Health & Fitness

FOOD

Up For The Count

Mark Shavuot with yummy recipes.

Remove from oven and cool before serving
(or, when cool, cover and chill for up to
two days). Cut into wedges and serve with
whipped cream, if desired. Makes 8-12
servings.

Annabel Cohen

Special to the Jewish News

S

havuot is the pilgrimage festi-
val that marks the end of the
Counting of the Omer and the
day the Torah was given at Mount Sinai.
It's perhaps the easiest holiday to pin-
point without a Jewish calendar because
it's is exactly seven weeks and one day
after the start of Pesach (hence one of its
names, the "Festival of Weeks").
Since Jewish holidays begin at sundown,
Shavuot starts on the evening of Sunday,
June 9. The following recipes are all dairy
related — using some of the most popu-
lar ingredients of the festival. After seven
longs weeks of counting down to this fes-
tival, it's nice to celebrate.

Salmon with Herb Cheese,
Shallots and Nicoise Olives
6 5-oz. portions fresh boneless and
skinless salmon fillets
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
to taste
1 cup minced shallots
5.2-ounce package soft herb cheese
(such as Boursin), room temperature,
crumbled
4 Tbsp. fat-free half and half
V2 cup Nicoise olives, drained
2 Tbsp. capers
Preheat oven to 550F. Arrange salmon
portions in a single layer on a baking
sheet with sides. Season lightly with salt
and pepper and top with the shallots.
Roast for 10 minutes (do not overcook).
Remove from oven and arrange the salm-
on on dinner plates. Immediately top with
the herb cheese and drizzle the half-and-
half over. Sprinkle with olives and capers.
Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Wheat Berry Chicken Fresh
Fruit Salad
4 cups water
1 cup wheat berries
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
l/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 /2 cup apple cider or fresh orange
juice
4 cups diced cooked chicken, any
style (without skin)
1 cup chopped Granny Smith apple
1 cup chopped celery
Ph cups chopped scallions, white
and green parts
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 cup golden raisins

Cheese Ravioli: perfect for Shavuot.

1 cup slice or slivered almonds,
lightly toasted
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring water to a boil in a large sauce-
pan over high heat. Add the wheat ber-
ries, bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to
simmer and cook 60-90 minutes, until
tender. Drain well and transfer to a large
bowl. Add olive oil and vinegar and stir
well. Allow to cool for 20 minutes. Add
the remaining ingredients and toss well.
Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cover and
chill until ready to serve. Makes 6 serv-
ings.

Smoked Trout with
Horseradish Cream Bruschetta
1 thin French baguette, cut into %-
inch rounds
Sauce:
1 /2 cup low-fat or fat-free sour cream
3 Tbsp. prepared white horseradish
8 oz. smoked trout, skin removed
1 Tbsp. minced chives
1 cup fresh grated or shredded
Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange the bread
slices on a baking sheet and bake until the
edges are golden, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside.
Combine sour cream and horseradish in
a small bowl and stir well. Set aside.
Crumble the fish over the bread and
top with a teaspoon of the sauce. Sprinkle

the chives over the fish and sprinkle the
cheese over all. Bake the bruschetta for 5
minutes more. Serve warm. Makes 12-20
servings.

Fresh Lime Pie Reworked

Use tiny"Key" limes and you have the
famous Key Lime Pie.

Crust:
Ph cups graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbsp. melted butter
Filling:
1 can (14 oz.) fat-free sweetened con-
densed milk
5 large egg yolks
1 /2 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. fresh grated lime peel
Garnish:
Fresh whipped cream, optional
Prepare the crust: Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine all crust ingredients in a medi-
um bowl and stir well. Transfer the mix-
ture to a 9-inch pie dish (glass preferred)
and use your hands to "press" the mixture
on the bottom and up the sides of the pie
dish. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from
oven and cool completely before adding
the filling.
Make the filling: Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine all filling ingredients in a
medium bowl and whisk well. Transfer the
filling to the cooled crust and bake just
until the filling is set, about 20 minutes.

Cheese Ravioli with Honey,
Raspberry Sauce and Three
Berry Topping
Topping:
1 cup fresh raspberries (1 small con-
tainer)
1 cup fresh blueberries (1 small con-
tainer)
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced thin
1 /3 cup sugar
Ravioli:
24 premade (frozen is fine, thawed)
cheese ravioli, uncooked
Vegetable or canola oil
IA cup melted honey
1 /3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
Confectioners' sugar, optional
Make the topping: Combine all the ber-
ries in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar
and toss well. Cover with plastic wrap and
chill 8 hours or overnight, stirring occa-
sionally.
Prepare the ravioli: Preheat oven to 350F.
Toss the frozen ravioli with just enough
oil to coat lightly and arrange on a bak-
ing sheet with sides. Bake for 30 minutes,
turning once during cooking, until golden.
Arrange 3 ravioli on each of 8 dessert
plates. Drizzle the melted honey over the
ravioli. Sprinkle with almonds and spoon
the sauce around (not over) the ravi-
oli. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if
desired and serve immediately. Makes 8
servings.

Fresh Fruit with Fig Yogurt
10 cups fresh cut fruits and berries,
such as pineapple, cantaloupe, straw-
berries, grapes
6-8 fresh figs
2 cups organic vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup fig jam or preserves, heated
Vi cup fruit liqueur, such as Grand
Marnier
Divide fruit among 8 dessert bowls or
wine glasses. Set aside or chill, covered
with plastic wrap, until ready to serve up
to several hours ahead.
Combine yogurt, fig jam and liqueur in
a bowl and stir well. Just before serving,
spoon the yogurt over the berries. Halve
the figs just before serving and place 2
halves in each cup, over the yogurt. Makes
6-8 servings. E

June 5 2008

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