Quick and easy Hanukkah inspired recipes
Celebrate the traditional Jewish festival of lights with these quick and simple Hanukkah-inspired recipes.
Mushroom soup
Serves 2
Many Jewish families eat this creamy, comforting soup at Hanukkah. Here, oil is used instead of butter to signify the menorah in the temple burning for eight days, when there was only enough oil for one. If you are avoiding dairy products, the mushrooms make the soup quite creamy on their own; but a swirl of single cream will give it a velvety, rich texture.
[See also: How to make the perfect cup of hot chocolate]
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
Pinch of salt
300g brown mushrooms (such as mini portabella or chestnut mushrooms)
100ml hot vegetable stock
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Snipped chives, to serve
Method
1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan and stir in the onions, with a pinch of salt. Cook gently, so they soften but don't turn brown.
2. Clean and slice the mushrooms, and add to the pan. The mushrooms will suck up all the liquid at first but keep cooking on a gentle heat and the liquid — and all the flavour — will ooze back out.
3. Once the mushrooms are cooked, pour in the hot vegetable stock and sprinkle in the nutmeg. Stir to mix, and then blend until smooth.
4. Swirl in the cream, if using, and reheat gently. Ladle into bowls, with snipped chives scattered over.
Latkes (potato pancakes)
Makes about 12 small latkes
These little fried potato cakes are eaten at Hanukkah, traditionally served hot with salmon or sometimes with apple sauce and sour cream. They taste fantastic; the sweetness of the apple sauce is cut by the sour cream, both complementing the crisp potato underneath. They're a favourite with children, too. Once peeled, the potatoes will turn brown quickly so make these up just before serving.
Ingredients
Oil, for shallow frying
2 baking potatoes (about 600g)
1 small onion
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 egg, beaten
Pinch of salt
Method
1. Peel and grate the potatoes and onion. For the sake of your fingertips (and your eyes!) you might prefer to do this in a processor. Tip the grated mixture into a clean tea towel and squeeze it over the sink to remove any excess moisture.
2. Tip the potato and onion into a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt and the beaten egg, and stir well to mix. Meanwhile, heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan.
3. Dollop heaped tablespoons of the mixture into the frying pan, push down to flatten slightly and fry gently over a medium heat. Think long, slow frying. If you cook them on too high a heat they will turn brown on the outside and the potato will still be raw on the inside. Fry for about 10-15 minutes, turning once half-way through.
4. When they are golden, crisp and cooked all the way through, drain on kitchen paper and transfer to a plate. Serve hot with a blob of sour cream and some apple sauce.
Creamy smoked salmon and horseradish bagel
Serves 1
Bagels and smoked salmon (as well as lox) are associated with Jewish cuisine, and are often enjoyed as part of a Hanukkah feast. Here is a Hanukkah-inspired bagel recipe that takes minutes to prepare, tastes fresh and looks extra special.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon horseradish sauce
1 bagel of your choice (we used onion bagels)
1 slice of smoked salmon
About 5 small capers
Small sprig of dill
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Method
1. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and the horseradish sauce until smooth. Taste and add a little more horseradish if you prefer it hotter.
2. Spit your bagel in half and spread the cream cheese mixture over the bottom slice. Twist the salmon slice and arrange on top of the cream cheese.
3. Finally, sprinkle over the capers, squeeze over the lemon juice and place the sprig of dill on top. Top with the other half of the bagel and serve.
