Broccoli Kugelettes

No added flour, mix it up in your food processor in one go!

I am still recovering, not as you might be forgiven for thinking, from Rosh Hashana and all the prep involved but rather, with Gratitude (with a capital “G”) to G-d from the wedding of our youngest son Netanel to his beloved, Ayelet. I’m still on a high although when we pass by his room in the house, it’s a bit of a shock to realize that when next he returns, he brings a bride with him. What a wonderful bride, what a wonderful wedding and the Shabbat celebrations with our two families, a handful of days before the Chag – the New Year, we are truly grateful to start off the New Year with such a wonderful celebration. May we continue to celebrate such wonderful things (and we have some more wonderful smachot coming up!) all year.

I’m especially elated since we were blessed to have my beloved brother Shlomo and my beloved sis (in-law is technical) Dorie to share in our simcha from the very beginning and our bosom buddies, Douglas and Paulette with us for nearly all the simcha as well. What a great thing when family are friends and friends are family, truly we are blessed.

This doesn’t mean we don’t need to eat, just the opposite, Chag waits for no man or woman and plan we must for Shabbat and holidays.

I love this kugel, since it’s fairly quick to put together and adds a pretty pop of green to the plate as well as being very tasty.

Start with a fully defrosted (otherwise the excess liquid will make your kugel soggy. I often let it defrost overnight in the fridge. No big, pop it in a bowl in the package and let it do its defrosting thing merrily and it’s ready to roll when you are).

Toss in your lightly sauteed onion.

Add the mayonnaise.

Sprinkle on the onion soup powder and give it a whirl.

Then add the eggs.

Chop until the broccoli is uniformly chopped but not into a puree, it should have texture.

Now you preheat the oven, of course, but you can make this in two long loaf pans, or as you know my obsessive love of most things Wilton, I have this pan with eight little loaves (good for little cakes as well but fab for small kugels) and I used the baker’s joy spray (oil and flour) to make sure they don’t stick. If using a larger loaf pan and you don’t have the spray or have no patience to oil and flour, you can use parchment paper instead. It’s a shame if it doesn’t unmold since that’s half the beauty of these.

Divide the kugel mix evenly between the pans and you will have enough for another round of the pans or simply use a long (English cake) loaf pan. I made 8 and the loaf pan with this amount. Then, not needing the extra loaf of kugel, cooled it and froze it after it was baked. Voila, another side dish for another time.

Note how they are patted out to the edges to make them even (Paulette, my sous chef, did this 🙂 )

When baked they look like smart little soldiers and are so pretty!

Even better, when reheating for Shabbat or Chag, these will crisp up a bit more and taste even more delish! And yes, they can be frozen, make sure to reheat them.

Broccoli Kugelettes

1 large bag of frozen broccoli florets NOT the cuts which never really get soft. Simply not worth purchasing, it never turns out properly, sorry. 16 ounces (a pound) or 453 grams (approximately half a kilo), defrosted and drained well, Bodek is good
2 tablespoons chopped fried onion, one small peeled, chopped onion, sauteed in a tablespoon of oil
2 tablespoons onion soup powder
1 scant cup mayonnaise
4 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spray your kuglette pan or long loaf pans, they are 31x10x5.5 cm (you need 2 loaf pans) in a pinch, you can use a 9×13 inch pan with the Baker’s Joy spray of oil and flour or just grease and flour it yourself, or use parchment paper so it will unmold nicely and not stick. If you want, you can alternatively spray muffin cups which is also nice and should be cooked for the same amount of time as the kugelettes, see below. Set aside.

Take your fully defrosted and well drained broccoli florets and put in the bowl of your food processor. Top with the onion, soup powder and mayo and pulse in your food processor briefly and then add the eggs and process till chopped but NOT pureed, you want some texture but not big galumphing pieces of broccoli.

Pour into your prepared pans and for the kugelettes or muffins, bake for 35 minutes (check after 30) for the loaves, about 40-45 minutes, the 9×13 also about 40-45. They should be browned around the edges and when pressed with your finger in the center should be firm, not wet or jiggly. Serve hot or cold (yes! good cold too) or reheat, they are yummy that way too. This will become a staple in your home and a nice vegetarian dish as well.