What’s a Jewish holiday without a kugel? A kugel is a baked pudding or casserole, typically made from egg noodles. The Yiddish term Lokshen kugel is used when noodles are included. I remember my grandmother talking about making Lokshen kugel. She was the best cook! It may also be made of potatoes, zucchini, apples, spinach, broccoli, cranberry, or sweet potato. My recipe is made with apples, carrots and two grain-free flours.
The first kugels were made from bread and flour and were savory rather than sweet. About 800 years ago, German cooks also started using noodles or farfel. On Passover, matzoh kugel is a special treat.
Eventually eggs, cottage cheese and milk were included to make it a more dessert like dish. Raisins, cinnamon and sweet farmer’s cheese were also used in noodle kugel recipes.
According to Wikipedia, in a slang usage, the word kugel was used by the elder generation as a term for a young Jewish woman who forsook traditional Jewish dress values in favor of those of the materialistic wealthy — the kugel being but a plain pudding, trying desperately to be regarded as a delicacy.
This reminded me of my mother’s formidable Yiddish vocabulary for describing people and things in a humorous manner, such as the above use of the word kugel. I can almost see her nodding her head towards an overdressed young girl and saying “… that one is a kugel…”.
This kugel may be a plain pudding, but it quite delicious and fills the need for a tasty grain-free side dish.
Grain-Free Apple Kugel
Ingredients
- 4 medium apples (organic — apples are the worst of the dirty dozen) — 2 grated, 2 chopped small
- 4 medium carrots (organic) — grated
- 3 pastured eggs
- 2 tablespoon raw honey (where to buy raw honey)
- 3/4 cup almond flour (where to buy almond flour) (how to make almond flour)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour (where to buy coconut flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + some for sprinkling on top
- tad nutmeg (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (where to buy sea salt and spices)
- 1/4 cup organic raisins
Instructions
- In a food processor grate the carrots and 2 of the apples and put aside in a mixing bowl — save the 2 chopped apples
- In the food processor mix the eggs and honey
- Add back the grated carrots and apples and mix with the eggs and honey
- Add the almond four, coconut flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix
- Pour this batter into the mixing bowl
- Add in the 1/4 cup raisins and the 2 chopped apples and mix
- Pour into an 8 x 11 pan that has been lined with parchment paper and oiled with ghee, butter or coconut oil
- Sprinkle some cinnamon on top
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 55 minutes (check it sooner just to be sure)
