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Jewish World Review June 5, 2008 /2 Sivan, 5765 Contemporary Shavous cuisine By Ethel G. Hofman http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | On Shavous, the holiday which marks the receiving of the Torah at Sinai, there is a custom — explained elsewhere on JWR — to serve dairy dishes. Blintzes, kreplach and knishes stuffed with dairy foods are all typical dishes. Make from scratch and you can be certain that several precious hours need to be set aside to prepare and cook. Celebrate this springtime holiday but make it fuss-free and enjoy. In the recipes below, Shavous customs and symbolism are held fast to and observed. There are dairy dishes as well as foods which feature the gathering of the season's first fruits. In Israel, besides wheat, there is a harvest of grapes, honey and olives, these foods incorporated in contemporary Shavous cuisine. MENU Ruby Fruit Soup Lokshen Kugel with Cheese Key Lime Curd Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream Brown Sugar Shortbread RUBY FRUIT SOUP (DAIRY) SERVES 4 A Granny Smith apple and grapes impart a sweet-tart taste. Use fresh or frozen strawberries but fresh raspberries for garnish. Serve as a first course or as dessert with chocolate cookies on the side. 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced 1 cup sliced fresh or frozen strawberries 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved 1 cup white wine (semi-dry such as Gewurtztraminer) or apple juice 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper Pinch ground cloves 2 tablespoons honey or to taste 1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt 1/4 cup fresh raspberries In a saucepan, place the apple, strawberries, grapes, white wine or apple juice, lemon juice, ground pepper, cloves and honey. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to simmer. Partially cover and cook for 10 minutes or until apple is softened, stirring often. Taste and adjust honey as desired. Transfer to food processor or blender. Add 1/2 cup yogurt and process until almost smooth. Chill. To serve: pour into wine glasses, top with a spoonful of remaining yogurt and garnish with a few raspberries. Approx. nutrients per serving: calories - 181 protein - 4g carbohydrates - 33g fat - 1g cholesterol - 3mg sodium - 45mg LOKSHEN KUGEL WITH CHEESE (DAIRY) SERVES 6 - 8 This lower calorie, "creamy" noodle dish, adapted from Claudia Roden's book The Book of Jewish Food, Knopf, 1996, is a specialty for Shavous. Pass a pitcher of warm Key Lime Curd (below), to pour over. 10 ounces medium egg noodles 4 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces 2 eggs 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese at room temperature 2 cups half and half sour cream Scant 1/8 teaspoon salt Good pinch nutmeg Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until tender, as directed on package. Drain well. Stir the butter into the hot noodles until butter is melted and combined. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the cream cheese and sour cream. Add the salt , nutmeg and cooked pasta. Mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until set in center. Cool slightly before cutting into squares. Approx. nutrients per serving: calories - 351 protein - 11g carbohydrates - 30g fat - 21g cholesterol - 141mg sodium - 150mg KEY LIME CURD (DAIRY) MAKES ABOUT 1 1/4 CUPS 1/4 cup bottled Key lime juice 1 tablespoon grated lime rind or Juice and grated rind of 3 limes 3 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 4 tablespoons butter, melted Place the lime juice and grated rind, eggs and sugar in blender jar. Turn on to medium speed and pour in the melted butter gradually. Whirl 15 seconds to thoroughly blend. Pour into a small heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Do not boil. If to be served warm, pour into a pitcher or for a spread, into a jar. Mixture thickens as it cools. Approx. nutrients per tablespoon: calories - 52 protein - 1g carbohydrate - 5g fat - 3g cholesterol - 38mg sodium - 10mg CALSONE CASSEROLE (DAIRY) SERVES 4 Calsones, little cheese-filled dumplings, are typically Sephardic. At Shavous, they are tossed together with spaghetti, butter and cheese and baked into a deliciously rich casserole. Make it easy and use ready to cook, cheese tortellini. 2 cups prepared cheese tortellini, cooked and drained according to package directions 1/4 pound (2 1/2 cups) spaghetti, cooked al dente 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt 2 tablespoons snipped fresh herbs (chives, mint, basil or a mixture) Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, gently mix the cooked tortellini, spaghetti, butter and half the parmesan cheese. Transfer to prepared casserole. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until heated through and top is bubbly and beginning to brown. Serve hot. Top each serving with a spoonful of yogurt mixed with snipped fresh herbs. Approx. nutrients per serving: calories - 402 protein - 16g carbohydrates - 48g fat - 15g cholesterol - 50mg sodium - 294mg FRITTATA WITH WILD MUSHROOMS, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND OLIVES (PAREVE) SERVES 4-6 8 eggs 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning or to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 1/2 cups sliced wild mushrooms (may be a mixture of porcini, shitake, morels, chanterelles) 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared minced garlic 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, dried, and sliced thinly 1/2 cup pitted oil-cured olives 1/2 cup Italian parsley sprigs 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved In a bowl, whisk eggs and lemon pepper seasoning until frothy. Set aside. In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms. Saute until edges are browned 3- 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, parsley and grape tomatoes. Saute 5 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown. Pour the egg mixture over and cook 5 minutes, pulling cooked mixture to center. When edges are dry, finish off under preheated broiler to brown, 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid scorching. Cut in wedges to serve. May be served at room temperature. Approx. nutrients per serving: calories - 192 protein - 10g carbohydrates - 9g fat - 13g cholesterol - 283 mg sodium - 339mg BAKED TILAPIA WITH PEPPER CHEESE CREAM (DAIRY) SERVES 4 Tilapia, also called St. Peter's fish, is white and delicate textured and is now farmed around the world. The bland flesh marries well with a snappy topping such as the pepper cheese cream below or it may simply be marinated in a piquant salad dressing before cooking. 4 tilapia fillets, 4-6 ounces each 1/2 cup light sour cream 2 tablespoons chopped chives 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese Paprika to sprinkle Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Wash fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange in one layer on the prepared baking sheet. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, chives and pepper. Spread generously over each fillet. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and lightly with paprika. Place under preheated broiler. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until top is golden and flakes are opaque when separated with a fork. Approx. nutrients per serving: calories - 207 protein - 32g carbohydrates - 2g fat - 7g cholesterol - 85mg sodium - 290mg BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD (DAIRY) MAKES 30-32 PIECES 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 -3 tablespoons brown sugar crystals (optional) Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 11x7-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a small mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Add the almond extract, then the flour gradually, about 1/3 cup at a time. All the flour should be thoroughly mixed in before each addition. Press into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with sugar crystals (optional). Prick all over with a fork. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until edges are beginning to brown. While still warm, cut into squares. Shortbread will crispen as it cools. Approx., nutrients per piece: calories - 92 protein - 1g carbohydrates - 9g fat - 6g cholesterol - 16mg sodium - 2mg Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. WANT MORE GREAT RECIPES? "Everyday Cooking for the Jewish Home: More Than 350 Delectable Recipes"   From the former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals comes a beautifully designed, accessible and uniquely comprehensive guide to Jewish home cooking. Unlike many Jewish cookbooks that are limited to the traditional dishes of Eastern Europe, Everyday Cooking for the Jewish Home gives readers a truly international sample of what the world of Jewish cooking has to offer. Structured from soup to nuts, and including a special Passover section, it presents a spectacular array of dishes such as Peppered Chickpeas (Arbis), Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Beef and Barley Soup with Kale, Homestyle Gefilte Fish, Potato Chicken Cutlets, Shabbat Beef and Eggs, Cholent, Steamed Beef Greens, Israeli Salad, Poppyseed Noodles, Kasha and Bow Ties, Glick's Colossal Butternut Latkas, Shabbat Wine Mold with Cherries and Walnuts, Springtime Kugel with White and Sweet Potatoes and Matzoh Brie. Sales help fund JWR. JWR contributor Ethel G. Hofman is the former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members include the likes of Julia Child. To comment, please click here. © 2005, Ethel G. Hofman