Spice up Hanukkah with vegetarian delights

(Spice up traditional latkes by adding shredded yams and fresh herbs such as cilantro/Gannett News Service photo)

Ethnic food is the spice of life, especially during the holiday season.

Today's Busy Cook page in the Poughkeepsie Journal features a more healthful approach to the traditional latke for Hanukkah, which begins at sundown on Sunday. The potato pancakes, which are traditionally fried in oil, are quickly pan-fried in canola oil and then baked in a high-heat oven for about 10 minutes until crisp.

The recipe can also be jazzed up a bit to include shredded yams or parsnips and fresh herbs such as cilantro.

Here are two other recipes from Gannett News Service that would work well for the Hanukkah table.

Happy holiday!

Rice Fritters

These are good with a variety of sauces: traditional Italian, mushroom ragout or black-eyed peas — or just plain.

If you have cooked the rice without salt, add 1/2 teaspoon to this mixture.

1. 2 cups cooked rice
2. 1 egg
3. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
4. Olive oil or vegetable oil

If rice is cold, break it up with your fingers into a medium bowl.
Beat egg briefly and add to rice along with cheese. Stir to blend.
Heat 1/4 inch olive oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet set over medium heat. Use a 1/4 cup measure or large spoon to dip out some rice mixture. Press it into a patty (don’t be too obsessive about this, but a little flatter than round).
Drop into hot fat.
Repeat with remaining rice.
When patties have browned well on one side, turn them over to brown on the other side.

Easy Black-Eyed Peas

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 3 large cloves
1 pound frozen black-eyed peas (about 3 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or minced jalapeno pepper to taste)
14.5 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
1 red pepper, seeded and diced

Heat olive oil in a wide, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onion and red pepper to the pan.
Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes until softened.
Add garlic and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Add black-eyed peas, salt and hot pepper flakes. Stir.
Add crushed tomatoes; simmer the peas until cooked through and soft, about 20 minutes. Serve with rice fritters.
Serves 6.