Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, is celebrated for eight days because of the miracle of the oil that burned in the menorah for eight days (when it should have lasted only one), so it should come as no surprise that traditional food for the holiday revolves around oil. Fried latkes are undoubtedly the star of the Hanukkah dinner (and lunch and breakfast) table in North America.
We asked around for favourite family recipes—latkes and otherwise—plus some healthy options, but as one mom told us of her family’s recipe: “They are fried in oil, as all Hanukkah recipes should be. How healthy are you expecting?” Good point.
Here are some recommended Hanukkah recipes, from the traditional to the healthy and almost-healthy, and even some (gasp!) oil-free options.
Latkes, Latkes, and More Latkes
This amazing latke recipe (yes, tested!) from Smitten Kitchen includes all the best tricks for making latkes perfectly—if you like them crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside (as you should). Top tips: use a cast-iron pan and use cheesecloth to squeeze the moisture out of your potatoes.
Another favourite from a Help! reader and mom of a busy toddler, is the latke recipe from Susie Fishbein’s Kosher By Design (Mesorah Publications, 2003). She uses Yukon golds and peanut oil, and includes scallions.
For more latke recommendations, read Healthier Latke Recipe Hacks for Hanukkah.
Roasted Applesauce
So it’s not a Hanukkah recipe per se, but what better condiment to top your latkes with? (Sour cream excepted.) Homemade roasted applesauce blows that stuff in a jar out of the water. Once you get hooked on fresh applesauce still-warm from the stove, like this thick version with orange zest from Ina Garten, you’ll have to stop yourself from eating it all before the kids get to try it.
Sabich
Israel’s famed street food and answer to the falafel and schawarma is starting to gain global recognition. The basic sandwich is a pita stuffed with eggplant, boiled eggs, and hummus, with tahini sauce, plus some combination of vegetables and herbs, which might be cooked potato slices, pickled vegetables, mango chutney, harissa, basil, and/or lemon.
Check out this veggie-filled sabich from Danielle Oron, food blogger and photographer/owner of Moo Milk Bar in Toronto.
Leek and Chickpea Stew
Soups and stews are often served during Hanukkah due to the time of year (cold), and we like Jamie Oliver’s never-fail vegetarian leek-and-chickpea soup from The Naked Chef (Hyperion, 2005) for Hanukkah especially, because it takes the edge off all the oil-rich foods and the traditional main dish of brisket (oof!), it works for vegetarians, and it includes chickpeas, which was likely on the menu at the Maccabbees’ first Hanukkah meal more than 2,000 years ago.
Noodle Kugel
In some households it just isn’t a holiday without the noodle kugel. There are innumerable variations; this one is a family recipe submitted by a Help! reader and mom of two children, ages 7 and 4. She says, “You could replace the sour cream with yogurt…But I never have!”
Noodle Kugel
4 cups wide egg noodles
1 cup dried cranberries
5 large eggs
cranberry juice to plump up cranberries
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups 1% milk
2 cups 1% cottage cheese
2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups crushed corn flakes
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
Soak dried cranberries in cranberry juice until they rehydrate. Butter 13 x 9 dish. Spread uncooked noodles in dish. Sprinkle with dried cranberries. Whisk eggs, sour cream, butter and sugar, cinnamon in large bowl. Whisk in milk and cottage cheese. Pour over noodles and let stand 5 minutes.
Mix cornflakes and brown sugar in separate bowl and spread over noodles. Bake 1 hour until set. Cut into squares. Serve warm.
Sufganiyot
A traditional Hanukkah treat, these jelly donuts are amazing made fresh. If you’ve got the time and inclination, we recommend this recipe, which requires deep frying and a few hours’ time.
But if you’re no balaboosta (Yiddish for “good homemaker”), there’s no shame in taking a shortcut or two. You can just spoon the jelly on top, as in this recipe from Marcy Goldman, professional pastry chef and author of A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking (Whitecap Books, 2001).
Or, eschew the traditional doughnut completely and be on the cutting edge of culinary and with the much quicker “duffins” instead: muffins topped with confectioner’s sugar and sliced crosswise to add a jelly layer.
Desserts
We love the idea of using up leftover chocolate gelt in the Bourbon Pecan and Chocolate Gelt Pie from The Nosher blog.
Looking for an oil-based cake? Try this amazing Orange Almond Olive Oil Cake from Oh, Nuts! Another tried-and-true option is the famed Moosewood restaurant’s Deep Chocolate Vegan Cake that from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics (Moosewood Inc., 2001). Ignore the “vegan”: this is just an extremely easy-to-whip-up rich-chocolate cake (seriously—they also call it the Six-Minute Chocolate Cake) that uses oil in place of butter.
IMAGE: ISRAEL_PHOTO_GALLERY/FLICKR CC
Read more:
Healthier Latke Recipes
Small Presents for Stockings and Hanukkah
