A Savory Gluten-Free Noodle Kugel for Passover

Noodle kugels generally aren't associated with Passover, since most noodles aren't kosher for this holiday. Instead we usually focus on potato and vegetable kugels, and save the noodle kugel for the rest of the year. When I saw that the company I was ordering Passover supplies from carried Manischewitz Passover Gold Wide Egg Noodles, which are kosher for Passover and made from potato starch, I got an idea... A gluten-free Passover noodle kugel! I'd heard lots about these non-gebrokts gluten-free egg noodles. They are sold only in the weeks preceding Pesach, and cannot be obtained during the rest of the year. I ordered 5 bags of them without having ever tasted them, just to make sure I had enough to last me for a couple of kugels... And I'm glad that I did.

I hear that Gefen and Flaum also make their own Passover egg noodles, and Frankel's makes a frozen version. Try your local kosher grocery. If you can't find them, you can try making your own. If you're not kosher for Passover or you follow Sephardic kashrut, you can try almost any other brand of wide, flat gluten-free noodle. I imagine that gluten-free tagliatelle or lasagna noodles (cut in strips after cooking) will work, though the texture won't be quite the same.

I based this recipe off of suggestions from my dad, savory kugel recipes online, and a sweet noodle kugel recipe from Mama Leah's Jewish Kitchen (by Lisa Loeb Fischer). Mama Leah, a friend of my family, used to run a chain of Jewish take-out shops in New York City. Her book never lets me down. The result was wonderful - This kugel is peppery, filling, and full of flavor. It gets crisp around the edges but stays moist within, and it reheats quite well in the oven or microwave.

While your kugel is in the oven, read up a bit on the history and cultural significance of this dish:

Kugel Unraveled (New York Times)

Wikipedia on Kugel

Enjoy!

SAVORY PASSOVER NOODLE KUGEL (LUKSHEN KUGEL)

[Non-Gebrokts / Milchig / Gluten-Free]

1 pound wide gluten-free egg noodles (Passover)
2 Tbsp butter or vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 cups brown mushrooms, sliced
6 medium eggs
1 1/2 cup lowfat milk
1 cup lowfat small curd cottage cheese
1 cup lowfat cream cheese or sour cream
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp brown sugar or date sugar
1 tsp paprika
1-2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
Butter for greasing the baking pan

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and boil until tender (Manischewitz Passover Egg Noodles take about 4 minutes, but time may vary depending on brand). Drain the noodles immediately. Be very careful to not overcook them, they should not be mushy.

In a heavy saucepan, heat butter or vegetable oil on medium heat and sautee onions and 1 teaspoon of sugar until brown and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat.

Beat eggs in a large bowl, then add milk, sour cream or cream cheese, cottage cheese, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ground black pepper. Mix together using a standing mixer, wooden spoon, or electric hand mixer, until combined (some lumps of cheese may remain). Add the noodles and onion-mushroom mixture and stir well to combine all ingredients.

Pour into a buttered 10x14 inch baking pan, and sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake for 1 hour or until the eggs have set and the entire kugel is firm. The edges and top should be slightly browned. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Artichoke and Broccoli Frittata

Friends sometimes laugh at my version of scrambled eggs, because I put more "stuff" in them than eggs. I like eggs, but I enjoy them less for their own virtue and more as way to hold everything together or give a fluffy texture to a breakfast dish. My scrambles are mostly vegetables and herbs and cheese, with egg serving only to bind them together and add protein. A frittata works on this principle - It is a perfect palette for colorful vegetables and strongly flavored cheeses. What I love about frittatas is that they are one of the few egg dishes that are delicious at room temperature and can be stored in the refrigerator (or even frozen) for days. Basically a crustless quiche, a frittata is not just for breakfast - Frittatas make a wonderful lunch or dinner, accompanied by a salad or steamed vegetables or potatoes. This one has been my breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past few days - Eaten at room temperature at work and heated up in my toaster oven at home. I love the way the fresh dill combines with the light flavor of artichoke. I will post some more vegan recipes soon, I promise!

ARTICHOKE AND BROCCOLI FRITTATA

8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 6-oz jar of artichoke hearts, drained
2 cups small broccoli florets
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp fresh dill, minced
1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Chop the artichoke hearts coarsely. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch cast iron pan over medium flame. Add onions and cook until they are translucent. Add garlic and broccoli, sautee until the onions have begun to brown and the broccoli is cooked through but still crisp. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, herbs and spices and milk. Whisk until well beaten. Add parmesan, breadcrumbs, artichokes, and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir gently. Pour mixture over the broccoli and onions. Sprinkle remaining cup of cheddar cheese over the top of the eggs - Do not stir.

Bake for 30 minutes or until firm. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot or at room temperature. Leftovers can be successfully reheated in oven, microwave or toaster oven. Serves 10.

My Favorite French Toast [Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free & Casein-Free]

Do you have a loaf of gluten-free bread that is stale? No problem. Gummy? No worries. Dry? Great. Hard as a rock? Perfect! Believe it or not, some of those subpar store-bought gluten-free breads work perfectly for french toast. They sop up the eggy mixture and transform into a breakfast delicacy you can top with fruit preserves, fresh fruit, or maple syrup. The french toast pictured above is prepared with Food for Life's Brown Rice Bread, which I bought at the Trader Joe's. It tastes fabulous when prepared with ghee (which is Indian clarified butter that has all the lactose and casein removed). The ghee imparts a rich, nutty flavor. Extra egg mixture will store for several days. Bon appetit!

GLUTEN-FREE FRENCH TOAST (Casein & Lactose Free)

4 slices gluten free bread
2 medium eggs
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup almond milk or rice milk or soy milk (plain or vanilla)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ghee, clarified butter or margarine
Optional: 2 teaspoons honey

In a pie pan or small baking dish, whisk together all ingredients except ghee/butter/margarine and bread. Heat ghee, butter or margarine in non-stick pan or griddle over medium-high heat. If you're using a dense bread, such as those from Food for Life, Soak for 4-5 minutes on each side. If you're using a homemade bread or a softer or more crumbly bread, soak for only 1-2 minutes on each side. Using a fork or tongs, remove each slice of bread from the liquid and allow excess liquid to drip off. Place in hot ghee/butter/margarine and cook on each side until browned. Serve immediately with maple syrup, jam and/or fresh fruit.

Eggs & Kale Parmesan

When Brendon of Something In Season posted lovely photos of a new meal creation on Friday, I knew that's what I'd have to have for dinner. Quick and nutrient-rich, and nicknamed "Eggs Davis", this dish as I made it straddles the line between frittata and casserole. I tweaked Brendon's recipe, using kale instead of chard, and beaten eggs instead of individual eggs. The result is a casserole with a bottom layer of leeks, followed by a thick layer of greens, and then layers of tomato, egg, and cheese, topped with the toasty breadcrumb-like crunch of finely ground almond flour. It holds together well enough to serve in neat, pie-shaped slices and reheats well in a toaster oven set to 350 degrees.



Eggs & Kale Parmesan

1 bunch fresh kale (I prefer smooth-leafed lacinato/dinosaur kale)
2 tomatoes, diced
4 eggs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/3 cup ground almond meal
1/2 cup chopped leeks
1 tablespoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375. Add oil to a cast iron pan. Heat oil on medium heat. Add leeks and sautee until the leeks begin to brown. Spread leeks evenly around the bottom of the pan and remove from heat.

Bring 1-2 quarts of water to a rolling boil, then add a tablespoon of sea salt. Wash and remove stems from kale, and chop roughly. Submerge chard in boiling water for 1-2 minutes or until tender. Drain completely in colander.

In a bowl, beat 4 eggs thoroughly.

Line cast iron pan with an even layer of kale. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes on top. Add a generous amount of ground black pepper. Then pour beaten eggs over the vegetables (use a spoon to make sure the egg mixture spreads all the way to the outer edge of the pan). Spread grated cheese evenly over the eggs, and then top with almond meal.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until eggs are firmly set. Place under the broiler for 1 minute or until the almond meal begins to brown in spots. Slice and serve. Makes 4-6 servings.