Friday, January 4, 2013

Mushroom and Kale Kugel






While I don't really have a "to-make" list written out like many bloggers do, there are certain dishes that I've always wanted to make, one being Kugel. I've never had a Kugel before, but have seen several recipes, especially in magazines around Jewish holidays. What's not to love, noodles, eggs, and creamy cheese! Kugel often tend to be sweet, but this one was all savory.

I happened to stumble upon this recipe by chance, as I did a search on the Whole Foods website for kale recipes. Kugel was probably the last dish I expected to find! While I love kale because it just screams "healthy!" we've had a lot of it lately, and a creamy noodle dish that incorporated it sounded like a nice marriage between health and comfort.

I made two small changes, using whole wheat egg noodles, and subbing Greek yogurt for the sour cream, but otherwise made the recipe as written.  My family loved this dish, Violet happy gnawed on strands of kale in between noodles. If you find yourself in a cooking rut and can't find any fun new dishes to make, join a CSA! Be forced to eat a variety and try new things. Now, if I could figure out how to use my Daikon radish...

Mushroom and Kale Noodle Kugel

2 tbps. butter
16 oz. whole wheat egg noodles
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
Fresh ground black pepper and Kosher salt
1 bunch of kale, stemmed and sliced thinly
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp. dried)
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 c. sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

Preheat oven to 350*
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt and cook pasta according to directions, leaving a bit al dente.
Drain and rinse, transfer to a large bowl.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
Add mushrooms, cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in kale and cook until wilted, 2-3 minutes, add thyme and stir.
Add vegetable mixture to noodles, toss.
In another bowl, whisk together eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream and a pinch of salt.
Fold into noodles, then spoon mixture into a greased baking dish.
Press mixture down, cover gently with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more, until golden brown, serve.

5 comments:

Christina said...

This looks great. I'm going to try it soon.

As for the Daikon, I've learned all about them through my CSA. Since they tend to be so large and we simply won't consume that much radish standing alone, I typically pickle them along with some carrots with Asian flavors. I have about 10 half pints in my fridge at the moment and once I open one, it will be gone within ten minutes.

Ashlee said...

Thanks for the suggestion! I have seen quite a few picked Daikon recipes. Do you just eat it like a snack by itself, or as a condiment? I love all things pickled, so I'll have to try it out!

Christina said...

I usually get it out to use as a condiment, but the jar is always empty before I put it on the table. The funny thing is, my six year old is the one who sneaks most of them.

Unknown said...

So glad to see you back to blogging. I've been loving my Meatless Mondays and I look forward to searching out tasty recipes on your blog!

Joanne said...

I've always wanted to make a kugel also! Both a sweet and a savory. This one sounds so delicious and uber healthful with the kale!