Hanukkah, also called the festival of lights, is all about celebrating the rededication of the Jerusalem temple. The popular tradition of lighting the menorah for eight days (the number of days the Maccabees’ oil lasted) isn’t complete without the aspect of eating lots of oily foods. However, there are other traditional and modern foods besides latkes and jelly doughnuts. Here are five Hanukkah recipes that go beyond the regular.
Coconut Curry Salmon
Since oil is a popular ingredient in Hanukkah dishes, fried salmon is a modern take on your Hanukkah dinner. You’ll need a tablespoon of fish sauce, vegetable oil, sriracha, and red curry paste for this coconut curry salmon. You’ll also need four oz. of salmon fillets, garlic, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Season the salmon in a large skillet (over medium heat) on each side for 5 minutes and put on a plate. Add curry paste and other ingredients to the skillet and cook in coconut milk. Then, return the salmon to the skillet and let it simmer until it flakes.
Chicken Schnitzel
For this spicy and oily delicacy, you’ll need two eggs (beaten), four boneless chicken breasts, ground black pepper, Kosher salt, ½ cup of multipurpose flour, one lemon (cut into wedges), and one cup of breadcrumbs.
Cut each chicken breast lengthwise and pound; season and repeat until you have eight cutlets. Place each cutlet into flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Then fry until golden brown. Serve with lemon and enjoy the oily, crispy goodness!
Grapefruit & Goat Cheese Fennel Salad
This salad is easy to make and provides a refreshing component to the holiday table. You need one grapefruit, oregano, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, fennel, kalamata olives, extra-virgin oil, and shallot.
Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, shallot, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Add your fennel to the bowl and coat it by tossing. Then, season and top the salad with goat cheese, pepper, salt, olives, and grapefruit.
Hanukkah Gelt
These are simple and delicious treats traditional to the festive holiday. To make Hanukkah gelt, you’ll need one tablespoon of gold sprinkles, six ounces of dark chocolate chips, and two dried apricots.
Microwave your chocolate in a small heatproof bowl and pour one teaspoon of it into mini cupcake pans. You could sprinkle gold sprinkles. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and turn your pans upside down to remove gelt. Sit back and indulge in your gelt!
Cheese Blintz
These stuffed pancakes are soft, tasty, and essential on Hanukkah. For the cheese filling, berry sauce, and crepes, you’ll need ingredients like milk, eggs, drained ricotta, blueberries, lemon juice, multipurpose flour, and powdered sugar.
There are many methods of making blintzes; many homes have distinct recipes. However, the key is to let your batter sit for over 30 minutes– you can even refrigerate it for up to 2 days. These combine the elements of oil, jelly, and dairy, which are quintessential to Hanukkah meals. It’s not all about the potato pancakes!
