Please note: Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer. The Orthodox Union makes no endorsements or representations regarding kashrut certification of various products/vendors referred to in her articles, blog or web site.
When it comes to cleaning out my pantry for Pesach, one of the first items on my trash list are those almost-empty boxes of cereal. You know the ones I’m talking about, those that are hiding behind the other stuff I don’t need, pushed to the WAY back with only a cup or two of flakes or Os–not enough to make a bowlful but just enough to make me hesitate to throw them out, because well, you just don’t throw out perfectly good cereal. I mean, there could be a zombie apocalypse and we’d be barricaded in the house with, G-d forbid, no cereal, and then where would we be?
So, even at this one time of year when there is pretty much a get-out-of-jail-free card for discarding any and all bits and bites of leftovers, I still have that moment of hesitation.
I defiantly throw caution and common sense to the wind and decide that one last-ditch recipe is all need to make the leftovers disappear.
Honey and Nut Salad (dairy or pareve, depending on the cereal)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2 diced red delicious apples
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup diced celery
- 5 or 6 green onions, sliced
- ¾ to 1 cup any honey-sweetened cereal (e.g. Honeycomb or Honey Nut Cheerios)
Vinaigrette:
- 2 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey or sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a serving bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a salad bowl combine the lettuce, onions, apples, cranberries, pecans, and celery. Toss to combine.
- Sprinkle the cereal on top and drizzle the dressing over the top. Toss to combine and serve.
My files, source unknown.
Meatloaf Plus (meat)
8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 lb lean ground beef
- 2/3 to 1 cup bran cereal
- 1 chopped onion
- ¼ cup chopped green pepper
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup barbeque sauce, divided (or more on top if you like)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 egg
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl combine the ground beef, bran cereal, onion, green pepper, salt, ¼ cup barbeque sauce, garlic, and egg. Mix to combine.
- Transfer to two loaf pans. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Top with ½ cup barbeque sauce. Bake 30 to 45 minutes more or until done. (You may need to drain.)
Sesame Corn Flake Chicken (meat)
8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup bread crumbs (panko or toasted regular bread crumbs)
- 1 to 1½ cup cornflakes, lightly crushed
- 3 Tablespoons teaspoons sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3 eggs
- 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken cut into strips
- 7 to 8 cups torn romaine lettuce (or mix whatever kind of greens you like)
- Extra sesame seeds
Dressing:
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 Tablespoons white wine or rice wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a cookie sheet with sides.
- In a bowl combine the bread crumbs, corn flakes, sesame seeds, and chili powder and mix to combine. Place the eggs in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Dip the chicken strips into the beaten egg, and then roll them in the bread crumb/cornflake mixture, making sure both sides are coated. Place the chicken on the prepared cookie sheet and continue until all the chicken is coated.
- Bake 10 minutes, flip the pieces and continue cooking for an additional 7 to 10 minutes until they are cooked throughout, but not overdone.
- While the chicken is cooking combine the parsley, oregano, tarragon, vinegar, oil, and honey in a bowl or jar with a tight fitting lid. Whisk or shake to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- You can place the lettuce in a salad bowl or divide it between 8 plates and top with warm cooked chicken. Drizzle the dressing and sesame seeds over the top and serve.
Submitted by Aaron Martoni of San Francisco, CA; modified from epicuran.com.
Apple Tart (dairy or pareve)
10 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup butter or margarine
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup sugar, divided
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3 Tablespoons cold water
- 6 baking apples, peeled and chopped
- 1½ cups granola cereal (with raisins is just fine too)
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In bowl of a food processor combine the butter or margarine, flour and ¼ cup of the sugar. Process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and water and pulse just until combined and the mixture forms dough.
- Press the dough onto the bottom and sides of an ungreased 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes then remove from the oven.
- While the crust is baking, combine the granola, almonds, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Place the apples on the crust then sprinkle the granola mixture over the top. Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly.
- Spoon the chopped apples over the crust and then sprinkle the granola mixture over the apples. Press it down slightly. Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Then cool for at least 30 minutes before drizzling on the glaze.
- In a bowl combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice and mix until smooth. Drizzle over the top of the tart and serve warm or cold.
Modified from about.com.
Does your Seder look like what the rabbis really had in mind? Probably not. A bold suggestion for your Seder this year.
Stay connected to the largest kosher food certification agency for newly-certified kosher products, kosher alerts and special deals. Like OU Kosher on Facebook and follow OU Kosher on Twitter.
Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer. She graduated from Indiana University and the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. She lectures on various food-related topics across the U.S. and Canada and writes weekly columns for the Chicago Jewish News, kosher.com and OU Life. She is the author of the Perfectly Pareve Cookbook (Feldheim) and is a contributing writer for several publications. You can visit Eileen’s blog by clicking Cuisine by Eileen.
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.