Hanukkah Recipes

The holidays are here, and the year is winding down. Where does the time go? Hanukkah begins this evening; Christmas and the Solstice are both next week. Happy Hanukkah for those who celebrate this holiday. Meanwhile, today's recipes. Enjoy!

BEEF BRISKET WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Source: TBC

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1036.shtml

Ingredients

1 boneless beef brisket, flat cut (4 to 4-1/2 pounds)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

3/4 cup beef broth

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 to 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in stockpot until hot. Place brisket in stockpot; brown evenly. Remove brisket.

Add onions to same pan. Cook and stir 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Pour off drippings. Return brisket, fat side up, to stockpot. Add beef broth and garlic; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover tightly and simmer 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until brisket is fork-tender.

Remove brisket; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Bring cooking liquid to a boil. Cook, uncovered, 5 minutes or until reduced by half; stir in horseradish.

Carve brisket diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with horseradish sauce.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 373; Protein: 57 g; Fat: 13 g; Sodium: 213 mg; Cholesterol: 99 mg; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g

OUR FAVORITE LATKE RECIPE

This comes from Ariela Pelaia, About.com's Judaism expert. Ariela calls this Our Favorite Latke Recipe. To view this, as well as a good explanation of latkes, click here. I learned a few things from reading Ariela's page.

Ingredients

7-8 large russet potatoes, peeled

1 1/2 medium onions

6 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup matzo meal or bread crumbs

2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup canola oil (for frying)

Applesauce and sour cream, for serving

Directions

Grate the potatoes and onion into a bowl or pulse in food processor (careful not to puree it). Drain any excess liquid from the bowl and add the eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together to thoroughly combine them.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Spoon the latke mixture into the hot oil forming small pancakes, using 3-4 tablespoons of batter for each pancake. Cook until the underside is golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the latke over and cook until the other side is golden and the potatoes are cooked through, about 2 more minutes. One way to tell that your latkes are done is by sound: when it stops sizzling it’s time to flip it over. Allowing a latke to remain in the oil after the sizzling has stopped will result in greasy, oil-logged latkes (which is not what you want).

When done, remove the latkes from the oil and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Pat off the excess oil once they have cooled a bit, then serve hot with applesauce or sour cream.

SPINACH NOODLE KUGEL

This is from Giora Shimoni, About.com's Kosher Food expert. He wrote, “This Spinach Noodle Kugel makes a nice side dish for the Sabbath or holiday table. The fresh spinach and onions give it an old-fashioned, wholesome taste. The fresh ingredients also make this an economical dish.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 65 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

16 oz. fine noodles

16 oz. fresh spinach

2 Tbsp. oil

2 onions, finely chopped

6 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook noodles according to package directions (5-6 minutes). Rinse and drain. Place in a large bowl.

Wash spinach leaves. Remove stems. Place a small amount of water in a 4-quart saucepan. Add spinach. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Drain well. Chop spinach and add to the noodles.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Saute onions until golden. Add to the noodles and spinach.

Add eggs, 1/2 cup oil and salt. Mix well.

Cook at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until the top of the noodle has started to brown.

NOODLE KUGEL

This comes from Dave Lieberman of Food Network's Good Deal with Dave Lieberman. Total time: 50 minutes; prep: 5 minutes; cook: 45 minutes. Yields 6-8 servings. Level: Easy.

To view online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 pound wide kosher for Passover egg noodles

1/2 stick butter, melted

1 pound cottage cheese

2 cups sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

6 eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Boil the noodles in salted water for about 4 minutes. Strain noodles from water. In a large mixing bowl, combine noodles with remaining ingredients and pour into a greased, approximately 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Bake until custard is set and top is golden brown, about 30 to 45 minutes.

RUGELACH

This is from Ina Garten of the Food Network's Barefoot Contessa. Total Time: 1 hr 55 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 1 hr 30 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 4 dozen cookies; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 cup raisins

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1/2 cup apricot preserves, pureed in a food processor

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

Directions

Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.

On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges—cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

CHALLAH

Years ago, right after getting hooked up to cable, I was channel surfing and discovered a show on the Food Network titled Breaking Bread With Father Dominic. The show is no longer on the Food Network (hey, Food Network people: how about bringing Father Dominic's show back!), but Fr. Dominic still has a website. Yield: 1 large loaf; about 20 to 25 slices

Ingredients:

2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

6 to 7 1/2 cups bread flour, divided

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten, for glaze

Directions:

Combine yeast, 1 cup lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon sugar in medium bowl; stir to mix. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Stir in 2 cups of the flour; let stand about 30 minutes to let the yeast develop.

Combine 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, oil and 3 eggs in a large bowl; mix well. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the yeast mixture; mix well.

Add the remaining flour, about 1 cup at a time, until you get slightly firm dough. It will be a bit softer than ordinary bread dough because of the eggs. Knead in bowl about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead briefly to work out the larger air pockets. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope, about 24 inches long. Braid ropes to form a loaf, tucking the ends underneath. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk. The loaf will be quite large.

About 15 minutes before loaf has finished rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush loaf all over with beaten egg. Bake in 375-degree oven about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. If your oven doesn't bake evenly, be sure to turn the pan every 10 minutes or so. Remove loaf from pan and let cool on a rack.

Note:

A large, braided loaf is one of the traditional forms of challah. One also finds it shaped as a large braid with a smaller braid on top. I generally prefer to make two smaller single braids, as may be necessary if you have a smaller oven.