Recipe Test: Vegetable Pancakes

Credit:  100 Days of Real Food Blog

Click Here for full recipe

INGREDIENTS: 

• Shredded Veggies (potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots - whatever you choose!)
• Eggs
• Whole wheat flour
• Olive Oil
• Apple sauce and / or sour cream (optional)

Perfect timing as the carrots I bought were starting to be a little soft and I needed to use them - shredding them for this worked really well.   I was able to use my wonderful new toy again, my Cuisinart made quick work of shredding!  I chose a white potato, a small zucchini and carrots.  (Next time I'm definitely thinking sweet potato instead of white for that sweet factor with the apple sauce!)

I felt pretty confident on this one as latkes are one thing I actually have cooked for myself over the years ... not exactly what my diets called for because of the FRYING so I did not think I'd be using this skill in this adventure ... especially since I'm learning to cook so I can be healthier.   

Not so pretty while in the process.  My husband came in while I was at this point and he said "What kind of weird ass F*ing pasta is THAT?!"  and then of course mumbled about how me cooking was such a horrible idea and again about me killing someone or burning down the house ... I should start a ticker counting how many times I hear that! 

I know I used too much olive oil.  Even though fat is allowed there is no reason to deep fry!  I'll try less next time.  I made sure it was on low and took my time. The key I've found to not burning them is to flip them twice instead of just once.  I tend to flip to check the color - I'm looking for a crisp light to medium brown.  Because these have so much color to them I was careful to make sure they were truly done so they wouldn't be soft in the middle.  I do my first flip when I see the edges starting to have some golden brown.  

In the war between sour cream and apple sauce I've forever been an applesauce girl so I found an organic version (only ingredient apples!).  

They are confetti looking with the green and orange from the zucchini and carrots.  Pretty good.  The flavor of the other vegetables (in contrast to all potato latkes) made them kind of sweet so I think made with sweet potatoes would be AWESOME!  

Tried leftovers for lunch - not so good warmed up in the microwave because it of course loses the crispiness but hey ... a good way to get your veggies!