Category: Hannukah

Healthier Hannukah

Hannukah Baroness Tapuzina

As most of you know, the holiday of Hannukah is all about oil. So, the foods that we eat during this time are fried and oily. This year we decided that we wanted to try and have a more healthier Hannukah. We did have potato pancakes, but I thought we should try a lower carbohydrate latke that wouldn’t make us feel like we were missing out on having yummy carbohydrate-laden potato latkes.

I decided to make cauliflower latkes. Okay, you don’t quite get the crunch of a regular potato latke, but they were very good. They certainly tasted like potato latkes because I put most of the same ingredients that I put in the potato version. My husband gives them a high rating and so do I.

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Cauliflower Latkes
Servings: 20 latkes
Ingredients
  • 1 about 1kg or 2 pounds large cauliflower, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs or whole wheat breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dry thyme
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 2 green onions sliced, including the green part
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
  1. Steam the cauliflower until tender, but not mushy. Mash to the consistency of mashed potatoes with 1/4-inch lumps. Drain any excess moisture.
  2. Meanwhile, gently saute onions in vegetable oil over medium-low heat until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool about 5 minutes.
  3. Combine the mashed cauliflower, sauteed onions, bread crumbs, thyme, parsley, green onion, eggs, salt, and pepper with a wooden spoon.
  4. Heat about 4 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet.
  5. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the cauliflower mixture into your hands and compress into a patty about 1/2-inch thick. Place patty in hot oil to fry. Repeat with remaining cauliflower, cooking 4 to 5 patties at a time, flipping when golden on the first side. Do not crowd pan or they will not brown and crisp properly. Drain cauliflower latkes on paper towels and keep warm in the oven at 250 F. until all are completed.

Italian Hannukah

Hannukah Italian Baroness Tapuzina

The first night of Hannukah we were invited to a friend’s house to celebrate with their family. We had a nice meal of mushroom soup, potato latkes, butternut squash and curry latkes, salad, homemade Merlot wine and peapod wine. It was a delicious dinner.

I volunteered to bring dessert and instead of bringing soufganyiot, I decided to make an Italian holiday dessert, Panettone in honor of my Italian ancestry. A couple of years ago, I found an interesting take on this sweet bread which is usually made with raisins and candied fruit. The one I made is called Cranberry Pistachio Panettone. It is an eggy, buttery sweet bread, but not too sweet. I like it better than the panettone I used to buy in Milano and Lugano. It is really easy to make, just a little time consuming because of the rising time, but well worth the wait. You can freeze it, just make sure you wrap it well.

I baked it in a tall, narrow cooking pot that I use to cook pasta or asparagus. If you can find a paper panettone form, then use that. I could find one in any of the baking shops. You can also be decadent and make this with dried tart cherries instead of cranberries.

Happy Hannukah!

Hannukah Baroness Tapuzina

I would like to wish everyone Chag Hannukah Sameach! Happy Hannukah!

I have a lot of catching up to do. I am going to interrupt the Italy posts and write about Hannukah. There will be lots of frying and a few goodies to post about in the next few days.  I am making Hannukah goodies from Italy, Morocco and Germany.

So, watch this space …. I will be posting every night starting tomorrow.