BAI Communal Shavuot Recipe Book

Table of Contents

Chickpea spread ...... 4 Tomato stack with surprises ...... 5 Tuna Waldorf ...... 6 Colorful quinoa salad ...... 7 Baked eggplants ...... 8 Scrippelles ...... 9 Sheet pan egg, asparagus & goat cheese pashtida ...... 10 Bubbie's baked macaroni & cheese ...... 11 Cheese & spinach strata ...... 12 Bubbie's sweet ...... 13 Baked spanakopita pasta with greens & feta ...... 14 Noodle Pudding ...... 15 Moroccan almond cookies ...... 16 Cheese blintzes for Shavuot ...... 17 Crumb ...... 18

3 Chick Pea Spread Recipe Courtesy of Nomi Shapiro

Ingredients: 1 15 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained 3 Tbs mayonnaise 2 Tbs chopped or scallion 1 tsp 1Tbs lemon juice 1/4 tsp paprika

How to Prepare: Mash all the ingredients together. Scoop mixture onto bread. Top with lettuce and tomato.

4 Tomato Stack with Surprises Recipe Courtesy of Nancy Wimmer Origin: Russian

Ingredients: -Chopped greens -Large heirloom tomato, cut into 4 slices -Yellow or Red or Orange sweet pepper, cut in rings -Seedless watermelon, cut in rounds, the same size as tomato slices -2 Medium size burrata ball, cut in half -Chopped fresh basil -Your favorite dark balsamic vinegar -Your favorite extra virgin olive oil -Freshly ground salt and pepper

How to Prepare: On individual plates, spread greens, slit pepper so tomato slice will fit inside, then stack the vegetables and cheese in the order listed. (Starting with tomatoes) Salt and pepper the tomato and melon levels. Sprinkle the chopped basil on top of the stack. Drizzle with vinegar, then oil.

Makes 4 servings.

The story behind the recipe: I’m sure that neither my mother nor grandmother ever prepared this delicious dish, although they each served a salad as part of every dinner. I learned to make this delicious stack when we visited a vineyard in Italy several years ago. Enjoy as a part of any dairy meal. 5 Tuna Waldorf Salad Recipe Courtesy of Janet Carroll Origin: Parents - Brooklyn, Grandparents - NY, Austrian, Polish

Ingredients: ¼ - ½ lb. Egg (or pasta of choice) 1 pt (or pareve substitute) 1/4 c or splenda 1 or 2 cans tuna 2 large apples 1 c chopped walnuts 1 c sliced celery red grapes, cut in half, for garnish

How to Prepare: Cook noodles, drain, and rinse with cold water until completely cooled. In a large bowl, blend sour cream with sugar; stir in tuna, apples, walnuts, and celery. Add noodles and toss well; chill. Garnish before serving.

6 Colorful Red Quinoa Salad Recipe Courtesy of Ronit Eisenbach Origin: Ashkenazi

Ingredients: 2 Tbs Olive Oil 1 cup red quinoa 1 1/2 cups & a little more water 4 carrots, peeled 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow pepper 4 scallions 1 bunch of

For the Dressing: 3-4 Tbs olive oil Juice from one lemon 1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard 1 tsp salt

How to Prepare: Prepare the quinoa: Heat a large saucepan and add 1 Tbs olive oil. Add the quinoa and mix well. Add the water, cover, and bring to aboil. Reduce the heat and cook for 15-17 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Cool down. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Dice the carrots into small cubes. Mix the carrot cubes with 1 Tbs olive oil. Put parchment paper on a baking sheet and pour the carrots on it. Roast the carrots for about 10 minutes until golden (be careful not to burn the carrots). Cool down. Roast the sunflower seeds. Warm a small pan, add the sunflower seeds, reduce the heat to medium-low, and roast until golden (about 5 minutes). Dice both peppers into small cubes. Chiffonade the scallions and parsley. Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl or jar and mix well. In a wide bowl put together the quinoa, carrots, peppers, scallions, and parsley. Pour the sauce on top and mix well. Taste to check the dressing. Add the sunflower seeds, mix well, and serve.

7 Baked Eggplants Recipe Courtesy of Pnina Siegler and Donald Erlichman Origin: Sole Kitchen

Ingredients: Extra-virgin olive oil 3 or 4 small eggplants (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices Salt and pepper Pinch of crushed red pepper 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 12 ounces fresh ½ pound smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced (or use fresh mozzarella) 2 cups provolone cheese, coarsely grated (about 1/2 pound) ½ cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese (about 2 ounces) ½ cup finely grated pecorino cheese (about 2 ounces) 12 anchovy fillets ¼ cup toasted bread crumbs, preferably homemade 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian

How to Prepare: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Season eggplant slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange half the eggplant slices in one layer on the bottom of the dish, overlapping slices slightly. Drizzle or paint eggplant generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper to taste and scatter onion slices evenly over the surface. With a small spoon, distribute the ricotta in little blobs evenly over the surface, then arrange half the smoked mozzarella over the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1 cup grated provolone. Make another layer of overlapping slices with the remaining seasoned eggplant. Drizzle or paint eggplant generously with olive oil. Top surface evenly with remaining smoked mozzarella and provolone, then sprinkle with Parmesan and pecorino. Arrange anchovy fillets over top and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until eggplant is quite tender when pierced with a fork and top is crisp and golden. (If the top seems to be browning too quickly, tent with foil and reduce heat to 350 degrees.) Remove from oven, dust with oregano, and let rest at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares. The dish is best served at room temperature, not piping hot.

The story behind the recipe: This recipe is part of the BAI Sole Kitchen Program hosted by Pnina and Donald. More information about Sole Kitchen can be found here.

8 Scrippelles Recipe Courtesy of Lori Dafilou Origin: Italian

Ingredients: 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 4 large eggs 1 cup whole milk 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese 8 cups vegetable broth

How to Prepare: Whisk together the flour, eggs, milk, and salt. It should be a very thin, watery batter. Make sure there are no lumps. Heat a 9-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and either coat with butter or spray with a non-stick cooking spray. Add a ladle-full (1/4 cup) of batter to the pan and swirl around to completely coat the bottom of the pan. Cook for 30-40 seconds until the bottom browns and the crepe starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Using a spatula (or your fingers!) flip the crepe over and cook the other side for 10-20 seconds longer. Transfer to a plate and repeat until all batter is used. Repeat spraying/coating pan in between crepes, as well. This recipe should make between 12-15 crepes. When all crepes are cooked, sprinkle some of the cheese in each crepe and roll it up into a tight "cigar" shape. Place 3 scrippelles in each of 4 bowls and top with hot vegetable broth. Garnish with additional shredded cheese.

The story behind the recipe: I always loved making these with my grandmother when I was a child. She would make the crepes and when they were cool enough to handle, she would let me sprinkle them with cheese and roll them up into "cigars."

9 Sheet Pan Egg, Asparagus & Goat Cheese Pashtida Recipe Courtesy of Julie Savitch Origin: Father is Israeli, mother is a New Yorker

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing 1 jumbo or 2 medium , diced 2 teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 16 large eggs ¼ cup heavy cream or half-and-half or coconut milk 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 2 cups (8 ounces) grated or sharp white Cheddar cheese ¾ pound asparagus (longer, thinner stalks are preferable), tough ends snapped off and discarded 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled goat cheese or feta

How to Prepare: Grease a 12 x 18-inch rimmed baking sheet with butter and set aside. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and cook, stirring, until the onions are lightly golden but not charred in any spots, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the onions from the heat, cool them slightly, then sprinkle the onions evenly over the prepared baking sheet to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Arrange two racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 300°F. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and cream with the thyme and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Scatter 1¾ cups of the kashkaval evenly over the onions, then pour the egg mixture over the cheese, tilting the baking sheet back and forth a bit to evenly distribute the mixture. Arrange the asparagus evenly on top of the mixture (I like to do them alternating the direction of the tips). Or bite-size pieces would be easier to cut. Dot with the goat cheese, sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup kashkaval and bake until the pashtida is set in most parts but may have a small wet spot or two, 21 to 23 minutes. Turn on the broiler, move the sheet pan to the top third of the oven, and broil until the top is slightly browned 1 to 2 minutes. Cut into equal-sized pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.

The story behind the recipe: No special story - I just really love cooking!

10 Bubbie's Baked Macaroni & Cheese Recipe Courtesy of Deborah Aronson Origin: Ashkenazi Wisconsin

Ingredients: 4 Tbs corn starch 2 tsp salt 1 tsp dry mustard 1/2 tsp pepper 5 cups milk 4 Tbs butter 4 cups (16 oz) shredded cheese (cheddar and/or American) 1 lb elbow macaroni- cooked and drained

How to Prepare: Bring everything except cheese and pasta to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, remove from heat. Add 3 1/2 cups of cheese and mix until melted. Add pasta, mix, pour into a 9"x12" casserole, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 375 F 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Freezes well (cool and cut first)

The story behind the recipe: I grew up in a large family- this was our favorite savory cheesy dish. Now my kids love it and often ask for "Bubbie's mac n cheese"

11 Cheese & Spinach Strata Recipe Courtesy of Judy Argon Origin:

Ingredients: 3 (10 ounces) packages frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed of all excess liquid, and chopped 2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 10 cups cubed French or Italian bread in 1-inch cubes 16 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère 4 ounces finely grated parmesan 3 1/2 cups milk 12 large eggs 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

How to Prepare: Sauté onion in butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until soft and browned, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and continue cooking for one minute. Stir in spinach, remove from heat, and set aside. Spread one-third of the bread cubes in a well-buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other ceramic baking dish (9”x 11”). Top with one-third of spinach mixture and one-third of each cheese. Repeat twice with remaining bread, spinach, and cheese. Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together and pour evenly over strata. Cover with plastic wrap and chill strata for at least 8 hours or up to a day. When ready to cook, bring the strata to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake strata in the middle of the oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked for 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

The story behind the recipe: While this dish would be great for Shavuot or break-fast for Yom Kippur, we often have this also some time during Thanksgiving weekend. So memories of family together!

12 Bubbie's Sweet Noodle Kugel Recipe Courtesy of Deborah Aronson Origin: Ashkenazi Wisconsin

Ingredients: 12 Oz medium egg noodles 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup cream cheese 3 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup sour cream 1 cup milk 1/4 Ib grated cheese (cheddar and/or American) 1/2 tsp 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup golden raisins

How to Prepare: Cook 12 oz medium egg noodles- set aside. Cream: 1/4 c butter, 1/2 c cream cheese. Add the eggs, sugar, sour cream, milk, grated cheese, vanilla, salt, and golden raisins. Fold in noodles. Pour into greased 9"x13" pyrex sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake uncovered at 325 F for 1-hour. Freezes well (cool and cut first)

Note: For health benefits, I substitute Greek for the sour cream without sacrificing flavor or texture.

The story behind the recipe: My family's favorite sweet noodle kugel dish growing up, still much-loved by many!

13 Baked Spanakopita Pasta With Greens & Feta Recipe Courtesy of Pnina Siegler and Donald Erlichman Origin: Sole Kitchen

Ingredients: Kosher salt and black pepper 4 cups chopped spinach, Swiss chard, or other mild greens (tough stems removed) 4 cups chopped arugula, watercress, or other peppery greens 1 cup chopped fresh dill or parsley leaves and tender stems, or a combination 6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, whites and dark green parts separated 1 pound tubular or curvy pasta, like rigatoni or fusilli 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 8 ounces cream cheese (1 cup), cut into 1/2-inch cubes 4 ounces mozzarella, grated (1 cup) 4 ounces crumbled feta (1 cup)

How to Prepare: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a 3-quart/9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the chopped spinach, arugula, herbs, and scallion greens with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Squeeze the mixture with your hands to wilt, then set aside. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside. Return the pot to the stove. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and pasta water and stir until smooth. Stir in the wilted greens, half the mozzarella, and half the feta until combined. Stir in the pasta until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish, then top with remaining mozzarella and feta. Bake until the sauce has thickened and bubbly and the top has browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. If you like a crisper top, broil for a few minutes.

The story behind the recipe: This recipe is part of the BAI Sole Kitchen Program hosted by Pnina and Donald. More information about Sole Kitchen can be found here.

14 Noodle Pudding Recipe Courtesy of Jane Foster Origin: Russia and Roumania on my side. Scotland and England on Ed's side.

Ingredients: 1 Ib. Broad noodles 1-pint sour cream 1 Ib. 1 cup milk 2 1/2 tsp. salt 4 Tbs. sugar 6 Tbs melted butter Crushed cornflakes

How to Prepare: Cook noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Mix noodles with sour cream, cottage cheese, milk, salt, sugar, and butter. Place in a shallow greased 9X11 inch casserole dish. Top with the cornflakes. Dot with lots of butter. Refrigirate or freeze. When ready to serve bring to room temperature. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

The story behind the recipe: This comes from the Elegant but Easy Cookbook published in 1968. I got it in 1970 when I got married and this noodle pudding has been a family favorite ever since. Best with full-fat dairy products.

15 Moroccan Almond Cookies Recipe Courtesy of Sandy Choukroun Origin: Ashkenazi/Sephardi

Ingredients: 2 cups almond flour 1/4 cup sugar 2 egg whites (room temperature) Roasted unsalted almonds for decoration

How to Prepare: Mix the almond flour and sugar well. Add the egg whites and mix again until thoroughly combined into a sticky . Wet hands and form dough into small balls about 3/4” wide. Gently flatten into rounds about 1/2” high. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Place an almond on each cookie. Bake at 325 F for 18 minutes (or less depending on your oven). Yields about 25 cookies; the time to prepare before baking is about 15 minutes.

The story behind the recipe: I got this recipe from a fellow member of the Sephardic Recipe Swap Facebook group.

16 Cheese Blintzes for Shavuot Recipe Courtesy of Nancy and Stu Messinger Origin: Russia

Ingredients: Blintzes filling 1 lb dry cottage cheese 1/4 lb cream cheese 1 egg 1 tsp sugar 1 Tbs melted butter Combine ingredients thoroughly, add egg last (, beaten lightly, ) set aside.

Blintze batter 3 eggs 3/4 Cup milk 1/4 Cup water 3/4 Cup flour 1tsp vanilla Salt pinch Butter for frying

How to Prepare: Making the Blintze (crepe) In a mixer beat eggs, gradually, and add flour (it will be thick). Add milk, water, vanilla, and salt. When well blended pour into a measuring cup. Heat an 8” frying pan and grease with butter. Be sure it is hot! When hot, pour in some batter to coat the pan and pour back the excess. The batter should be paper- thin. Fry a few minutes until no more bubbles appear, then the batter is done. Bang batter out onto a flat surface by turning the pan upside down, and repeat. Each time you prepare the blintze, grease the pan with butter. Be careful not to burn. Adding the filling: Add 1 tsp of the cheese filling onto a thin blintze and fold over and roll-up. Fry for a few minutes in butter or bake at 350 until brown (15 min on each side) in greased pan. Serve with cherry pie filling or sour cream. May be frozen ahead of time. Enjoy and Hag Shavuot Sameach!

The story behind the recipe: This recipe is from Frances Messinger, (Mom Mom). Hazan Harold’s grandmother, who was an excellent cook. She loved to prepare delicious holiday meals for family and friends.

17 Crumb Cheesecake Recipe Courtesy of Ronit Eisenbach Origin: Ashkenazi

Ingredients: For the pie crust: 2 sticks of unsalted butter 2 egg yolks 2 Tbs. sugar 2 cups self-rising flour (or 1 tsp. of baking powder for each cup of flour)

For the filling: 2 packages of Tnuva 95% Fat-Free Creamy Soft Quark Cheese 3/4 cup sugar 1 Tbs. vanilla sugar 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tbs. sugar

How to Prepare: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, you mix all the dough ingredients. in a 26 round baking dish, spread 3/4 of the pie crust, and the rest in a 1/4 size sheet pan. Bake the pie crust for 20 minutes, or until it turns golden brown. In the meantime, prepare the filling. combine the cheese with the sugar and vanilla sugar. Whip the heavy cream with the 2 Tbs. of sugar. Combine the cream with the cheese mixture. Arrange the filling over the baked crust in the round baking pan, and crumble the crust from the smaller sheet pan on the top. Keep refrigerated overnight before serving.

The story behind the recipe: This is a very easy and delicious recipe to make. It is from a book called "Cakes in 5 minutes". We used to make it on a regular basis in Israel, but ever since we moved to the USA, we save this cake for special occasions, as it requires Israeli cheese for the preparation. The cheese can be found in the Kosher section both in ACME and Giant. 17