Delicious Kosher Salad
Learning to prepare kosher meals involves keeping some general rules in mind. Meat and dairy may not be consumed in the same meal; meats must be kosher meats; no pork, shellfish, or bottom dwellers; and all foods must be kosher certified. While kosher cooking involves some planning and thinking ahead, it is actually quite simple and there are many options for meals that will be enjoyable for all.
Vegetarian Feast
Creating a vegetarian meal is one of the easiest ways to avoid having to think about not eating meat and dairy in the same meal. For a breakfast, think about serving vegetable omelets, pancakes with syrup, fresh fruit and vegetarian soy breakfast patties. For a simple lunch, you might consider hummus pitas with sprouts, tomatoes, Italian dressing and a side of veggie chips. Tomato basil bruschetta, pesto pasta and tiramisu would make the perfect dinner. You will still need to ensure that foods are kosher certified, but without having to think about meat preparation, a plethora of meal options and budgets can be explored.
Baked Chicken Dinners
Baked chicken dinners can make wonderful kosher meals. Head to your nearest kosher butcher and purchase specially certified kosher chicken. Bake it in the oven with fresh herbs, barbecue sauce or lemon with salt and pepper. You will need to serve dairy-free sides. A simple tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette is always a great option. Other options might be Mediterranean couscous, red beans and brown rice, or curried vegetables. Any bread served with the meal should also be dairy free. Challah, a traditional kosher bread, would be the perfect choice to compliment almost any meal.
Pizza Time
Kosher pizzas generally need to be vegetarian because meat and dairy cannot be mixed. Purchase pre-made pizza crusts and fresh mozzarella cheese. Margarita pizzas are easily made by layering freshly sliced tomatoes, fresh cut basil and fresh mozzarella. You might also combine artichokes, tomatoes, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella cheese for a garden feast of a pizza. If your crowd is intent on having meat, try adding soy meats, using dairy-free crust and soy cheese, or creating a cheese-less meat pizza. Some meat lovers report enjoying pizzas made with barbecue sauce instead of tomato sauce, sausage, ground beef, chicken, green peppers, and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for a cheese-like flavor.
Mexican Buffet
Purchase a pound of kosher ground beef from your local kosher butcher. Brown and season it with Mexican seasoning. On your buffet area, set out taco shells, tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and fresh salsa. If your crowd likes cheese, purchase dairy-free vegan soy cheese from your local health food store and use it in place of conventional cheese. With all of the ingredients spread on the table, everyone can help themselves to their own Mexican creation. For dessert, a small cup of tart dairy-free mango sorbet should hit the spot. A nice bottle of sparkling water infused with lime would also compliment this kosher meal nicely.
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