Giving New Meaning to Parenting

Hanukkah began last night at sundown. It was a school night, so we ate dinner earlier rather than later, and lit the first candle on our menorah. Then came the presents, because that’s what it’s all about right?

Wrong.

Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday that just happens to fall somewhere between the end of November and the end of December every year. It’s proximity to Christmas on the calendar has brought much attention to his Jewish festival over the years. I get it – and agree – it’s much nicer when everyone is celebrating at the same time – when the Jewish kids are getting gifts when everyone else is.

This year? No. such. luck. I’ll have packed away the Hanukkah decorations and the presents will be old news by the time Santa is tucking anything under any tree.

So there’s no better time to remember what it’s all about — like a little history hokey-pokey.

The Hanukkah Story

After three years of fighting, the Maccabees victoriously reclaimed the temple on Jerusalem’s Mount Moriah. In the temple they found only enough purified oil to kindle the temple light for a single day. But miraculously, the light continued to burn for eight days.

And that, my friends, is why we fry foods on Hanukkah — so we can use oil as a remembrance of that miracle.

So what do we do when we don’t want to fry tradition tasty latkes – potato pancakes – like our grandmother did? How do we break from tradition and keep traditions at the same time.

Just a little tweak or two seems to do just fine. I can’t in good conscience fry anything. I can pan fry – or oven fry – so that’s what I’ve got here. A modified version of an old-fashioned latke with a little veggie thrown in for good measure. If you’re just serving adults, try a little grated zucchini too. And serve with unsweetened applesauce and low-fat sour cream. Oh, who are we kidding, forget the apple sauce!

Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

1-1/2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
8 oz (about 2 large) carrots, peeled
8 oz. (about 2 large) parsnips, peeled
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet.

Grate potatoes, carrots and parsnips. Working in small batches, press tightly between paper towels to squeeze out excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl. Combine with remaining ingredients. Make small pancakes. Bake 45-55 minutes until golden brown.

Or…buy them frozen and forego the mess!

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah or not, latkes are a great treat. And the healthy ones are worth trying any time of year!

HAPPY HANUKKAH!!

by Amy Nathan

[tags]kids, children, parents, parenting, hanukkah, story, history, Antiochus IV, Judah the Maccabee, Judea, Israel, Jewish, latkes, recipe, cooking[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by Scott Ableman, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved