Mashed Potato Pancakes – Our New Latkes

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I used to be really big into tradition – making the foods my mother made when I was growing up. After I became vegan, I veganized many of her old recipes which was great. But now, I am at the point of reimagining our old traditions to make them just as good, vegan, and sometimes easier.

The fact is that grating potatoes and onions either on a box grater or in the processor is big pain in the … knuckle. For Chanukah this year I decided to make mashed potato pancake latkes – a little different and truly delicious. I used cream cheese and aquafaba to keep them moist and scallions because they are mild and much easier to deal with than onions. And, a little lemon zest brightens these little cakes, which is  optional because some kids don’t like that flavor. I still fried them (a) to keep part of the tradition alive and (b) because there is nothing better than a potato cake that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I use a three tablespoon ice cream scooper to make my pancakes and keep everything uniform. Frying is a messy job but I prefer small batches. I use my small skillet to cook 4 a time, using 2 teaspoons of oil.  And just like any pancakes, the first round never comes out as good as the later ones.

Makes about 12 latkes

2 really big Russet potatoes (or 4 little ones)
3 tablespoons vegan cream cheese (I used Kite Hill), room temperature
2 scallions (or green onions)
The zest of about 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons aquafaba (bean water)
Salt, a pinch
White pepper, a small pinch
High heat oil

Peel and cube the potatoes and place into a pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are soft. Drain and then place back into the pot to dry.

Thinly slice the scallions and zest the lemon. Place into a mixing bowl along with the aquafaba and cream cheese. Add the potatoes and mash until smooth, a few lumps are okay. Season with a pinch of salt and a tiny pinch of white pepper.

Cover and refrigerate for an hour (or more.)

Line a baking sheet with a piece of wax paper and another with paper towels.

Use the ice cream scooper to scoop up the mixture and create a nicely shaped cake. Place on the wax paper.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet. When the oil is shimmering, gently place the first round of cakes onto the oil. Let it cook for a few good minutes to get the bottoms nice and brown.

Use very thin spatula to flip them over. Be gentle, they are soft in the middle. Use a second spatula for assistance.

Cook for a few good minutes on the other side until golden brown. Place on the paper towels to drain excess oil.

Let sit for a few minutes before serving. I think they are even better lukewarm! Dip them in applesauce or vegan sour cream. Enjoy!

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Carrot Potato Latkes

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I’m getting ready for Chanukah over here and was thinking about how much I love my mother’s now vegan latkes. I taught her how to replace eggs with ground flax and that’s how we have been making them since I became vegan. This year, I was curious to try quinoa flakes as the egg replacer as Nava Atlas suggests in her recipe. And of course, it worked great.

As Nava says in her recipe, it is hard to give exact measurements because potato and carrot sizes vary so here is a picture of the little beauties I used today. With this amount of carrot and potato, I didn’t have to add any extra quinoa flakes but if yours are too loose, you may have to cook up more to hold them together.

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I also like to fry up the latkes and then let them sit on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Then, when I am ready to serve them, I place them on a baking sheet, cover them, and heat up in a 350 oven for 20 or so minutes. You can also freeze them and then reheat the same way.

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons quinoa flakes
3/4 cup boiling water
2 russet potatoes
1 big carrot
1 small onion
Salt, a big pinch
White pepper, a pinch
High heat oil, for frying

Boil the water. Pour over the quinoa flakes and let stand until totally absorbed.

Grate potatoes, carrot and onion and combine. Stir in the wet quinoa flakes and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Using an ice cream scooper drop the latkes onto the oil and cook until the first side is nice and brown. Then flip carefully, press them down, and cook the other side.

Serve with homemade applesauce and enjoy!