When it comes to Jewish holidays, dairy dishes usually take a back seat. Brisket, roast, chicken soup – it’s safe to say that our ancestors in the old country were not vegetarians.
But on Shavuot, the holiday commemorating the receiving of the Torah at Sinai, the cheesecakes come out! Many reasons are given to explain the custom of eating dairy products to celebrate Shavuot. Whatever the reasons, the results are the same: epic dairy delicacies galore. If we could only eat for nine, here are the dairy dishes we would choose for our Shavuot menus.
Aish.com
Cheese blintz are the sweet cheese-filled crepes of Ashkenazi Judaism. But because Jews are hardy, our “crepes” also come in a more robust variant. Somehow, still delicate, a blintz is able to hold a good amount of sweet and sour filling. Stuff them, fold them, fry them – repeat and eat!
Aish.com
Cheesecakes may literally take the cake as the most popular Shavuot food on the market. If there is a flavor, it has been made into a cheesecake. And if you’re just not a baker, cheesecake has you covered. There are endless no-bake varieties for the baker-handicapped. This No Bake Cheesecake With Chocolate And Halva proves you able to have your cake and eat it too!
There is even one salmon cheesecake, if you are brave enough to try!
Thejewishkitchen.com
When else do we eat a real, buttery carrot cake with cream cheese frosting? A cake with a carrot base is *essentially* like eating a salad, so cut off an extra large piece. For the diet of course.
meatyourvegetables.com
Ok, now that we’ve concentrated on sweets and treats, we may need something more substantial (less sugary) to start our dairy meal. This Cream of Potato Zucchini Soup is a far cry from chicken soup. But you won’t cry as you savor every drop of this decadent, spicy, creamy soup.
Aish.com
It may be the “dairy holiday” but we’re not letting it slip by without a kugel!! There are sweet noodle balls and salty noodle balls. Cheese noodle kugels, or lokshen kugel in Yiddish, are the best of both worlds.
haam.org
Meat and dairy is a kosher non-starter, but lasagna is essential. So cut the meat, keep the cheese, and voila – a mouth-watering vegetarian lasagna is made!
Koshereveryday.com
Fish, considered neither dairy nor meat (aka pareve or a neutral food), is the natural choice for an elevated protein to include in a dairy-centric meal. Add some parmesan and this tilapia is a healthy, budget-friendly, perfectly crispy addition to a dairy Shavuot meal.
JamieGeller.com
Keep sprinkling that Parmesan over an antioxidant-rich kale Caesar salad. This salad is a good balancer during a heavy dairy meal. It’s light, healthy and tasty and pairs perfectly with some heavier main dishes.
JamieGeller.com
Sometimes quiche gets a bad rap for being a boring brunch filler. But this versatile little dish can be made ahead with a host of flavorful combinations to enjoy. This Shavuot, pick a flavor and enjoy the versatility of these Top 10 Kosher Quiches, capiche?
