Hanukah Celebration- Air Fryer Latke Recipe

          🎵Oh Hanukah oh Hanukah come light the menorah ! 🎵

                      

Tonight is the first night of an 8 day celebration for the Jewish holiday Chanukah/Hanukah. Did you ever wonder why Hanukkah falls on different dates each year? 

Air-Fryer Latkes for Hanukkah

Potato Latkes -the traditional fried Chanukah indulgence has met it's match.  I don't eat fried food, but I still wanted latkes on Chanukah! 

If you read my previous blog post yesterday (link), you may remember that I searched the Internet for a oil-free vegan latke. I thought it was impossible to make a good vegan latke (oil-free) but they actually came out quite good! 

I baked them in the air-fryer which probably makes them somewhat crispier than making them in the regular oven, but not sure. 

These untraditional potato latkes tasted great with some organic applesauce that I picked up at Trader Joe's. (Yes, Laura- good one)

They were crispy, tasty, and very easy to make. 

I followed the recipe for Latkes on a blog called Plants Rule- but I took a major shortcut. 

My Grated Potato Shortcut

Instead of grating the potatoes, I bought a bag of grated hash brown potatoes that have nothing in them but grated potatoes. 

I simply allowed the grated potatoes to thaw and then followed the recipe. That was my shortcut, but you could grate your own potatoes if you prefer.

Also, I baked the latkes in my air-fryer until one side became crispy, and then I turned them over and baked them until the other side looked crispy. 

We enjoyed them topped with applesauce

I'm thinking about trying the latke recipe again with a mix of grated carrot, broccoli slaw, and potato. I'll let you know.

I'm letting you know:

This is an update using grated potatoes and grated broccoli and carrot slaw! 

Grated Potato, broccoli slaw, Carrot

Update: I tried making these latkes with a mixture of grated potato and broccoli slaw (which contained some grated carrot). It came out good but was slightly more difficult to handle than the mixture with strictly grated potato. I ended up adding a 1/4 cup of water to the vegetable and potato mixture to help it adhere better. 

I did prefer the all potato latkes. 

Hanukkah

Chanukah/Hanukkah began on Sunday evening and will last for 8 days! Each night we light the Chanukah candles on a special candelabras called a "Chanukiah" or a "Menorah" to commemorate the miracle that took place many years ago in the temple.  

As we light each candle each night, we are reminded to bring light, peace, and love into our homes, hearts, and into the world. 

What am I cooking? : 

I customarily make potato latkes for the holiday. 

I bought a few jars of organic applesauce at Trader Joe's which we usually use for a topping, but I have not attempted to make the latkes yet since I want them to be oil-free, egg-free and totally vegan. I wasn't sure how to attempt it. So, 

I looked online and found a recipe on a blog called Plants Rule but haven't tried it yet. I'll update when I try make them. 

Meanwhile, he is a link to the recipe : Latkes (oil-free and vegan)

What are we doing for the holiday? 

Since we are snowbirds in Florida, we are not near family. Friday night we are having a pot luck dinner with our Florida friends to celebrate the holiday together. 

There are 6 couples. Each couple will bring his/her Chanukiah and we will all light the candles and sing the prayers together. It should be quite a site with 6 Chanukiah's burning bright. 

Do you remember the singing group, Peter, Paul, and Mary? 

They wrote a song called, "Don't Let The Light Go Out" that is a beautiful Hanukkah song about freedom! It is very inspiring! I found it on Youtube. 

Wishing those who celebrate Chanukah a happy holiday! 

Notes: 

The miracle of Chanukah is that the oil that was needed to light the temple was only enough to last for 1 day and it lasted for a full 8 days keeping the temple well lit! It is a custom to make fried foods using oil on this holiday. 

Since I try not to use oil, I want my latkes to be untraditionally oil-free....

Hanukkah/Chanukah is a Hebrew with a multiple English spellings.. I use them all !!

I don't know why but my blog is not showing up in the feeds again. I wrote to blogger and hope they can fix it again! 

Vegan Potato Latkes and Oil-free

Latkes without oil? Yes, it was a first for me, but they were not bad at all! 

It's Hanukkah! Latkes or Donuts?

Latkes or donuts for Hanukkah? We light candles and eat foods made with oil, usually fried foods, for Hanukkah. Why? Hanukkah is the commemoration of a miracle that happened many years ago. 

My Easy Potato Latkes Hack

Is it possible to get the homemade taste of grated potato latkes without having to peel and grate the potatoes? It kind of sounds like an oxymoron, but it can be done. This simple hack that I am sharing cuts the time in half, really works, and you don't have to peel or grate potatoes.

Easy Hanukkah Latke Recipe

If you are reading this on your phone, you will need to click the gray title to go to my blog to watch the video.

Tradition is eating potato latkes on Hanukkah. 

Here is an easy, tasty traditional latke recipe just in time for the holiday. 

I added a little grated carrot to the potatoes to give it a more golden color. 

Why we eat Latkes on Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday also known as the Festival of Lights.

The holiday is in remembrance of the victory of the ancient Israelites against the oppression of the Syrians and the restoration of the ancient Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

The miracle of Hanukkah is that although the Israelites had only enough oil to light the Menorah (candelabra)  in the Temple for to last for one day,  the little vial of oil burned bright in the Holy Temple and lasted for eight full days.

Thus on Hanukkah, we light the Hanukkah Menorah ( also called a Hanukiya)) every night for eight nights and eat foods that are made with oil to commemorate the miracle of the oil in the Temple. We start with one candle and the shamash ( the candle to light with) and add a candle each night until we reach 8 candles plus the shamash which is always a taller candle holder,

Eastern European Jews traditionally eat potato latkes fried in oil for the holiday. 

Sephardic Jews from Middle Eastern countries and Spain eat a type fried dough or doughnuts.

Today in America, Hanukkah is often celebrated by the eating  latkes and doughnuts, singing of songs, playing "driedel", and lighting the Menorah each night. 

Since the oil in the Holy Temple in ancient Jerusalem lasted for 8 nights, we light candles ( and give gifts after we light the candles)  for 8 nights!

Children also get "gelt" ( money ) or chocolate (gelt) coins to eat.

Hanukkah falls each year according to the Jewish Calendar ( which is different on the American Calendar each year. 

Hanukkah Song

Here is a traditional Hanukkah song that I found on You Tube. It's fun and whimsical. Press the arrow to listen to the festive traditional song. You cannot open it from your phone- must click over to my actual url blog page at www.glutenfreematters.com 

Hanukkah Recipe: Latkes
There are as many Hanukkah recipes for latkes as there are cooks. Their is no steadfast recipe.
My favorite recipe is baked not fried but I am sharing my cousin Harriet's latkes are fried, traditional and easy! I'm sharing her recipe plus some links for my other " less traditional" variety of latkes.

My Cousin Harriet's Traditional Hanukkah Latkes 
My cousin Harriet is an amazing cook who makes all of the traditional Jewish holiday foods. 

This is her blender latke recipe.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time : 5 minutes for each batch of 4
Materials Needed: Blender and skillet

6-7 white all purpose potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 large egg
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (gluten free)
salt and pepper to taste
optional: 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 cup of oil

Directions: 
Using a blender, add the egg, onion, and a half of the potatoes. Begin blending and add remainder of potato, breadcrumbs, and seasoning to form the batter. Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop tablespoon mounds of batter into the skillet and fry until crispy. Serve topped with applesauce or sour cream!

Here is my recipe for baked latkes

• My favorite Baked Latkes ( Best Ever) 
• Weight Watchers style latkes ( uses grated broccoli slaw) 
• Homemade applesauce ( traditional topping for latkes) 

Recipe for Hanukkah Recipe: Easy Doughnuts ( Baked and gluten free) 

I know it's the tradition to fry, but these are so much healthier and they do contain oil!

Author: Judee Algazi of Gluten Free A-Z Blog
Prep Time: 5-8 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 12 doughnuts


Ingredients:
2 cups of almond flour ( Trader Joe's or health food store)
1/4 cup of coconut flour ( Trader Joe's or health food store)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder ( aluminum free)
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup of milk ( coconut milk, almond milk, or regular milk)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten
optional: chocolate chips or chocolate frosting ( Quick recipe below)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and sea salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Mix the eggs, milk, banana together and then add to the wet ingredients. Mix with a spoon until blended. Pour batter into a 12 doughnut pan ( or 2 six doughnut pans)  and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, remove from pan and drip chocolate icing on top. Sprinkle with coconut if desired for a festive look.


Quick Chocolate frosting
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips ( I used dairy free)

Directions 
Heat the coconut oil and chocolate chips in a saucepan on a low flame. Stir frequently until they melt together ( 1- 2 minutes) . Remove from heat and frost the donuts if desired. It takes about 4 hours for this icing to really dry. Eat immediately or wait 4 hours and then store.

Tips and Notes: Where to buy a doughnut pan
I bought my donut pan in AC Moore or you can easily purchase online:
Wilton Nonstick 6-Cavity Donut Pan 

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Spicy Rösti (Potato Pancakes Baked)

Spicy Rosti is a delicious grated potato side dish that is actually easier to make than it looks.
 It is a Swiss recipe somewhat a cross between hash browns and potato latkes.
The grated potato mixture is made into mounds and then baked in the oven.

I searched the Internet and found out there are many variations of Rösti recipes, some made with fried onions others with meat. This recipe is vegetarian and is made with fresh hot chili ( which I personally left out because I don't like hot) and grated cheese. I also tried a version without the cheese and it worked well too.

 It is my Secret Recipe Club selection from my assigned blog, New Yorker By Heart,.

I was intrigued with this recipe for Rösti  because although I frequently make many ethnic recipes, I tend to choose more Mediterranean, Italian, Greek, and Spanish type recipes. This was a first for me. I have never made a Swiss recipe before.

I chose this recipe because it is naturally gluten free, vegetarian, and can be made vegan.  I made 1/2  of the mounds with grated cheese and the other half without any cheese. Both variations were good  Great ! The secret seemed to be to leave the mounds in the oven long enough for them to get really crispy! My husband loved them.

2018 Update: 

I tried a variation where I left out the chili, cumin, and chili powder and made them for Hanukkah! They were the perfect baked latke- I also tried them using cauliflower rice instead of potatoes- the possibilities are endless!

Spicy Rosti

Ingredients:

3 large baking potatoes (about 750 g), scrubbed clean ( I used

3 eggs

1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped ( I left it out)

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1 ½ tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. chipotle powder (or chili powder) you decide
5 scallions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. dried parsley (or 1 handful of fresh, finely chopped)
1 ½ tsp. onion powder
Salt, freshly ground pepper
75 g of grated cheese ( optional)

Directions: 

Scrub potatoes well and coarsely grate the rind on. Wring as much liquid from them as possible. It is easiest in a clean tea towel - . Getting the twisted potatoes in a bowl and mix them with the rest of the ingredients. Stir it all together well and then add little mounds on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

I got 9 pretty big out of this portion. Spray with a little olive oil - or brush them lightly - but you can also put them in the oven without. Put them in a 450 degrees oven for 15 minutes. Take them out, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and put them back in the oven. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until golden and crisp. Take them out and serve immediately.

Step by Step Pictorial

Gather ingredients

Grate Potatoes and ring out liquid well

Mix grated potatoes, hot chili, eggs, scallions, parsley, grated cheese and spices 

Place on mounds on cookie sheet



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