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Latkes Recipe and
How to Make Potato Pancakes

A latkes recipe is traditionally made during the Jewish festival of lights or Hanukkah which is actually a story about oil.

Once you learn how to make these Jewish potato pancakes or latkes, you can create your own variation and even make a gluten free or low carb recipe.

And a cauliflower pancake recipe may be a healthier version of the traditional latkes recipe, although not very Jewish.

How to Make Potato Pancakes - Latkes Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 5 Large Organic Potatoes (peeled & grated)
  • 1 Organic Sweet Onion (peeled & finely grated)
  • 2 Large Organic Eggs
  • 1/4 cup of Breadcrumbs or Matzah Meal
  • Kosher Salt (to taste)

Serve your Jewish potato pancakes or latkes with your favorite toppings.  Traditional Jewish topping for latkes are sour cream and applesauce.

However, you could use other toppings such as goat cheese, blue cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, and pesto for an interesting change.

Instructions:

  1. Put the grated potatoes and onion in a cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid.
  2. Put ingredients into a mixing bowl - add the eggs, breadcrumbs, and the seasoning.  Mix ingredients together.
  3. Fry the latkes at 350 degrees F in a large frying pan. 
  4. Add 4 large spoonfuls at a time and carefully flip the potato pancakes when they have browned.
  5. When other side is crispy brown, remove latkes from the frying pan and plate.  Finish cooking the entire potato pancake mixture before adding the toppings.

How to Make Potato Pancakes - Gluten Free Latkes Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 5 Organic Starchy Potatoes (peeled & grated)
  • Equal amount of Grated Organic Onions
  • 1/4 cup of Freshly Chopped Organic Herbs
  • 1 Large Farm Fresh or Pastured Egg
  • Kosher Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
  • Healthy Oil for Frying

In this latkes recipe she does not use any flour. 

She also doesn't use too much oil.  And she more slowly cooks her potato pancakes on medium heat.

She squeezes out the excess liquid of the onions and potatoes, but adds the starch back in for a more crispy texture.

Instructions:

  1. Be sure to squeeze out the excess water from the grated potatoes and onions - but you can add back the starch if you like.
  2. Mix grated potatoes, grated onions, chopped herbs, egg, and seasoning in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add thin layer of healthy oil to your frying pan and heat.
  4. Grab a portion of the mixture and form into a patty.  Place in heated frying pan (4 patties at a time).
  5. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes until crispy brown and then turn the potato pancakes to the other side to cook until crispy brown.

Low Carb Latkes Recipe - How to Make Cauliflower Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 Small Head of Organic Cauliflower (cut into little florets)
  • 1 Large Farm Fresh or Pastured Egg (beaten)
  • 1/4 cup of Organic Quinoa Flour or Sprouted Flour
  • 1 Tbsp. of Organic Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. of Organic Garlic Powder or use Crushed Garlic
  • 1 tsp. of Kosher Salt (or to taste)
  • Black or White Pepper (to taste)

Fried foods make me nervous and the only way I would be somewhat okay about eating a fried food - is having it fried in a saturated fat (like coconut oil, ghee, or tallow) or in a monounsaturated fat.

I've noticed people are starting to use avocado oil more often these days which is a monounsaturated fat which appears to be much safer than "vegetable" oils.

Instructions:

  1. Put cauliflower into a pot of boiling water and boil until tender. 
  2. Then strain off the water and press cauliflower to remove as much water as possible.
  3. Put cauliflower in bowl and add the quinoa flour - mix to create a smooth texture.
  4. Then add in the spices and mix again.  When batter is cool enough fold in the egg.
  5. Place scoops of cauliflower batter into a greased skillet and press to flatten into a pancake.
  6. When pancakes edges get crispy and brown - flip the pancake to the other side to brown. 
  7. Then remove from the pan and add your favorite toppings.

Please Stay Away from Vegetable Oils

Frying with vegetables oils is like consuming plastic - yikes!  Yes, plastic is made from vegetable oils.

And it's mainly the oils high in omega 6 or the polyunsaturated oils that you have to really worry about because they are too volatile to withstand high amounts of heat.

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