Gluten free, egg free, dairy free, oil free (optional/minimal) guilt free Potato Pancakes.
This Hanukkah let's do something a little different. I know Hanukkah is supposed to be an oil filled holiday , but really it's not doing us any good. The more we cut down on oil, the better we feel and look . These gluten free latkes are made with potatoes which are an amazing food filled with good carbs, trace minerals and vitamins . The onions give them extra pizzaz, flavor and health benefits.
If you're like me always looking for ways to get vegetables into your family's meals, this is a no-brainer. I choose gluten free because the potatoes are so good without it and we just don't need it in latkes. Alternative flours are becoming really easy to find in almost every grocery or health food store .
Rice, chickpea, tapioca, lentil, millet, and oat flours are all examples of gluten free options . They are there just to hold the potatoes together while baking, so you don't need too much of that either. And because they are baked, there's really no need for oil. Some people like a little oil just for the taste, so if you want to add, you can choose to use it sparingly.
One of the ideas always looming over me for Hanukkah was the thought of having to stand over a hot stove frying oily foods for what seemed like hours on end, day after day for eight days. That's not my cup of tea. So baking is the perfect alternative. I can fill the tray and walk away until it's done!! I've started cooking other things this way , such as pancakes and steamed, mashed potato cakes. I hardly use oil anymore and I rarely stand at the stove frying things in a frying pan anymore .
So we're all happy now. I am cooking gluten free, egg free, oil free latkes in the oven and the family loves the Hanukkah treat.
Recipe:
5 Washed, grated potatoes (if you have time to grate them the day before and stick them in the fridge, they drain themselves of their juice. If not, you need to squeeze them before mixing them)
2 peeled chopped or grated onions
1/2 cup Gluten free flour(s) lentil, chickpea, tapioca, rice, potato, oat, millet etc
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper (optional)
olive or coconut oil (optional)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Squeeze the potatoes and discard the juice. Mix onions with potatoes in a big bowl. Add the flour, salt, pepper. Mix with a spoon or with your hands until evenly combined. Spoon onto baking paper. Sprinkle a little oil if you like , although not needed and place in the oven until brown. If you need to flip them, wait until they are browned on top then flip with a spatula until brown on the other side. Each oven is different, but should be ready after about 20 minutes.
Repeat for eight days.........
For more Hanukkah food ideas, see my blog "GF Sufganiot, Anyone?"
Enjoy !!
