Latkes (Grated Potato Pancakes)

These are a delicious side dish for fish or roast chicken, but can also be served alone.  They are lightly pan fried in olive oil and my kids used to beg for them.  I serve them with applesauce or sour cream, or both.  My kids just liked them plain or with ketchup.  Either way, they are tasty potato cakes and easy to make.

To begin, wash your potatoes well.  One potato will make two medium sized latkes, so use the appropriate amount of potatoes for your amount of guests.

 

When grating potatoes with the peels on, I usually cut the ends off of the potatoes, so that there is not an overwhelming amount of peel in your food.  I also stop before grating the ends (and my fingers)!

 

 

 After grating the potatoes, put them directly into a bowl and cover with cold water.  This will remove some of the starch from the potatoes and it will drop to the bottom of the bowl.

 

 

Let the shredded potatoes soak for about five minutes, then carefully lift the potatoes out of the water, using a slotted spoon or your hands (like I do).  The point is to move the potatoes from the bowl to a strainer without mixing the starch back onto the potatoes.

 

 

The next step is to drain the potatoes and dry them as much as possible.  I use paper towels to dry them, squeezing as much moisture out as you can.

 

 

 

While the shredded potatoes are draining, slowly heat about 1/4 inch oil in a heavy pan on medium heat (I use a 10 inch cast iron pan).  I use olive oil, but you can use canola or vegetable oil as well.

 

 

Put the dried, shredded potatoes in a bowl and sprinkle 1/3 cup of flour over the top of the potatoes.  I actually used rice flour since I avoid wheat products when I can.

 

 

Add one egg, salt and pepper to this mixture and mix lightly with a fork until everything is thoroughly mixed.

 

 

 

Drop large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan with too many pancakes at once.  Cook for about three minutes, then check to see if the pancake is brown on the bottom.  If not, let cook a couple of minutes longer until golden brown.

 

 

 

 

Once the underside is nicely browned, flip the pancake over and continue to cook until the other side is browned (about another 3-5 minutes).  Then remove the pancakes and drain them on a screen or a paper towel, whichever you have handy.

 

 

I prefer the screen, because it allows the pancake to dry evenly, on all sides.  A paper towel tends to make one side soggy, so I always use a screen on a baking sheet to drain anything like fried chicken or chicken fried steak.

 

You can keep the pancakes in the oven at a low temperature (about 200 degrees) while you finish cooking them all.  Then serve hot!

 

Traditionally, these are served with applesauce or sour cream, but feel free to use ranch dressing or ketchup, whatever your family prefers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Potato Leek Soup

 

I was recently given 2 large leeks by my daughter.  Since I have never prepared leeks before, I went on a search for recipes for leeks.  I love a good potato soup, so I decided to try a potato leek soup recipe.

 

This soup has a couple of twists, so read through to the end before you dismiss this recipe as one of the many others on the internet.

 

 

In order to prepare leeks, you must first discard the root ends and the top darker green portion of the leek.  Then heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy saucepan or kettle.

 

 

Add the chopped leeks and saute until tender, being careful not to overcook them.  They should not brown, just get soft.  If you let them brown, they will become bitter, so just cook until slightly translucent.

Chop one large Yukon Gold potato into 1/4 inch pieces (scrubbed, skin on), add to leeks in pan and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add salt and pepper.

 

 

Add one container of Chicken Stock.  I use the "no salt added" version of this pictured brand, but whatever you like will work just fine.  Combine with 2 cups of water and stir. 

 

 

Cover and simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  At this point, most recipes call for blending soup in small batches, or using an immersion blender in the pan, then adding cream or milk to thicken the soup.

 

Instead, I decided to try using one of my favorite products:  Laughing Cow cheese spread!  In this recipe, I used 2 of the regular (swiss) flavored wedges and one of the garlic and herb flavored wedges.  The combination is amazing!

 

 

Unwrap the wedges and drop them in the soup, continuing to cook as you stir them into the soup until they are completely dissolved.

 

 

 

Once the cheese is incorporated into the soup, the thickness should be perfect.  Not too creamy, not too thin.

At this point I decided that I like my soup on the chunky side so I served it just like this, with bacon bits for a garnish and added flavor.

 

 

Of course at this point you can turn this into a smooth creamy soup by blending it in small batches and straining it for a perfect starter for dinner or a delicious side with a sandwich.   Enjoy!

 

 

Crispy Potato Chips

Homemade Potato Chips

 

This is one of those things that will amaze you.  Making potato chips is super simple and just requires a little patience and three ingredients.  Potatoes, Oil and Salt.

To begin, carefully wash the potatoes (once again, I leave the skin on).  I use one four to five inch potato for each person.  The picture above is of one potato, sliced and fried, so you can see that one per person is plenty!

You can use the slicing side of a regular grater, or a mandolin as shown below.  There are lots of different types of mandolins, this one I purchased at my local grocery store for about 10 bucks or less.  It's less than ideal, but it works!  And it slices super thin pieces, each of them extremely uniform.  So, if you really enjoy these homemade fries, you can get a really nice one at Williams-Sonoma or Bed, Bath and Beyond.

As you can see, these slices are almost all identical, which makes it easy to make sure they cook evenly.  Heat about one inch of your choice of oil in a heavy pan on medium high heat.  I use canola oil, but vegetable oil or even olive oil will work perfectly.  To check to see if the oil is hot enough, drop one potato in and if it immediately bubbles and rises to the surface, the oil should be just right.

Drop potatoes in carefully, making sure that they are in a single layer in the pan so that they don't stick together.  Stir them around a bit with a slotted spoon or strainer.  If they seem to be cooking too fast, stir them around and lower the heat a bit. 

When they are brown, remove the potatoes from the oil, drain on a paper towel and immediately season.  The simplest seasoning is salt.  You can add pepper, chili powder, granulated garlic or even cayenne if you like some spice.

You don't have to spend 4 dollars a bag for potato chips that claim to be "natural" or "fresh". Potatoes are reasonably priced, have lots of nutrients and are delicious!!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crispy French Fries

 

Wheat Free Dinner!  Cheeseburger w/Swiss Cheese, Celery & Carrot Sticks, Homemade Crispy French Fries.

There's no reason to go out for delicious French Fries!  Try this recipe and know that you are eating something that has less than four ingredients.  Deep frying is not the healthiest form of preparing food, but come on, sometimes you just gotta have something, right?

So, start with some russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes.  Wash & scrub carefully if you are using the skins and I highly recommend that you do (it adds fiber AND flavor).  At least try it once.

Cut the potatoes into french fry sized pieces (cut the potato lengthwise into about four even pieces, then cut those longwise into even slices.

There are a couple of tricks to make these fries super yummy.
The first secret is to soak them in cold water for about 5 minutes right after you cut them.  Drain them really well and pat dry with a paper towel.

 

 

Bring oil (I use Canola Oil, but you can use any oil you like) to about 350 degrees, or until a fry dropped in immediately begins to bubble. If not, wait a few minutes and try again.

 

 

Be sure that you don't crowd the pan.  This pan is only about 6 inches across, so I'm not using a huge pan, or making a lot of French Fries, so be sure that there is room for the potatoes to move around a bit.  Fry them for approximately 5 minutes.  They are not done at this point, but take them out and drain them on a paper towel.  This is the second secret.  You are going to fry them again!

 

 

Once again, they are not done yet.  You will fry them again once they are all fried the first time.  Be patient, it is well worth the time this takes.

Once you have fried all the potatoes once, you are going to fry them again.  This will be the final step.  Fry them in batches, they should only take about two minutes per batch to finish.

 

 

This picture shows the finished product on the left and the potatoes to go in the final fry on the right.

 

 

This is the finished product.  Drain the potatoes well on paper towels and you will see that the majority of the oil is removed on the first fry and the second time out of the fryer, they have a minimum amount of oil.  Be sure to salt and pepper them immediately when you remove them from the oil the final time.

 

You are going to love these French Fries!  They are tender on the inside, but nice and crispy on the outside.  I serve them with Fry Sauce (a Utah invention).  Try it by mixing half mayonnaise and half ketchup, adding salt and pepper to taste. It's even better with your favorite BBQ sauce instead of ketchup. It's delicious!

 

I hope you enjoy these French Fries, because what is life without enjoying delicious foods and potatoes are king!! Inexpensive, healthy and delicious, they are the perfect food, and a handy side for any meal.

 

 

 

Shredded Hash Browns

 

There are many versions of breakfast potatoes and here is another way of cooking them.  These are shredded hashbrowns, similar to the ones often served in restaurants.  However, the biggest difference in preparing these at home, and cooking your family a "restaurant style" breakfast at home is that you can control the amount of sodium and fat that you are feeding your family.  You may be surprised at the difference in taste as well as healthiness of the final product when you prepare these at home.
The picture above is a breakfast I prepared for my husband, featuring shredded hashbrowns with bacon, cheesy eggs w/onions and multi grain toast.
So, to begin, scrub and rinse one potato per person (2 in this case - one for my husband and one for me).

 

I love to use paper products to save on cleanup.  You know, there is always a trade off: paper towels (sanitary and disposable) or real towels (using water and soap to wash).  Which is better?  You decide.  Anyway for this dish, I try to keep it simple, as I am usually preparing the rest of breakfast at the same time.

 

 

So, I place the grater on a paper plate to grate the potatoes onto.  The paper plate is a little more rigid than a paper towel and is able to hold the shredded potato easily.

 

 

Grate the potatoes on the larger of the shredded sides of your grater.  Be careful not to shred the potatoes too close to your fingers or you may end up with some extra protein in your hashbrowns (not recommended).

 

 

Once potatoes are shredded, heat a nonstick skillet and add some olive oil (start with less, you can always add more).   You can substitute canola oil or butter instead of olive oil, if you prefer.  You can also choose other oils from the variety out there as potatoes accept flavors very easily, so this is a great time to try those unusual oils that you may have purchased in the past.

 

 

When oil is hot, add shredded potatoes in a single layer in the pan.

 

 

Salt and Pepper to taste.  If desired, spice these up with some granulated garlic or onion powder or even a dash of cayenne pepper (extra spicy).

 

 

Cook potatoes on medium heat for about 10 minutes, then flip with a spatula or a flip of the wrist (you CAN do it!).  This is the point you may want to add a touch more oil, as this is what makes them brown and crispy.

 

 

Allow to cook for another 10 minutes on medium heat and test for doneness by testing a small piece of the potatoes.  They should be tender to taste, and at this time you can adjust the seasonings if you would like.

 

Voila, ready to serve with the rest of your breakfast (or dinner)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick & Easy Chunky Hashbrowns

This is an easy way to make hashbrowns to go with a full breakfast.  If you start the potatoes first, by the time you have the eggs & breakfast meat done you will have a complete breakfast!
First, choose potatoes based on how many people you will be feeding.  Once again consider the size of the potato as well.  I am preparing three small red potatoes for my husband.  Begin by washing them well and scrubbing with a vegetable brush as I will be leaving the skins on for this dish.

Place potatoes on a paper plate and pierce with a fork four or five times all around.  This will prevent the potatoes from exploding in the microwave.  Put potatoes in microwave and cook for about one minute per potato.  I cooked these three potatoes for 3 minutes on high in my microwave.

Once the potatoes are cooked to fork tender (you can insert a fork with some resistance), they are ready for the next step.  Using caution (they will be hot from the microwave), carefully cube the potatoes into similar size pieces (I like them pretty chunky).

Using an appropriate sized pan (I use a nonstick small pan for this portion), drizzle it fairly generously with olive oil. You may need to add more if your potatoes start to dry out.

Place chopped potatoes into skillet and cook on medium heat until they begin to brown.

Then flip often until brown on all sides.  Since they are already cooked from the microwave, all you are trying to do is brown the edges.

Once they are browned as much as you like (the longer you cook them, the crispier they will be), they are ready to serve.  Here's a pic of my lucky husband's breakfast today!

Over medium eggs, bacon, link sausage, hashbrowns and multi grain toast, Voila!  Less time than it would take to go out to breakfast and he got to eat in his comfies!