I'm hanging my head in shame about abandoning cooking contests this summer. Part of it is Veg Baby's continued insistence on soy bean products, and nothing even vaguely creative to enhance them. And part of it is, okay, laziness. But on Thursday I did indulge in Kugel Madness, my first kugel experience ever. Around the Jewish holidays my friend Cindy recruits me to write a little cooking column for a local Jewish newsletter and this month she asked if I had any kugel recipes up my sleeve. I lied and said, "definitely" and then I started getting wiggy with curry powder and beets.
Maybe I can re-enter Manischewitz next year...Rooster (pictured left, sampling three kugels) certainly thinks so. His favorite recipe was the potato-beet one, printed below.
Bleeding Heart Potato Kugel
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and grated
2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and grated
1 pound beets, peeled and grated
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted matzo meal
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
Preheat to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine grated onions, potatoes, and beets. Stir in lightly beaten eggs until well incorporated. Whisk in matzo meal, salt, baking powder and pepper. Stir in oil. Fold in parsley and tarragon.
Grease bottom and sides of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Place dish in oven until very hot, about 5 minutes. Pour kugel batter into hot dish. Bake until top is brown and crisp, 1 and 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Maybe I can re-enter Manischewitz next year...Rooster (pictured left, sampling three kugels) certainly thinks so. His favorite recipe was the potato-beet one, printed below.
Bleeding Heart Potato Kugel
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and grated
2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and grated
1 pound beets, peeled and grated
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted matzo meal
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
Preheat to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine grated onions, potatoes, and beets. Stir in lightly beaten eggs until well incorporated. Whisk in matzo meal, salt, baking powder and pepper. Stir in oil. Fold in parsley and tarragon.
Grease bottom and sides of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Place dish in oven until very hot, about 5 minutes. Pour kugel batter into hot dish. Bake until top is brown and crisp, 1 and 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
