Crispy Fried Onions, Spinach Kugel and Broccoli Kugel

[sorry, pictures hopefully to follow]

What do you consider a “patchke”? I think this is actually a very subjective category because not everyone is bothered by the same kitchen tasks.

I have been told that any recipe that involves separating eggs and whipping whites crosses over the line into being a “patchke.” For me, separating eggs and whipping whites is not such a big deal.

I’m not so keen on chopping onions, or cleaning/chopping vegetables and herbs in general. If there is a lot of vegetable chopping and the recipe calls for parsley or dill, I think: Tedious! I also hate lots of pots and pans.

I wanted to make and freeze a couple of kugels for Yom Tov, but really was not in the mood to do lots of onion chopping and frying. So I devised the following recipes, using Bodek spinach and broccoli (just defrost and squeeze dry!) and imported fried onion products (no frying!). Everything just gets mixed all together and baked in a square pan. Not glamorous, but super easy.

The fried onion is an Israeli product that is just onions and oil. The crunchy fried onion is imported from Holland and the ingredients are almost as simple: onion, oil, flour, salt. Yes, I know . . . fresh onions are cheaper and healthier. But, I was really tired. And the results are really yummy.

You can also make this with homemade fried onions . . . if you want to patchke.

Faux-tato Kugel

Susie Fishbein’s Kosher by Design Lightens Up has a Faux Potato Kugel that is mostly cauliflower, with just a little potato. I changed the recipe, cutting all the ingredients in half, except the potato, and using whole eggs instead of mostly egg whites.

The end result was a kugel that looked very much like potato kugel, but tasted like . . . cauliflower kugel. It did not taste like potato kugel. Not at all.

But, it is very nice as a cauliflower kugel . . .

Mrs. S asked me to post the recipe, so here it is:

Donna Hay-esque Dairy Spinach Kugel (and My Mom’s Dairy Spinach Kugel)

This is actually a mash-up of two different Donna Hay recipes: Spinach Pie from The Instant Cook, and Spinach and Ricotta Baked Pasta from Off the Shelf. It is sort-of like spanakopita, without the phyllo, or a crustless quiche. With some salad on the side, it makes a nice light lunch.

The results reminded me very much of my mother’s dairy spinach kugel, which is a good thing. My mother’s recipe (which I am also including) uses farmer’s cheese and sauteed onions and mushrooms.

This recipe is a little easier because you skip the sauteed onions (but adding them could only make this even better). Putting the halved grape tomatoes on top is not only pretty, but adds a lot to the flavor as the acidity of the tomatoes cut through the creaminess of the dish. Serve this with a salad on the side. If you don’t want to add the tomatoes to the top of the dish, trying serving it with a tomato salad on the side.

My Version of Mrs. S’s Broccoli Kugel

Mrs. S posted this as a Pesach recipe, but it is good anytime. I only had a half a bag of frozen Bodek broccoli florets, so I cut the recipe in half and made a few other little changes. The flavor is much better and fresher tasting than most broccoli kugels.

Vegetarian Seder Guests?: Crustless Spinach and Red Pepper Tart

Having vegetarian seder guests? Providing that they are not vegan, this might be a nice dish to put on the table. It is pareve, high protein, low fat, and low carb. Plus, it is colorful, easy to make and it can be served room temperature as well as warm.

Even though it is arguably a frittata rather than a tart (or maybe even a kugel), I call it a crustless tart because it is basically this tart, minus the crust. The method of making it is so simple, you really don’t even need a recipe. Just grease a round pan generously with olive oil and arrange cooked spinach (defrosted frozen, squeezed very, very dry) and roasted red peppers in the pan. Sprinkle over salt and pepper. Whisk some eggs and pour over the top. Poke the spinach around to mix in the eggs. Bake.

And why wouldn’t this work with other vegetables, too? Maybe eggplant, onion, and red pepper (a nice combination also in this spread), or maybe cauliflower and onion (something like this, but with just eggs and no flour, of course), or broccoli and scallion.