Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated in December around the time of Christmas. It is a festival lasting eight days and a candle on the menorah is lit each night. Part of the celebration is also eating traditional Jewish fare. Here are three recipes that would be served during the Festival of Lights.

Hanukkah celebrates the eight days that the sacred oil lamp in the temple burned after the Jewish people regained control of Jerusalem. The miracle here was that there was only enough oil for one night of light available. A messenger was sent for more oil but the sacred lamp stayed lit until his return eight days later.

Each day of that miracle is commemorated with food and festivity. If you are celebrating the Jewish holiday or Hanukkah, here are some of the recipes that you would make. One thing to remember is that Jewish food is to be kosher. This means that the ingredients of the meal all conform to the official Jewish dietary laws.

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(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, skinned and cut into strips
9 fl oz mayonnaise
5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp five spice powder
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
4 oz flaked almonds
2 large mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Chopped fresh cilantro
Dried chili flakes (optional)

Instructions:

In a pot, bring water to a boil and poach the chicken strips for 12 – 15 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Remove from heat, drain and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, soy sauce and five spice powder, then add flaked almonds, mango slices and chopped chives. Toss the chicken strips into the mayonnaise mixture and mix thoroughly. Add cilantro and chili flakes and serve in a jacket potato with a side salad.