Super Healthy Recipes for Hanukkah

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Delicious, easy to prepare and rich with olive oil.

Here are healthy recipes that are both delicious, easy to prepare and are excellent to serve during our Eight Day Festival.

Add variety! Traditional latkes can be prepared with more than just potatoes! Try latkes from Sephardic and Yemenite traditions, as well, made from leeks and carrots, zucchini, sweet potatoes and apples. These offer way more vitamins and antioxidants than humble potatoes!

Try making Yemenite Zambia’s!

When we celebrate Hanukah, Shabbos and every day, rejoice with super healthy life-enhancing recipes that improve our health, elevate our energy levels and increase our joy.

Celebrate the miracle of the olive oil that miraculously burned for eight days by enjoying these olive oil rich dips, dressings, salads, salmon and soup.

Most of these Hanukah recipes include olive oil to help us recall the oil that miraculously brightened the darkness for eight days

Easy Olive Oil Dressing

(for Salads, Grains and Garlic Bread)

Simple to assemble and then sprinkle generously on salads, grains and bread.

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 Tb. Zaatar*
  • 2 Tb. of onion powder*
  • 1 Tb. of garlic powder
  • ½ - 1 tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper

Mix all the ingredients and spoon onto sliced whole wheat muffins or rolls. Warm in the oven for about 18 minutes on a low temperature.

* Make your own Zaatar from 1 Tb. thyme, 1 Tb sesame seeds, 2 Tb. oregano, 1 tsp. cumin

*Onion powder is an amazing, sweet, healthy addition to salad dressing, a great alternative to adding sugar.

More Advanced Olive Dressing

  • 1 cup of olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 3-5 garlic cloves
  • Sprigs of fresh herbs

Dice onion into small pieces. Mash 3-5 cloves of fresh garlic. Slice leaves of fresh basil, parsley and/or dill. Add to olive oil.

This dressing can be served fresh or baked in the oven, 320 degrees F, for 20 minutes.

Good Ole Potato Latkes

plus many variations

  • 6 potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ cup matzoh meal or whole wheat flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Grate the potatoes and onion; mix with the eggs, flour, salt and pepper.

You can fry these in oil (hot, but not smoking!) and fry until golden brown on one side, then turn over and fry a few more minutes on the other side. Drain on paper towels. OR you avoid frying by baking latkes in the oven.

Coat a baking tray with a bit of olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes. 320 degrees F.

Serve with applesauce.

Why applesauce? Perhaps this tradition started as a parve option for those who didn’t want to top them with sour cream!


All of the latkes below can also be baked in the oven.

Zucchini latkes

  • Grate 5 to 6 large zucchini’s
  • 1 onion
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients, shape into patties and fry in a small amount of olive oil or bake in the oven.

Apple latkes

  • 4 apples
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 cup flour
  • Dash of salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 Tb brown sugar (optional)

Grate apples and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Fry for a very short time and drain on paper towels. Or bake in the oven!

Sephardic Leek Latkes!

(Aka Keftes de Prasas)

  • 1 kilo of leeks, cleaned and simmered until soft
  • 1 or 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

Drain the cooked leeks and blend them in a food processor. Then mix with the other ingredients.

Form small, flat patties and drop into a ½ of oil over medium heat. Fry until crispy and slightly brown on each side.* Or bake in the oven.

Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Sweet Potato Latkes

  • 6 sweet potatoes, grated
  • 1 large purple onion (or white)
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup of whole wheat flour or matzoh meal

Mix all ingredients, shape into patties, fry or bake!

Carrot Scallion Latkes

These are really pretty!

  • 8 large carrots, grated
  • 6 to 7 scallions, sliced fine
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ tsp. sea salt

A bit of flour can be added if the ingredients aren’t sticking together enough.

Mix the ingredients together and fry in a small amount of oil, or bake in the oven.

Yemenite Zalabia

  • 1 kilo of whole wheat flour
  • 2-4 tablespoons of brown sugar or silan (date honey)
  • 2 cups of warm water
  • 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons of active dry yeast
  • 1 - 2 cups olive, sunflower or safflower oil for frying

Place flour in a large bowl and create a well in the middle to pour in the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let the yeast grow for10 minutes. Then add the rest of the water, and the salt.

Mix well and let the dough grow for about 40 to 50 minutes. Then gently punch down and let it rise again for another 30 minutes.

While it is rising, heat about one inch of oil in a large pan.

Stretch small (ping pong size) balls of dough into rectangles and carefully lower into the oil.

Fry for about a minute or two on each side. Then scoop Zalabia out of the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Kohlrabi French Fries with Olive Oil

Low calorie French Fries!!

Slice into thin circles 1 kilo of kohlrabi (about 4 -6 kohlrabi’s)

Arrange slices on an oiled oven tray.

Sprinkle with olive oil, ½ to 1 tsp. of sea salt, pinch of black pepper, and 1 tsp. of garlic powder.

Bake 30 minutes in 340 degree oven.

Super yum!!

Really Hearty Hanukkah Soup!

Huge hearty soup for a winter Hanukkah gathering!

  • 4 carrots, sliced in circles
  • 1 large dark green zucchini, sliced in circles
  • 1 sweet potato, cubed
  • 1 butternut squash, cubed
  • 6 to 8 stalks of celery with leaves, sliced
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, mashed
  • 8 to 10 large mushrooms
  • 1 bag of spinach, washed well
  • Several sprigs of fresh parsley and/or dill (or 2 tsp. of dried herbs)
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes (optional)

For thicker soup, add:

  • ½ cup of barley
  • 2 cups of red lentils

Add 2-4 Tbs. of olive oil for richer taste

For smaller soup, half the ingredients: I.e., 2 carrots, ½ zucchini, ½ sweet potato, ½ butternut squash, 2-4 stalks of celery, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 4 mushrooms, bag of spinach…

Directions:

Rinse and drain well the barley and red lentils. Then start simmering them in eight to ten cups of water. Lentils and barley expand tremendously, so periodically check if you need to add more water.

While the lentils and barley are cooking, wash, peel and slice carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, celery, onion and garlic. Then add and simmer together for about forty minutes.

Then slice and add mushrooms and spinach and spices. Add olive oil.

Simmer for another 20 - 30 minutes.

Serve with oven-baked vegetable latkes, garlic bread and fresh salad.

Festive Hanukkah Winter Salad

  • 2 beets
  • 1 kohlrabi
  • 4 carrots
  • 1 red radish
  • 1 package of fresh parsley, washed
  • 1 package of cherry tomatoes, slice in half.

Add chopped walnuts, cashews, almonds. Add pumpkin and sunflower seeds (optional but fun, tasty and energy power boost.)

Grate all root vegetables, mix together in a bowl. Add chopped nuts and seeds to mixture. Decorate generously with chopped parsley and sliced cherry tomatoes.

Mix salad with Olive Oil Dressing.

Enjoy!!

Exotic Hanukkah Salad

  • ½ head of romaine lettuce
  • 1 small head of Bok-choy
  • ½ head of Salanova (“Curly” lettuce) or Meshi (“Silk” or “Butterhead” lettuce)
  • 1 package of Rocket lettuce (arugula) and/or Watercress lettuce
  • 2 carrots (sliced or shredded)
  • 1 small beet, shredded
  • 10 or more cherry tomatoes
  • 5 or 6 sliced baby peppers: red, yellow and orange
  • 2 cucumbers
  • 1 small onion, sliced (optional)

Wash and cut lettuce to smaller pieces. Slice or shred carrots and beet. Add all ingredients to large bowl. Add sliced tomatoes, peppers and onion.

Mix all ingredients together with Olive Oil Dressing.

Beautiful and Festive and Healthy!!

Traditional Israeli Salad with Rich Parsley Dressing

Salad:

  • 6 cucumbers
  • 4 ripe tomatoes
  • 4 baby peppers (for color variation, use orange, yellow and red)
  • ½ purple onion

Slice and dice to square size pieces and place in a large bowl

Dressing:

  • 2 bunches of parsley
  • 2-3 peeled turmeric roots, sliced
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • ¾ tsp. sea salt
  • 2 cloves of fresh garlic (or 1 Tb garlic granules)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1-2 Tb. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Blend dressing ingredients and then pour on to the salad ingredients. Serve immediate or let marinate. Either way is great!

Olive Oil Dip with Kale

  • ¾ cup to 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 to 4 packages of fresh kale
  • Juice of one lemon and/or 1 Tb. of apple cider vinegar
  • ½ -1 tsp. of sea salt
  • ½ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper

Blend until a creamy dip.

*Generous amounts of fresh parsley, coriander, watercress, and/or dill can be substituted for fresh kale. It’s all really good!

Tangy Baked Garlic with Olive Oil

2 heads of garlic (or more!)

Separate and peel garlic cloves. Place in a small baking dish.

Add ½ cup of olive oil (or more)

1 Tb. of soy sauce

1 Tb. of honey or silan (date honey)

½ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper

Bake on low temp until cloves are soft. About ½ hour.

Festive Cabbage Salad

  • 1 large green cabbage
  • ¾ cup of sunflower seeds, slightly toasted in a skillet for five to ten minutes on a low flame
  • ¾ cup of dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • 2 Tb. vinegar
  • 1 ½ tsp. of sea salt (or to taste)
  • ½ tsp. black pepper (or to taste)

Slice cabbage into very thin strands. Place in a large bowl.

Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Marinate for at least one hour. This recipe reduces in size tremendously. If you need a larger salad, add another sliced cabbage.

Hanukah Salmon Delight

  • 1 kilo salmon fillets (about 6 portions)

Dressing:

  • ½ cup of olive oil
  • ¼ cup of soy sauce
  • 2 Tb. of honey
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, mashed
  • ½ tsp. of black pepper, sweet paprika, 1 tsp. sea salt

Place salmon fillets in a baking dish. Mix dressing ingredients and pour on fish fillets. Decorate with chopped fresh dill and/or parsley.

Bake for about 20 – 30 minutes at 350 degrees or Fahrenheit (~180 Centigrade)

Kale and Purple Cabbage Salad

  • 1 purple cabbage, sliced into thin strands
  • 2 packages/bunches of curly kale
  • 1 yellow onion, diced (optional)
  • 1 bunch of fresh parsley

½ cup of sunflower seeds, almonds, sesame seeds, or pumpkin seeds

Dressing:

  • ½ cup of olive oil (or more)
  • Juice of one fresh squeezed lemon (1 to 2 Tb. of lemon juice)
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tb. onion powder
  • 1 Tb. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl.

Decorate with sliced baby peppers (optional, but lovely!)

Olive Oil Egg Salad

10-13 peeled hard-boiled eggs (boiled for about 10 minutes). Cool off and peel, then chop.

Add chopped celery (about six stalks)

Mix with ½ cup of olive oil

1 Tb. apple cider vinegar and/or lemon juice

½ tsp. sea salt (to taste)

½ tsp. black pepper

Mix all ingredients.

Decorate with a sprig of parsley, chopped chives, and a sprinkle of sweet red pepper powder.

In memory of my father, Avraham ben Yitzchak Isaac, z”l

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