In the kitchen with Henny: Easy Purim, Passover dinners using what’s already in your kitchen

Start with the pantry. Scan your grains, canned goods, baking supplies, and snacks. Notice what’s open, what’s duplicated, and what’s been pushed to the back. The two cans of chickpeas can become dinner. The open bag of pasta is already this week’s plan. The extra snacks from mishloach manot can move into lunches instead of sitting untouched.

Then check the fridge and ask one simple question: what needs to be used first? Leftover chicken, cut vegetables, half-used jars of sauce. Instead of buying more, let those items guide the week’s meals. Often, dinner is already halfway there.

Finally, open the freezer and think of it as a savings account. Look first for proteins, then breads, then prepared foods from previous weeks. Plan at least one dinner straight from what is already frozen. Using what you have now lightens both the mental load of the week and the hametz load before Passover.

Inventory shifts the question from “What do I need to buy?” to “What can I make with what I already have?” And especially during uncertain days, that shift alone can bring a surprising sense of calm.

Below are a few simple recipes that use ingredients you may already have on hand and can be prepared without standing over a stove. They are oven-based, which means you can set the timer and step away if needed, knowing dinner will be waiting for you when you return.

My husband loves guacamole, so it has become his job to make it whenever the avocados are ripe and ready to be used. This recipe comes together in minutes, especially if you have a food processor; everything goes in at once, and it’s done almost before you realize you started. It’s fresh, simple, and the perfect addition to quesadillas, a tortilla cheese dish.

Place the avocados, red onion, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, lemon juice, and jalapeño or sriracha, if using, into a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse until you reach your desired consistency, either slightly chunky or smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and pulse once or twice more to combine. Serve immediately, or press plastic wrap directly against the surface to prevent browning until ready to serve.

These quesadillas are one of those dinners that feel almost too easy to call a recipe. Everything bakes together on one tray, which means no standing over a stove and no flipping tortillas one by one. They’re colorful, comforting, and come together quickly – especially when paired with a bowl of fresh guacamole on the side.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay half of the tortillas flat on the baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with mozzarella and cheddar. Scatter the sliced red onion and peppers over the cheese and spoon small amounts of salsa across the surface, being careful not to add too much so the tortillas stay crisp. Top with the remaining tortillas and lightly brush the tops with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are golden and slightly crisp. Let rest for a few minutes before slicing into wedges and serving warm.

This is the kind of one-pan dinner that comes together with what’s already in your kitchen.

Canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, even fresh ones that need to be used – they all roast beautifully under the chicken. Use whatever seasonings you have open: paprika, garlic powder, dried herbs, or a favorite spice blend. A squeeze of lemon or even a spoonful of jam can add just enough flavor. It’s less about following a strict recipe and more about building dinner from your pantry.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Spread the chopped onion and vegetables evenly across the bottom of a large baking dish or sheet pan. Arrange the potato chunks over the vegetables. Place the chicken pieces on top, skin side up, and season evenly with kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, herbs, or any preferred spice blend. If adding lemon juice, orange juice, or a spoonful of jam, drizzle it lightly over the chicken before roasting. As the chicken cooks, its natural juices will flavor the vegetables underneath.

Roast uncovered for 1 and a half hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and the potatoes are tender and golden. If desired, increase the heat slightly for the final few minutes to crisp the skin.

There are days for perfectly shaped cookies, and then there are days for pressing dough into a pan and calling it done. These chocolate chip squares come together in one bowl, get spread into a single pan, and bake all at once.

No scooping, no rolling, no extra trays, just something sweet and steady. And because everything bakes in one pan, you can set the oven and not worry about it if you need to step away.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly into a lined or greased 23 x 33 cm. (9x13-inch) pan, pressing it down gently with your hands or the back of a spoon. Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly golden and set in the center.

During these days on high alert, when everything feels heavy, here are a few simple ways to put food on the table that will keep you and your family nourished without adding more effort to an already full load.

When I wrote an article in June during the 12 Day War with Iran, it was also about survival-mode cooking. By the time it was published, that chapter had closed, and life was beginning to feel almost normal again.

I pray that happens now as well – but not that we return to “normal.” I pray that we return to better. To a time when we can truly breathe. When we are not waiting for the next siren or the next headline. When we know, deeply and confidently, that there is peace with the world, with our nation, and with each other.

I am sending my readers strength and support as we navigate this time of uncertainty. And may the unity we experience in bomb shelters – strangers sitting side by side – continue above ground as well. Because when it comes to the Jewish people, none of us is truly a stranger. May that closeness bring us nearer to one another and closer to redemption.