A vegetarian and dairy dish perfect for a family Passover meal: a mazto pie or mina made with spinach, leeks and lots of Cabot cheese. Thanks to Cabot Creamery Co-operative for sponsoring this Passover recipe.
The Jewish festival of Passover begins at sundown on April 8. This eight-day festival – which commemorates the Jews’ exodus from Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs – is one of the most important periods in the Jewish year. Passover is usually marked by large family and communal gatherings known as Seders at which everyone shares a special meal full of symbolic foods and recites the story of the exodus.
(Want to learn more about Passover, how it is celebrated in America and foods with special meanings for the holiday? Check out my friend Leigh’s delightful podcast As We Eat and its special Passover episode.)
Plainly, this year is not a normal year and everyone around the world is dealing with the implications of a global pandemic. Large gatherings are, of course, the very thing we must avoid to prevent the virus from spreading further. In other words, with Passover only a few weeks away, this holiday may look and feel very different from any Passover before it.
Yet, there will be Passover. Whether we celebrate as one family sheltering in place or perhaps virtually with friends and family far away (or across town), we will celebrate because it is too important not to. Speaking for myself, even if it is just the four of us, we will have a Seder on the first night of Passover and observe the strictures of the holiday for the full eight days. I imagine other Jewish families are already planning to do the same.
So in that spirit, I want to share this Passover recipe with you because it is the perfect size for a family meal and it is vegetarian – or dairy for those of you who keep kosher – which many Passover meals are not.
During Passover, observant Jews are forbidden to eat any foods containing chametz, which are foods made with wheat, rye, oats or barley. The only exception to this restriction is matzo, the flat, cracker-like bread that plays a key role in the Passover story. Over the centuries, out of necessity, Jewish cooks have developed countless ways to use matzo, from matzo balls to chocolate-covered matzo toffee to layered pies made out of matzo known in the Sephardic world as mina.
Minas of all types are found in Jewish cuisine from North Africa to the eastern Mediterranean. Think of them as akin to a Passover lasagna. Boards of matzo are softened with water until pliable – like when you make matzo brei – then layered with savory meat, cheese or vegetable fillings and baked in the oven.
Today, I want to share a recipe for a mina made with leeks, spinach and lots and lots of delicious Cabot Creamery cheese. I picked leeks and spinach because both of these vegetables are hardy and will keep well in the refrigerator if you are only able to shop for groceries occasionally. If you have other vegetables on hand, you could certainly try those instead.
But mainly, this recipe is about the dairy and when I shop for dairy, I always look for the Cabot label. A certified B Corporation, Cabot Cheese is a co-operative owned by farm families throughout New England & New York. That means that 100% of profits go back to the farmers. And Cabot has been doing business this way for over 100 years! Whether you prefer the Seriously Sharp or, my favorite, the New York Extra Sharp, all Cabot cheddars are naturally aged and lactose-free, which is nice because every Jewish family I know has at least one member who is sensitive to lactose.
Layer the vegetable and cheese filling on top of moistened matzo.
To make the filling for this mina – which you can do a day in advance – combine sautéed leeks, Cabot cottage cheese, chopped fresh spinach, scallions and your favorite Cabot Creamery cheddar. The vegetables contain a lot of moisture, which prevents the mina from being dry; the cottage cheese adds creaminess and the cheddar adds richness and flavor. I chose the New York Extra Sharp for my mina, but any of Cabot’s classic cheddars would work well.
Once you have prepared the filling, it is a snap to build the mina and bake it in the oven. Add a green salad and you have a complete, vegetarian Passover meal that your family will savor. How do I know? Because I made this for my family this week and they ate the whole thing even though it’s not Passover.
Best wishes for a meaningful and safe Passover celebration in these unusual times.
Ingredients
- 3 TB butter
- 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced
- 5 oz. baby spinach, sliced
- 2 cups Cabot cottage cheese
- 8 oz. Cabot Cheddar, such as New York Extra Sharp, grated
- 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced
- 1/4 cup chives, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4-6 boards matzo
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- To make the filling, which can be done a day in advance, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté, stirring often, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Try not to let the leeks brown, but rather just soften, lowering the heat as necessary. Set aside.
- Combine the spinach, cottage cheese, grated cheddar, scallions, chives and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cooled sautéed leeks and stir to combine. Add the beaten eggs and stir. Set aside.
- To prepare the mina, preheat the oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan.
- Moisten the boards of matzo by holding them under cool running water or by dunking them briefly in a shallow dish of water. You want the boards to soften but remain intact. Wrap the moistened boards in a clean dish towel and let sit for five minutes.
- Place one of the boards, which should now be pliable, on the bottom of the prepared pan. If there is part of the pan that is not covered, cut or break another board of matzo into pieces and use the pieces to cover any gaps.
- Top the matzo with half of the vegetable filling. Cover filling with another board of matzo and, again, if there any gaps, cover those with pieces of matzo.
- Top matzo with remaining filling. For the top layer of matzo, cut the matzo into squares and overlap them like shingles. (Makes for a prettier presentation.) Brush the top layer of matzo with beaten egg.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and the filling cooked through. Allow mina to sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting to allow the matzo to absorb excess liquid. Serve warm.
Full disclosure time: Cabot Creamery Co-operative sponsored this post and I received compensation for my work. All opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
