I turn into a total mush during the holiday season. I don’t know why. My typically even keel demeanor goes straight out the window during December. I find myself on an emotional roller coaster sobbing during commercials in the glow of the Christmas tree lights. I imagine it has something to do with all the memories of holidays past and the desire to make the holiday season as special as possible. It’s a lot to process.
But, thinking about, preparing, and sharing holidays meals is what keeps me grounded. Food magazines arrive in my mailbox full of beautifully photographed and delicious-sounding foods. I nearly jumped out of my chair with excitement when I saw the article on latkes in the December 2016 issue of Cooking Light. The magazine article features recipes for:
I want to try them all! But, I decided to start with the beet latkes. The recipe below was adapted from Cooking Light version.
Potato latkes have been associated with the celebration of Hanukah since the mid-1800s. If, like me, you love learning about the cultural meanings of food, you can check out this Atlantic article on the history of latkes. People of Jewish faith eat fried foods during Hanukah to celebrate the Miracle of the Oil where one day’s allotment of oil burned for eight days.
In addition to their cultural significance, latkes are just plain delicious. If you have never eaten them I encourage you to give them a try. I love latkes. I am absolutely full of affection for them. At their core, latkes are typically shredded potato and onion, flour, eggs, and seasoning that are fried in a skillet in a thin layer of oil. The potato pancakes turn out golden brown and crispy and are often served with sour cream and apple sauce.
To make beet latkes, you simply replace some of the potato with beets and their beet greens which give the latkes their spectacular coloring. So, when you are buying the beets make sure to buy beets with the greens still attached. The color contrast of the red beets and vibrant greens make this a perfect holiday meal. I am thinking that I need to plan a latke party.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 3 cups potatoes peeled and shredded
- 2 cups peeled and shredded beets reserve beet greens
- Beet greens removed from stem and finely chopped
- 1 cup shredded onion
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- 5 TBSP vegetable oil
- Sour cream
- 1 TBSP dill
- 1 tsp horseradish
- Applesauce
Ingredients
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|
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Combine grated potatoes, beets, and onion in a colander; drain 15 minutes, pressing mixture occasionally to remove liquid. Place potato mixture in a bowl.
- Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add beet greens, flour, salt, and pepper to potato mixture, stirring to combine. Slightly beat egg and egg white before adding into potato mixture.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoons oil; swirl to coat. Spoon potato mixture loosely into a 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, filling about two-thirds full. Add mixture to pan, and flatten slightly. Repeat procedure 4 times to form 5 latkes. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Place latkes on a baking sheet; keep warm in oven at 250°F. Repeat procedure twice with remaining oil and beet/potato mixture, adding an extra latke to the pan during the last batch to yield 16 latkes total.
- Combine sour cream with dill and horseradish; serve latkes with sour cream and applesauce.
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
We all love beetroots and grow them each year. This recipe is a definite must try! Popping over from #recipeoftheweek
Diane Hartford
Hi Kirsty-
Thanks for stopping by! I tried growing beets this summer but I planted turnips too close and they took over the beets. Next year I will know better. I hop you enjoy the latkes!
Diane
nina preston
Hi Diane — I’m not trying to be critical but I thought these were supposed to be Beet AND Potato Latkes. No potatoes in the recipe and also no cooking instructions. Would love to make these as I love latkes , beets and potatoes. Thanks.
Diane Hartford
Nina-
Well, that is just embarrassing! Thank you for letting me know. I went back to my notes and just updated the recipe to include the potatoes and instructions. I have a bunch of beets in my garden right now and think I may make these again this weekend.
Diane