We can all agree that challah is undeniably delicious. Dipped in a hot bowl of soup, covered with chocolate chips or sprinkles, toasted and topped with butter or hummus; challah is not only incredibly tasty, but also very versatile. But why stop at chocolate chip challah, or plain old challah toast? Why not mix it up? After Shabbat dinner ends, there is a world of options for your leftover challah. Keep reading to get some leftover challah recipe ideas with an Israeli twist!
Israeli salad is a holy land staple! A classic Israeli salad consists of chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Adding croutons gives it an extra crunch that ties the whole salad together. Adeena Sussman, the well-known author of the cookbook, Sababa, creates a delectable and “modern Israeli” way to use your leftover Challah in this recipe.
Image: eatingwell.com
Ingredients:
4 cups cubed challah bread (1-inch pieces)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt plus ¼ teaspoon, divided
4 small Persian (mini) cucumbers, quartered
3 small Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 cup fresh parsley leaves with tender stems
2 tablespoons pitted oil-cured olives, halved
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 (3 ounce) block feta cheese
1 teaspoon za'atar
Instructions:
Toss bread with 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread and cook, stirring constantly, until charred in spots, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Add cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, olives and lemon juice to the bowl along with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss to combine.
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Arrange the croutons around the edges and top the salad with feta. Drizzle the feta with any remaining dressing and sprinkle with za'atar.
2. Amy Kritzer’s Cardamom Challah French Toast with Tahini Syrup and Halva
We know what you’re thinking, challah french toast is already popular and not the most creative… but not how Amy Kritzer, creator of the blog “What Jew Wanna Eat,” makes it. Amy’s challah french toast takes a funky, Israeli spin on this classic breakfast dish. In her recipe, she incorporates a variety of Israeli ingredients. She adds tahini (a sesame paste), halva (a usually sweet treat made of tahini), mint (which is often used in Israeli dishes) date syrup (silan or syrup is made of dates grown in Israel), and pomegranate seeds (a fresh and classic Jewish and Israeli fruit). With these ingredients and a few others, plus leftover challah, you have yourself a beautiful, restaurant-worthy dish.
Image: whatjewwannaeat.com
Ingredients:
1/4 cup maple or date syrup
1 tablespoon tahini
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk dairy free works too
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 slices stale/day-old challah sliced 3/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup crumbled halva
2 tablespoons mint as a chiffonade or minced
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
Instructions:
To make the tahini syrup, mix the maple or date syrup with tahini. Add a little water if you need to thin it out. The maple syrup will be sweeter than the date syrup. Up to you!
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cardamom until combined. If you want it sweeter, add a little white or brown sugar or honey
Take one piece of challah at a time and soak in the mixture on both sides.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter.
Add the challah, two pieces at a time and cook two minutes per side, until browned.
Repeat with remaining challah pieces.
Serve warm with tahini syrup, halva, mint and pomegranate arils. Enjoy!
3. Jamie Geller’s Chicken Schnitzel Challah Sandwich
Last but not least, we have Jamie Geller’s Chicken Schnitzel Challah Sandwich! In her recipe, Jamie Geller, combines lots of Israeli foods into a challah sandwich. First there is schnitzel, a typical Israeli chicken dish. If you also had schnitzel on your Shabbat table, this is great use for those leftovers too! She also uses Israeli pickles, which if you’ve had them before, you already know that they are the best. Next, she adds two classic Israeli spreads: hummus and matbucha (a spread made of tomatoes), and she adds fried eggplant: a key component of many Israeli foods, such as sabich. Add them all together, and you have a fantastic Saturday lunch.
Image: jamiegeller.com
Ingredients:
1 loaf challah
½ cup hummus
2 tablespoons matbucha
10 fried eggplant slices
4 Israeli pickles sliced in thirds
8 pieces cooked schnitzel
Directions:
Cut open the challah loaf along its length. Do not cut all the way through - just enough so you can fully open the loaf.
Spread hummus all over the bottom side of the loaf. Top with matbucha. Layer eggplant slices, pickles, and schnitzel over top.
Close the sandwich and cut it into 5 individual sandwiches. Serve with chips (french fries), ketchup, and mayo, and enjoy just like an Israeli.
