Potato Pancakes

I received a little cookbook for Christmas titled Little Old Lady Recipes by Meg Reali. It's a perfect gift for someone like me who enjoys good, simple recipes - mixed in with a little humor as well. It's a combination of quotes, recipes, cooking wisdom and funny sayings by little old senior citizen women.

Potato Pancakes are a treat. They can either be used as a side dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner... or you can enjoy them as a main course too. They're simple to make, doesn't require a great deal of time to prepare and friendly on your wallet when you're working on a tight budget - like me! I found this recipe in the Little Old Lady Recipes cookbook and gave it a shot the other night. They're called Latkes in the book - but they're the same thing. It's just easier to say Potato Pancake I think.



Potato Pancakes


Ingredients:

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and grated (like you would if you were preparing hash browns)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
Salt & Pepper
Oil, for frying

* think about it this way - for every potato you grate, add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.


Directions:

1. Squeeze water out of the grated potatoes as much as you can. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

2. In a small bowl, whisk two eggs and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Pour over your grated potatoes and mix all together with your hands.

3. In a skillet, heat oil on medium-high (if you're using an electric skillet, heat to 375).

4. Form small pancakes with the potato mixture - about the width of your hand - and drop into the oil. Fry until lightly brown and crispy on 1 side (about 6 minutes) then flip over and fry the other side.

5. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate so they can absorb excess oil.

6. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream and chopped green onion to garnish.