Seder Bites & Matzoh Spanakopita

Here are some scenes from the annual Passover seder.

40 people at my friend Deborah's house......great food, great booze, great people and great conversation.

Everyone reads from the Haggadah, the story of Moses freeing the Israelites from slavery......the story of Passover, the story of freedom.

Now for the fabulous food:

Must have horseradish, 2 ways (with beets, and extra hot).

We had brisket 2 ways (sweet and spicy); poached salmon; roasted chicken; matzoh stuffing; beet salad; asparagus; quinoa; chopped liver; the BEST matzoh ball soup; homemade gefilte fish; haroset (made by me) and lots of other goodies.

The highlight of the meal was this amazing Greek spanakopita, made with matzoh instead of phyllo dough.

If you are keeping kosher for Passover (meaning eating no bread), then make this recipe this week.
It was SO GOOD and easy.

Spinach & Matzoh Spanakopita: (adapted from Epicurious)

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped dill, divided
1 (16-ounce) container cottage cheese
2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
6 ounces feta, crumbled (1 1/2 cups), divided
6 matzos (about 6 inches square)

Preheat oven to 400F.

Cook onion in oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put spinach in a sieve and press out as much liquid as possible. Add spinach to onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup dill, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Purée cottage cheese in a blender with milk, eggs, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper until smooth. Reserve 2 cups in a bowl and stir remainder into spinach with 1 cup feta.

Stack matzos in a deep dish, like a lasagne, and pour reserved cottage-cheese mixture over them. Let stand 15 minutes to soften.

Arrange 2 soaked matzos side by side in a generously oiled 13- by 9- by 2-inch (3-quart shallow) baking dish.
Pour in half of spinach filling. Cover with 2 more matzos, then pour in remaining filling. Put remaining 2 matzos on top and pour any remaining cottage-cheese mixture over them. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup feta.

Bake, uncovered, until golden and set, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then serve sprinkled with remaining 2 tablespoons dill.

You can prepare this and assemble the pie one day ahead, but don't bake it until the day you are serving it.

It's so good.

Hope you had a great Passover and Easter weekend!