Passover is one of the best-known Jewish holidays. The first night is celebrated with a family meal called a seder. My grandmother’s seders always included her matzo ball soup and beef brisket and ended with sponge cake made from matzo meal, fresh berries and whipped cream.

At Sayrelyn’s we encourage families to prepare meals together. When children help to prepare a holiday meal, they get a sense of accomplishment and learn about family traditions. In planning your menu, remember that the more items you can make ahead, the more time you’ll have with your guests.

For many, a traditional Passover Seder consists of matzo ball soup, brisket or roasted chicken, honey sponge cake or coconut macaroons. But you can incorporate many new ingredients and still honor family traditions at your seder.

Along with a brisket, try serving vegetarian lasagna made with matzo "noodles." This dish starts with water-soaked matzo layered with fresh vegetables, eggs and cheese (replace with tofu cheese for a kosher variation), and can be prepared a few days in advance.

Instead of potatoes this year, why not try a quinoa pilaf? Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") is a kernel the size of a sesame seed that was brought to the U.S. from Chile 20 years ago. Quinoa can taste bitter unless the grain is thoroughly rinsed under running water. For a quinoa pilaf, simply combine 1 cup of rinsed quinoa with diced celery, onions and mushrooms and 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a broil, reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and serve.

For dessert, instead of the usual honey sponge cake or coconut macaroons, try an apple streusel cake or almond macaroons. Following is a recipe for an apple streusel cake: 3 eggs, ¾ cup sugar, 1/3 cup oil, ¾ cup matzo cake meal, 5 apples, peeled and sliced. Topping ingredients: ½ cup sugar, 2 tsp. cinnamon. Directions: (1) beat the eggs with sugar and oil until combined. (2) Add the matzo cake meal and mix well. (3) Pour half the batter into an 8-inch greased pan. (4) Arrange half of the apples over the batter. (5) Pour the rest of the batter over the apples and cover with the remaining apples. (6) Mix the topping in a small bowl and sprinkle over the cake. (7) Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for about 1½ hours.

Finally, have your kids dip matzo into melted dark or milk chocolate for their after-dinner treat. As always, be creative and have fun in planning this year’s Passover seder.