Tag: Shavuot

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie

The Jewish holiday of Shavuot starts this weekend so how about a new pie recipe! Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie!

I love this one because it’s completely no-bake, which is perfect for these 90+ degree days. No baking, no water bath, no dirtying up a half dozen mixing bowls. For this recipe, I made a homemade crust (it came out a bit too thick though), but I just mixed 1 1/2 cups of almond flour, about 1/3 cup of softened butter and few tablespoons of sweetener and pressed it into a greased pie plate. But let’s make this even easier and use a store-bought pie crust.

The filling is just cream cheese (but make sure you plan ahead and leave it on your counter for a few hours to soften), sour cream (because I love the tanginess it brings), peanut butter and sweetener. Topped with strawberry jelly (you can use either homemade or store-bought) and whipped cream! This dessert certainly tastes like childhood. You could even be EXTRA and drizzle chocolate sauce over the top. #YUM.

And that’s all she wrote. An easy, no-bake pie, perfect for those hot summer nights, for Shavuot or really anytime of the year.

Chag Sameach, ya’ll!

Click here for more Shavuot recipes!

5 from 1 vote
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Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie
Course: Dessert
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 9-inch Graham Cracker Pie Crust Or make your own! I combined 1 1/2 cups almond flour, 1/3 cup of softened butter and 2 tbsp. sugar substitute and pressed that into a pie plate!
  • 1 Package of cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tbsp. Sour Cream
  • 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar I use the brand Swerve, for a sugar-free alternative
  • 1/3 cup Peanut Butter I like the Kirkland brand from Costco since it's just peanuts and salt - no other additives!
  • 2 cups Strawberry Jelly I used Walden Farms brand which is sugar-free
  • 2 cups Whipped Cream
  • Chopped peanuts for garnish Optional
Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sour cream, peanut butter and powdered sweetener. The consistently will look like mousse.

  2. Spoon into the pie crust, spread a thick layer of strawberry jelly and whipped cream

  3. Cover and chill in the fridge for a few hours or up to overnight

  4. Add some chopped peanuts as garnish and serve cold. YUM!

Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

I can’t believe it’s already mid-July. Seriously, where did this year go already? Well, now that the 9 days before Tisha B’av are here, MYV presents you with some great meatless recipes, including my Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

Truthfully, the 9 days always sneak up on me. Of course I know when the start of the 3 weeks (before Tisha B’av starts) but since I’m meatless all year round, I have to remind myself to meal prep a bit different during these 9 days to make sure I don’t accidentally prepare a deli sandwich for Ellie!

Lazy Dessert

This dessert could not be easier. It’s basically the lazy man’s cheesecake. No water bath, no laundry list of ingredients and a really, really long wait time to chill in the fridge. Just a handful of ingredients that literally took me under 5 minutes to make and pop in the oven. I made a cheesecake for Shavuot and while it was absolutely delicious, I was reminded how long the process takes. And it’s so tempting to dig right in the second it comes out of the oven. But no, patience is a virtue. And a necessity in making cheesecake.

The ricotta cheese and a splash of lemon juice gives the cheesecake a nice creamy but tangy flavor – the perfect cheesecake copycat. Now, I used chocolate chips, but you could add in some fresh berries (perhaps from your summer garden or farmers market) or swirl in some peanut butter along with your chocolate chips for a decadent twist. And by all means, if you have some fresh berry compote in your fridge, you must spoon some on top. And while you’re at it, go crazy with some whipped cream! A cheesecake that takes this little time (and only 45 minutes in the oven) is truly special. And I’m guessing it might make an appearance in your dessert repertoire next Shavuot.

Have a safe and easy fast, friends!

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Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Servings: 8 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 16oz container Ricotta Cheese
  • 2 Eggs (large)
  • 1/4 cup Coconut Flour
  • 1/2 cup Sweetener
  • 1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
  • 1/4 tsp. Vanilla or Maple extract
  • 1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F

  2. Line a non-stick 9-inch round or 8x8 inch square baking dish with parchment paper or non-stick spray

  3. Mix all ingredients together in a medium-size bowl

  4. Add the mixture to the baking pan and smooth out the top

  5. Bake for 45 minutes

  6. Let the cake cool completely before slicing

  7. Serve with berry compote or whipped cream! Or BOTH!

  8. Store leftovers in the fridge (HA, as if there will be leftovers)

Looking for some more recipes for the 9 meatless days before Tisha B’av? We’ve got you covered!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Sausage, Egg & Cheese Casserole

 

Raw Walnut Tacos

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I was cleaning out my freezer the other day and I had a giant bag of frozen broccoli. I wasn’t really in the mood for roasted veggies, just craving something different. Looking in the fridge, I realized we had shredded cheddar cheese of course, the classic Broccoli Cheddar Soup immediately came to mind.

Now sure, this soup is great a cold winter day and well, it has been a bit chilly here lately in Chicago. But since Shavuot starts in just a couple days, this is a great time for this soup to shine. Hello CHEESE!

Childhood Classic

Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, we kept kosher in the house. but at that time, we were still eating out at non-kosher restaurants. My dad would take my younger sister Avi and me to Panera Bread on occasion and our order of choice was the Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Sometimes with the bread bowl. I mean, it’s a great idea in theory, but really, it’s just too much. I have no idea how we would devour the soup AND the bread bowl. Growing kids, I guess, HA!

How fun is it to recreate classic restaurant dishes at home? The food don’t always turn out exactly as we remember, but the moment I tasted this soup, I was instantly brought back to my childhood. Sitting at the booth at Panera with my sister and my dad, eating this soup just reminds me of home. Pure nostalgia. I guess that’s the whole idea of comfort food!

This soup does the trick. Not only is it homey and comforting, but it’s ridiculously easy, with only a handful of ingredients. Oh and it reheats well – perfect for a yom tov meal.

I hope you get as much joy eating this as I did. 🙂 Happy Shavuot!

Don’t forget to check out our other Shavuot recipes here!

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Course: Soup
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 4 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cups Low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 4 cups Broccoli florets Use frozen to make it SO much easier!
  • 3 cups Shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1 tbsp. Butter, or ghee
Instructions

  1. In a large pot, melt the butter or ghee on medium heat and cook the garlic for about 1 minute

  2. Add the broth, broccoli, heavy cream, salt and pepper and bring to a boil

  3. Simmer the soup covered for about 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender

  4. Reduce the heat to low and blend the soup with an immersion/stick blender. If you want to keep chunks of broccoli, you can either use a slotted spoon to take some out, or just blend until most of it is pureed

  5. Turn off the heat and add in the cheddar cheese about 1/2 cup at a time and immediately blend using your immersion blender. If you saved some broccoli for texture, return it to the soup and stir. This is a trick I learned from reading other bloggers and reading cookbooks for this post - blending the cheddar cheese into the soup helps not only to thicken but it prevents the cheese from getting clumpy in the soup

  6. Serve hot with extra cheddar cheese sprinkled on top (and I added a crazy of fresh pepper to garnish too). Bread bowl optional. 🙂

The Cheese Board: Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert Level

Charcuterie boards seem to be all the rage these days. While we have already covered making large meat-based charcuterie boards, with the holiday of Shavuot approaching and its concentration on dairy, I figured it was time to address how to make a smaller cheese board. This is one of those times were the quality of the ingredients really makes a difference. As cheese boards are fairly simple, you cannot hide behind technique. When I am looking for high quality cheese that is beyond the basics, I go with The Cheese Guy. No, they are not sponsoring this post but I really do believe they carry some of the best cheese on the kosher market, available in the US. (Of course if they wanted to work something out, I would be happy to work with them. Brent Delman, have your people call my people).

I created three options, allowing you to tailor your experience around how how courageous you are, and how many people you are.  Each level will be provide a “center of the plate” cheese” along with a some supporting cheeses and some an accoutrement to round things out.  I plated each one on a bamboo cutting board, but any nice tray should work. Finally, what is a cheese board without wine? I have included The Cheese Guy’s recommendation for each of the “center of the plate cheeses as I am definitely not a sommelier.

Beginner Level Cheese Board

Beginner Cheese Board

We start out with something dry, something soft, and something goat:

Asiago shaved into thin strips with a vegetable peeler. I think of asiago as parmesan’s funkier cousin.

Gouda, a creamy soft cheese, cut into cubes. This one is a great melter, for your next grilled cheese or mac and cheese.

For your “center of the plate” cheese go with a whole log of Classic Goat Cheese (drizzled with honey if you want to be fancy). If you like cream cheese, but you want to take it to next level, goat cheese is where it’s at.

Serve with Ritz-style snack crackers and little jam on the side. I like a good strawberry jam, but raspberry or fig would also work nicely.

As far as wine in concerned, to go with the goat cheese, the fine folks at the Cheese Guy recommend a Sauvignon Blanc

Intermediate Level Cheese Board

Intermediate Cheese Board

We are going to take everything from our beginner level board and add the following:

For your “center of the plate” cheese, we are going to introduce some sliced fresh mozzarella. Drizzle with a balsamic reduction or some good olive oil if you want to be fancy.  This comes in a ball or a log and can be a little tricky to slice. Make sure and use a good, sharp knife.

I am also adding a Raw Milk Vermont Artisan Cheddar, sliced thinly, for a little sharpness.

Upgrade your cracker game by adding something with a little more texture and flavor.  One of those mixed party packs that comes with several varieties in different shapes is great for this application along with some mixed nuts for some texture and earthiness to cut the richness of the cheese.

The fine folks at The Cheese guy recommend White wine, pairing the mozzarella with Pinot Grigio.

Expert Level Cheese Board

Expert Cheese Board

For our expert level we are going to take everything from our intermediate level and add the following:

For your center of the plate it is time get in to something runny, the Vermont Bloom Brie Style cheese*. Brie is generally served at room temperature or warm. (You can also hit this one with honey is you want be fancy, or just use the jam.)

And as if weren’t funky enough we are going to add feta* cheese, for its briny flavor and crumbly texture.

Add some dried fruit and instead of crackers we are going to up our game with crostini.  For those of us who don’t speak Italian, those are “little toasts” made from a baguette sliced on a bias and placed under the broiler until lightly browned and the edges just begin to char.

Finally, it is time to break out the bubbly for this one. Pour yourself a flute of some ​Champagne or Prosecco.

This should just be considered a guide in your journey through wide world of cheese.  Feel free to make a cheese board your own. Prefer blue cheese to feta, go ahead and switch it out. If you want to add some fresh fruit to your board, grapes and sliced melon are a welcome addition.

What’s your favorite type of cheese? Let us know in the comments.

 

*Note that these cheeses are being played by their understudies in this picture as due to poor planning on my part I was unable to get the official “The Cheese Guy” version.

Sausage, Egg & Cheese Casserole

Sausage, Egg & Cheese Casserole

Hello friends! And almost Happy Shavout! Now, I know the title of this may may sound a little odd, but don’t worry, I’m using meatless meat here, specifically the Beyond Meat, to make this awesomely-easy Sausage Egg & Cheese Casserole, your newest savory dairy kugel for the upcoming holiday!

Spin on a classic breakfast Sandwich

If you’re not into using the parve meat, you can most definitely make this without it, but it definitely amps up the flavor and makes this a hearty side dish, otherwise, you’re just doing well, egg and cheese. Although there is nothing wrong with that combo.

For this year’s Shavuot recipes, I’m aiming for something easy. A throw-in-the-oven and don’t-think-about-it kind of dish. This casserole is just that. I browned the Beyond Beef on the stove, adding some salt, pepper and cumin. breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it was crumbly like sausage. Then I whisked the eggs, cream, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. I added the “beef” into a greased pan, topped with cheddar cheese and poured the egg and cream mixture on top. I also added in some pickled jalapenos just for fun. But that’s optional!

Leftover Magic

The great thing about this casserole, or kugel is that it’s great hot, room temp or even cold. It reheats well and you can even freeze leftovers!

What’s even more fun? Reheat this (at 325 for about 10 minutes) for the last days of yomtov, toast up some bagels and cut a few pieces of this casserole into thin slices and you’ve got yourself a “sausage, egg & cheese bagel”.

Chag Sameach! Now, let the dairy fest begin!

Want some more Shavuot recipes? Check out some past posts from Meat Your Vegetables here:

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Sausage, Egg & Cheese Casserole
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
 
Course: Brunch, Side Dish
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 16 oz. Package of Beyond Beef If you have parve "sausages" like the Beyond Meat Sausage, those would be delish here! Just chop 'em up!
  • 8 Large Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 2 Garlic cloves, minced Or, I "pressed" them through my microplane zester. So much easier than mincing!
  • 1 handful Pickled jalapenos Optional, or add in fresh hot peppers if you have them! You could also add thinly sliced red onion, green pepper, or mushrooms
  • 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 2 Green onions, thinly sliced For garnish
Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized skillet, brown the beyond beef. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into small chunks, like sausage. Add 1/4 salt and 1/4 pepper and cook for about 10 min.

  2. Pre-heat oven to 350F.

  3. While the meat is browning, crack the eggs into a medium/large bowl. Add in the cream, garlic, salt and pepper.

  4. When the meat is done, add it to a greased 9.5 x 9.5" pan.

  5. Sprinkle the cheese over the "sausage" then add in a handful of pickled jalapenos and pour the egg and cream mixture.

  6. Make sure the cream mixture is incorporated into all nooks and crannies of the casserole. You might need to use your hands to make sure all spots are covered, but it doesn't have to be perfect.

  7. Bake for 35 minutes.

  8. Let the casserole cool, then cut into squares and garnish with sliced green onions. Enjoy!

Personal Spanakopita Cheesecake Topped with Feta and Crispy Leeks

Spanakopita CheesecakeThe holiday of Shavuot is approaching, or as they call it in my wife’s office the cheesecake holiday. Why is it the cheesecake holiday? I’m glad you asked. Shavuot is the only holiday on the Jewish calendar where we traditionally eat dairy. The primary reason given is that Shavuot celebrates the Jewish people’s reception of the Torah. The Torah contains the Jewish dietary rules know as kosher.  While the Jews sorted out these new rules, they stuck to eating dairy which has somewhat simpler rules than consuming meat.

As I have said many times before I am not a baker, and I usually leave anything pastry related to my wife. Instead of treading on her domain and doing a traditional sweet cheesecake for dessert I decide to challenge Rachel to a savory cheesecake challenge.

Spani-what?

I kicked around a few ideas including a deep dish pizza cheesecake, a goat cheese and caramelized onion cheesecake, and a hybrid cheesecake/frittata, but ultimately landed on a spanakopita inspired cheesecake. I took a bottom up approach for this recipe as I wanted to challenge myself to use filo dough (sometimes spelled phyllo) for the crust which can be hard to work with. Once I established that, and wanting to stay in the savory realm, the choice of spankakoptita was fairly obvious. Spankakoptita is a Greek spinach, feta cheese, and filo “pie”, often served in the style of a lasagna or as small hors d’oeuvres. A dish containing cheese, a savory vegetable, and crispy dough checks all the boxes needed to compete in this challenge.

Alerts and Alternatives

A few things to remember as you make this recipe. Taste your feta before you use it.  Some brands are are more moist than others. I prefer a moister feta for this recipe. When frying your leeks keep your temperature low, otherwise the leeks will burn quickly. If you can’t be bothered to make these as personal cheesecakes this will work perfectly well as a large cheesecake. If you decide to make it as a large cheesecake you can use filo dough as a base or you can use a store bought frozen savory pie crust (not a shelf stable graham cracker crust like you would use for a sweet cheesecake).

Recipe: Personal Spanakopita Cheesecake Topped with Feta and Crispy Leeks

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Spanakopita Cheesecake
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Personal Spanakopita Cheesecakes Topped with Feta and Crispy Leeks
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
 

A twist on a Greek dish that is perfect for your Shavuot table.

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek, Holiday, Kosher
Keyword: Cheesecake, Spanakopita
Servings: 24
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Cream Cheese 2 bricks, allow to soften on the counter for an hour
  • 1 lb Ricotta Cheese
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 lbs Fresh Spinach Washed and stems removed
  • 2 Large Onions Sliced
  • 1 Stick Unsalted Butter Melted
  • Kosher Salt For seasoning your spinach and onions
  • 2 Large Leeks Green part removed, white part cleaned, and sliced in to matchsticks
  • 1 lb Feta Cheese Crumbled
  • Vegetable Oil For Frying
  • 1-1 lb Package Filo Dough
Instructions

  1. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter to a large saute pan an place over medium heat. Add the onions and season with a heavy pinch of salt. Saute until the onions begin to brown.

  2. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter and the spinach to the pan. Season again with another heavy pinch of salt. Cook until the spinach has wilted, but be careful not to cook it too much as spinach shrinks significantly when cooked.

  3. Remove the spinach and onion mixture from the pan to the bowl from your mixer. Drain off any excess liquid. Allow to cool to room temperature.

  4. Add the cream cheese, ricotta, and eggs to the mixer Bowl. With the paddle attachment mix until thoroughly combined. You can do this in a mixing bowl with a spatula, but the stand mixer definitely makes it easier.

  5. Brush the muffin tins with melted butter. Cut the filo dough in to 48-3x3 inch squares, and brush each square with melted butter. Place two squares in each cup slightly off set from each other making sure to cover the entire side and bottom the muffin tin cup.

  6. Fill each cup 3/4 the way with the spinach and cream cheese mixture, about 3 tablespoons.

  7. Top each one with feta and bake for 45 minute. Allow to cool and remove from the muffin tins.

  8. Add a 1/4 inch of oil to a frying pan and place over low heat. Once the oil is hot add a handful of leeks at a time, and fry until they just turn golden brown. Be careful as the leeks can burn quickly.

  9. Top the cheesecakes with the leeks and serve immediately.

What’s your favorite kind of cheesecake? Have you ever made a savory cheesecake? If so what flavors did you use?

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s savory cheesecake: Mini Crust-less Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes (Happy Shavuos!)

Cream of Potato Zucchini Soup

Why a cream based soup this week? I’m glad you asked. Saturday night begins the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, on which many people have the tradition of eating meals that contain dairy and are Potato Soupdevoid of meat.  Strict Jewish law prohibits eating dairy and meat at the the same meal.  For many people that means dishes like cheese lasagna, sweet blintzes (Jewish crepes), and cheesecake for dessert, but for me it has has always been an excuse to bust out the butter and heavy cream, taking the opportunity to trade the traditional chicken soup for something a little more rich and decadent.

One of the great things about this soup is that it does not require hours of simmering as it uses cream and milk instead of stock.  You do need to be careful to cook this soup over a low flame and stir it often, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir. This soup, like many thick soups, can easily burn on the bottom if you are not careful.

5 from 1 vote
Potato Soup
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Cream of Potato Zucchini Soup
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

A velvety rich soup, great for any special occasion. 

Course: Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Soup
Servings: 12
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 12 Medium Russet Potatoes Peeled and cut into large pieces
  • 2 Medium Leeks Sliced and cleaned. Leeks can be sandy so make sure to clean them well.
  • 6 Medium Zucchinis 4 peeled and sliced into rounds, and 2 sliced but not not peeled
  • 2 Cups Heavy Cream
  • 2-4 Cups 2% Milk
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter Split into two 1 tbsp pieces
  • White Pepper To taste. Black pepper will ruin the beautiful white color of this soup.
  • Kosher Salt
Special Equipemnt
  • Immersion Blender
Instructions

  1. Fill a large heavy pot 2/3 with salted water.  Add 10 of the potatoes and put over high heat.

  2. Boil the potatoes until they easily break apart with a fork, then remove from the heat, drain off the water, and set the potatoes aside. 

  3. Put the pot back over low heat and add 1/2 the butter (1 tbsp), the leeks, and a heavy pinch of salt. Saute until the leeks start to brown. 

  4. Add the other half of the butter and the peeled zucchini rounds.  Brown the zucchini on both sides.

  5. Add the potatoes back in to the pot along with the cream.  Place over low heat and simmer until until the zucchini is soft.  Make sure to stir often to prevent the bottom from burning.

  6. Turn off the heat and using an immersion blender to puree until smooth.  Slowly incorporate the milk until your desired consistency is achieved.  You may not need all 4 cups.

  7. Add in the remaining 2 potatoes and the unpeeled zucchini slices and place back over medium heat. Simmer until you can easily insert a knife into the potatoes, again stirring often to prevent the bottom from burning.

  8. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.  Serve immediately, or freeze for the future.

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s Shavuot Recipe: Dairy-free maple cinnamon custard