Tag: latkes

Potato Latke Waffles

The Festival of…Waffles?

Hanukkah, oh Hanukkah. The holiday of…waffles?  Sure, why not? These waffles are made with potatoes, onions, egg and oil! The very BASICS of latke ingredients. So why not take the traditional latke and form it into a fun and different shape, the WAFFLE – my Potato Latke Waffles!

But before we get into the deets, can ya’ll believe that it’s already Hanukkah? I mean, it feels like yesterday that I was making my Pizza Latkes for MYV. And by the way, check those out, they’re super easy and SO good.

Food Trends

Truth be told, I’d been thinking about transforming potato latkes into waffles for a while now and my clearly my brain was already thinking ahead on the “waffle-trend” (when did waffles become trendy exactly?) when I read in the latest issue of Fleishigs Magazine that yes indeed, waffles are in. This, from a recipe excerpt of Daniella Silver’s new cookbook, “Variations“. Her “hash brown potato kugel waffles” that helped with my inspiration.

I’ve always found food trends to be a bit silly. Just like how we determine that florals are always in for spring (“florals for spring…groundbreaking”), will next season’s food fads be fava beans, or kimchi or even gefilte fish? Well, you never know about the latter, but sure, there are ways to fancy-up gefilte I presume.

Regardless, I do love making waffles, whether it’s the (yes, the trendy) Keto “chaffle” (cheese waffle) or a chocolate protein waffle, they have always had a special place in my heart. I have such vivid memories of my sister Avi and me sleeping over at my Bubbe and Zayde’s house and the next morning, my Bubbe would have a big plate of hot, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside Belgian waffles. Topped of course with a big heaping glug of maple syrup. Ah, those were the days. The days of wonderful family food memories (and boy, do I have a lot – but don’t we all)!

Some “Variations” for you!

Alright, I guess this is a little punny since I mentioned Daniella Silver’s book already, but hey, variations are what excites me about food! Use a recipe as a base and create your own variant of that! Full disclosure, the waffle maker I used at home is Dairy (it’s the only one I have), but regardless, here are some more options/variations for you, using this base latke waffle recipe to take it to the next culinary level.

  • Add cheddar cheese into the mix for a full-on dairy spin – top with sour cream, bacon bits and green onions and you’ve got yourself a “loaded potato latke waffle”! YUMMMM
  • Keep the base parve, but garnish with chopped pastrami or salami and drizzle sriracha mayo! A.k.a. crispy hash browns with meat for a filling brunch.
  • Keep the base parve but fry up some chicken thighs for a fun spin on chicken ‘n waffles! Serve alongside honey mustard dipping sauce and maple syrup
  • You can do what I did using my husband as a guinea pig and topping his with a drizzle of ketchup. What can I say, he’s a man of simple tastes
  • Or, if you’re feeling fancy, garnish how I did in my photo, with a drizzle of truffle mayo and a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley
  • And for a super traditional option, serve with applesauce or sour cream

So there ya have it. A fun, innovative way to enjoy your latkes and with plenty of that oil drippings too. Wishing you all a Chag Chanukah Sameach – from your team at MYV!

0 from 0 votes
Print
Potato Latke Waffles
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Keyword: latke
Servings: 4 waffles
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1/2 White onion, diced or thinly sliced
  • 1 1lb. bag Shredded potatoes Sure, you can hand-shred potatoes or using a food processor but it takes times and it's messy, and who wants to slave over doing dishes. I LOVE using the pre-shredded potatoes, it saves so much time!
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Smoked or sweet paprika
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat waffle maker and spray with non-stick cooking spray

  2. In a bowl, add the shredded potatoes, onion, eggs, salt, pepper, paprika and oil

  3. Mix (using your hands is easier - they're your best tool) until fully mixed

  4. Spoon about 3/4 cup into waffle maker. You don't want to overstuff it because the middle will get crispy but the sides won't, so make sure it's an even layer

  5. You can use any kind of waffle maker - regular, Belgian, mini - you name it! Just be patient and let them cook and crisp up!

  6. Serve with a whole slew of toppings! If you're making them dairy, add a heaping spoonful of sour cream or applesauce. Making these meat? Add some chopped salami or pastrami and top with sriracha mayo!

Spaghetti Squash Latkes with Dipping Sauce Trio

Spaghetti squash latkes with garlic basil mayo and avocado crema (vegan nacho cheese dip not pictured)

I’m sure you all are in agreement with me that this year has just FLOWN by and it’s crazy that Hanukkah starts tomorrow night!  So of course we had to bring you some unique latkes to this blog, am I right?  For mine, I didn’t use any potatoes (I know, I know…you’re all shaking your head, but since I’m avoiding potatoes right now, I needed something that even I could eat).  Enter the humble spaghetti squash.  And yes, I could have done carrot, zucchini, even cauliflower but it feels so “been there, done that”.  Plus, I had a spaghetti squash sitting on my counter that really needed to be eaten, so I decided this was the perfect use. And no shredding needed here.

First thing’s first – cook the darn thing.  Sure you can cook it in a microwave, but I already had some stuff roasting in the oven, so just threw the squash in there too.  #twobirdsonestone.  And I love how the cooked spaghetti squash even LOOKS like shredded potatoes, minus a TON of unnecessary carbs, so that makes me a happy camper.  And to make it even more low-carb, instead of using a traditional gluten-free flour like almond, coconut, arrowroot, tapioca, to name a few, I used ground flax seeds instead, to help bind it together along with the eggs, salt and pepper and my favorite personal touch – Trader Joe’s “everything seasoning”.  Sure, I can make it myself, but it comes in a pretty package that I just can’t say no to, and I just love all of TJ’s pre-made seasonings.  I’m all for shortcuts, ya know?  One other thing to note, if you don’t want the “stringiness” of the spaghetti squash in one bite of your latke, I’d recommend roughly chopping the squash as you’re prepping the rest of the ingredients.  I decided not to do that, but it still turned out so good (and easy enough to eat). Also…you may have noticed my latkes are a wee bit dark, but I like mine extra crispy even if that means slightly burnt.  And these are so great to make-ahead.  Just pop them back in the oven at 400F, or you can pan fry them with a little avocado or olive oil for a few minutes just to crisp up.

As for the dips.  Since it’s so cold and dreary out, I needed a fresh pick-me-up, so garlic basil mayo it is. I love using the frozen cubes of basil and garlic if I need to make a quick herb dip or pesto in a pinch and I definitely don’t have any fresh basil here in my frigid apartment #dreamingofspringalready.  I have to give credit to my sister-in-law, Yael for this, since she created a similar concoction for her birthday party last weekend and it was so good (we layered this dip on tortillas, topped with roasted veggies = YUM).

For my second dip, I went with a tried and true favorite – my vegan nacho cheese..so dreamy and creamy and insanely healthy.  Check out the recipe here on my blog riskyveggie.com!

The third and final dip is an avocado crema (I’m using labneh in mine but you can use sour cream or Greek yogurt, or even mayo, I just like the tanginess it lends to the dip and compliments the smooth, mild avocado).  Add some fresh cilantro and you’re good to go.

And if you’re feeling nostalgic, check out one of my latke experiments (almond mustard cauliflower latkes with ginger tahini dipping sauce) from last year on riskyveggie.com!

Wishing all of our loyal readers a very HAPPY HANUKKAH and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

5 from 1 vote
Print
Spaghetti Squash Latkes
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 spaghetti squash, cooked
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
  • 4 tbsp ground flax seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp Trader Joe's everything but the bagel seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.

  2. Wrap the squash in foil and bake for 40 minutes or until fork tender. Keep the oven on at 400F.

  3. When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large bowl and add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, everything seasoning, flax seeds and olive oil.   The most annoying part is removing all of the seeds, but be patient, you'll get there. 🙂

  4. Wait about 3-5 minutes for the mixture to absorb some of the flax seed meal.

  5. On a parchment lined baking sheet, scoop a handful of the mixture and form it into flat latkes shapes.  

  6. Bake for 45 minutes, check to make sure they aren't burnt, and cook for another 15 minutes until crispy.  

  7. Let cool and serve warm with the dipping sauces!  

    HAPPY HANUKKAH!

5 from 1 vote
Print
Garlic Basil Mayo
Prep Time
5 mins
 
Servings: 1
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup mayo I like using homemade, but use whatever you prefer or have in your fridge
  • 2 cubes frozen garlic, softened
  • 4 cubes frozen basil, softened
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until fully combined.  Adjust seasoning if needed. (note, this spread is delish on sammies!!)

5 from 1 vote
Print
Avocado Crema
Prep Time
10 mins
 
Servings: 1
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 medium ripe avocado, diced
  • 2 tbsp labneh Middle Eastern yogurt, or you could use Greek Yogurt
  • 1 cube frozen garlic, softened
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp hot sauce Adjust if you like it mild or super spicy
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice I like it tangy and this will thin the dip out a bit, so you can always adjust if you want it thicker
Instructions

  1. Mash the avocado with a fork and add the rest of the ingredients.  

  2. Add the cilantro, mix gently and serve. YUM!

If you liked this recipe check out Daniel’s take on latkes: Jalapeno Cheddar Cauliflower Latkes With Salsa Verde Sour Cream