Delicious easy vegetarian cooking and more!

First Happy Hanukkah everyone!  I am not the greatest practicing Jew but I do love the food of my heritage.  I also enjoy trying to make different variations of traditional food.  Sometimes I try to lighten up the fat content, at times I try to take something traditional and make it vegetarian and at times like this I just enjoy giving a new twist to an old favorite.  I guess this variation has a slightly greater nutritional value because I used sweet potatoes in place of white ones and egg substitute instead of real eggs.

Hanukkah has many different spelling.  But ultimately it is the festival of lights.  In a nutshell we celebrate the victory of the Maccabees (led by Judah) over the Syrians in a revolt that took place around 165 BCE.  The victory in itself was considered a miracle. Once the Temple Mount in Jerusalem had been reclaimed, the Temple had to be rededicated. According to legend, only one jar of sacramental oil was found, enough for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, thus the eight days of Hanukkah.

Traditional latkes are made with white potatoes and served with either sour cream or apple sauce.  They are best served fresh from the pan but can be baked to reheat.  The variety I made today are a southwest version flavored with cumin, sage and chipotle sauce.  Make them as hot and mild as you like by adjusting the amounts of seasoning.  For a lighter meal I would just eat these with a salad.  Otherwise they will pair well with many vegetarian main courses.

Southwest Sweet Potato Latke’s

1 large sweet potato or 2 smaller ones

2 eggs or ½ cup egg substitute

¼ to ½ cup flour

1 small onion

A few shakes Tabasco Chipotle Sauce

Cumin to taste

A pinch of sage or poultry seasoning (thyme, sage, rosemary, & nutmeg)

Salt

Canola oil

Sour cream and/or apple sauce for dipping

If you have a food processor I highly recommend using it.  Grate the potatoes and onion in the food processor or by hand.  Place grated potatoes on some paper towels and remove excess moisture.  Mix with egg mixture and flour.  Since the weight of potato will vary use your best judgment.  The potatoes should be well coated by not too wet.  Add all the seasoning and mix well.

Add oil to a skillet and preheat to medium high.  Drop potato mixture in the pan and flatten somewhat so that the potato’s will cook through.  Once lightly browned flip over and cook on other side.  I personally don’t like a lot of oil in my pan so I just keep adding as needed so that the pan is always lightly coated in oil.  Once cooked place latke’s on paper towels and lightly salt.