My sister in law Grace is a fabulous cook and friend, although she never wants to take credit for it. She is one of the few people I know that will do anything for anyone without being asked to, including dropping off a plethora of last minute perfectly folded Purim costumes for a niece in need, constantly sending gourmet meals to my parents, making me a “surprise” family birthday party,  accompanying  me on my various business ventures, and too many more to mention. She is a true sister in every sense of the word. Several months ago she made an unbelievable dairy Sunday brunch, and this was just one of the gourmet dishes that she served, which of course would be perfect on a Shavuot, Passover, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or summer brunch menu. Love u, Grace! Marlene

 Veggie Egg White Pizza Omelet

• onions
• mushrooms
• peppers
• tomatoes

1. From the day before you can saute onions, mushrooms and peppers until soft and refrigerate.
2. Next day heat frying pan with Pam,beat egg whites and pour into pan.
3. Add sauteed veggies into omelete along with diced raw tomatoes…let cook.
4. Flip over once add salt and pepper.
5. When the egg omelete is done place onto a plate…to make it fun cut like a pizza!!
6. If desired you can sprinkle with chopped parsley.
7. Enjoy!!!

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cheescake pops on the right -I made alot of the desserts for this engagement party

Hi!

Its Shirley from HomeBaked.com , counting down the days till Shavuot . This holiday is definitely one of my personal favorites – so rich in tradition, spirituality, introspection, and of course, outstanding desserts.

Because we traditionally refrain from eating meat on the holiday of Shavuot, we are blessed with the rare opportunity to serve DAIRY desserts after the holiday meals. Being me, I usually plan my family’s Shavuot dessert menu from about three months in advance, as dairy dessert is an extremely exciting thing to me (and not something that I often get to do). This year, I plan to make an authentic mascarpone-filled tiramisu, a strawberry shortcake trifle (with real whipped cream!), a flaky blueberry tart a la mode, and perhaps some buttery, golden, lemon-glazed madeleines (a current obsession of mine – check out this recipe, they’re worth it http://melangerbaking.com/2009/06/23/lemon-glazed-madeleines/ ). I think you can tell I’m excited.

Anyway, I promised myself that I wouldn’t share yet another cheesecake recipe with you as a Shavuot dessert idea. I sometimes wonder if Shavuot could be Shavuot without that rich, sinful cheesecake staring out at you some point in the holiday. However, I am an enormous cheesecake fan, and I do believe that if you are going to indulge, it may as well be on Shavuot. Therefore, I decided to give you my favorite cheesecake recipe with a spin:

Cheesecake Pops !

These adorable little treats are pretty simple to make (in fact, I bet kids would have a blast dipping them in the melted chocolate and sprinkles), can be eaten with minimal guilt (considering you can stop at just one), and will certainly still pay a respectful homage to the traditional cheesecake that I am sure we would all like to let go of for a while.

While there are a bunch of steps involved in this recipe, do not get overwhelmed –  each can be done in stages, and can be spread out across several days.

Cheesecake Pops

Recipe from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor

Makes 30–40 pops

5 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

5 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup heavy cream

boiling water as needed

thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks

1 lb chocolate (semi-sweet, milk or white), finely chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
(optional- used to thin out the chocolate)

assorted decorations: chopped nuts, colored sprinkles, toffee bits, mini chocolate chips (optional)

Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream. Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight. When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety. Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.

Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

So, enjoy your Shavuot, enjoy your cheesecake, be sure to post any questions or comments and I’ll be happy to answer.

All the best,

Shirley J

P.S. Don’t forget to check out HomeBaked.com for any dessert needs!

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This spring, try crunching on jicama instead of potato chips.

Native to the Americas and sometimes called the Mexican potato, and a mix between a potato and a pear. You can also compare it in texture to a water chestnut, and in fact , jicama is made up of almost 90 percent water.

A cup of jicama has almost 6 grams of fiber and only 50 calories. It is also high in vitamin C, potassium and folate.

Peel the coarse, papery skin and julienne the white flesh, into carrot stick size pieces, and squeeze some lime juice on it to keep it from browning. Add a pinch of chili to the lime juice and you have an excellent treat right there.

This colorful jicama salad is appealing to guests of all ages. Kids love the crunch, and adults savor the light, tart, flavors of all of the vegetables marinated simultaneously.

• 1 large jicama (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, then julienned or cubed (easiest to work with if you cut the jicama in half first)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 a large cucumber, seeded, chopped
• 1 navel orange, peel cut away, sliced crosswise, then each round quartered
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• Salt
• Cumin

Optional

• 1/2 avocado chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

WIN any 3 Cookbooks!

Thank you Joy Betesh for sending in your grandma’s recipe for kanafe. I LOVED watching this video because that was exactly how MY grandma spoke!!! The EXACT accent!!!! And the Syrian BANGLES!!!!!  MEMORIES!!!  (Please note- when the video is completely edited Joy will send it in for us to view but enjoy these couple of minutes with her grandmother!!!)

Shavuot would NOT be the same without Kanafe!!!! Happy holiday to all!! Marlene

Kanafe is the most heavenly Syrian Dessert….the combination of the ricotta cheese, buttery crispy shredded wheat  and the fragrant rose and orange blossom water syrup makes me swoon.This knafe recipe is unique because cream of rice cereal is used as a lighter alternative to heavy cream. I submitted it to Food 52 and it was an Editor’s Pick!

This is my grandmother’s recipe and I videoed her making kanafe in 1986. Ten years later, my mother wanted to make Kanafe for my son’s Bar Mitzvah and we did not have an accurate recipe…so we popped in the video and was able to capture Grandma Abadi’s recipe and her technique! Now I have prepared the Kanafe and will bake it next week in honor of the birth of my grandson!” – Joy Betesh

p.s. Its also the perfect dairy Shavuot Dessert!

SERVES 12-14

For the kanafe:

• 1 pound kanafe (shredded phyllo dough)
• 2 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup cream of rice cereal
• 3 sticks of sweet butter melted
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon rosewater
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup pistachios, peeled & chopped

For the Syrup:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon rosewater
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

 
1. Drain the ricotta in a strainer. Prepare the cream of rice according to the box directions using the 2 cups of milk, add the 4 Tbsp sugar and the rosewater. When the cream of rice mixture is cool add the ricotta and mix well.
2. In a large bowl shred the kanafe with your hands, tearing apart the strands of dough so there are no clumps. Mix in the melted butter, continuing to shred the kanafe till it is well coated with the butter.
3. Spread 1/2 the kanafe in a 9 x13 pyrex or large pan. Press down firmly and press the kanafe 1/2 way up the sides of the pan. Add the ricotta mixture, spreading evenly over surface. Top with the other 1/2 of the kanafe. The kanafe may be frozen up to this point.
4. For the syrup, bring the sugar, water and lemon juice to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add the rosewater and orange blossom water. This syrup may be made ahead and refrigerated.
5. Bake in a 350 oven for one hour or till golden. Pour the cold or room temperature syrup over the hot kanafe. Garnish with the chopped pistachios. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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• Portobello Pizza Recipe From “Once Around The Pot” The New Gourmet Cookbook from Congregation Kol Israel (thejewishhostess.com)
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• 

Enjoy this gourmet kosher dessert recipe by one of my most favorite nieces, Shirley C. Mamiye- ooooops! Shirley C. Dana!!!! 

 S’mores Tart or Bars- An Easy Dessert for all of the Jewish Holidays

by Shirley Dana

S’mores don’t have to end with the summer. Here is an amazing recipe for gooey, melt-in-your mouth s’mores bars that are truly appropriate all year round after any type of meal. I’ve made this recipe in a pyrex and cut the bars into squares after they cool. Last week, I even made it in a tart pan, and drizzled chocolate on top for a “fancy” s’mores tart. Enjoy this incredibly easy, irresistible dessert!

S’mores Bars or Tart:

• makes 24 bars (9”x13” in pyrex, or one 10” tart)
• ½ cup of butter, room temperature or use Earth Balance to make it pareve
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 ½ cup chocolate chips melted
• 1 cups marshmallow fluff (not melted marshmallows)
• 1 bag mini marshmallows

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour melted chocolate over dough. Place in the fridge until the melted chocolate becomes hard enough to be able spread the fluff on top of it in an even layer without them mixing together. Sprinkle with a few handfuls of mini marshmallows. Crumble the remaining dough in pebble-size pieces on top of the marshmallows.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the dough is lightly browned, and the marshmallows are golden and puffed. Cool completely before cutting into bars, or removing from tart pan.
5. Optional- toast sliced almonds, sprinkle the tart with the almonds,, and then drizzle melted chocolate on top!!!

Enjoy!!

“Hi Marlene,

I made this delicious roast recipe this past Shabbat…. my family loved it!! I wanted to share it with you. ENJOY!!”

Beatrice Ashkenazi

 Thank you Beatrice Ashkenazi for your easy secret family favorite holiday and Shabbat brick roast recipe!

TANGY BRICK ROAST

• One 3 pound brick roast
• soy sauce (you can use Passover soy sauce)
• lemon juice
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• paprika
• vidalia onions
• garlic

1. Slice two vidalia onions and layer them on top and bottom of  the roast.
2. Crush garlic over the roast.
3. Add half a cup of soy sauce, quarter of a cup of lemon juice garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
4. Place the roaster in the oven at 350 degrees and roast about two hours.
5. Wait for it to cool then slice.

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Here is another kosher recipe to put on to your seder menu.

Brisket, brick roast and minute steak recipes are staples for our Jewish holiday meals. I buy organic brick roast at the Kosher butcher. Hopefully there are less unwanted chemicals and hormones in the beef! This is a quick and easy recipe for Passover.

This recipe is courtesy of Gourmet Kosher Cooking- they have a ton of great holiday recipes!

Brisket Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4  teaspoons chili powder
• 4  teaspoons smoked paprika or Hungarian paprika
• 2  teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2  teaspoons oregano
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt
• 4  pounds first-cut brisket
• ¼ cup red wine
• 1  cup chicken stock
• 1  14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• ¼  cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¼  cup cider vinegar

Directions

1. Combine shallots, garlic, chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, oregano and salt in a small bowl. Rub into both sides of meat. Set the meat in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
2. Pour wine and stock over the meat. Cover the pan with foil and set aside at room temperature while the oven heats to 350°F.
3. Bake the brisket, covered, for 2 hours. Meanwhile, blend tomatoes, brown sugar and vinegar in a large blender or food processor until smooth.
4. After 2 hours, pour the tomato mixture over the meat; continue baking, covered, until fork-tender, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes, for about 1 1/2 hours more.
5. Remove the meat from the sauce. Let rest for 10 minutes; then slice against the grain. Skim the fat from the sauce in the pan; pour the sauce over the meat and serve.

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• Eggplant, Garlic, and Chopped Sun Dried Tomato Spread (thejewishhostess.com)
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Portobello Cranberry and Wine Brick Roast for Shabbat:

This recipe was inspired by The Kosher Palette Cookbook. The recipe is so easy to put together on a Friday morning for Shabbat.  When the sauce ingredients are simmered together, you would never know that there is a can of cranberry sauce in there- but that coupled with the cooking wine gives it unbelievable flavor! I love when an unexpected guest rings the bell on a Friday afternoon and they say how good the house smells!!! When you make this roast- it will be one of those days!!! If you are more of a brisket  roast hostess, please comment below with brisket roast tips for this recipe.

Please let me know how you like it! Marlene

p.s.- I didnt have time to snap a pic of the finished roast before Shabbat started, but I managed to snap a pic as it was sliding into the oven.

Kosher Brick Roast Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 cup Marsala cooking wine (my sister in law used half Kesser wine and it came out great)
• 1 cup of Imagine chicken broth
• 1 can of whole or jellied cranberry sauce
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (my sister in law didn’t have rosemary and it turned out great)
• One 4 0r 5  lb brick roast
• 4 portobello mushrooms sliced

Directions for this Shabbat recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk wine, chicken broth, flour, onion, cranberry sauce, in a saucepan and heat on a low flame  until melted and boiling for about 10 minutes.
3. Rub roast all over with salt, pepper, garlic, and place sliced onion and rosemary on top.
4. Pour cranberry sauce mixture on top and cover.
5. Roast for about 1 and one half hours and then add half of sliced portobello mushrooms for another half hour.
6. Cool, slice, and re-heat for 45 minutes to an hour before serving.
7. Saute the rest of the portobello mushrooms in garlic and top as a garnish before serving.

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