Shavuot treats, ahoy!

Greek tzatziki salad

This salad is a great accompaniment to any milk meal. It goes wonderfully with fish, but is filling enough to be a meal all on its own.

Ingredients

1 tin of chickpeas drained and rinsed

6 small Mediterranean cucumbers or two English cucumbers peeled and cubed

3 large yellow peppers cubed

2 small boxes of vine ripened tomatoes or cherry tomatoes grilled in the oven on 180 degrees centigrade, with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of castor sugar, for about 10 to 15 minutes

2 red onions chopped

1 cup Kalamata olives, pips taken out and halved

1 cup of organic spelt fusilli pasta or any pasta you prefer, boiled

Feta cheese to taste

Chopped dill

Method

Prepare your salad ingredients, and place in rows on your platter, crumble over feta cheese and chopped dill if you wish.

Dressing

⅔ cup double thick yogurt or Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 to 2 small cloves of garlic

A handful of dill

2 to 3 grinds of sea salt and black pepper

Blend together

Drizzle over salad before serving

** All ingredients are available at Woolworths. I used Koo chickpeas.

Liya’s favourite tomato soup

This is my daughter, Liya’s, favourite soup. I make it during the year but add cream for a wonderful Shavuot treat.

Ingredients

4 Tbsp tomato puree

14 tomatoes

6 Tbsp butter

1½ Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp boiling water

2 cups hot milk

1½ tsp salt

Dash pepper

1 onion sliced

2 carrots sliced

1 x 250ml cream

Method

Boil the tomatoes, remove skin, chop, and set aside.

In a separate pot, slice carrots and onions, and sauté in 2 Tbsp butter.

When wilted, add 2 Tbsp boiling water.

Add the chopped tomatoes to the carrot mixture, and season with salt, pepper, and sugar.

Boil for 15 minutes.

When the vegies are soft, puree them.

In a small pot melt 4 Tbsp butter, add flour, and stir well.

Slowly add the hot milk still stirring, then add the 4 Tbsp of tomato puree.

Add the above to the soup, boil for a few minutes, and then add the cream.

Cheesecake

No Shavuot is complete without cheesecake. This cheesecake has certainly served me well over the years whether at birthday parties, afternoon teas, and of course, Shavuot meals, with lots of happy customers asking for second helpings or even takeaways! Whiskey, being the secret ingredient, as well as the sour cream topping, really takes this cheesecake to the next level.

Base

1 packet of Nuttikrust biscuits (or any biscuit of your choice such Tennis or Marie biscuits)

125g butter melted

Melt the butter and add to the biscuits. Crush them in your food processor and press them firm into your dish.

Filling

4 x 250g smooth cream cheese (I use the Woolworths cream cheese, the full fat with the blue lid)

1 x cup sugar

4 eggs

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp whiskey (or brandy)

2 heaped Tbsp flour

1 x 250ml thick cream (Woolworths)

Preheat oven to 170 degrees centigrade. Mix the cream cheese, flour, sugar, and cream in your Kenwood Chef or with an electric hand beater at a very slow speed. Add one egg at a time and beat slowly. Add lemon juice, whiskey, and vanilla. Mix together making sure not to over mix. Pour into dish and bake for 30 minutes. Switch off oven for five minutes (with the door closed). Then, open the door slightly, and leave in the oven for a further 30 minutes (oven must still be turned off). Remove from the oven and cool.

Sour cream topping

1 x 250ml sour cream

3 x Tbsp castor sugar

1 drop vanilla essence

Mix all the ingredients together, pour over the cheese cake, and allow to set.

Enjoy, and chag sameach!

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