Hanukkah Twists
Every year at Hanukkah I think of my grandmother and the stories she told about making beef brisket and potato latkes for her first Hanukkah dinner in America. But as much as I love the stories, our food focus has changed. One year we even served meatloaf and cabbage borscht. After a trip to Brazil, we had feijoada for our Hanukkah family dinner, and last year fried chicken was the main course.
This year, we are going back to our traditional Hanukkah fare but with a few twists. I am roasting the beef brisket with prunes, almost like a tzimmes , in a wine sauce and will serve it with crisp potato latkes and a green tomato marmalade.
I remember helping my mother make the potato mixture for the latkes using a hand-held grater. Today, while the latkes are similar, they take much less time to prepare. Use the knife blade of the food processor to chop the onions and then the grater blade to shred the potatoes. When everyone arrives at our home, we begin frying the latkes while our grandchildren play spin the dreidel. Before dinner, we serve fried zucchini sticks prepared in advance. Then we sit down to a salad of shredded iceberg lettuce tossed with sliced tomatoes and fresh fennel and topped with fried parsnip chips. The main course and side dishes--brisket and potato latkes and green tomato marmalade--are served family style.
For dessert, we bow to tradition. A Hanukkah dinner is unthinkable without doughnuts. These doughnuts can be made in advance and stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator; before serving, just reheat them in the oven and roll them in sugar. Make an extra batch for your guests to take home--they are delicious for breakfast the next day.
Green Tomato Marmalade
Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes
If you can’t find green tomatoes, substitute underripe tomatoes or ask your produce department to order them.
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2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
3 pounds green tomatoes, diced (about 8 cups)
1 cup orange juice, heated
Grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
Combine the sugar and water in a large heavy skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, mixing constantly, until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar begins to turn golden, 20 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, warm orange juice and zest, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the tomatoes are soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick syrup, about 30 minutes. Cool.
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3 to 4 cups. Each of 2 tablespoons: 82 calories; 6 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.75 gram fiber.
Food Processor Potato Latkes
Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 1 hour
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1 large onion
4 baking potatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 eggs
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
Dash baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Oil, for frying
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Chop the onion in a small dice using a food processor. Remove the knife blade, insert the shredder blade and grate the potatoes. Immediately transfer the potato and onion mixture to a large bowl and add the lemon juice, eggs, flour, baking soda, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Heat 1/8 inch of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir the batter well. Spoon about 1/3 cup of batter at a time into the hot oil and flatten with the back of the spoon to make 2-to 3-inch latkes. Cook on one side until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes; then turn and cook on the other side, about 2 minutes. (Turn only once.) Drain the latkes well on paper towels. Continue until all the batter is used up. You may have to add a little more oil to the skillet toward the end. Scoop any stray potato pieces out with a fork as you go so they don’t burn. Serve immediately.
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24 latkes. Each latke: 49 calories; 118 mg sodium; 43 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 0 saturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.45 gram fiber.
Beef Brisket Braised With Prunes in a Wine Sauce
Active Work Time: 35 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 4 1/2 hours
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2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 onions, thinly sliced
1 (6-to 8-pound) lean beef brisket
5 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup minced parsley
1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes
1 1/2 to 2 cups red wine
1 head garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound pitted prunes (about 1 cup)
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Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the garlic mixture to a large, heavy roasting pot and place the meat on top, fat side up. Add the carrots, parsley, the tomatoes and their juice, the wine and garlic cloves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and bake until the meat is tender, 3 to 4 hours. Add the prunes the last 30 minutes of baking.
Transfer the beef to a wooden board and slice across the grain. Return to the pot, squeeze the garlic from the cloves into the sauce, and keep warm until serving.
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8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings: 863 calories; 357 mg sodium; 203 mg cholesterol; 63 grams fat; 24 grams saturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 56 grams protein; 2.91 grams fiber.
Jam-Filled Doughnuts (Sufganiyot)
Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 1 hour plus 11/2 hours rising
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1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
Sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted margarine, melted
1 egg, separated
2 teaspoons orange juice
11/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raspberry or strawberry jam
Oil, for frying
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Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with a dash of sugar and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Blend the margarine, egg yolk, orange juice and yeast mixture in the bowl of a mixer. Gradually add the flour, 2 teaspoons of the sugar and salt and blend well. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Place the dough (it will be sticky) on a well-floured board and knead it into a flat disk, adding additional flour if needed. Roll the dough out 1/4-inch thick with a rolling pin. Using a cookie cutter, cut out 21/2-inch rounds.
Place 2 teaspoons of jam in the center of half of the rounds; brush the edges with the egg white and put a plain round on top of jam. Pinch the edges to seal. Place them on a paper-covered cookie sheet, cover with a towel and let rise about 45 minutes.
Reseal doughnuts before frying.
Heat about 2 to 3 inches of oil in a deep-fryer or heavy pot to 375 degrees. Fry 3 or 4 doughnuts at a time, turning them with a fork or tongs when one side is browned, and continuing to fry until brown all over, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Do this in batches until all the dough is used up.
To serve, roll in sugar.
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12 doughnuts. Each doughnut: 195 calories; 113 mg sodium; 17 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.84 grams fiber.