Well folks, the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashana, is right around the corner and for many diabetic patients, this holiday full of apples, honey (and lots and lots of food) can throw your weekly meal plans—not to mention your blood sugar—out of whack!
Don’t panic—you can still enjoy some of your favorite traditional recipes, as long as you make some thoughtful tweaks. This week, I’ll share an adjusted potato kugel recipe courtesy of Elaine Magee, MPH, RD (otherwise known as The Healthy Recipe Doctor.) It will make a tasty (and diabetic friendly!) addition to any holiday meal.
Potato Kugel
- 1 large onion, grated
- 6 large potatoes, peeled and grated (about 1.75 pounds of potatoes before peeling)
- 2 eggs well beaten (higher omega-3 if available)
- 1/2 cup egg substitute (if you don’t want to use egg substitute increase the higher omega-3 eggs from 2 to 4)
- 1/4 cup canola oil (in the old days this used to be schmaltz – rendered chicken fat!)
- 1/4 cup double strength or condensed chicken broth (low sodium chicken broth can be used)
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grate the onion first. Grate the potatoes and add to the onion to stop the potatoes from turning brown. Further chop half of this mixture with the blade of the food processor. This makes the kugel less dense. Mix everything together. Pour into a 2-3 quart rectangular casserole dish that has been coated with canola cooking spray. Bake for about an hour or until very brown and crusty. Cut in to squares to serve.
Serves 8
New Analysis Per Serving: 187 calories, 5.5 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 8.3 g fat, .9 g saturated fat, 53 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 91 mg sodium (not including salt to taste). Calories from fat: 39%
Light Changes: I cut the oil in half (from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup) and specified canola oil which is higher in mono-unsaturated fats and plant omega-3s. I added some double strength chicken broth to compensate for the moisture loss and to add a nice chicken flavor. I also replaced half of the eggs called for with a nice egg substitute (like Egg Beaters) and suggested higher omega-3 eggs are used if available.