Basic vegetable kugels are similar to each other: combine vegetables, seasonings, and some sort of filling, then bake and serve. They can be healthy and tasty, and tend to freeze well, making kugels an ideal option to grace our Shabbat tables.
The filling of a kugel is often what causes the kugel – even one with a low-calorie, nutrient-dense base – to be a high-calorie food.
If you are using the kugel as the “veggie” component of your meal, it is unfortunate to load it up with unnecessary sugars or fats.
In each of these three recipes, I use a similar filling to reduce the calories that the kugel provides and allow the veggies to shine. Think of these recipes more as a guide to creating lower-calorie kugels rather than exact recipes. You can switch up the veggies and seasonings to your own taste.
In each of these recipes, use cooking spray to sauté veggies or grease a pan.
Broccoli Kugel
1. Defrost and drain two bags of small broccoli florets.
2. Add one to two big spoonfuls of light mayo and two eggs, salt and pepper to taste, and a spoonful of chicken consommé to a mixing bowl and mix well. Add in broccoli and combine.
3. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish.
4. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about one hour.
Zucchini Leek Kugel
1. Clean and thinly slice three leeks. Sauté lightly.
2. Slice four zucchinis into half-moons, add to the pan, and continue to sauté until lightly cooked.
3. Turn off the flame and add salt, pepper, one tablespoon light mayo, and one egg to the pan and mix quickly before the egg starts to scramble.
4. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about one hour.
Mushroom Kugel
1. Slice one red onion very thinly into half-moons and sauté lightly. Pour the onions into a mixing bowl. Slice two to three boxes of button mushrooms and sauté until they just start to release liquid. Remove from heat.
2. Add one tablespoon light mayo, one egg, salt, pepper, and parsley to the mixing bowl and mix well. Add cooked mushroom and combine.
3. Pour into a sprayed pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour.
Notes:
-Other low-calorie veggies that are great as a kugel base are cauliflower or spinach. Unsweetened almond milk can be used as part of the filling.
-I like to add spinach to the mushroom kugel, and season it with additional consommé.
-I often choose to make kugels that do not require the veggies to be sauteed first, for example broccoli or cauliflower kugel.
-Mushroom spinach kugel can be made with frozen spinach and canned (Gasp!!) mushrooms for a super quick, tasty, and healthy option!
-Additional seasonings that are commonly found in veggie kugels are onion or garlic spice blends (granulated, minced, powder or salt), onion soup mix, parsley, and mustard powder.
-Note that onion soup mix is often calorie-dense.
Happy cooking, and Good Shabbos!
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