Everybody loves Hanukkah — the colourful candles, the normal songs, the items, and, in fact, the potato latkes. But vacation cooking typically means extra — all that frying, excessive carbs, and plenty of bitter cream.
Apparently, the Hanukkah miracle highlights olive oil, which originated within the jap Mediterranean, and never potatoes. They had been unknown within the Holy Land till lengthy after the invention of the New World. Making potato latkes for Hanukkah grew to become fashionable by the affect of European Jews.
Fortuitously, we will create scrumptious, more healthy Hanukkah celebrations by emphasizing Mediterranean specialties, corresponding to stews that includes pulses and greens. Even potatoes may be loved guilt-free when roasted or ready as lighter latkes.
This Hanukkah, we plan to make potato and leek latkes with sun-dried tomato tapenade and harissa roasted potatoes. We may even put together Southern Italian giambotta, a hearty vegetable medley with chickpeas and potatoes; and Sicilian caponata, a sweet-and-sour eggplant dish in an olive-caper sauce.
Vegan potato latkes are proven served with sauteed leeks. (Picture by Yakir Levy)
Vegan Potato Latkes with Leeks
These creamy-textured latkes are made out of mashed potatoes with sauteed leeks and dill. Serve them with dill-flavored yogurt or a fruit puree.
Yield: 15 latkes
INGREDIENTS
Vegan Dill Yogurt Topping:
1 cup unsweetened plain plant-based yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped recent dill
Salt and freshly floor pepper to style
Latkes:
1 1/2 kilos yellow-fleshed potatoes, corresponding to Yukon Gold (about 6 medium)
3/4 pound leeks, darkish inexperienced tops discarded
5 tablespoons olive oil, extra if wanted (divided)
Salt and freshly floor pepper to style
4 teaspoons chopped recent dill
2 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs
Dill sprigs (optionally available garnish)
DIRECTIONS
1. Topping: Combine yogurt with dill, salt and pepper in a small bowl, Cowl and refrigerate in a lined container for 1 hour to mix flavors, or till able to serve.
2. In a saucepan, cowl entire potatoes with water and add a pinch of salt. Deliver to a boil, cowl and simmer over medium-low warmth for half-hour, or till very tender when pierced with a fork. Drain; rinse briefly with chilly water. Let stand till cool sufficient to deal with.
3. Halve leeks lengthwise, rinse effectively and reduce into 1/4-inch slices. Put sliced leeks in a bowl of chilly water; rub to separate the layers. Soak them 3 minutes to take away any sand. Elevate leeks right into a colander, rinse and drain effectively.
4. Warmth 1 tablespoon oil in a big heavy skillet, ideally nonstick, over medium warmth. Add leeks; salt and pepper. Cook dinner, stirring fairly often, 5 minutes. Cook dinner, lined, over low warmth 5 extra minutes, or till smooth however not brown. Cook dinner uncovered over medium-high warmth, stirring, to evaporate any liquid in pan.
5. Peel potatoes; switch to a big bowl. Mash completely with a potato masher (not in a meals processor).
6. Add leeks to mashed potatoes. Add dill, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs; combine effectively. Style; season effectively. Utilizing a 1/4-cup measure for every latke, put a few of combination in your palm and flatten it to a 2 1/2-inch patty about 3/8 inch thick, patting it with each palms to make it clean and compact. Set latkes on a plate.
7. Warmth oven to 250 levels (for holding latkes heat).
8. Wipe skillet clear. Warmth 3 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium warmth. Add 4 latkes to pan, or sufficient to make one layer with out crowding. Fry 3 minutes on either side, or till brown; flip rigorously utilizing 2 huge pancake turners. Preserve heat on a baking sheet in oven whereas frying remaining pancakes. Add extra oil to pan if it turns into dry.
9. Set latkes on a paper-towel-lined plate. Pat tops with the towels to take away extra oil. Serve scorching, with topping. Garnish with dill sprigs.
Solar-dried tomato tapenade makes a tasty topping for latkes, different potato dishes and toast. (Picture by Yakir Levy)
Garlicky Solar-Dried Tomato Tapenade
This pungent condiment flavored with capers and olives, from “Cold Canning” by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, is scrumptious on latkes and on toast; pair with Greek yogurt for those who like. Select plump dried tomatoes to make it.
Yield: About 1 cup
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup olive oil
8 medium garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/2 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced or snipped in strips with scissors
1 1/2 cups pitted black Kalamata olives
1/4 cup pink wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Warmth a small skillet over medium warmth for 1 or 2 minutes. Swirl within the oil; add garlic and capers. Cook dinner, stirring typically, till garlic begins to brown at edges, about 2 minutes,
2. Take away from warmth. Stir in dried tomato strips. Cool to room temperature, about half-hour.
3. Scrape contents of skillet right into a meals processor, Add olives, vinegar, oregano and salt. Cowl and pulse repeatedly, uncovering and rearranging substances with a rubber spatula as mandatory, till combination has consistency of coarse, slushy relish.
4. Switch to 2 clear half-pint jars, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace in every. Cowl or seal; refrigerate or freeze. It retains as much as 2 weeks within the fridge.
Purees of fruit like blueberries, plums or nectarines are wonderful on latkes, in addition to on toast. (Picture by Yakir Levy)
Applesauce Alternate options
Like applesauce, purees made out of different fruits go effectively with latkes. We like purees from plums, nectarines and blueberries, however fruit purees may be mixed for a unique impact. Mary Shrader, writer of “The Modern Pioneer Pantry,” recommends high-acid fruit for this recipe as a result of she preserves the puree by canning it. For small quantities, we refrigerate or freeze it.
Yield: 3 to 4 half pints
INGREDIENTS
4 cups blueberries, peaches, nectarines or plums, peeled and trimmed, pits eliminated
1 cup water
Granulated sugar, to style (optionally available)
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix fruit and water in a saucepan. Deliver to a boil over excessive warmth, stirring. Scale back warmth to low; simmer fruit till smooth, stirring typically to forestall sticking. Take away from warmth.
2. Puree fruit in a meals mill, fine-mesh strainer or meals processor.
3. Rinse saucepan; add puree and sugar to style. Deliver to a boil, stirring, ensuring sugar is totally dissolved. Cool and switch to jars. Refrigerate or freeze.
Giambotta is a hearty southern Italian vegetable stew with beans. (Picture by Yakir Levy)
Calabrian Vegetable Stew — Giambotta
This satisfying, fragrant stew from “Vegana Italiana” by Tara Punzone with Gene Stone begins with a sauté of onions, carrots, celery, garlic and herbs, adopted by the Mediterranean favorites of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and chickpeas, in addition to potatoes.
Yield: 6 to eight servings
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup additional virgin olive oil
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
2 tablespoon finely sliced garlic
1 tablespoon recent thyme leaves
1 tablespoon recent tarragon leaves
1/4 teaspoon pink pepper flakes
2 cups medium-diced Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup diced eggplant
1 cup diced pink bell peppers
1 3/4 kilos skinny skinned small tomatoes, diced, or a 28-oz can entire peeled tomatoes, mashed
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped parsley, together with stems
1 cup drained cooked chickpeas, or packaged or canned
1 cup diced zucchini
Salt and pepper to style
1/4 cup basil leaves, torn into small items
DIRECTIONS
1. Warmth oil in a stew pan over medium warmth. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, tarragon and pepper flakes. Sauté 8 minutes, or till onion is translucent.
2. Add potatoes; sauté 5 minutes. Add eggplant and peppers; sauté 3 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, bay leaves and parsley; cook dinner at a low boil quarter-hour.
4. Add chickpeas, zucchini, salt and pepper. Cook dinner for five minutes; the greens ought to be agency, not mushy.
5. Take away from warmth. Discard bay leaves. Add basil simply earlier than serving.
Harissa roasted potatoes are served with pistachio topping and yogurt. (Picture by Yakir Levy)
Harissa Roasted Potatoes
For this spicy dish from “Delicious Gatherings” by Tara Bench, the potatoes are roasted with harissa, then served with pistachios, herbs and yogurt.
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1½ kilos child Yukon Gold or creamer potatoes
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons harissa
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1¼ cups plain entire milk yogurt or Greek yogurt
Pistachio Topping:
5 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
2 tablespoons finely chopped pink onion
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
DIRECTIONS
1. Warmth oven to 375 levels. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil.
2. In a medium saucepan, cowl potatoes with water and add salt. Deliver to a simmer. Cook dinner till simply tender when checked with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain; let cool sufficient to deal with.
3. Harissa sauce: In a big bowl, whisk collectively harissa, oil, honey and garlic.
4. Minimize cooled potatoes in half, or bigger potatoes in 2-inch items. Toss with harissa combination.
5. Put potatoes on ready baking sheet. Roast till crisp and golden, 25 to half-hour, turning potatoes over midway by cooking.
6. Topping: Mix pistachios, onion, parsley and oregano in a small bowl.
7. To serve, spoon yogurt onto a serving platter and high with potatoes. Sprinkle with topping.
Caponata is a Sicilian eggplant specialty enlivened by olives and capers. (Picture by Yakir Levy)
Eggplant Caponata
Of their e book, “Olive Oil for Dummies,” authors Amy Riolo and Simon Poole, M.D., advocate serving this Sicilian specialty as an appetizer, salad or accompaniment for grilled meat or fish. It’s excellent with potato latkes.
Yield: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
3 small eggplants, reduce in 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoon additional virgin oil, plus extra for frying or roasting
1 celery stick, cubed
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pitted inexperienced olives, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup balsamic or pink wine vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1/4 cup finely chopped basil
1/4 cup raisins
Freshly floor black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
DIRECTIONS
1. Place eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle with sea salt and let stand 1 hour. Rinse effectively; pat dry.
2. Warmth 2 inches of oil in a big, heavy skillet to 385 levels. Fry eggplant in 3 batches, about 3 minutes for every. Drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Alternatively, roast eggplant with 3 tablespoons olive oil at 400 levels in an air-fryer toaster/convection oven for quarter-hour or till tender.
3. Warmth 2 tablespoons olive oil in a really massive, huge, deep skillet over medium warmth. Add celery and onion. Sauté till golden and smooth, about 7 minutes, stirring often. Stir in capers, olives, vinegar, sugar and reserved eggplant.
4. Add tomato sauce, mint, basil, raisins and pepper. Cook dinner, stirring often, till thickened, about 10 minutes.
5. Serve at room temperature, garnished with pine nuts.
Potato wedges are topped with vegan parmesan made from pine nuts. (Picture by Yakir Levy)
Garlic Potato Wedges with Pine Nut Parmesan
This dish relies on a recipe in “Vegana Italiana” by Tara Punzone with Gene Stone. You can also make vegan Parmesan with macadamia nuts as a substitute of pine nuts.
Yield: 6 to eight servings
INGREDIENTS
3 kilos Yukon Gold potatoes
1/4 to 1/2 cup additional virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 to three teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon chopped recent rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon paprika
Chopped parsley (for sprinkling)
Vegan Parmesan:
1 cup pine nuts
3/4 to 1 cup dietary yeast
1 teaspoon salt or to style
DIRECTIONS
1. Warmth oven to 350 levels. Minimize potatoes in 3/4-inch wedges.
2. In a big bowl combine olive oil with garlic, salt, rosemary, pepper, onion powder and paprikas.
3. Add potatoes. Toss, coating every bit effectively.
4. Place potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes or till a fork inserted in thickest piece goes straight by.
5. Vegan Parmesan: Pulse nuts, yeast and salt in a excessive pace blender or meals processor till combination has consistency of a nice crumble. Don’t over-process right into a paste. Retailer in a jar.
6. Serve potatoes sprinkled with parsley and pine nut Parmesan.
Faye Levy is the writer of “1,000 Jewish Recipes” and “Feast From the Mideast.”
