Growing up as a small town Texas boy, I never knew what a latke was until I was probably in my 30s. Basically, itās a potato pancake or fritter in Jewish cuisine, popular around Hanukkah. Usually theyāre made with grated potatoes, eggs, matzo meal or breadcrumbs, onion, and about 12 gallons of oil (or so it seems) for pan-frying.
Hereās my healthed-up, baked variation:
Ingredients:
ā¢ 2 white potatoes, grated (I used a box-style cheese grater)
ā¢ 2 whole eggs
ā¢ 1/2 yellow onion
ā¢ 2-3 tablespoons wheat-free panko or gluten-free breadcrumbs (This is your binder)
ā¢ Palmful of chives (I use dehydrated, but fresh is awesome)
ā¢ Spray avocado oil
ā¢ Seasoning of choice (I used salt, pepper, and granulated garlic)
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Donāt use someone elseās oven. Thatās weird.
Grate your potatoes. (I left the skins on.) Use a kitchen towel or a whole mess 'o paper towels to squeeze the water out. Youāll get a lot. Let the grated potato sit in a bowl for 10 minutes and do it again.
Add eggs, panko/breadcrumbs, seasoning, and onion. I pre-browned my onion in a cast iron pan, but that may not be necessary. I hate raw onion so I was going to make damn sure it was cooked through.
Form into balls and place on oil-sprayed pan. Use parchment paper for easy cleanup. Flatten into pancakes.
Cook for 20-25 minutes until browned and crispy on the edges.
We didnāt have them growing up either, but I learned how to make them later too.
Since I am not opposed/ senstive to gluten I just use AP flour and cooked them on the griddle with very little oil. Delicious with sour cream
Since you mentioned itā¦ @TC_Luoma did that article about grease proof papers. Is parchment paper in this group?
And, while we are on the subject, what about aluminium foil? I see soooo many comments about foil now, but most of the articles say itās safe. Is one any better than the other?
Good questions. And I donāt have the answers. Sometimes, with some things, I think we probably worry too much and get a little paranoid. Probably the case with parchment paper, though most do use some kind of nonstick silicone. I do minimize the use of foil though and I donāt let plastic wrap touch food. We also moved away from non-stick pans and use cast iron and stainless. Pain in the ass to clean, but a great grip and forearm workout!
Dani and I have removed a lot of the other things that some say not to worry about: artificial scents and plastics mainly. So, no tupperware or fake smells in our house. I figure if we take care of the big stuff we probably donāt need to sweat the little things.
I have also done away with most plastic. I think I have three plastic bowls for mixing the doggoās food.
The only non stick thing I have is my electric griddle. The rest is stainless and cast iron as well. It was a gift, I would not have bought it, but it works well for some things.
I do however use foil. My lazy ass will line that pan so I donāt have to scrub it, but NEVER anything acidic. I always think if I oil it the food isnāt actually touching the foil
The fragrance things give me a headache. Including candles so thatās out.
Pretty sure out of all the bad things I have done to my body this is the least of my worries.
Now that you mention it, my waffle iron is nonstick. Canāt really buy one that isnāt. No biggie in the big picture! We donāt use it often. I did get rid of my nonstick rice steamer though, especially since the coating was flaking off. I just use the Instant Pot now (stainless) but @Dani_Shugart really enjoys scraping it off.
Yikes! Way back in the 90s a friend of ours was the only person in Texas that was qualified to work on MRI machines. He said that when you eat Teflon it stays in your body forever! This dude was genius smart, and that was good enough for me to stop using it.
The possibility still exists that she may one night, smother you with a pillow
Ok, so I donāt know exactly how she made these. Possibly with an ancient wizarding spell. Theyāre just unreal.
I know they contain Metabolic Drive Protein, canned pumpkin, walnuts, and a banana. And the frosting is Metabolic Drive and fat-free cream cheese mixed together.
Sweet potato protein brownies again (recipe above). Added some āhealthierā Halo Top ice cream this time. Tasty, but man, I think they call it Halo Top because your farts will propel you through the air like the wings of an angel.
Definitely. But, along those lines, my daughter recently bought a Ninja Creami Ice Cream maker. I made my first protein ice cream last night, and it is legitimately good. I didnāt do anything special either: milk, vanilla whey protein, and some chocolate chips. I did use whole milk, so of course it was creamy and good. If youāre looking for a new toy for upping the game on protein treats, I highly recommend it.
