Why Dairy on Shavuot?
In the land of milk and honey (Exodus 3:8), spring is traditionally a time of the abundance of milk and when the celebration of the Matan Torah (receiving of the Torah) occurs. Traditions of Shavuot include Tikkun Leil Shavuot (all-night -study of Torah) and dairy foods. Tikkun means correction or repair and it is said that this all-night Torah study is to repair when the Israelites slept late on the day the Torah was revealed. Dairy foods are associated with
Shavuot because in receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai the laws of Kashrut were first introduced; this meant that all the meat they had before that point had not been slaughtered according to the laws of Kashrut. A day of dairy was the solution to this realization, in accordance with Numbers 28:26 a sage discovered that the description of the meal offering is mei halav, or from milk.
What to do if you can’t have dairy
Can’t have dairy? No problem, in Hashem infinity wisdom a way is always provided to have
delicious dairy-looking non-dairy eats and treats.
Non-Dairy Recipes
-Non-Dairy Cream Cheese
1 ½ cups Cashews
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 (14-ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk, chilled in the refrigerator overnight
1 tsp. Distilled White Vinegar
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Onion Powder
Directions
Soak cashews for an hour in boiling hot water and then drain them and add them to
a blender with lemon juice, coconut cream, distilled white vinegar, salt, and onion
powder. Blend till smooth and chill in the fridge.
-Non-Dairy Cheesecake Filling
2 (14-ounce) cans of full-fat coconut milk, chilled in the refrigerator overnight (see note)
16 ounces/452 grams Non-dairy cream cheese, cold
⅔ cup/133 grams granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Pinch of kosher salt
Directions:
Prepare the filling: Turn the chilled cans of coconut milk upside-down and
open them. There should be a layer of liquid visible. (If there isn’t, push aside
the hardened cream to reveal it.) Pour the liquid into a storage container, and
save it for another use. There should be a thick layer of coconut cream
remaining in the can. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl, leaving behind
any visible coconut oil, and use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to
beat it until smooth and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside. In the bowl of a
stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese,
sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Beat the mixture on low speed until
combined, then turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat until just smooth,
about 30 seconds. Take care not to overbeat, or the cake will not be firm
enough when chilled. Add the whipped coconut cream and beat just until well
combined and smooth, about 30 seconds more. Chill for at least 8 hours.
-Coconut Whipped Cream
2 (14-ounce) cans of full-fat coconut milk, chilled in the refrigerator overnight
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Pinch Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Sugar (optional)
Directions
Chill metal bowl for mixing
Open a chilled can of coconut milk, drain out liquid (save liquid for later use in smoothies)
Scoop out fat solids and place them in the chilled bowl
Use a hand mixer or stationary mixer to whip coconut until light and fluffy
Add salt, vanilla, and sweeteners
Continue to mix until thick, Chill in the fridge
-Cashew Cream
1 cup Raw Cashews
1 cup Water
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice or orange juice
⅛ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Grind the cashews slightly put the water in a blender, then add the lemon juice, Kosher salt,
nutmeg
Blend until creamy and smooth
-Rice Pudding
¾ cup Rice
¼ tsp Salt
¼ cup Sugar
½ tsp Ginger
¼ tsp Cinnamon
½ cup Raisins (optional)
2 cups Oat or Almond Milk
15 oz (1 can) cream of coconut
Directions
Cook Rice in 1 ½ cup water and salt bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes
Stir in milk and coconut, sugar, ginger, and cinnamon; simmer uncovered, stirring frequently,
especially during the end of cooking, for 30 to 35 minutes until the rice is very tender and the
mixture is creamy.
Stir in optional raisins or dried fruit of choice during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Let stand 15 minutes before serving
-Dairy-Free Parmesan
½ cup Nutritional Yeast
1 cup Raw unsalted cashews
½ tsp. Kosher Salt
Directions
Process in a food processor or blender for a few minutes until crumbly
-Dairy-Free Cheese Sauce
½ cup Cashews or Macadamias (soak for 1 hour in hot water or 3 hours in water)
1 cup Coconut or Almond Milk (or water)
¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
1 tbsp Arrowroot Powder
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
½ tsp Kosher Salt
Directions
Blend all ingredients together in the blender
Pour in saucepan heat and whisk for 5 to 8 minutes; until thickened
Add to favorite pasta or vegetable
By Kimberley
References:
Ross, L. (2023, May 22). Why dairy on Shavuot? MyJewishLearning.com. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/why-dairy-onshavuot/Landes, E. (2023).
Tikkun Lei Shavuot. Chabad.org. https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2156/jewish/Tikkun-Leil-Shavuot.htm
Recipes adaptation from Institute for Functional Medicine, New York Tribune, Love it vegan, Paleo hacks
Smashing Life: Everything you need to know about Shavuot
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