Healthy Kugel for Jewish Holidays
Cinnamon Apple Version Perfect for High Holy Day Dinners
Aug 10, 2009
Kugels are mainstays of Jewish cooking, and are especially popular dishes during the Jewish High Holy Days, which occur in the fall. But so many kugels are laden with cream cheese, sour cream and eggs - all major sources of dietary cholesterol. Rather than splurge "just this once" with a fatty kugel, it's so much better to prepare a heart healthy apple kugel that can be made ahead, with endless luscious variations.
Kugel Is a Parve Recipe
Traditionally, a kugel is part of an array of food that is eaten after the fast on Yom Kippur, a meal that is traditionally dairy. However, Best Healthy Kugel is made with canola oil and applesauce, rather than dairy ingredients. This means not only is it heart healthy, but it is also parve - according to Jewish dietary laws, neither dairy or meat.
This means the kugel can be enjoyed at many High Holy Day meals, for instance, at a side dish at a traditional Rosh Hashana dinner that contains meat. Leftover kugel and a glass of milk also makes a quick, nourishing breakfast before the family scrambles to the morning Rosh Hashana service. Of course, it's also great for regular Shabbat dinners, which tend to be meat based.
Kugel Great for Freezer
The Jewish High Holy Days are a time of worship and also nonstop busyness for the Jewish cook. This kugel is ideal for the holidays, as it freezes extremely well. Since it is flat, it doesn't take up much freezer space, so several can be made ahead and frozen in foil disposable pans.
Ingredients Can Be Changed
While noodle kugel traditionally has raisins, this kugel is also excellent when prepared with canned, drained fruit cocktail or canned, drained peach slices. More or less sugar can be added, and brown sugar, rather than white sugar, can be used for part of the sweetener. If the kugel is being served for more than one holiday meal, it's nice to make different versions, to add variety.
Kugel Good for Diverse Diners
Both adults and children enjoy this kugel. Unlike some other special Jewish foods, such as gefilte fish, noodle kugel has wide ecumenical appeal. Who doesn't like noodles and sugar? The kugel is a good pick to serve at a holiday gathering that includes those of other faiths.
This recipe has been tested several times in a home kitchen, both in the standard version and with variations
Best Healthy Kugel
Ingredients
- 8 ounces noodles, cooked until barely done and drained
- 1/2 cup egg substitute (or 4 egg whites)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup raisins or (or 1 cup fruit cocktail, well drained)
- 2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (lite salt OK)
- extra cinnamon for sprinkling
- extra sugar for sprinkling
Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Grease 9 by 13-inch baking pan. (Cooking spray works well.)
- In very large bowl, combine noodles, egg substitute, eggs, oil, applesauce, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Mix together very well.
- Pour into pan.
- In small dish, mix about 1 teaspoon cinnamon with 2-4 teaspoons sugar. Sprinkle mixture on kugel.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until kugel is golden brown.
Kugel is a mainstay of the Jewish High Holy Days, as well as the Sabbath meal. This heart healthy kugel is easy to make, freezes beautifully and tastes so good, no one will know it is nutritious!
For another easy, low cholesterol dish for the High Holy Days, try Quick Gefilte Fish
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