Waffled Latkes

Let's begin today with a vocabulary lesson.

What is a latke? Latke (pronounced LOT kuh) is sometimes called a potato pancake. It is made of shredded potato and fried like a crispy hash brown patty. It's a bit gooier inside and a bit cakey, and a touch more flavorful than a hashbrown.

Latkes are traditionally served for Channukah with warm applesauce and sour cream.

I love latkes. My kids are completely berserk over them. But they are starchy and oily, and definitely a sometimes food.

Until now.

These latkes are toasted, not fried, made with whole grain flour, just a touch of healthy oil, and I used less-starchy, waxy, small red potatoes instead of the usual russets. Why, they are practically health food.

Also, very easy. That's a must.

You will need:
2 large, 3 medium, or 6 small potatoes
half an onion, diced
1 egg
1 TBS whole grain flour of your choice (I usually use wheat, but today, I used spelt)
dash of s&p
1TBS olive oil (or other)

Preheat waffle iron.

Shred the potatoes. If you are using a starchy variety, place the shreds in a strainer in the sink and let the liquid drain. If you are using a waxy variety, skip this step. They won't give up their liquid.

In a medium bowl, combine potatoes, onions, egg, flour, and s&p. Mush it around with your fingers until evenly mixed.

Pile the mixture up in the waffler. Use a generous amount. Clamp it shut and let it cook until very brown. If it starts to crumble when you touch it, cook it some more. It should be one solid piece.

Place on a plate and serve warm.

Makes 4-5 large waffle latkes.

Waffled hash browns

A waffle iron is a versatile and underutilized bit of kitchenry. It can easily cook many foods quickly, due to the top and bottom plates heating foods from both directions at the same time, with less fat, and without heating up the kitchen.
Case in point: Hash browns.
I LOVE homemade hash browns. Potatoes are one of the least expensive and most available foods. They homemade version is easy, quick and free of scary ingredients found in the packaged stuff. In fact this recipe has 4 ingredients, potatoes, oil, salt and pepper.
My homemade potatoes always turns out greasy and never as crisp as I'd like. These babies are not greasy at all and crispalicious. And waffly-fun. Everything is better waffled.
A starchy potato, like a russet, will give you a very crispy, nicely formed patty that holds it's shape well. A waxy potato, like a Yukon Gold or Red Rose, will give you a softer, creamier, less formed hashie, with a nice crunch just on the outside.
Let's get started.

1 large, 2 medium, or 4 small potatoes
drizzle of oil
salt and pepper

Wash and shred potatoes.
Spread shreds generously and evenly over waffle plates.
Drizzle very lightly with oil. I use a silicone basting brush.
Sprinkle with S and P.
Close the iron. Cook until crispy and brown.

Makes approximately 4 waffled browns.

Pink pickles

My kids won't eat radishes because they are too spicy. Pickling them lightly in vinegar and sugar removes most of the heat and leaves them tasting crisp, sweet, tangy and tinted a cheery pink.

10-12 ounces or so of radishes ( one packet)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbs sugar
water

Slice radishes and place them in a glass quart jar.
Add vinegar and sugar, and top with water to cover.
Shake.
Chill for 1 hr.
Enjoy on salads, in sandwiches, in sushi or as a snack.
Store, sealed, in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Cinnamon roll waffles

I am certainly not the first to do this, but I'm posting it anyway, on the off chance that the entire internet hasn't already seen it.

Step 1. Open a can of cinnamon rolls. Place in waffle iron. Cook.

Step 2. Drizzle with frosting. Optional: add sprinkles.

Step 3. Eat with fingers.

These are quite small, and very tasty. Total prep time was about 15 minutes. I served them for my baby's 3rd birthday. A fun little birthday breakfast.

Fudgey Grahams

I'm almost embarrassed to post this. This is my favorite quick and dirty snack. 2 ingredients. 30 seconds to make, tops. No nutritional value. I rarely keep these goodies in the house because I will eat them till they are gone.

Chocolate covered graham crackers
Fudge frosting

Spread frosting on the bottom of one graham, top with the other graham.

Also good with plain or cinnamon grahams, and peanut butter, other nut butters or other flavors of frosting. Cinnamon grahams with strawberry are another of my favorites.

Gratuitous cuteness

I have no helpful tips today. No recipes. Nothing of any value to offer. Except this:

These are my two littlest. Aren't they cute? Don't they look sweet and innocent? Aren't they just precious? Don't you just want to pinch their fat little thighs? I do.

 It's a good thing that they are so adorable. Because they leave this kind of destruction in their path.

All day long.

Yup,yup, yup. But I sure do love those little terrors.

Freezing in Canning Jars

Canning jars are amazingly useful. They are heat and cold resistent, have an airtight seal, and are vitually indestructible.
Dry goods stored in canning jars stay fresh and bug-free. Leftovers in the refrigerator are safe from leaching chemicals. The jars are easy to clean, non-staining, inexpensive, readily available and microwavable.
The best part, is that food frozen in canning jars can be stored for months and still tastes absolutely fresh.
The picture above is of 3 different soups stored in quart sized jars in my freezer. there are 3 more jars behind each of those, all containing a different soup or stew. Every evening, I put the leftovers from dinner in the freezer in a jar, write the name of the dish on the top with a sharpy and pop it in the freezer. I select a jar from my stash and leave it on the counter to thaw. At lunchtime, I warm it up and serve it. Voila, fast, healthy, yummy food in second.
Tips:
#1 Use clean jars and fresh lids. Unlike canning, you don't need to sterilize you jars and lids can be reused. But the lids do wear out after a few uses. If the rubber seal is feeling dry, stiff or rough, toss the lid. You can buy boxes of replacement lids for a couple of dollars. Rubbing alcohol will remove sharpy from
#2 Leave a bit of room at the top. Liquid expands when it freezes. If your jar is too full, the glass will crack. Leave at least an inch of airspace.
#3 Cool it down before popping it in the freezer.
#4 Never mix cold water and hot glass. It will shatter.
#5 Label your jars, either the tops or the glass, with a sharpy marker. Rubbing alcohol will remove it. Sticky labels and chalkboard paint are unnecessary. You can see clearly though a room temperature jar, but once it freezes, everything looks pretty much the same. Avoid surprises. Label everything.

Freezer Bag Stock

Homemade stock adds an extra burst of flavor to soups, stews, pasta and many other dishes. Unlike the stuff in the can or box, you can control the flavors that go into it, the salt content, and it's free of artificial additives and preservatives.

Stock has to simmer for hours, but actually takes very little effort from you. This method is hassle-free, and costs nothing.

While preparing your meals, instead of tossing vegetable scraps in the trash or compost bin, place clean, well-scrubbed peelings, ends and cores of your veggies in a freezer bag. Freeze between meals.

When your bag is full, place the contents in a crockpot and cover with water. Add herbs of your choice. I like rosemary and thyme. Season lightly with salt if desired. For beef or chicken stock, add a few reserved bones-kept in a separate freezer bag until needed. Cook on low heat 8 hours.

When finished, allow it to cool. Strain out the bits and pieces, reserving the yummy stock.

Freeze in quart or pint-size canning jars, or in ice cube trays. If using ice cube trays, transfer to a freezer bag when well frozen and store in the freezer until needed.

Pina Colada Oatmeal Cookies

These are a variation on my Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies. They are healthy, hearty dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, vegan and can be gluten free if you use gluten free flour. These wholesome, rich cookies taste like a snowy winter day in Hawai'i. You know. If it snowed in Hawai'i.

1 1/2 cups flour of your choice (I used white whole wheat)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup oil of your choice (I used sunflower)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup molasses
4 tbs water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup diced dried pineapple
1 cup shredded dried coconut.

Combine all ingredients except oats, pineapple, and coconut in a large bowl. Stir well. Dough will be thick and dry.
Fold in last 3 ingredients.
Roll about 2 tbs of into a ball. This will give you a big, chewy cookie.
Place on baking sheet. Cookies will spread during baking.
Bake 15 minutes at 325 degrees.
Cool 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a rack.

Makes about 2.5 large cookies.

Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are simple, wholesome, vegan and versatile. I used dried cranberries, barley flour, pecans and sunflower oil, but you can use other dried fruit, whole-grain flours, nuts and oils. Not only does changing up these ingredientsvary the flavor, but each is packed with a variety of nutrients.
Both barley and oats boost milk supply in nursing mamas. Oats and berries balance blood sugar.  Nuts and oils are rife with healthy fats and Omegas. These cookies are free of animal products and cholesterol-free.

1 1/2 cups flour of your choice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup oil of your choice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup molasses
4 tbs water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried cranberries ( or other dried fruit)
1 cup chopped pecans (or other nuts)

Combine all ingredients except oats, cranberries, and nuts in a large bowl. Stir well.
fold in last 3 ingredients.
Roll into balls. Smaller cookies will be crispier, larger cookies will be chewier.
Place on baking sheet.  Cookies will spred during baking.
Bake 10-12 minutes at 325 degreeF.
Cool 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a rack. The fruit will be VERY hot while the cookie is still warm. Enjoy with caution :D