Food Porn, on the way to work

[pecunium]

Hannukah is just wrapping up. Les asked if I was going to make any fried food goodness, I said sure.

But Les is a Type II diabetic, and doesn't do things with a high glycemic index, so latkes were right out. But I am a clever monkey (when I am not being a silly booby), and figured I could work around it.

Take some zucchini (I used 2 1/2 6"x1 1/4"), grate fine: Lightly salt them and set to drain.
Chop small about 1/5th of a medium onion (I used a bermuda)
Mix one egg, some pepper and enough flour (I used a white whole wheat) to make a thick batter.

[for larger amounts of zucchini, add more eggs, and keep aiming for thick batter).

Squeeze the shredded zucchini (the water will be a vivid, almost flourescent green, you can save it to make zucchini bread if you are possessed of enough zucchini, then again, if you are possessed of that many zucchini, you probably don't need to save the water; add it to some stock in instead).

Get about 1/4 inch of oil hot in a skillet

Add the squeezed zucchini to the battter. It will still be pretty wet, so add a bit more flour until it acts about like pancake battter.

Ladle a about 1/3rd (if you make a larger batch, one good ladle full is about right). The oil should sizzle, but not spatter. Let it sit until the edge at the top of the oil is a bit brown, turn.

When the other side is done, remove to a plate. Serve with sour cream, applesauce, madras lentil (which is what we had on the side, as well as tomato/roasted pepper soup and an indian dish with chickpeas, of which I forget the name. The not-latkes were the only things which didn't come from a packet. Tj's is my friend). We tried some with a kalmata purée, and that was good too.

Comments

[coffeeem.livejournal.com]

Zucchini latkes! You are a god, I tell you. A god.

[alice-q.livejournal.com]

I always do zucchini latkes, and finally got around to them last night, just in time for it to still be Channukah. I used chickpea flour (garam) for thickening/binding this year, and really liked the texture. I have lots of leftovers...Mmmm.

[bunnybutt.livejournal.com]

Taking a cue from TJ's vegetable birds nests, this year I made kale and onion latkes. Mmmmmmmmm, and easier to get crispy than zucchini, IMO.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

The level of crispy was pretty good. The edges were crisp, the inside was moist. It wasn't quite as crunchy at the edges as a more coarsely grated potato latke, but that was ok.

I am definitely keeping it in the "quick foods to make when traveling/showing off" repitoire.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

I think the Indian dish with chickpeas would be aloo something-or-other.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Aloo = potatoes
Saag = spinach
Paneer = cheese
Dal = lentils
Those are the included food names which immediately come to mind.

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

Well, since the point is the oil, you're FTW.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Maybe. The point is to celebrate the oil, so tasty is as important. :)

[lwj2.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Terry, I'll have to try this.

Merry/Happy, eh?

Leon

[kestrels-nest.livejournal.com]

Another good option for latkes is sweet potatoes. And if, like some folks in this household, you are avoiding large quantities of fat, they taste very good done in the oven. I put them on non-stick foil on a cookie sheet and spray the tops with olive oil spray. They bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, until the tops are looking lightly browned, then they get flipped and the other side sprayed. Another quarter hour's baking and you have sweet potato latkes that are crisp and flavored by olive oil, but don't actually have very much oil to them at all. :)

Happy midwinter holiday of your choice, and may you have a happy and healthy New Year.

[mesoterica.livejournal.com]

Zucchini latkes, OMG, I am beside myself with love for this idea.