As you know, I’m always willing to fulfill a food request from readers, so I was excited when someone asked yesterday if I would be posting a savory kugel recipe on That’s SO Jenn today. She told me she’s hosting a Rosh Hoshana dinner at her house, and was looking for something she could prepare for her guests. Although I hadn’t planned on making one, I loved the idea and was inspired to try it out.
Perhaps it’s the people pleaser in me, or the foodie, or a mixture of the two, but I immediately began dreaming up ideas. As visions of fragrant sautéed onions and egg noodles ran through my head, I remembered
a dish my mom used to make many years back. It came from our Hebrew school cookbook, a compilation my whole class had contributed to. I loved reading each description, envisioning my peers tasting meals prepared by their loved ones during various Jewish holidays.
This particular creation came from my friend Natalie’s Bubby (yiddish for Grandmother), who learned it from her own grandmother. The story goes that they were about to make a meal of noodles and cheese, but realized they didn’t have cheese. Instead, they used walnuts from their tree outside as well as cabbage which was plentiful in their area. My mother always eliminated the nuts when she made this, so I did the same. You could add shredded parmesan or vegan Rawmesan, but I urge you to try it without first.
The original description also calls for butter, but I’ve substituted oil to keep it parve. (Meaning neither meat nor dairy to fit with any meal in my parent’s Kosher home). To add a little color, I opted for red cabbage. Which is really purple. Go figure.
This Hungarian dish, known as Kraut Pletzel, has been in the Karlin family for over 100 years. I’m pretty sure that explains why there are no measurements written down. To make it easier for you to recreate this at home, I came up with exact specifications that worked for me. It came out so delicious that I contemplated eating it all tonight, then telling my parents I am unable to bring it tomorrow. But they subscribe to this blog. So I can’t.
While this isn’t technically a kugel, so many of the components are present that you could probably get away with adding a couple of eggs to the mixture, then baking until solidified. It’s also really good as is!
Although I made some changes to make this my own, I hope I’m still honoring Natalie’s tradition. Part of her family’s heritage will be represented tomorrow evening, as multiple generations of my family enjoy this around our table.
Ingredients:
1 (12 oz.) bag extra broad egg noodles (Original or No Yolk version)
1 (10 oz.) bag shredded red cabbage
3 medium white onions
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper + one pinch
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Table salt for pasta water
Add a few pinches of table salt to a pot of water and bring to a boil.
In the meantime, thinly slice onions.
Add noodles to boiled water and cook for 10 minutes. I used the cholesterol free No Yolk version.
When noodles are ready, transfer them to a large bowl.
Drizzle in 2 tablespoons olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking.
Toss to coat.
Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of pepper.
Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil to a large pan.
Add onions.
Sautee for about 15 minutes, until tender and golden. Be patient. It’s just starting here, see?
A little bit more…
Perfect!
Push onions to the side of the pan and add cabbage.
Mix together and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Stir well.
Transfer cabbage and onions to the noodles.
Mix together.
Move noodles to an oven safe dish.
Bake for about 5-10 minutes until warm. For crispy noodles on top, broil for an additional minute or two.
Eat and enjoy for Rosh Hoshana or any special night with your family!
Stay tuned for my next TV segment! TOMORROW September 4th at 12:30PM on CT Style News 8!
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