Shavuot Healthy Eating, Exotic Teas and Vegan Cheesecake with Cindy’s Corners

Shavuot Ideas

What’s on your menu for Shabbos and Shavuot next week?

For most, it includes lots of gatherings, plenty of hours awake and both dairy and meat meals, plus lots of desserts.

I recently sat down and discussed with Lisa R Young, PhD, RDN, how we can enjoy all of it, plus stay on track with healthy eating plans.

Young stated that all foods are ok, it is the portion control that matters most!! No need to deprive!

If you eat of lot starch (rice, pasta) at lunch, skip the grains/starch at dinner. Fill up on fruits and vegetables, as they are freebies on her diet plan. In addition to pastas and cheeses, prepare grilled or poached salmon or other fish. Combine zoodles with your noodles, and stick to tomato sauce, versus heavy, creamy sauces. It’s ok to mix with some pasta too.

Young prepares a vegetable lasagna, and add lots of spinach and part skim ricotta or cottage cheese. She also makes a spaghetti squash primavera and some butternut squash skewers with grilled tuna and tofu.

Eat lots of berries with a low-fat cheesecake that you can make with part skim ricotta cheese or a baked apple with frozen yogurt and you won’t feel deprived for dessert.

Most important, enjoy the holiday, your family and friends and it’s always ok to eat a small piece of the real thing!

Dr. Young’s latest bestseller, Finally Full, Finally Slim has great recipes and tips. It can be purchased here:

https://amzn.to/2La1KHs

New Teas by Wissotzky

My shul hosts a traditional tea, complete with finger foods and lots of cakes and cookies. Why not try some new teas, especially iced, and served with cut fruits, like a mock sangria.

Wissotzky Tea Company is satisfying our mass demand for chai – and need for convenience – with its new Artisan Spiced Tea collection. Each blend artfully pairs hand-selected premium black tea leaves with market spices, herbs, and other natural ingredients.  Each is carefully crafted blend is packed in a delicate pyramid tea bag that allows for the perfect release of aroma and flavor.

Four intoxicating varieties are perfect to start off your day, for an afternoon pick me up or an after dinner treat.  Simply brew and serve with milk and sweetener as desired or serve them over ice for a flavorful iced beverage.

Salted Caramel Chai: a sweet and savory beverage redolent of warm cinnamon, ginger root, cloves, sea salt, and cardamom.

Ginger and Turmeric: the earthy flavor of turmeric (known for its health benefits) blended with ginger root, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

Spiced Nana Mint: robust, flat-leaf Mediterranean mint complemented by cinnamon, ginger root, cloves, cardamom, and pepper.

Pumpkin Spiced Chai: a toasty balance of cinnamon and ginger with pumpkin pieces, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, and chili.

Wissotzky Tea is an international, family-owned tea company based in Israel with offices in London and the United States. It is the leading tea distributor in Israel. Founded in 1849 in Moscow, Russia, it became the largest tea firm in the Russian Empire.

Its products are distributed by KAYCO http://www.kayco.com/ the leading purveyor of kosher foods in the U.S.

Emmy’s Organics Treats

This are my new favorite treats, and based on the response to my social media posts, they are many of yours too.

Emmy’s is a home grown, family-oriented company, committed to spreading the good word about healthy snacking as well as social and environmental responsibility. Emmy’s B Corp Certification also shows the company’s strong passion for using business as a force for good. Examples of this can be seen in the organic and non-GMO ingredients Emmy’s sources, the way they give back to their community and other causes and the way they treat all people involved with their business. Emmy’s products are made in a wind and solar powered building and much attention is placed on reducing their carbon footprint. They are gluten free, vegan and kosher.

They also can be used to make other desserts, including this cheesecake:

Photo: Emmy’s Organics

VEGAN BLUEBERRY COCONUT CHEESECAKE BARS
Posted by Samantha Abrams on May 17, 2019
Vegan Blueberry Coconut Cheesecake Bar by @ourbalancedbowl
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Setting Time 6 hours
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 9 people
INGREDIENTS
VEGAN COOKIE CRUST
6 Emmy’s Organic Vanilla Bean Coconut Cookies
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
1/4 tsp salt
VEGAN BLUEBERRY COCONUT CHEESECAKE FILLING
1.5 cups raw salted cashews (can use unsalted as well)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
juice of one lemon
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk (the cream from the top of the can if possible, but if it’s all mixed together, that’s fine too)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS
It’s important to pre-soak your cashews. I recommend soaking them overnight. Place in bowl, cover with water and let sit at room temperature.
FOR THE CRUST:
Add 6 Emmy’s cookies, oats, unsweetened coconut flakes, melted coconut oil and salt to a food processor. Pulse until all of the ingredients are fully combined.
Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Add the crust components into the pan and firmly press it down, making a crust and making sure it’s even on all sides. Put this in the freezer to let set while you make your cheesecake filling.
VEGAN BLUEBERRY COCONUT CHEESECAKE FILLING
Thoroughly drain and rinse your soaked cashews and add them to a high powered blender. Also add the juice of one lemon, the coconut cream/milk, maple syrup and melted coconut oil. Blend thoroughly until super creamy.
ASSEMBLY OF THE CHEESECAKE BARS
Add the cashew cream filling directly on top of the crust. Make sure it’s evenly spread out over the crust. Top with frozen blueberries.
Place back in the freezer to let set for around 6 hours. I even let mine set overnight and they turned out wonderful! To serve, let set at room temperature for 1 hour or so. Once thawed, store in refrigerator. Enjoy!
RECIPE NOTES
Note: the recipe time on this card does NOT include letting the cashews soak overnight. Make sure you remember this step or it might not turn out as creamy

https://emmysorganics.com/

Enjoy your Shavuot celebrations!!

Food, Fun, Family and Friends…Everything Food In Recipes and Restaurants From Cindy’s Corners

Cindy Grosz can be reached at cindyscorners@gmail.com