Mmmmmm Latkes! Happy Hanukkah!

[KQ]

Recipe: Butternut Squash and Sage Latkes

By JIM ROMANOFF
For The Associated Press
It can be a pleasant surprise when a food with butter in its name turns out to be good for you, as in the case of butternut squash.

Along with other winter squashes such as acorn, delicata and pumpkin, butternut squash is loaded with vitamins A and C, plus potassium and fiber. It also is filling, has just 65 calories per cup, has almost no fat, and can have a rich flavor that justifies its name.

Butternut squash also is versatile in the kitchen. The high and dry heat of roasting is particularly good at enhancing its flavor of by caramelizing the natural sugars it contains.

For a quick and easy side, toss seeded and cubed butternut squash in a bit of olive oil and roast at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until quite tender. Serve it seasoned with salt and pepper, or if you like, a drizzle of maple syrup or even balsamic vinegar.

Butternut squash also sometimes can take the place of potatoes, as in these butternut squash and sage latkes for Hanukkah.

The squash and onions can be shredded using a box grater or a food processor. Be sure to squeeze as much liquid out of the shredded onion as possible. Otherwise your latkes will be too wet and fall apart in the pan.

Latkes are a traditional part of the Hanukkah celebration because the oil they are fried in symbolizes the miracle of the small amount of oil that burned for eight days when the temple was under siege.

This recipe honors that story by using a few teaspoons of olive oil to brown the latkes in the pan before they are crisped to perfection in a hot oven. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, applesauce or both.

Butternut Squash and Sage Latkes

Makes 12 servings

1 medium onion, shredded (3/4 cup)

3 cups shredded butternut squash (1 small squash)

1/4 cup matzo meal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 large egg, lightly beaten

6 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Spread the shredded onions between 2 sheets of paper towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl. Add the squash, matzo meal, salt, pepper and sage, then toss to coat. Add the egg and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Toss to coat.

3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil. Working in batches, use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the squash mixture into the skillet, leaving several inches between each mound. Use a spatula to flatten them into roughly 3-inch pancakes.

4. Cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the latkes to the prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake until the latkes are crispy and hot, about 10 minutes.

[Pegleg]

Hmmm... I'm skeptical of any latke recipe that (a) doesn't involve potatoes (can squash ever get crisp?), and (b) involves the oven. However, I'll give them a go this weekend and report back.

[Deadmonton]

Those look not un-good.

And in the spirit of trying to make an already perfect thing more better, I'm testing these fellas out this year (it is the addition of mashed potato that intrigued me):

http://www.nycnosh.com/?p=98

Mind-blowing Homemade Latkes

2 3/4 lbs. (1.25 kg.) white potatoes (about 4 medium potatoes)
1 large onion
2 eggs, well beaten
1.5 Tablespoons matzoh meal (or flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Peel and cut half of the potatoes into one-inch chunks. Boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain and pass through a food mill (or process smooth in a food processor). Sprinkle matzoh meal on top of this. In a large bowl, shred one large onion. Then shred both peeled potatoes into the onion, mixing together the potato shreds with the onion to keep the potato threads from discoloring. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from onion-potato mixture by placing the shredded vegetables into a piece of cheesecloth and twisting until no more liquid can be extracted. Return to large, dry bowl and add egg, pepper, and salt. Add the puréed/milled potatoes to the shredded potatoes and combine thoroughly. Form into palm-sized patties that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inches high. Fry these patties in 1/4 to 1/2 inches of corn oil (do NOT use olive oil) . The patties will need to cook for about 5 minutes on the first side, so if they do more than go slightly brown after a minute or two, your oil is too hot. Flip after five minutes with a spatula and fork and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Drain thoroughly on paper towels. Serve with applesauce, salt, and sour cream. Makes approximately 10 latkes.

With this topping:

[allTandA]

Those look not un-good.

And in the spirit of trying to make an already perfect thing more better, I'm testing these fellas out this year (it is the addition of mashed potato that intrigued me):

http://www.nycnosh.com/?p=98



With this topping:

and with Brisket cooked for like 10 hours...... hebby peasant food yummyy

[Tippster]

to extract more water from the shredded onion/potato mixture mix the salt in, let it stand, then use the towel/cheese cloth to wring out the water. The salt will help pull more water out.

In Germany Latkes are called Reibekuchen. My favorite cold-weather snack.

[snow_slider]

Ba-ruch ata, A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu, me-lech ha-o-lam, a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mits-vo tov, ve-tsi-va-nu le-had-lik neir shel Chan-nu-kah.

Happy Hanukkah to all my hebrew peeps.

[Pegleg]

OK, tried this recipe tonight and I stand corrected - they were amazing. Texture was like normal potato latkes, but with the sweetness of butternut squash and sage. This might become my go-to latke recipe.

FYI - The recipe says it makes 12 servings, but that's only if a "serving" is a single small latke. I'd call it more like 3-4 servings.

Happy Hannukah!

[crackboy]

another thing to try is to substitue sweet potatos for regular ones. super nice

[MMP]

i made some Saturday and they were awesome. No leftovers awesome. I like the pic above with the salmon roe. I actaully have some of that in the fridge and now need to make more to try out the latke-roe combo. nice.

[skioride]

As a chef I'm always looking to try something new and since I've eaten 10 million potato pancakes, in my life, trying some that are made with butternut squash sounds awesome. As I'm sure they are by the recipe. Thanks

[asmastcig]

I accept with information:
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Spread the shredded onions between 2 sheets of paper towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl. Add the squash, matzo meal, salt, pepper and sage, then toss to coat. Add the egg and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Toss to coat.

3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil. Working in batches, use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the squash mixture into the skillet, leaving several inches between each mound. Use a spatula to flatten them into roughly 3-inch pancakes.

4. Cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the latkes to the prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake until the latkes are crispy and hot, about 10 minutes

[Pegleg]

Forgot to mention another tweak to the recipe - after mixing everything, let it sit in the fridge for at least a half-hour before cooking. They seemed a bit dry if cooked right away, but after sitting a bit the matzoh meal absorbs the moisture and the texture of the latke was much improved.

[KQ]

Forgot to mention another tweak to the recipe - after mixing everything, let it sit in the fridge for at least a half-hour before cooking. They seemed a bit dry if cooked right away, but after sitting a bit the matzoh meal absorbs the moisture and the texture of the latke was much improved.

Thanks for the review PL!

[KQ]

Hey-hey It's Hanukkah time!

[SB]

Man those latkes sound tastey, now I am hungry again.

Enjoy Hanukkah y'all!

[KQ]

Let the Festival of Lights begin!

[dan_pdx]

Given the chatter about using a waffle iron for hash browns...waffle iron latkes? I'm way too lazy for that, so someone else needs to try it. For science.

[Peruvian]

Our 88 year old neighbor gave some to us (with roasted chestnuts), when my wife delivered a Hanukkah gift to her.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

When my wife and I first started going out we would often end up late night at Canter's Deli on Fairfax for latkes and matzo ball soup.

Latkes with some applesauce are divine.

[gravitylover]

Happy Chanukah all

[old goat]

I'm kicking myself that I didn't pick up applesauce at the store today.

[schindlerpiste]

Those dreidels will be spinning tonight

[nickwm21]

Where's the schmaltz?

[BmillsSkier]

Inspired by this thread I made these for dinner tonight:

Latke Waffles

After a round of trial and error (my waffle iron is big and deep) I found the right size and got em dialed in.

Pretty great! Happy Hanukkah to all that celebrate!

[KQ]

Inspired by this thread I made these for dinner tonight:

Latke Waffles

After a round of trial and error (my waffle iron is big and deep) I found the right size and got em dialed in.

Pretty great! Happy Hanukkah to all that celebrate!

Wow! those look soooooo good! L'chaim!