During the holiday of Hanukkah, which begins Wednesday evening, Dec. 25, we will be using olive oil, the oil of the Hanukkah miracle, to enhance many of our sweet and savory dishes.
Fried foods like potato latkes have long been traditional Hanukkah fare. Other foods made with potatoes have become customary for Hanukkah, and now they are often baked with olive oil instead of being fried.
The first time I saw blue and white Hanukkah cookies sold at supermarkets I was surprised because I didn’t grow up with cookies for Hanukkah. Yet some families bake cookies for the holiday, perhaps influenced by the custom of baking Christmas cookies. Baking cookies might be especially popular this year, since Hanukkah begins on Christmas Day.
Sometimes we enrich our Hanukkah cookies with butter in addition to the olive oil. The easiest cookie recipes to adapt for baking with olive oil, wrote Dr. Simon Poole and Amy Riolo in their new book, “Olive Oil for Dummies,” are those that originally call for melted butter.
Hanukkah means dedication. The holiday commemorates the story of the rededicating of Jerusalem’s Holy Temple in Ancient Israel after invaders were chased out. To rekindle the Temple’s eternal light, the priests needed pure olive oil. Miraculously, one day’s worth of olive oil that they had lasted for eight days. That’s why Hanukkah is celebrated with lighting candles for eight days as the Festival of Lights.
Date Pecan Cookies
These cookies are based on a recipe called Justines in Anne Byrn’s book, “Baking from the American South.” You simply shape the dough in balls, then either roll them in sugar or top them with pecans before baking.
Yield: 40 to 45 cookies
INGREDIENTS
12 dates (7 ounces), halved, pitted, stem ends removed
1/3 cup olive oil
5 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)
2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar, plus about 1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar for rolling (optional)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped pecans
Pecans (optional garnish)
DIRECTIONS
1. Chop dates to make 1 cup.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the middle. Line two 12-x17-inch baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.
3. Place olive oil, butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar in a large bowl. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla; beat until just combined.
4. In another bowl whisk flour with baking soda and salt. Add to butter-sugar mixture a cupful at a time, beating on low until just blended. Fold in dates, oats and pecans. Dough will be stiff.
5. For rolling, place 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Shape dough in 1 1/2-inch balls and roll in sugar; or, if desired, top each with a pecan instead of rolling in sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake one pan at a time until cookies brown lightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough, cooling pans between batches.
Pumpkin Cranberry Oat Cookies
Pumpkin gives a tender texture and a subtle sweetness to these vegan cookies, which are based on a recipe in “Plants for You” by Diana Goldman.
Yield: About 16 cookies
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/3 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, foil or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, oil and sugars. When well combined, stir in vanilla.
3. Mix in flour, spices, salt and baking soda until well incorporated. Fold in oats, cranberries and pecans.
4. Spoon 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie onto baking sheet. Bake on middle rack for 12 minutes or until lightly browned on edges. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Mashed Potatoes with Greens
For meatless Hanukkah meals I mash potatoes with olive oil and butter. To make colcannon, an Irish mashed potato dish, I add sauteed Brussels sprouts to the potatoes instead of the traditional cabbage. The dish is inspired by a recipe in “Roots” by Diane Morgan, who makes her casserole with kale. For garnish I use purple and red potatoes.
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds baking or boiling potatoes
Kosher salt or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.5 ounces butter
3 ounces Brussels sprouts, finely chopped, plus lightly cooked Brussels sprouts halves (for garnish)
1 cup milk
Greens of 4 green onions, minced
Bottled mustard BBQ sauce, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt; reduce heat so that water boils gently. Cook, partially covered, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on size.
2. Heat olive oil with half the butter in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped Brussels sprouts. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
3. Heat milk in saucepan until hot; add remaining butter and green onions, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add sauteed Brussels sprouts; stir well. Cover and keep warm.
4. Drain potatoes; cool about 10 minutes. Remove their skins. Return potatoes to pan; mash with potato masher. Add milk and greens mixture in several batches, mashing after each addition. Taste potatoes and adjust seasoning.
5. Serve potatoes garnished with halved Brussels sprouts. Drizzle with mustard sauce.
Mushrooms and Leeks on Potatoes
This appetizer is inspired by a recipe in “The Power Five” by Dr. Michael Crupain. He serves mushrooms sauteed in olive oil as a topping for toast. For Hanukkah, I spoon the sauteed mushroom mixture over potatoes.
Yield: Makes 4 appetizer servings
INGREDIENTS
1 to 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
A 6-ounce package cleaned and sliced leeks (see cook’s note)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
7 ounces maitake mushrooms (hen of the woods), cremini or other mushrooms, cut in pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped, or pinch of dried thyme
Spicy toasted pecans (for garnish)
DIRECTIONS
1. Cook potatoes in water to cover in a saucepan, or microwave with 1 inch water in a covered container until just tender; cover to keep warm.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread leeks on baking sheet (lined with foil if desired). Spoon half the olive oil over them. Top with mushrooms and remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Roast leeks and mushrooms for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every 3 or 4 minutes, or until tender. Sprinkle with thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with mushroom and leek mixture. Garnish with spicy pecans.
Cook’s note: If using whole leeks, rinse thoroughly. Remove dark green parts. Thinly slice light green and white parts, rinse again, and use in recipe.
Spicy Lentils and Beans with Rice
This casserole of Indian comfort food has a variety of vegetables sauteed in olive oil. It is based on a recipe in “Dreaming in Spice” by Hari Pulapaka.
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
A 1-inch piece ginger, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 green chilies or 1 jalapeño, minced (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed, drained
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup long-grain rice, rinsed several times and soaked
4 cups vegetable stock or water
1/3 cup cooked shelled edamame or green peas
1/3 cup cooked fava beans
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
10 curry leaves (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or red chili powder (optional), or to taste
Lime wedges (for serving)
DIRECTIONS
1. In a shallow saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions, carrots, celery, ginger, bay leaf, mushrooms and chilies. Sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt.
2. Add lentils and turmeric. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add rice and a pinch of salt. Stir well and add stock. Taste broth for seasoning. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add edamame and fava beans; cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until lentils are tender.
3. In a small skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds, peppercorns and curry leaves and fry for 15 seconds. Immediately pour mixture including the infused oil onto lentil dish. Gently mix. Add cayenne. Serve with lime wedges.
Roasted Vegetables with Yogurt Garlic Dip
Make this savory dip of Greek yogurt with garlic, herbs and extra virgin olive oil to serve with roasted vegetables. The recipe is from Ozlem Warren’s book, “Sebze: Vegetarian Recipes from My Turkish Kitchen.” We serve it with potato latkes too.
We roast a variety of vegetables, such as cauliflower, chayote squash, mushrooms, potatoes, asparagus, eggplant, zucchini and sweet potatoes; but it’s also good with a single vegetable. The olive-oil roasted vegetables are tasty on their own; dunking them in the yogurt dip takes them to the next level.
Yield: 4 servings
Yogurt dip:
1 large garlic clove
Sea salt to taste
1 pound strained (Greek) yogurt
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill sprigs, plus a few sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Roasted vegetables:
1 pound baby yellow or purple potatoes, or some of each, halved
1/2 pound asparagus, upper third of each, cut in 2 pieces
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 small purple or orange cauliflower, or both, divided in medium florets
1 chayote squash, sliced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Everything Spice or other spice blend, freshly ground
DIRECTIONS
1. Dip: Peel garlic clove by crushing it with flat side of a knife. Finely chop and sprinkle with salt. With flat side of knife, gently squash the chopped garlic to turn it into a fine paste.
2. In a medium bowl combine yogurt with garlic paste. Stir in chopped dill and dried mint; mix well. Add more salt if needed. Spoon into a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with dill sprigs.
3. Heat air fryer oven to 400 degrees or conventional oven to 425. Line baking sheet with foil if desired. Spoon half the olive oil onto baking sheet. Set vegetables on it, leaving enough space between pieces to turn them over. Spoon more olive oil over vegetables. Season lightly with salt, pepper and spice blend. Roast for 7 to 10 minutes per side or until tender. Arrange on a serving dish and serve with the dip.
Faye Levy is the author of 1,000 Jewish Recipes.