Friday, July 22, 2011

Special K Loaf


Sometimes I wish I could do this for a living. Blog that is. I follow at least 20 recipe blogs and it appears that several of the writers are doing just that. Testing recipes, setting up the perfect lighting to take pictures of their dishes, editing photos, writing articles, and doing it every day. They have literally thousands of followers, tons of sponsors, add dollars just flowing in and publishers knocking on their doors for book deals. Sigh…. That is the LIFE! Maybe someday, but right now, I have fewer than 50 followers, most of which I know personally.

However, occasionally I’ll get a follower I have never met before and this is always the highlight of my DAY (sometimes week). And it’s for these few followers (not that they’re even following regularly…) that I’m going to give a little background to today.

I’m a card-carrying, lifelong member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Some of our beliefs are similar to other faiths, some are vastly different. One integral aspect of Adventist culture is what we like to call the health message (not sure if that warrants capitalization or not…). In a nutshell (which is sort of a pun if you know much about the health message), this “message” advocates for clean, temperate living. Some strict no-no’s are unclean meat (if that sounds weird, just google it), alcohol, tobacco and drugs in general, including marijuana (which I guess is pretty standard unless you’re a Rastafarian J). While vegetarianism used to seem like a must, at least among Adventists in America, it’s by no means “required.” Regardless, many of us were raised in vegetarian homes.

Growing up, Mom almost never prepared meat, except for an occasional turkey at Thanksgiving. However, we sometimes ate meat at restaurants or at relative’s houses. What we did consume on a regular basis was veggie meat. For better or worse, Adventists were the leading pioneers in the creation of veggie meat. The oldest companies specializing in faux meats (think Worthington, Loma Linda, Cedar Lake), were originally all Adventist owned. Although meat knock-offs can be found in almost ANY grocery store now, this wasn’t always the case. Once upon a time, you had to go to Adventist owned grocery or book stores to get your supplies. Happily, that’s not the situation anymore, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the price: it’s always been expensive.

For this reason, Adventists had to find ways to make something seem “meaty” without actually using even a fake meat. I think the best example of this has GOT to be the Special K Loaf.

Named for the corn flakes that play a leading role, this dish is a church potluck blockbuster. It’s not much to look at, but it's super easy to make and to adapt. And it's very yummy. The recipe I’m sharing is my mother’s version. You can find many others online, but they’re more complicated and in my opinion, just not as good. I’ve had MANY Special K’s in my day and I’m telling you, my mom’s is the best. A lot of other recipes go the “golden” route, using vegetarian chicken seasoning instead of beef. In my humble opinion, this is a mistake. It comes out way too yellow instead of actually looking more like meatloaf, and it’s not as savory.

I plugged the recipe into Caloriecount.com and it got a B+. It's kinda high in fat, but the majority comes from the walnuts, which means that only 3.7 grams are saturated. It’s LOADED with protein (26.4 grams per serving!) and it’s also high in vitamins B6, B12 and selenium. I’ll cover some ways to improve it health wise in the tips.

Special K Loaf
Serves 8

I large onion, chopped (or 1 pkg Lipton's Onion Soup)
1/4 c of corn oil
5 eggs beaten
4 cups of small curd cottage cheese
4 cups corn flakes
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 T. McKays Beef Seasoning (omit if using Lipton Onion Soup mix)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Place in a lightly greased, 11 X 9 inch casserole dish and bake for one hour.




Tips: The pictures actually show this recipe cut in half, so don’t be alarmed if it looks like too much. If you don’t have a food processor, don’t actually CHOP the nuts. Throw them in a baggie and pound them with a rolling pin, heavy cup or bowl, etc. If you’d like to get the cholesterol down in the recipe (which is definitely something to think about), you could start by using egg whites instead of whole eggs (I’d do 6 large egg whites). An egg replacer would work fine too. Firm tofu instead of cottage cheese is another option. I would add some additional beef seasoning to punch up the flavor in that case.

35 comments:

  1. I don't like Special K loaf, but I'd still like to be an Adventist. Can I?

    Sincerely,

    Specially K

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes you may and special K loaf is just as good with veggie seasoning using beef and chicken style, using soft tofu instead, because cottage cheese actually comes from COW!!!! and then you can put a ketchup brown sugar sauce on top and it is delicious.

      Delete
  2. I know, I wish I could be a full-time blogger too! (Sigh).

    Oh, the classic Special K recipe! I could eat a whole pan by myself!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you an be a blogger and make money at it too! I have found the best of both worlds. http://www.quityourcommute.com

      I definitely want to try this recipe out! Thanks for this blog

      Delete
  3. It's such fun to read your blogs; good job, kiddo. You are so persuasive it makes me want to go and try my own recipe. I'm honored you think it's "best" but can't take all the credit - I must have tasted a hundred different Special K recipes over the years at Adventist potlucks, so this one is a culmination of many great vegetarian cooks. But you are now my favorite one!
    Rachel's Mom

    ReplyDelete
  4. What?! Where did you get your Adventist card? How come I don't have one? :) And also, Special K loaf was something we'd sit around and talk about in Yap on a Sabbath afternoon...how we missed it, how Adventist it was, how it reminded us of the goodness of...well, home. If only we had cottage cheese there...(yes, I know we can use tofu, but it's not the same).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not all SDA are vegan, a lot are vegetarian, and they can have both dairy products and eggs. :) So why not have the cottage cheese? :)

      Delete
    2. Yes, but they did not have cottage cheese on the island of Yap :)

      Delete
  5. Thanks for all the comments! And Andrea, I actually do have a card. I got it from Elden. It says I'm a missionary. :)

    And my mom is modest. It's her recipe and she's the best vegetarian cook. Period.

    ReplyDelete
  6. i think it's standard to think that "your mom" makes the best... i say it myself, all the time. anywho.... i think it's fair to add that Corn Flakes were invented by SDAs along with the veggie meat (though the story is somewhat shady... and mr. post, who stayed at the battle creek sanitarium stole the recipe from mr. kellogs) check it out! it's crazy!
    yummo!

    ReplyDelete
  7. haha, maybe i should hire you as a staff writer kim... :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I found this blog because I used Kelloggs corn flakes instead of using Special K (who's main ingredient is rice). I got corn flakes instead because they were on sale and was SUPER nervous because I looked at the side of the Special K box and noticed they are rice flakes. Feeling way better now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Problem in us is that almost all corn for human consumption is genetically altered & for health reasons many of us are NOT supposed to consume it. Special K having rice is a positive - I've eaten some made this way & love it!

      Delete
  9. Thanks for posting this! I was googling special k loaf recipes today and came across your blog and recipe...I started reading your comments and realized you're a keele. I went to school with andrea and donnie and Don keele has been a wonderful friend and support to my family always but especially this last summer...making this for dinner tonight! Thank you! Melissa (Harper) Blackwelder

    ReplyDelete
  10. well hi melissa! always glad to help :) yes, i'm very blessed to be a member of the keele family. i know donnie loves your family so much. let me know how the special k turned out!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi! I'm a Seventh-Day Adventist too, and have been my whole life! I go to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Ottawa, Kansas. Anyways, I came across your blog because I was looking on Pinterest for Special K Loaf recipes to see how they compare to my moms (which I've ALWAYS thought, and still do, is the BEST!)I am very surprised to see how many different variations there are! But I must say, my moms recipe is VERY close to your moms. In fact, its the closest one I've found so far! Thank you for sharing this recipe...I'll definitely give it a try! God Bless. Sincerely, Jessica Welton

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi, I also grew up on the old favorites, Special K, Lentil, Cottage Cheese loaves. My dear husband refers to them as "brown loaf" and refuses to eat them. So, they have disappeared from my recipe box. I found myself in need of a Special K recipe, as I cook for North Dakota Campmeeting. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I also know Don Keele.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Does anyone have a cottage cheese loaf recipe from the '50's? When I was young our neighbor would invite our family to her house for Sabbath dinner. I am the oldest of 7 so preparing a meal for OUR family was a time consuming job. All this on Friday. Since that time I have attempted many loaf recipes and have never run across the one of my youth. Thank you in advance for any help. Sincerely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there! This is a cottage cheese loaf. Most will call for either corn flakes or rice crispies in the recipe. This may not be exactly the same as what you remember, but give it a try and let me know!

      Delete
  14. 4 cups of cottage cheese to 4 cups of Special K??? Doesn't sound like the recipe my Mom used! Seems like way too much cottage cheese!

    I couldn't remain an Adventist once I had a chance to think for myself (at about age 21), but I'll always love the food (except Nuteena) �� And the older I get the more I crave it. The food of your childhood is the best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there! I promise the cottage cheese to Special K ratio is not a typo. It might be more than you're used to, but give it a try. It works beautifully!

      And I'm sorry to hear that you felt so constrained until your adult years. I've had an exciting, unexpected, winding faith journey within the SDA church, but I truly love it, even if I don't always agree with the people who speak on behalf of the church. However, I know God leads each of us on fiercely unique spiritual journeys. I pray that you're growing closer to Him each day, regardless of what you call yourself. And yeah, Nuteena is not very good...

      Delete
  15. I am also SDA and when I came into the church about 28 yrs ago I got the recipe and made it for years. I had 3 children after I came into the church and they said the same thing you said "my mom makes the best special K loaf". But I lost the recipe some time ago so I am going to try your recipe. I will let you know how I like it. Olga

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Olga, I look forward to hearing how it turns out! I hope it's close to what you used to make.

      Delete
  16. I noticed that nutritional yeast was not mentioned

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nessie,

      That's because I don't use nutritional yeast in my loaf. But I'm sure that would taste great.

      Delete
  17. Good to find the recipe. Only thing I would change is G Washington's Seasoning and Broth, Golden instead of McKay's.

    ReplyDelete
  18. How could you call this Special K loaf when you use corn flakes instead of Special K?!?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you mean "Why", and the answer to that is force of habit. And corn flake loaf sounds worse...

      Delete
  19. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi. I am craving a specialK loaf it has been over 20 years since I have had it. I was in the Adventist Church when I was 3 days old. My previous church family removed me from the books because I had moved from Virginia to California and I tried so hard to find a new church family however I was not able to. I went to the 3 that were all within an hour of us. It was always uncomfortable. I am in an interracial marriage and most of the people especially the older people which was the majority of members would not speak to us. And after not attending church for a while it has been difficult going back. My old church in Virginia only gave us a month to change our membership. Before they started talking to us about removing us from the church. I still hold to the health message on the unclean meats. And alcohol smoking and such. I used to have our church cookbook but I have lost it through multiple moves. My husband is now retired from the Navy so we moved alot. I would love to have some more recipes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so sorry to hear you've experienced such an unwelcoming spirit in the churches you attended. It's so sad to hear so many of our churches struggle to love and accept individuals. If you're ever in Berrien Springs, Michigan, feel free to look me up! You'll always be welcome at my church :) Feel free to let me know if there are other SDA recipes you'd like! I've had many passed down to me that aren't on the site here. Feel free to email me any time: rachelhopkinskeele@gmail.com.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  21. TY for sharing! This was the closest to my moms recipe if not the same! 💓

    ReplyDelete