Don't Forget the Latkes!

Lemony Snicket's "The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming," is a favorite holiday story of ours.  I think we enjoy it mostly because the central character is edible.  After we read the story this past weekend, I remembered that the latke remains a delicious holiday dinner option.  We serve ours with applesauce, light yogurt (my lighter alternative to sour cream) and sausages, but you can choose any accompaniments you'd like.

2 courgettes

6-8 medium potatoes (we used new potatoes, but you can use yukon golds or any ones...but I'm not sure how they'd turn out with red potatoes)

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 c flour

1/4 of an onion

sea salt and course black pepper to taste

2-3 Tbsp canola oil

Peel and grate the courgettes and potatoes.  (This is always a challenge for me.  I always seem to come very close to grating some of my hand into the mixture.  Be careful!)  When you are done, squeeze any extra water out of the grated veggies and put them into a large bowl.  (I use a smaller bowl on the counter to catch my veggie water so I am not making multiple trips to the sink).  Grate the quartered onion into veggies (don't squeeze out any liquid from these...you want that tasty onion juice in the mixture).

Add the rest of the ingredients to the large bowl and mix to combine.  Put a couple of paper towels onto a dinner plate and have it waiting by the stove.

Heat some canola oil over high heat in a large frying pan.  When the oil is hot, spoon the veggies into pancake-sized blobs into the pan.  Wait for a few minutes, then flip when brown.  You may have to manage the heat of the stove to make sure the latkes don't burn.  When the latkes are done, place them onto the paper towels to drain.  Serve while hot!

Traditional latkes are cooked in a lot more oil, but I like to have these less-fattening ones.  I also like putting in some zucchini so that the kids get some veggies!  Feel free to experiment.  I've seen people use grated carrots before, too.