t know about you but in my family we are pretty strict on Pesach. It’s a funny thing though because when I talk to some people, they seem to think we are so lenient. Considering that Pesach standards stretch from eating rice to not using dishwashing soap (a relative of mine actually washes her dishes with kosher salt!), I guess I can see why some might consider me lenient.

So what do we, or don’t we, eat? Well thankfully, my family does not use shmaltz. We opt for nut oil instead. We don’t use spices or processed condiments like ketchup, mayo, and duck sauce. So our seasonings mostly involve kosher salt and liquid sugar (a simple syrup that is made by boiling water and sugar and pouring it through a cheesecloth). The liquid sugar really comes in handy for my mom because she loves to make everything sweet. She pours it over sweet potato cubes for perfect candied potatoes, adds it to roasts, fruit salads, and even nut-pancakes.

While cooking with minimal (or no) spices and herbs is a challenge, it’s also an opportunity to get back to the basics. During the year, we rely so heavily on bottled sauces and marinades that its nice to relearn how to bring out the natural flavors of foods using minimal processed ingredients. All you really need is a simple sprinkling of salt to bring out the flavor in your dishes.

While my mom likes to use sugar to spruce up some of her recipes, I like to make use of the inherent sweetness found in fruits and vegetables instead. Sauteed onions are great way to add natural sweetness to so many dishes. I know some people who prepare vats of it before Pesach and freeze it in individual portions. Most of my family’s meat and chicken Pesach recipes include sauteed onions as a base and some kind of braising liquid like wine or juice. The onions practically melt into the juice and the resulting sauce is delicious over mashed potatoes.

Another great way to bring out the natural sweetness in fruits and vegetables is to roast them. Try roasting the apples for your applesauce, or the beets for your vinaigrette. The taste is incomparable to those that are boiled. When you boil your fruits and vegetables, a lot of the natural sweetness and flavor gets released into the water. Roasting, on the other hand, concentrates the flavors so that it’s more full-bodied and sweet.

Try this Orange Chicken over roasted mashed sweet potatoes or sliced roasted beets for a delicious naturally sweet meal.

There are many minhagim (customs) regarding Passover. Each branch (sect) of Judaism having their own special interpretations. Among Chassidim, and in our household, we do not eat Gebrokst (allow the matzoh to get wet) for the first 7 days of Passover. On the 8th day we allow the matzoh to be eaten freely with all foods and to be wetted and especially to make knaidlach and matzoh brei. We also take on many chumrahs (restrictions) such as eating only fruits and vegetables that can be peeled. Therefore virtually all spices are prohibited. In our sect, garlic is not used. You might think, that we are left with practically nothing to eat, since we take on the additional chumrah that we don’t use any processed foods, but make everything ourselves. The only processed foods we use are Salt, Sugar (boiled and filtered before Passover, and used in liquid form), Oil, Matzoh and Wine. In recent years, as the family has grown, we now buy potato starch, since we can’t produce enough of it just from slicing and soaking potatoes. (Here is a recipe for Potato Starch “Matzo” Balls)

In truth, I love Passover, because I think it is the healthiest 8 days of the year. No food colorings, no preservatives, no junk. I used to lecture on this subject to people first learning about Jewish Law, saying that if it reads “Kosher for Passover” we don’t use it. My point was, we make everything we can ourselves.

However, as a certified “pepperhead” I enjoy highly spiced foods, therefore I employ those foods that are easy to peel, yet impart strong flavors. Shallots find as prominent a place in my Passover kitchen as onions. I peel jalapeno peppers with ease, and make a very spicy condiment that can be used in a variety of ways. Frying the peppers with shallots in equal quantities will create a “chariff” that can be added to soup, sauces or used as a dip. I love habaneros, but have yet to find a way of peeling them easily. Their seeds however carry quite a heat, and I employ the seeds for my own tastes.

Last year I developed a tamarind sauce also as a dip for meat and poultry. It’s quite a job peeling and boiling down the tamarinds and separating the pits, etc (since we wouldn’t use tamarind paste) but I found it well worth the “patchkarei”. I love the taste of ginger which is quite easy to peel, slice, dice and grate using it to flavor soup and meats, and I added it to my tamarind sauce too.

For the “Chariff” it’s just too easy to make, and will vary according to your own taste. For starts you can use equal quantities of jalapeno (or any hot pepper you desire, if you’re not into “peeling”) and shallots, and fry them in oil, until browned and not yet burnt crispy. Salt to taste. If you want hotter, use the seeds, if you want it hotter yet, increase the ratio of pepper to shallots. You can use a hotter pepper or it’s seeds. This is not an exact “recipe” with quantities, it is an idea for you to play with. We make our own mayonnaise and mixing in some of this chariff makes another versatile flavoring.

One of the most refreshing delights at the end of the meal, is my wife’s Lemon Ices, which rivals the finest Italian Ices I’ve ever tasted. Also, extremely simple, but made from scratch, nothing manufactured.

I love Passover, and find it cleansing both spiritually and physically. For those of you who know me, you can only imagine what 8 days without chocolate can mean. And I still love Pesach.

To stuff or not to stuff? That’s the question when it comes to turkeys and I am definitely in the not to stuff camp. Turkeys are big birds and there’s always a concern that the stuffing will not get to a high enough temperature to kill any growing bacteria. It also increases the cooking time and can lead to drier meat because you have to cook the turkey longer if it’s stuffed.

But just because I prefer not to stuff a turkey does not mean we have to do without. Baking it in a baking dish eliminates the potential health risk and the risk of overcooking your bird. I know, I know. Cooking the stuffing outside of the bird doesn’t have quite the same flavour – it’s missing the turkey juices that it absorbs while cooking. We can achieve a very similar result by using turkey or chicken stock in the recipes.

I like to use farfel for Passover stuffings. If you use farfel and chicken or turkey stock, you can take the stuffing in many directions, adding different vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices. Mushroom, Leek and Swiss Chard Stuffing combines some of my favorite vegetables to make a delicious stuffing. If you like a stuffing full of vegetables and herbs, the Herbed Vegetable Stuffing is for you. And if you like fruit with your poultry, try the Sweet Potato and Fruit Farfel Stuffing. Finally, if you really like to cook the stuffing inside the bird, I suggest using Cornish hens instead of a turkey. Glazed Cornish Hens with Vegetable Stuffing is a great option – the stuffing and glaze are easy to prepare but will impress your friends and family.