Healthy Hanukkah Recipes

This recipe is reminiscent of a pot roast made with onion-soup mix, but the flavors are true and pure--and nobody misses the excess sodium. (For a slow-cooker variation, see below.)

Honey and almonds flavor this simple (and gluten-free) cake. It's lovely for afternoon tea or a spring holiday dessert. Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites--they should be white and very foamy, but not at all stiff or able to hold peaks. If you beat them too much, the cake may sink in the middle as it cools.

The slight acidity of buttermilk tenderizes and moistens baked goods while allowing you to cut way back on butter or oils. Here, it also lends a slight tanginess to the winning combination of bananas and blueberries. To make muffins instead, see Muffin Variation.

This healthy revision of green bean casserole skips the canned soup and all the fat and sodium that come with it. Our white sauce with sliced fresh mushrooms, sweet onions and low-fat milk makes a creamy, rich casserole.

If you're a fan of lemon meringue pie, you'll love this festive cranberry meringue pie recipe. For the fluffiest meringue, set your eggs out at room temperature for about 15 minutes or submerge (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm water for 5 minutes before beating--egg whites at room temperature will gain more volume than cold whites.

We cook then cool the beans in advance so they can be heated up and seasoned moments before the meal. If you don't like tarragon, substitute dill or leave it out completely.

Roasted beets and sweet dates, tangy oranges and juicy pomegranate seeds make this quinoa salad recipe festive. It pairs beautifully with turkey or roast pork.

This creamy sweet potato pie recipe is seasoned like a pumpkin pie with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg and gets nice ginger flavor from the gingersnap crust. For the best results, roast sweet potatoes in the oven; in a pinch, microwave them instead.

This quick homemade applesauce recipe makes a healthy snack or fruit dessert for kids. Applesauce is also a fabulous complement to potato pancakes or latkes.

These crisp quinoa cakes spiked with smoked salmon and topped with lemony sour cream make a lovely appetizer.

This creamy spinach casserole recipe is a more sophisticated cousin to creamed spinach. It's perfect for weekend entertaining or as a holiday side dish.

Homey, hearty and flavorful, this easy chicken stew recipe sings with apple cider, rutabaga and pears. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles or spaetzle.

Butternut squash, carrots and parsnips take on a sweet intensity when gently braised in broth. Serve with roast chicken, grilled salmon fillets or pan-seared pork tenderloin.

A perfect ending to a Passover seder.

This brisket recipe comes from Roberta Greenberg, the longtime assistant to the rabbis at Temple Emanu-El, a well-known New York City synagogue. Quivering cranberry slices that melt into the meat and slowly caramelize give this brisket its lovely character. Even better is that it takes so little effort for this sweet alchemy to work. Serve with latkes and roasted green beans drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Crunchy fennel and celery are combined with grapes in this delicious salad recipe.

These doughnut-shaped cakes are flavored with apple cider and glazed with maple syrup. If you do not have a mini Bundt pan, you can use a regular Bundt pan and make a coffee cake; bake it in a 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Grapefruit juice is the base for the tangy vinaigrette on this salad studded with grapefruit segments and dried cranberries. It serves 12 as a starter or about 6 if you'd like a large portion per person.

Slowly braising turnips in savory miso-spiked broth and butter gives them a sweet flavor and velvety texture in this side dish recipe. The addition of turnip greens (which are sometimes sold separately in bunches) adds a peppery bite. For a mellower flavor, use spinach.

A zesty vinaigrette makes these roasted Brussels sprouts, fennel, carrots and beets pop. If you can't find small carrots, halve larger ones crosswise then quarter lengthwise. Serve this vegetable antipasto as a side dish or appetizer.