A kugel is a Jewish noodle dish that takes its
name from the Yiddish word for casserole -- even though it is said that
kugels were originally much more like a pot sticker or ravioli.
That is, rolled pastry sheets wrapped around a dollop of filling.
There are probably as many different recipes for kugel as there are
Jewish families, because everyone seems to make their kugel a little
differently. But kugels come in two basic kinds: sweet
and savory. We are partial to the the sweet variety, because it
seems like the more familiar bread pudding. Note that the
recipe below can be cut in half, but ours is big enough to share with a
preschool class (about 24 small servings).
Sweet Apple Noodle Kugel
You'll need:
16 ounce package of egg noodles
3-4 apples
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
8 eggs (eggbeater can be used instead)
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (can use brown sugar for
a richer taste)
2 tsp salt
First, preheat the oven to
350° F.
Next, cook and drain the noodles in a large
pot according to directions. See
instructions on boiling pasta.
(Note: the beauty of this dish is that you can really use any kind
of plain noodles in this recipe. You could even use up odds
and ends -- a little elbow macaroni, a little pasta shells, etc.)
While the pasta is cooling you can peel and
chop the apples. For very young children, peel and core the
apples, then slice them, and let the little ones finish the job of
chopping up the slices.
Now, using a large mixing bowl, combine
noodles and margarine. Beat the 8 eggs then stir into the
cooled noodles (they can be warm, but not so hot that they cook the
eggs). Now add the rest of the ingredients: vanilla, cinnamon,
sugar, salt, raisins, and diced apples. Mix well.
If you put each of the ingredients in a little dish (like a custard
cup) the children can take turns dumping them in. Be sure to
let them have a turn with the mixing spoon (If you are worried
about egg bacteria, then just add it last.)
Spray a large casserole or baking dish with
Pam or similar oil spray. Dump the mixture into the
baking dish and carefully smooth and flatten. If your
dish won't fit it all, just pull out another baking dish and fill
that one too. (Don't worry you can freeze leftovers.)
Bake 45 to 60 minutes. Top should be a
nice golden brown.
CAUTION:We do not recommend allowing children under
12 years old to use a conventional oven. Toaster
ovens may be a safe alternative for children 9 years old and up.
Close supervision required.
a large cooking pot
package of pasta
tablespoon vegetable oil
a dash of salt
Fill the pot about 1/4 full with
water (using hot tap water speeds things up).
Sprinkle in a dash of salt, to help
it come to a boil faster. The salt will also flavor the
pasta -- so don't add too much. Just about a 1/2 teaspoon
to 2 teaspoons is fine.
Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil,
to help keep pasta from sticking together.
Add in the pasta. (When kids
are cooking it is safer to add it in now, rather than waiting
until the water boils. Helps prevent burns.)
Turn stove knob to high heat and
bring pasta to a boil.
Turn heat down to medium, to keep the
water from bubbling over.
Cook for about 9 or 10 minutes.
To prevent the sticking, stir the pasta
with a long handled wooden or plastic cooking spoon as it cooks.
To test when the pasta is
done, remove a piece from the cooking pot with pasta claw or
tongs and hold the pasta under cold running water.
When it is cool, eat it. If it tastes tender enough, it's
done!
When the pasta is done,
remove the pot from the burner immediately and carefully pour the
contents into a colander in the sink. Steam can burn you,
so be careful when draining the pasta; stand a little to one
side as you pour, and keep your body and face back. Pot
holders can be great for protecting hands and wrists from steam.
Allow to drain at least
2 minutes.
CAUTION:We do not recommend allowing children under
12 years old to cook on the stove top. Kids should NEVER
use the stove without the permission and supervision of a grown-up.
How to Make a Great
Spaghetti Sauce(older kids
only)
Step one: open a jar of sauce!
You could spend all evening chopping and boiling tomatoes, but you
really don't have to. Just select a good sauce.
Next jazz it up with added ingredients.
For protein add one of these:
chopped cooked meat
cooked ground beef
Morningstar Farms beef crumbles (no extra
cooking needed, just dump it into the sauce)
Vegetarian Meatballs (microwave on a paper plate,
according to package instructions, and then serve on top of finished
sauce and pasta)
For added taste and nutrition, add in some vegetables:
sliced zucchini
chopped bell pepper
sliced mushrooms
sliced or chopped onions (cook well)
canned olives, whole or sliced
Make sure to let your added ingredient simmer for a while
in the sauce before serving. That is, make sure you cook them in the sauce
for at least 15 minutes on low to medium heat, with the lid on the pot.
Stir occasionally to be sure the sauce is not burning at the bottom (scorching).
CAUTION:We do not recommend allowing children under
12 years old to cook on the stove top. Kids should NEVER
use the stove without the permission and supervision of a grown-up.
a box of macaroni and cheese mix (with dried cheese
powder)
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine
¼ cup milk
Bring medium sized saucepan
of water to boil.
Open box and remove sauce packet and set it
aside for later.
Pour macaroni into the boiling water.
Cook until tender, about 5-10 minutes. You
can use your timer, set for five minutes. After five minutes, check the macaroni and decide
if it needs more cooking. (You can spear a piece of pasta, cool it by
putting it in cold water, then eat. If it’s tender enough and has no
chalky after taste it’s done.)
Turn off the stove and dump pasta into a
strainer, placed in the (clean and empty) sink.
Place butter and milk into the still warm pot.
Tear open cheese powder packet and add the cheese powder and stir
Add the macaroni and stir all ingredients until well mixed. Macaroni
will be an even orange color.
If you like, add in a slice or two
of American cheese for extra cheesy flavor and creamy texture!
For an even easier version, use Easy
Mac. You just add ½ water into a microwavable bowl, add the macaroni,
and cook in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes. Remove hot bowl
carefully. Add in cheese powder. You’re done. Faster, easier, but
much more expensive than regular mac n cheese.
CAUTION:We do not recommend allowing children under
12 years old to cook on the stove top. Kids should NEVER
use the stove without the permission and supervision of a grown-up.
This makes a hot filling meal that
can easily be improved by adding various veggies or protein foods.
Do keep in mind that ramen noodles are high in fat and should
not be eaten too often.
What you'll
need:
package of ramen noodles
2 cups of water
goodies to add in, such as:
chopped raw or cooked veggies
frozen peas
egg
sliced onion or chopped green onion
chopped cooked meat or tofu
Place water in a small or medium sauce
pan. Add seasoning packet, and any extra ingredients now
as well.
Turn heat to high
and bring the water to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium.
Cook until all ingredients are tender (5 - 15 minutes).
Carefully add in ramen noodles, taking
care not to touch the hot water (it will burn).
Cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Turn off stove and allow noodles to cool
for a few minutes before attempting to serve.
TIP: Ramen noodles can be
eaten "raw", unlike regular pasta. Crush them and use them
to make a topping for oriental salad or hot veggies.
CAUTION:We do not recommend allowing children under
12 years old to cook on the stove top. Kids should NEVER
use the stove without the permission and supervision of a grown-up.
