Celebrate a Compassionate Hanukkah

The following post is by PETA celebrity marketing coordinator Lauren Gordon.

Hanukkah, O Hanukkah! Hanukkah is one of my favorite holidays—and not just for the obvious reason (presents!). It is a time to rejoice with family and friends while observing the traditions of our ancestors, such as lighting the Hanukkah Menorah, singing festive songs, and feasting on seasonal dishes.

Jewish tradition places importance on treating animals with compassion, and the Jewish concept of tsa'ar ba'alei chayim explains that humans should not cause animals pain. A fabulous way to have a compassionate holiday and take a stand against the mistreatment of animals on factory farms is by celebrating with a vegan Hanukkah.

Make Hanukkah sweet for your taste buds and for animals by baking some festive vegan treats. This jelly-doughnut cupcake recipe is a modern twist on the classic sufganiyot (Israeli jelly doughnuts) and a delicious new way to celebrate compassionately. Try these simple sugar cookies and use Hanukkah-themed cookie cutters to create fun shapes. Get some vegan Hanukkah gelt to share or top gifts with. Most dark chocolate is dairy-free, so look for dark-chocolate gelt (it is often the silver-foiled coins).

My Hanukkah celebration isn't complete without latkes, aka potato pancakes, and I am looking forward to cooking some this year. Since the main ingredient in latkes is potatoes, the dish lends itself to being vegan. Apple sauce and nondairy sour cream make great toppings. Try out this easy latke recipe:

Vegan Potato Latkes
3 lbs. peeled baking potatoes
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
Egg replacer equivalent of 2 eggs
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 Tbsp. unbleached flour
Canola oil for frying

• Grate the potatoes and squeeze out the moisture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the potatoes with all the remaining ingredients except the oil.
• Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large skillet. Place 3 tablespoonfuls of the potato mixture into the skillet for each latke. Use a spatula to flatten the mixture to form the latke. Fry over medium heat for approximately 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
• Drain on paper towels and serve hot with apple sauce and nondairy sour cream.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Happy Hanukkah! What vegan dishes will be part of your celebration this year?

Egg Replacements

There are plenty of egg substitutes available for baking or preparing a dish that calls for eggs. Ener-G Egg Replacer is a reliable egg substitute for use in baking. It is available at health food stores and most grocery stores.

Tofu: Tofu is great for egg substitutions in recipes that call for a lot of eggs, like quiches or custards. To replace one egg in a recipe, purée 1/4 cup soft tofu. It is important to keep in mind that although tofu doesn't fluff up like eggs, it does create a texture that is perfect for "eggy" dishes.

Tofu is also a great substitute for eggs in eggless egg salad and breakfast scrambles.

In Desserts and Sweet, Baked Goods: Try substituting one banana or 1/4 cup applesauce for each egg called for in a recipe for sweet, baked desserts. These will add some flavor to the recipe, so make sure bananas or apples are compatible with the other flavors in the dessert.

Other Egg Replacement Options

• 1 egg = 2 Tbsp. potato starch
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or squash
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup puréed prunes
• 1 egg = 2 Tbsp. water + 1 Tbsp. oil + 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg = 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed simmered in 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 egg white = 1 Tbsp. plain agar powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water, whipped, chilled, and whipped again

Egg Replacement Tips

• If a recipe calls for three or more eggs, it is important to choose a replacer that will perform the same function (i.e., binding or leavening).

• Trying to replicate airy baked goods that call for a lot of eggs, such as angel food cake, can be very difficult. Instead, look for a recipe with a similar taste but fewer eggs, which will be easier to replicate.

• When adding tofu to a recipe as an egg replacer, be sure to purée it first to avoid chunks in the finished product.

• Be sure to use plain tofu, not seasoned or baked, as a replacer.

• Powdered egg replacers cannot be used to create egg recipes such as scrambles or omelets. Tofu is the perfect substitute for eggs in these applications.

• If you want a lighter texture and you're using fruit purées as an egg substitute, add an extra 1/2 tsp. baking powder. Fruit purées tend to make the final product denser than the original recipe.

• If you're looking for an egg replacer that binds, try adding 2 to 3 Tbsp. of any of the following for each egg: tomato paste, potato starch, arrowroot powder, whole wheat flour, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, instant potato flakes, or 1/4 cup tofu puréed with 1 Tbsp. flour.

Don't forget to check out our vegan shopping guide and delicious recipes.