MUSHROOM PANCAKES WITH FRESH DILL When making the pancakes, you can add 1⁄4 cup finely chopped peeled celery to the skillet along with the mushrooms for extra flavor. A good topping is yogurt or labaneh mixed with salt, pepper and fresh dill. For a colorful garnish, set a few strips of roasted peppers, sun dried tomatoes or lox on each pancake.110 gr. small mushrooms, rinsed very lightly and patted dry5 to 7 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped1 Tbsp. snipped fresh dill (see Note below) Salt and pepper2 large eggs, slightly beaten2 or 3 Tbsp. matza mealSeparate mushroom stems from caps; halve caps and stems lengthwise and cut in thin slices. Heat 2 or 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add onion and saute over mediumlow heat for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Let cool. Transfer to a bowl. Add dill, salt, pepper, eggs, and 2 tablespoons matza meal. Mix well; if mixture appears watery, add another tablespoon matza meal.Heat 3 or 4 tablespoons oil in a deep, heavy, large skillet. For each latke, drop 1 heaping tablespoon of mixture into pan. Flatten them slightly with back of a spoon. Fry over medium heat about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Turn very carefully using two spatulas. Drain on paper towels. Stir mixture before frying each new batch. If all the oil is absorbed, add a little more to pan. Serve hot.Makes 14 small pancakes, 4 or 5 appetizer or side-dish servings.Note: If you don’t have fresh dill, you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried dill.SQUASH LATKES WITH SAVORY YOGURT TOPPING Make these latkes with white squash (kishuim) or with zucchini. When you use zucchini, the green color of their skins gives a delicate green hue to the latkes.3 cups coarsely grated white squash or zucchini1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley (optional) Salt and freshly ground pepper3 Tbsp. flour 1 large egg, lightly beaten3 or 4 Tbsp. olive oil (for frying)Yogurt garlic topping (see Note below)Mint sprigs (for garnish)Squeeze grated zucchini and discard any liquid that comes out of them. Combine zucchini, garlic, pepper, salt. Add beaten egg and stir in lightly. Stir in flour.Heat oil in a deep heavy large skillet. For each pancake, drop 1 heaping tablespoon of zucchini mixture into pan. Flatten them slightly with back of a spoon. Fry over medium heat about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Turn very carefully so oil doesn’t splatter. Drain on paper towels. Stir mixture before frying each new batch. If all the oil is absorbed, add a little more to pan. Serve hot, with topping. Garnish with mint sprigs.Makes 12 small cakes, about 4 appetizer or side-dish servings.Note: Yogurt Garlic Topping: Mix 1⁄2 cup plain yogurt or labaneh with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and 1⁄2 small garlic clove, finely minced. If you like, stir in 11⁄2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint or parsley.ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH SWEET PEPPERS AND GARLIC Serve these savory vegetables with latkes, baked fish or roast chicken. Instead of roasting the vegetables whole, you can cut the raw eggplants into cubes and the peppers into strips, toss them with oil, salt and pepper and then roast them. Stir the cut vegetables once or twice as they roast; there is no need to peel them.700 gr. small eggplants2 large sweet red peppers2 sweet green or yellow peppers1 head garlic (optional)2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil1 Tbsp. lemon juice or a few lemon wedges (optional)Salt and freshly ground pepperCayenne pepper to tastePreheat oven to 200º. Rinse vegetables and pat dry. Separate garlic into cloves and wrap them tightly in foil. Line a roasting pan with foil if you like. Prick each eggplant a few times with a fork and put in roasting pan. Put peppers in pan and add foil-wrapped garlic. Bake peppers and garlic 35 to 40 minutes, and eggplants 40 to 60 minutes or until tender; turn vegetables once during roasting.Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover tightly or wrap in a plastic bag. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel with aid of a paring knife. Halve and drain liquid from inside peppers. Remove core. Quarter lengthwise. Peel eggplant if you like. Quarter each eggplant lengthwise.Alternate eggplant and pepper pieces on platter. Add roasted garlic cloves without peeling them. Sprinkle eggplant and peppers with oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne. Serve with lemon wedges if you like. Garlic can be squeezed out of cloves onto eggplant.Makes 4 to 6 servings.Faye Levy is the author of 1,000 Jewish Recipes and Healthy Cooking for the Jewish Home.
Lighter fare for the Festival of Lights
A healthier take on the Hanukka classics.
MUSHROOM PANCAKES WITH FRESH DILL When making the pancakes, you can add 1⁄4 cup finely chopped peeled celery to the skillet along with the mushrooms for extra flavor. A good topping is yogurt or labaneh mixed with salt, pepper and fresh dill. For a colorful garnish, set a few strips of roasted peppers, sun dried tomatoes or lox on each pancake.110 gr. small mushrooms, rinsed very lightly and patted dry5 to 7 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped1 Tbsp. snipped fresh dill (see Note below) Salt and pepper2 large eggs, slightly beaten2 or 3 Tbsp. matza mealSeparate mushroom stems from caps; halve caps and stems lengthwise and cut in thin slices. Heat 2 or 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add onion and saute over mediumlow heat for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Let cool. Transfer to a bowl. Add dill, salt, pepper, eggs, and 2 tablespoons matza meal. Mix well; if mixture appears watery, add another tablespoon matza meal.Heat 3 or 4 tablespoons oil in a deep, heavy, large skillet. For each latke, drop 1 heaping tablespoon of mixture into pan. Flatten them slightly with back of a spoon. Fry over medium heat about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Turn very carefully using two spatulas. Drain on paper towels. Stir mixture before frying each new batch. If all the oil is absorbed, add a little more to pan. Serve hot.Makes 14 small pancakes, 4 or 5 appetizer or side-dish servings.Note: If you don’t have fresh dill, you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried dill.SQUASH LATKES WITH SAVORY YOGURT TOPPING Make these latkes with white squash (kishuim) or with zucchini. When you use zucchini, the green color of their skins gives a delicate green hue to the latkes.3 cups coarsely grated white squash or zucchini1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley (optional) Salt and freshly ground pepper3 Tbsp. flour 1 large egg, lightly beaten3 or 4 Tbsp. olive oil (for frying)Yogurt garlic topping (see Note below)Mint sprigs (for garnish)Squeeze grated zucchini and discard any liquid that comes out of them. Combine zucchini, garlic, pepper, salt. Add beaten egg and stir in lightly. Stir in flour.Heat oil in a deep heavy large skillet. For each pancake, drop 1 heaping tablespoon of zucchini mixture into pan. Flatten them slightly with back of a spoon. Fry over medium heat about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Turn very carefully so oil doesn’t splatter. Drain on paper towels. Stir mixture before frying each new batch. If all the oil is absorbed, add a little more to pan. Serve hot, with topping. Garnish with mint sprigs.Makes 12 small cakes, about 4 appetizer or side-dish servings.Note: Yogurt Garlic Topping: Mix 1⁄2 cup plain yogurt or labaneh with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and 1⁄2 small garlic clove, finely minced. If you like, stir in 11⁄2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint or parsley.ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH SWEET PEPPERS AND GARLIC Serve these savory vegetables with latkes, baked fish or roast chicken. Instead of roasting the vegetables whole, you can cut the raw eggplants into cubes and the peppers into strips, toss them with oil, salt and pepper and then roast them. Stir the cut vegetables once or twice as they roast; there is no need to peel them.700 gr. small eggplants2 large sweet red peppers2 sweet green or yellow peppers1 head garlic (optional)2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil1 Tbsp. lemon juice or a few lemon wedges (optional)Salt and freshly ground pepperCayenne pepper to tastePreheat oven to 200º. Rinse vegetables and pat dry. Separate garlic into cloves and wrap them tightly in foil. Line a roasting pan with foil if you like. Prick each eggplant a few times with a fork and put in roasting pan. Put peppers in pan and add foil-wrapped garlic. Bake peppers and garlic 35 to 40 minutes, and eggplants 40 to 60 minutes or until tender; turn vegetables once during roasting.Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover tightly or wrap in a plastic bag. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel with aid of a paring knife. Halve and drain liquid from inside peppers. Remove core. Quarter lengthwise. Peel eggplant if you like. Quarter each eggplant lengthwise.Alternate eggplant and pepper pieces on platter. Add roasted garlic cloves without peeling them. Sprinkle eggplant and peppers with oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne. Serve with lemon wedges if you like. Garlic can be squeezed out of cloves onto eggplant.Makes 4 to 6 servings.Faye Levy is the author of 1,000 Jewish Recipes and Healthy Cooking for the Jewish Home.