Healthy Shavuot Recipes. A gift from Leket Israel

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1 Healthy Shavuot Recipes A gift from Leket Israel

2 Healthy Shavuot Recipes Leket Israel rescues healthy and nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it to over 175,000 people in need with the help of our non-profit partners throughout Israel. Leket rescues fresh fruits and vegetables in the field and cooked meals from hotels, Israel Defense Force bases, institutional kitchens and catering halls. Last year, Leket rescued 2,230,000 hot meals for Israelis in need. Shavuot is the holiday of bikkurim (first fruits) when we celebrate and prepare delicious foods from the abundance of the land. It is a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the value of rescuing surplus food and the hope and support that it brings to those facing nutritional insecurity. Together with Israeli chefs and food bloggers, we have gathered these healthy, flavorful holiday recipes for you. Please share them with your family and friends and join us in raising awareness of food rescue and preventing waste. Chag Sameach & Happy Shavuot! To learn more please visit our website and Facebook page -2-

3 A Note from the Nutrition Department On Shavuot, many of us enjoy celebrating with big, holiday meals full of rich dairy foods: cheesecakes, dips, pizzas, blintzes, salads and all kinds of baked goods. Many of these holiday foods are made with high-fat cheeses and doughs and have a high calorie count as a result. Here are three tips for a healthier but still delicious holiday meal: 1. Use dairy products with lower fat contents use 5% cheeses, 10-15% creams and switch out 3% plain yogurt for sour cream. 2. Add dietary fiber dietary fiber, found in whole grains and vegetables, helps us feel fuller sooner and for longer after we finish eating. This feeling of fullness helps us control our portion sizes and how much we eat over the holiday. Add dietary fiber to your meal by using whole wheat flour instead of white (or even half whole wheat-half white flour) or adding vegetables to quiches or savory dishes. 3. Cook at home- Packaged and processed foods like store bought cakes often contain very high levels of fat, salt, sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. Cooking and baking at home allows you control what ingredients you use and how much you use them. Set aside time to cook and choose healthy recipes that you can make with low levels of fat, salt and sugar. Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday! -3-

4 Low-Fat Vanilla Cheesecake Leket Israel Nutrition Department Ingredients: 26cm spring pan 5 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar 1 kg white cheese, 5% fat or less 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 tbsp cornstarch ½ box instant vanilla pudding For icing: 1 container 28% sweet cream ½ cup milk ½ box instant vanilla pudding For decoration: Seasonal fruit Whip egg whites and half a cup of sugar until firm. In a separate bowl, mix cheese, egg yolks, remaining sugar, vanilla, cornstarch and pudding. Mix egg white mixture into cheese mixture. Pour batter into pan and cook at 160ºC for around an hour and 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Using a mixer, whip sweet cream, milk and pudding together to form whipped cream and pour over cake. Decorate with seasonal fruit such as plums, cherries or grapes. -4-

5 Vegetable Cheese Quesadillas Jamie Geller, The Joy of Kosher A quesadilla is basically a Mexican version of grilled cheese. But there are no rules; you can add more ingredients or forget the cheese altogether and fold the tortilla over any fillings of your choice. Ingredients: 8 10-inch (25cm) tortillas, any variety 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or other similar cheese) 2 cups julienned vegetables Cooking spray 1 jar mild salsa 1 jar guacamole 1 jar sour cream, regular or low-fat Preheat oven to 250ºF/120ºC. Lay out tortillas on a work surface. Sprinkle ¼ cup cheese over half of each tortilla. Top with ¼ cup vegetables. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling. Spray a large sauté pan with cooking spray. Heat the pan over medium heat until hot. Place two tortillas side by side in the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until cheese is melted. Transfer the tortillas to a cutting board and cut each into three wedges. Keep warm in the oven while you cook remaining tortillas, two at a time. Top tortillas with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. -5-

6 Kale and Goat Cheese Muffins Limor Tiroche Local Kitchen (Mitbach Mekomi) Ingredients(Yield: 12 medium muffins): 2 cups milk 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt ½ tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp ground coriander seeds 2 ½ cups kale finely chopped (leaves only, not stems) 2 cups white or spelt flour, sifted 10 grams baking powder (1 package) ½ tsp baking soda 100 grams soft goat cheese, crumbled into small chunks ¼ cup parmesan, grated Preheat oven to 180ºC/356ºF. In medium pot, mix milk, oil and spices and gently bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add kale. Mix and let cool for 10 minutes. Put flour, baking soda and baking powder in medium bowl, mix well. Pour hot milk mixture and mix gently (there will still be lumps of flour). Add cheeses and eggs and mix gently, taking care not to crush the goat cheese. Use small brush to coat muffin cups with olive oil and place in muffin tray. Fill muffin cups with mixture (around 2 tbsp per cup). Sprinkle parmesan on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy! -6-

7 Mini Caprese Salad Jamie Geller, The Joy of Kosher Ingredients: 4 cups grape (or cherry) tomatoes, rinsed and dried 1 (1 lb./450 gram) marinated mozzarella balls 18 basil leaves, rolled up and sliced into thin strips ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup red wine vinegar Cracked black pepper Combine tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and basil in a medium bowl. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar over the salad and season to taste with cracked black pepper. -7-

8 Herb and Cheese Roasted Butternut Squash Hila Kriv Bissim bissim.com Ingredients: I large butternut squash 2 cloves garlic Olive oil 1 tsp butter Salt and pepper, to taste Handful of fresh herbs, (be generous because they create the flavor, any combination of oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary or tarragon) 2 tbsp fresh ricotta, crumbled feta or even bleu cheese if you like ¼ cup grated hard cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan or a mixture) Handful of chopped walnuts (optional) Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds with a spoon. Chop one clove of garlic into each pocket left behind by the seeds. Place half of the butter in each pocket. Sprinkle both halves generously with olive oil (especially the sides) and season with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for about an hour until the squash is fork tender. It should not be so soft that it falls apart. Remove tray and raise oven temperature to 200ºC/400ºF. With spoon, gently remove the insides of the squash and place into bowl, taking care to leave a 1cm layer of squash on the peel. Add cheeses to the bowl; tear herbs into mixture, season generously with salt and pepper and mix (the mixture does not have to be completely mixed). Carefully place the mixture in the squash halves, gently without pressing down. Sprinkle a little olive oil and walnuts on top if adding. Place back in the over for another minutes until cheese starts to melt and bubble and edges start to brown in order to give a delicious caramelized flavor. -8-

9 Greek Chopped Macaroni Salad Jamie Geller, The Joy of Kosher Ingredients: 4 ounce whole wheat or brown rice macaroni elbows, cooked and drained 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber 1 cup chopped roma tomato ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved 1 roasted red pepper, thinly sliced ¼ cup crumbled 5% feta ¼ cup green onion (scallion) chopped 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or ½ tsp dried oregano) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp red wine vinegar Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Can be served at room temperature or chilled. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. -9-

10 Fruit Pizza Phyllis Glazer This healthy twist on pizza is fun for all ages! Ingredients (Yield: 8 servings): Crust: 1 1/2 cups whole wheat or spelt flour 2 tbsp demerara or raw sugar 1/4 tsp salt 100 grams/3.5oz butter, chilled and cut into small cubes 4 tbsp cold water Filling: 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch (called cornflour in Israel) or kuzu 1 cup milk or milk substitute 2tbsp honey or agave 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract Fruit: 1 banana, sliced Handful of small strawberries, halved 1 tablespoon dried unsweetened blueberries or cranberries 1-2 small kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced Sauce: 1/3 cup juice-sweetened strawberry or raspberry jam Hot water In a food processor, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter cubes gradually, pulsing until crumbs are formed. Add two tablespoons of the water and pulse, then add the rest, teaspoon by teaspoon just enough so that dough forms a ball. Remove, knead briefly, and use the palms of your hands to form a 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour. Place a piece of parchment paper on a work surface and sprinkle a little flour on it. Place the dough on the paper and use a rolling pin lightly dusted with flour, to create a 35cm circle. Roll up the edges to form a 1 cm 2/3 inch ridge around the pizza. Transfer the parchment paper with the dough to a large baking pan or cookie sheet and chill for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF. In a small saucepan, mix the cornstarch with ¼ cup of milk till smooth. Slowly stir in the rest of the milk, mix well and heat over a medium flame, stirring often till it thickens to the consistency of pudding. Stir in the honey and vanilla and mix well. Remove from heat and stir frequently until mixture is just slightly warm. Pour into the crust and use a spatula to spread evenly. Sprinkle the fruit evenly over the pizza. Mix the jam with just enough boiling water to make it pourable through the spout of a squeeze-top plastic container. It should not be watery. Set aside and shake before using to decorate the top of the pizza with dots or zig-zags. Cut into slices, and enjoy immediately. -10-

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