Kugel {Jewish casserole}

At my friend's wedding reception, they served a traditional Jewish dish with eggs, cottage cheese, egg noodles, and peaches/pineapples (other fruits).  I didn't catch the name, but I wanted to try to make it myself.  At home I immediately searched for the ingredients and found out that it's called Kugel.  I searched for a recipe that I thought would taste most like the one at the wedding.  This is what I found, and tonight I tried it.  It tastes similar but not exact, and now I know how I want to vary it for the future (namely, more eggs and fewer noodles).

Peach Noodle Kugle
1 lb broad egg noodle
[1 stick] butter
4 eggs, lightly beaten
[3/4 cup] sugar
1 tsp salt
1 pint (2 cups) small curd cottage cheese
1 pint (2 cups) sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp nut butter flavoring {didn't use}
1 large can (28 oz) peaches, cut into pieces (reserve some juice for later)
OR 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, with its juice
apricot preserves

Boil water in a medium saucepan, cook pasta for 7-9 minutes.  Drain and pour into a large mixing bowl.  Add butter, beaten eggs, sugar, salt, cottage cheese, sour cream, vanilla and peaches.  Stir and pour into a greased 13x9 baking dish.  Optionally (because I didn't do this, this time) thin out some apricot preserves with peach juice, spoon onto the top of the dish, spreading evenly with the bottom of a spoon.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

*Some notes: first, I would like to find a recipe with more eggs and less pasta.  I would like to try mixing pineapple and peaches.  I'm not sure if you need to cover it in the oven because the top of the dish had darkened pasta (could be solved by adding a cover like the preserves).  I like the fragrance and the taste (especially from the cheese, eggs, and fruit, not so much from the pasta).  It's a sweet dish that makes a great alternative for get togethers and holidays.


Other links to try: Pineapple Noodle Kugle and Top 10 Kugel Recipes

Favorite Pancake Recipes

Here are three of my favorite pancake recipes.  The first recipe, when halved, makes enough for 2 to 3 people; however, when making waffles use the full recipe.

Buttermilk Pancakes or Waffles
2 cups whole wheat flour [I always use half all-purpose and half wheat pastry flour]
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 T sugar or honey [I always use honey]
2 eggs
2 T oil
2 cups buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients, whisk together.  Pour batter (2 inch circles) onto a hot skillet/griddle, turning once (should take about two minutes before one side is cooked and ready to be flipped.)  Yield: 24, 2-inch pancakes

Favorite Pancakes or Waffles
1 cup whole wheat flour [or use half all-purpose flour]
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1 T honey or sugar [of course, use honey]
1 T oil
1 cup skim milk

Mix dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients, whisking together until just mixed.  Pour batter (2 inch circles) onto a hot griddle/skillet, turning once when cooked.

{Recipes from: Merrill, Jane P. and Karen M. Sunderland.  Set for Life.  "Buttermilk Pancakes or Waffles" and "Favorite Pancakes or Waffles".  Salt Lake City, UT: Sunrise Publisher, 1995. 108 & 106.}

Yogurt Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
[1/4 tsp salt]
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Whisk until just mixed.  Pour the batter into 2-3 inch circles onto a hot skillet/griddle, turning once when cooked.  Optionally you can add frozen/drained blueberries into the batter or one at a time on the pancake before turning once. 

{Recipe from: Bob's Red Mill.  "Blueberry-Yogurt Pancakes".}

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today we made the all American classic chocolate chip cookies.  I've received a few compliments with this recipe (as a young college student), and just got a couple more here at home. ;)

3/4 cup all-vegetable shortening
1-1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 T milk
1 T vanilla
1 egg
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips [of course, I had to use half dark- and half milk chocolate]
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Cream together shortening, sugar, milk and vanilla.  When blended thoroughly, add one egg.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.  Add slowly to the shortening mixture until just mixed.  Stir in the chocolate chips and optional nuts with a spoon.  Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet, about three inches apart.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes (for chewy cookies) or 11-13 minutes (for crisp cookies) each batch.  Remove from baking sheet (with spatula) and cool on a wire rack.  Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Recipe from: "Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies".  Crisco.com.

Easy Mini Quiche

I made these for a friend's visit last Friday (the 10th), and as the recipe's name promise, they are easy.  I made them in silicone muffin cup and they came out very easily.  Thanks to Amber for saying they have good flavor! ;)

wheat bread slices
onion, grated [of course I only had dried onions ;)]
1/2 cup cheese
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1 tsp dry mustard
pinch black pepper
[add garlic salt, onion powder, Italian seasoning, Parsley, paprika]

Grease muffin tin.  Use a round cookie cutter, or a knife, to cut out bread to fit in the bottom of the muffin tin cups. Add cheese to each muffin cup.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, onion, mustard and spices/herbs.  Pour in each muffin cup, 3/4 full.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Check for doneness.

Recipe adapted from "Easy Mini Quiche Recipe".  Allrecipes.com.