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!