Family Hanukkah Menu and Recipes from Geri Garfinkel-Gershon

Menu option 1 (meat)
Andrea’s Tomato Soup (with soup bones)
Latkes
Applesauce
Geri’s Greens

Menu option 2 (vegetarian)
Latkes
Applesauce
Sour cream
Andrea’s Ratatouille or Geri’s Greens

Menu option 3 (fish)
Andrea’s Tomato Soup (without soup bones)
Grandma Ida’s Salmon Croquettes
Latkes
Applesauce
Sour cream
Geri’s Greens

What’s for dessert? 
For Sephardic Jewish cultural cuisine, embrace Spanish culture and try this recipe from 18 Doors
Baked Churros with Dipping Jam

Grandma Ida’s Salmon Croquettes (can be made gluten free)
1 pound of canned salmon
1 small onion grated
1 large egg slightly beaten
Black pepper to taste
One handful breadcrumbs (for gf, substitute panko or gf all purpose flour mix)
Mix these ingredients together. Form patties and fry in oil until brown on both sides.
Note from Grandma Ida: Use your imagination to make variations of this recipe
I add dill and a tablespoon of Grey Poupon or other Dijon mustard when I make this recipe.  Don’t have time? Try frozen salmon burgers instead.

Andrea’s Ratatouille
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic pressed or minced
1 medium eggplant peeled and cut in cubes
3 – 4 yellow squash or zucchini thickly sliced
2 large peppers, seated and sliced in strips
1 large can of peeled tomatoes chopped
Fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons basil or oregano
Minced or snipped parsley (fresh is best, but dried is ok too)
Cooking spray oil
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray casserole or pot, then layer veggies into it. Sprinkle spices on tap.  Cook till veggies are tender 3 to 4 hours covered.
Can be sprinkled with cheese.

Andrea‘s Tomato Soup (can be made vegetarian)
1 large can crushed tomatoes and tomato purée 
2 Marrow bones — optional (soup bones)
Celery
Onion
Beef stock or bouillon cubes
¼ cup Rice
½ Water, plus more when needed

What I do:
Slice a couple of stalks of celery with the leaves. Dice the onion. Brown both in a bit of oil in the soup pot bottom. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/2 can of water. (Use the can the tomatoes came in).  Add beef bouillon and soup bones simmer semi covered until  it looks right (gets to be a darker color) adding water as necessary. Raise temperature a bit and add rice. Cook till the rice is done, 20 – 50 minutes depending on the type of rice. Watch the pot, stir because it can burn on the bottom. Push the marrow through the bone if you can, into the soup. Mix it up. Allow soup to cool. Refrigerate overnight. Lift orange colored fat off carefully. Reheat soup and enjoy. 
Andrea’s note: You can add the rice when you’re reheating instead of as above.

Geri’s Greens for Hanukkah or Passover
One bunch of Swiss chard or one bag of spinach
1/2 onion
Pine nuts
Oil
Half a cup of raisins
Salt, optional
Cut greens and onions into bite-size pieces.
In a separate bowl soak raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes.
In a Dutch oven sauté onions in oil over medium flame until soft but not brown. Add salt, optional. I don’t usually.
Add greens cook until wilted. . Combine raisins with greens and topped with pine nuts. Serve hot or cold.