Healthy Yiddish Kugel

This kugel is unlike anything I have ever had before. It is a true comfort food, and not only that, but it has a wonderful connection to my roots.

One day as I was visiting my grandmother in the home where she lives, I spotted The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook in the gift shop. I started to flip through the introductory pages and was fascinated by what I read. This cookbook was written in Yiddish by a woman in 1938. She owned a vegetarian restaurant in Vilna, Lithuania and wrote this cookbook that included every recipe under the sun. She was a lover of healthy living and truly unique for her time. It was an honor to learn about her and read through her recipes, especially given that I have ancestors of my own from Vilna.

So I managed to choose one recipe to start with, a Cauliflower and Carrot Kugel. And after making it I know for sure I want to try everything else in the book, it is that good.

It has pureed cooked cauliflower mixed with bread crumbs, raisins, apple, almonds, and honey. I made it even healthier by substituting whole wheat breadcrumbs and flour, using 2/3 the called for honey, using coconut oil in place of butter, using dried orange peel instead of candied, and skipping the butter sugar topping. This mixture was layered with cut up carrots and covered with a cup of milk before being baked. Despite all my substitutions, it was sublime. Sweet and creamy, the savory nature of the cauliflower and carrots melded perfectly with the sweetness of the raisins and apple. Every bite was a delight.

I can't wait to try more of her recipes!