savory latkes

A few weeks ago I invited some friends over for brunch as a way to ease out of the holiday season and into the winter hibernation. I had promised to make cottage cheese pancakes for one of the invitees and I decided to make a savory version of latkes or potato pancakes. Surprising the guests all claimed ignorance of this food and I explained they can be served sweet or savory, but I wanted savory as a counterpoint to the cottage cheese pancakes.

I added serrano pepper to a basic latkes recipe for a little added heat and topped with sautéed onions, sour cream, salsa and fresh cilantro.

Latkes (or potato pancakes)

4 medium potatoes, peeled and grated

1 med. onion, grated

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 t. baking soda

1-2 garlic cloves

1 serrano pepper, seeded

fat for frying

1. Wash potatoes and peel them. Let rest in cold water for at least one hour or overnight.

2. Grate potatoes with a fine grater and press to squeeze out excess liquid (use an old kitchen towel or paper towels). Peel and grate the onion into the potatoes.

3. In mini-chopper, beat egg, garlic, serrano pepper, salt, pepper, and baking soda. Add to potatoes and onions and mix well.

4. Heat fat (butter, oil...) in a large skillet and add one spoonful of the mixture for each pancake. They should not be too thick. Cook gently until golden brown on the bottom, urn and brown other side. Add more fat as necessary.

5. Serve with sour cream, salsa, sautéed onions, and fresh cilantro.

salmon quiche

My dad loves, loves, loves salmon so I made a salmon quiche for father's day brunch. It is really delicious and I think even better as leftovers (can that be?). I ate it for lunch with some beets and raspberries.

Salmon Quiche

Prepare one olive oil whole wheat crust. I used the C&Z recipe with fresh oregano and rosemary in the crust. Blind bake crust (10 minutes at 350 deg F).

Filling:

1 1/2 c. chard, chopped (or other green)

1-2 T. shallots, sliced thinly

1 T. butter

1 c. feta cheese, crumbled

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. whipping cream

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t. sea salt

1/8 t. black pepper

3/4 c. salmon, crumbled (mine was pre-cooked, but cut into small pieces if raw)

In small skillet, cook chard and shallots in butter, over medium heat until soft. In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients. When chard is cool add to mixture. Pour into tart shell. Try to distribute filling evenly.* Bake for 40 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Remove and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

*Because I prepared this several days in advance for ease on father's day I covered the quiche and placed in freezer. The night before serving I moved to the fridge and baking time was similar to fresh made. If you're moving straight from freezer to oven expect to increase baking time by at least 20 minutes.

Happy Father's Day!

My parents and brother are visiting me, which has made me a less mindful of this blog than normal... today my brother and I are preparing a delicious brunch for our dad. Expect to see some dishes from the brunch this week!