Sukkot
Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, is an 8-day harvest festival that starts 4 days after Yom Kippur. At the beginning of the holiday, observers build a sukkah, an outdoor temporary structure, and celebrate by eating a meal in it.
Traditional foods are results of the fall harvest - fresh fruits and vegetables. Stuffed vegetables are common.
- Meat Stuffed Peppers - (Contains: egg)
- Millet-Herb Stuffing - Gluten and allergen free, this recipe could be used to stuff tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, or pumpkins for your Sukkot feast.
- Maple Chicken with Potatoes - Use olive oil in place of vegetable oil to make this recipe free of the big 8 allergens.
- Pumpkin Muffins - These kid-pleasing muffins are free of eggs, dairy, and nuts. (Contains:wheat)
- Pumpkin and Apple Soup - The flavors of fall meld in this harvest soup. May be modified to be either dairy or soy free.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is a winter holiday that celebrates the defeat of the Greek army by the Macabees. After reclaiming the temple in Jersulem, the Jews discovered there was only one day's worth of oil left to burn for a sacred fire. A mracle made the oil burn for 8 days and nights.
Hanukkah is one of the less important holidays in the Jewish calendar, but has gained popularity because of its proximity to Christmas.
Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting candles in a menorah each night for eight nights, giving small gifts, and playing dreidel games. Traditional Hanukkah foods are fried foods, eaten to symbolize the oil that continued to burn in the temple (and because they taste good!)
Some traditional Hanukkah foods that have been modified to be allergy-friendly include:
- Vegan Chanukah Doughnuts (Contains: wheat)
- Gluten-Free Donuts (contains dairy and egg)
- Allergy-Friendly Latkes -Â These crispy-on-the-outside, custardy-on-the-inside capture the traditional latke flavor and texture without dairy, soy, eggs, wheat or gluten.
- Cinnamon Applesauce - Pair this applesauce with your latkes. Recipe is free of the big 8 allergens.
- Beef Brisket - One of these recipes for beef brisket will suit your allergies and your taste buds.
- More Allergy-Friendly Hanukkah Favorites
Purim
Purim celebrates the biblical book of Ester, and is celebrated in February or March. The holiday is celebrated by reading the Ester story, dressing up in costume, charitable giving, and eating a festive meal. Many people chose to eat a vegetarian meal, because Ester kept a vegetarian diet while living in the king's palace.
Jewish law requires the sending of Mishloach Manot, gift baskets of food, on Purim. The baskets should contain at least two different foods, and are traditionally filled with nuts, dried fruits, wine, and special jam-filled cookies called hamantaschen.
An allergy-friendly gift basket could include:
- Dairy-Free Hamantaschen or Gluten-Free Hamantaschen cookies. Alternatively, use my egg-free sugar cookie recipe for the dough and follow the directions to fill and shape the cookies.
- Pumpkin Seeds - Pumpkin seeds are safe for most people with nut allergies.
- Dried Fruits - Dried apples, cherries, apricots, or other special fruits.
- Caramel Popcorn - A simple recipe free of major allergens.
- Chocolate Chewies - Flourless, and therefore wheat-free cookies, (Contains: egg, nuts)
- Wine or other alcohol - Be aware of potential allergens.
- Homemade salads such as Gluten-Free Pasta Salad
- Homemade sauces, such as Dairy-Free Pesto
Passover
Passover is a spring holiday that celebrates the escape of the Jews from Egypt, as told in the biblical story of Exodus. The celebration lasts eight days, and involves special dietary restrictions and a ritual meal of symbolic foods called a Seder.
Because levaning is forbidden during Passover, special foods are manufactured around the time of the holiday. For people allergic to wheat, or who have celiac disease, Passover can be a shopping bonanza, because special "Non-Gebrokts" or Gluten-Free foods are sold for the holiday that are not available at other times of year.
- Allergy-Friendly Seder Plate - Tips for substitutions for traditional elements of the seder plate.
- Gluten-Free Seder Plate - Make your own gluten-free matzoh, and fill your seder plate without wheat.
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