What is a Quajado? A symphony? A space creature?

For the uninitiated –those folks who aren’t blessed with a Sephardic sister-in-law - a quajado is an egg, cheese and vegetable casserole that is emblematic of Sephardic cuisine. In his Encyclopedia of Jewish Food Gil Marks states that during the Spanish Inquisition people who prepared this dish were imprisoned because it was a sign of their Jewishness. That is quite some history for a casserole! My sister-in-law’s forebears ate quajado in Turkey and then brought the recipe to the US.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 6 eggs
  • 6 cups zucchini, grated
  • 1 cup creamy feta cheese
  • 1 cup grated yellow cheese (cheddar, muenster and mozzarella all work)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 cubes frozen)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Sauté the onion in oil until soft.
  2. Squeeze any excess moisture out of the grated zucchini.
  3. Combine zucchini, onions, eggs, parsley and cheeses. Add salt and pepper to taste. Feta cheese is extremely salty so it may not need any salt at all.
  4. Spoon into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
  5. Bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour, until set.
  6. Serve warm or at room temperature.