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By: Miriam Szokovski

Classic Cheesecake with Fresh Fruit

It’s that time of year again, when cheesecakes galore are popping up all over the place. To be honest, I am not cheesecake’s biggest fan, but this recipe is one even I enjoy. The actual cheesecake is lighter, with a slight lemony undertone, and the fresh fruit helps temper the richness.

You can use this cheesecake as a base and add the topping of your choice. Some suggestions: caramel, chocolate ganache, fresh berries, pie filling, lemon curd, roasted rhubarb, etc. I went very simple with oranges, kiwis and strawberries.

Why are we talking about cheesecake? The holiday of Shavuot is almost upon us, when we celebrate the giving of the Torah by hearing the Ten Commandments being read in the synagogue. Some of the customs specific to this holiday include decorating our homes with greenery and eating dairy foods.

This recipe is closely based on Matt Preston’s cheesecake recipe. I’ve made one or two very small adjustments.

Prepare the pan:

You will need a 9-inch springform pan for this recipe. If you don’t have a springform pan, you can use a regular pan, but the cake will be difficult to remove. You may need to cut it while it’s still in the pan.

This cheesecake cooks best in a water bath, so you’ll need a larger pan that the springform pan can sit in.

Wrap the outside of the springform pan in 2–3 layers of foil. This helps keep the water from seeping through the crack around the base.

Crust Ingredients:

• 4 oz. / 120 grams tea biscuits, crushed
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 8 tbsp. butter, melted
• Pinch of salt

Crust Directions:

Crush the tea biscuits to a fine crumb, and mix with the sugar, salt and melted butter.

Press the mixture down firmly into the base of the springform pan. Use the back of a spoon to help compress the mixture.

Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Cheesecake Ingredients:

• 24 oz. cream cheese (3 cups)
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2½ tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1¼ cup heavy cream

Cheesecake Directions:

Let the cream cheese come to room temperature.

Using an electric mixer (stand or handheld), beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, and mix until fully incorporated.

Add the eggs one a time. Wait until each one is fully incorporated before adding the next.

Pour in the lemon juice, vanilla and salt, and mix. Slowly pour in the heavy cream, and mix until smooth.

Pour the cheese mixture over the base.

Place the springform pan into the larger pan, and add 1 inch of water to the larger pan.

Bake at 350° F for approximately 60–75 minutes. In order not to overcook the cake, turn off the oven when the center is still jiggly (but not completely wet). Leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for an hour. Then remove and let it cool completely.

Refrigerate cake until cold. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, then gently release the springform.

Top with fresh fruit. I used orange, kiwi and strawberries.

Flakey Ricotta Tartlettes with Spinach, Asparagus, and Leek

These easy individual tarts are an elegant appetizer for Purim or Shavuot or any other occasion. You can change around the vegetables to suit your tastes, just make sure to use vegetables that cook relatively quickly, for example: zucchini, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, shallots, scallions, etc.

Ingredients

• 12 puff pastry squares (4×4 or 5×5 inches each)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. basil
• ½ tsp. oregano
• 1 purple onion, finely sliced
• 1 leek, cleaned, white part finely sliced
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces
• Spinach leaves
• 1 egg

Directions

Lightly grease two large baking pans. Lay the puff pastry squares out, six on each.

Mix the ricotta with the spices. Smear approximately 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture over the center two-thirds of each square. Top with a mixture of the vegetables.

Beat the egg and brush the edges of each piece of puff pastry.

Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.

Yields: 12 tartlettes

Fennel Citrus Salad

When I first tried fennel a few years ago, I thought I would never try it again. But I’ve discovered that while I still find a fully fennel-based salad a bit intense for my taste, mixing it with other greens adds a layer of interest without overpowering the salad.

Since my strawberry-fennel-balsamic salad a few weeks ago, I’ve been thinking of other ways to use it. Orange and fennel seems to be a classic combination, and who am I to mess with the classics? This salad is vibrant and refreshing, and the dressing ties it all together—the orange juice adds another punch of citrus, and the whole grain mustard adds some warmth without being too hot or spicy.

Salad Ingredients

• 1 bulb fennel
• 4 oz. (115 grams) arugula
• 3 oranges
• 2 grapefruit
• 1 avocado
• ⅓ cup walnuts (plain or candied)

Dressing Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. oil (avocado oil or light olive work well)
• 3 tbsp. orange juice
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. whole grain mustard
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 4-5 grinds of fresh black pepper

Directions

Slice the fennel thinly and toss with the arugula. Segment two of the oranges and both the grapefruit, and add to the greens.

Juice the third orange and use 3 tablespoons of the juice for the dressing. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad.

Add the avocado, thinly sliced, and the crushed walnuts. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

Hearty Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Butternut Squash

Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 leek, washed and sliced
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, cut into half or quarter rounds
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup cubed butternut squash
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp basil
• ½ tsp oregano
• 4 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups water
• 2-3 cups frozen tortellini
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper

Directions

Heat a dutch oven or strong-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, leeks, celery, carrots, olive oil, and 1 tsp kosher salt and saute for 10-12 minutes. Add the butternut squash, and garlic, turmeric, basil, and oregano and butter and saute another few minutes.

When you start to smell the garlic strongly (shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes), add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Keep stirring to cook the flour for 2-3 minutes (if it seems to be sticking to the bottom of the pot, add a little more butter).

Pour in the stock and water. Cover and bring to a boil. At a rapid boil, drop in the frozen tortellini and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until cooked through.

Add the heavy cream and spinach and cook for another minute or two. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for later. Soup will thicken as it cools; you may need to add some water to thin it out.

NOTE: For best results, if you’re making it in advance stop before adding the tortellini. Continue from there (add tortellini, cream and spinach) just before you serve it.

Serves: 8

Quinoa Salad with Pops of Goodness

Sweet Potato, Parsley, Feta, Sunflower Seeds & Grapes

I’m not big on quinoa salads in general. I don’t like soggy grains (overdressed!) and I need the add-ins to be interesting enough that it doesn’t just taste like quinoa with some little bits of no one’s quite sure what…

For me, this salad does it. Parsley adds a wallop of freshness, the sweet potatoes add body, the grapes are unexpected, and the sunflower seeds are nutty and salty and should be added to pretty much everything. The feta is optional (when I make this for Shabbat, I leave the feta out), but feta fanatics would say feta makes everything better.

There is actually enough flavor in here to leave it undressed, but I’ve provided basic measurements for an oil-lemon-salt-pepper-garlic dressing if you’d like.

Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes (drizzled with 1-2 tbsp oil)
• 1 ½ cups raw quinoa
• 1 cup parsley leaves
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• 15 purple grapes
• 2 oz (55 grams) feta cheese
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp oil
• ⅛ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp salt (more if you don’t use the feta)
• Pinch of black pepper (use fresh cracked if you have a grinder–it makes a difference!)

Directions

Cut the sweet potatoes into small cubes and spread across a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 1-2 tbsp oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 425°F (220°C) until crunchy on the outside and soft inside, approximately 45 minutes (but timing will vary based on oven, type of pan, and the size of your cubes).

This will take the longest time, so do the rest of your prep while the sweet potatoes and in the oven.

Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the packet. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Chop the parsley, crumble the feta, and slice the grapes very finely. In a separate bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together.

When the sweet potatoes are ready, mix all the ingredients into the quinoa. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later. NOTE: If preparing in advance, try to add the sunflower seeds and grapes just before serving. But it does last a good few days in the fridge even once mixed together.

Serves: 4-6

(Chabad.org)