The Smiling Onion

Vegetarian and Gluten-free Cooking

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Grain-Free Lokshen Kugel for Passover

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Noodle Kugel for Passover? Am I meshugana? Nope. This kugel is completely Passover-appropriate. It also happens to be grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free, lactose-free, and low FODMAP. (Sorry vegans – I’m working on it.)  Don’t be scared by that long list of “frees” either; this kugel is the opposite of deprivation. Carrot noodles take the place of traditional noodles, which means more flavor. And holding them together? It’s that traditional sweet cream cheese custard we all know and love. In fact, when I first made this, I was almost disappointed by how much it tasted like your standard deli kugel – should I have added some ginger? Orange zest? Something to make it a bit more unique?

Then I realized grain-free noodle kugel was unique, and the fact that it tasted remarkably similar to traditional kugel was probably a selling point. Spiralized carrots are baked with sour cream, eggs, cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a few (optional) raisins. Then the whole thing is chilled overnight, cut into squares, and …voila! It’s that traditional, sweet, Jewish dessert so quintessential to special occasions. And Kosher for passover to boot.

So if you want to experiment with some ground ginger, or orange zest, or cardamom, or whatever sounds good to you – by all means, do it! And please let me know how it turns out. But if you are a traditionalist – look no further. This is your kugel.

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Apple-Ricotta Tart with Pumpkin Seed Crust

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Tuesdays must be lucky because I have an incredible Fall dessert to share with you today. Imagine a light and creamy maple-ricotta mousse tucked inside a rich, buttery grain-free shortbread crust. Can you taste it? Okay. Now add some fresh apple slices and a couple honey hazelnuts to the mix. All good? Great. So just focus on the crust for a second – can you taste the freshly ground pumpkin seeds in there? They’ll be the rich, nutty savory hint that pops through. Now don’t forget to let that note intermingle with the fresh, brightness of the apple slices and the creamy ricotta mousse…

Having trouble holding all those flavors together in your mind? No worries. Let me take you through how to make this beauty so you can taste it for real. But first, a quick note about what inspired this dessert: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

For me, Rosh Hashanah signals the beginning of Fall, the beginning of apple season, the beginning of the long, bountiful “time-to-eat-all-the-time-especially-sweets” season that continues with Thanksgiving and doesn’t end until after Valentine’s Day. I’ll be going home to Massachusetts soon for my family’s annual Rosh Hashanah walk on the Mount Holyoke Range and apple picking in Ashfield. We’ll each take some time to think about the year that’s passed and the one to come, and then we’ll have a delicious meal and dip apples in honey to symbolize our hope that it’s a sweet one.

Hence this apple tart. It screams Fall – apples, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts – short of sprinkling on some colorful leaves, I’m not sure how it could honor the season more. And of course, the Rosh Hashanah elements of apples and honey are represented. But what’s more, while there’s an elegance about it, there is also a homey, comforting quality that seemed appropriate for the holiday.

After all, what do most of us want when entering a new year? Sure, there are always things to change: new beginnings remind us to be creative, daring, unafraid to take risks. That’s your pumpkin seed crust right there. But there is also something to be said for holding on to some familiarity –– to comfort, to home. We tend to feel better about starting anew when we have some sense of security and grounding: for this, Fall, baking, and apple slices seemed like a good place to start.

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Mascarpone and Berry Parfait with Balsamic, Basil, and Mint (4th of July, Here We Come!)

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My brother and I have always been very attached to traditions. Most people have to do something at least twice for it to be considered a “tradition” that should be repeated; for us, it only takes once. As soon as we do something to commemorate a special occasion or event, if it goes well, it’s a tradition. And we better repeat it, or face the consequences!

My parents were frequently frustrated with us growing up – “But mom, we can’t celebrate Rosh Hashanah on the day itself – we ALWAYS celebrate it one day early!” – or “Dad, we HAVE to go to the store right now and get chocolate covered espresso beans to put in the cookies – it’s a tradition!” I’ve cut vacations short just so that I could be home for a certain occasion I’m always home for and I once took a “birthday walk” in the pouring rain (complete with thunder and lightening) because … well… it was the birthday walk. Tradition! You can’t mess with it.

Anyway, I have two 4th of July traditions that I try to repeat every year. I’m not going to tell you about the first one, because it will probably make me sound even crazier than I already do. But I will tell you about the second: vanilla ice-cream with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Red-white-and-blue deliciousness.

So, for my 4th of July blog post, I wanted to create something in the spirit of that tradition. I definitely did not want to make ice-cream this week (I’m a little ice-creamed out from the Ben and Jerry’s fiasco I wrote about last week) but berries and cream … this I could do. And boy could I eat it! Because this parfait is a mascarpone cream interspersed with balsamic-basil strawberries, blueberries infused with mint and red wine, and salted-maple raspberries. Need I say more? At the risk of sounding super cheesy, it’s fireworks in your mouth.

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Crispy Beet Fritters with Leek Cream (Dairy-Free Option)

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Every once in a while, I’m in the mood to cook fancy food.  I’m talking stuffed foods, rolled foods, and fritters! While my cooking style is generally ethnic, simple, and hearty, occasionally I like to pretend my house is a pricey farm to table establishment. I have a blast whipping up fancy sauces, experimenting with unusual garnishes, and plating the finished product. It was during one of these fancy food cooking sprees that these crispy beet fritters with leek cream were born, and while they may look and sound hoity-toity,  they are actually quite delicious and pretty simple to prepare!

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