Purple Potato Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

with Creamy Avocado Artichoke Dipping Sauce. Latkes adapted from epicurious and smitten kitchen.

Latkes are not something I normally undertake. If you’re not familiar with latkes, they are a savory pan-fried potato pancake, kinda like a hashbrown patty. Personally, I tend to shy away from fried foods … they might taste good, but they make me feel sick to my stomach, so to me, it’s just not worth it.

But when Swiss Diamond contacted me and asked if I would do a latke recipe in their Plett Pan (a Swedish Pancake Pan), I immediately said yes. You see, Swiss Diamond pans are made so that you don’t need to cook with oil. I knew if I was cooking in a Swiss Diamond pan, I could create crunchy good “fried” latkes with only a smidgen of oil. Kristyn shipped off the pan to me, and I got to work researching latke recipes. I decided I would try making latkes with the purple potatoes from my dad’s garden. (It’s mom’s garden too, but they each have their “favorite things” that they each grow in the garden. Dad loves potatoes, but Mom isn’t too fond of them, so the potato rows “belong” to Dad.)

Latkes are traditionally served with sour cream and applesauce, but that just didn’t sound very exciting to my tastebuds, so I made a yummy dipping sauce for my latkes with yogurt, avocado, artichokes, garlic & herbs. That did the trick.

The nice thing about purple potatoes is the skin is really tasty, so there’s no need to peel them. Just shred the whole potato right up. The OTHER awesome thing about purple potatoes (besides that gorgeous purple color) is they are WAY better for you than a regular potato. My dad told me that purple potatoes have as many antioxidants in them as blueberries. So I looked it up and, in fact, purple potatoes have four times the antioxidants as russet potatoes, which gives them anti-cancer and heart-protective effects, plus they boost the immune system and protect against age-related memory loss. Plus the purple color is just strikingly beautiful and they taste great … so yeah, I would suggest trying purple potatoes in your latkes.

Purple Potato Latkes with Avocado Artichoke Dipping Sauce

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: About 12 latkes 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the dipping sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon light mayonnaise
• 1/2 of an avocado, mashed
• 1/3 cup well chopped marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 – 2 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped fine
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped herbs (oregano, rosemary, tarragon)

For the latkes:

• 1 lb. purple (or other) potatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow (or red) onion
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons Red Robin Seasoning (recipe here)
• Fresh ground pepper
• A bit of canola or peanut oil, for frying

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, mayo and avocado till mostly smooth. Stir in the artichokes, garlic and herbs. Taste and add salt or pepper to taste, then set aside.
2. Fill a medium mixing bowl most of the way with water. Shred the potatoes with a food processor (or a cheese shredder), adding each potato to the water as you go. Let the potatoes sit in the water for a minute or two, then drain well in a strainer.
3. Now, find a clean kitchen towel and spread the shredded taters out over it, then sprinkle with the onions, and roll it up like a jellyroll, squeezing down to get out all the moisture of the potatoes.
4. Dry the bowl and put the potatoes back in it, then mix in the egg, Red Robin Seasoning and pepper.
5. Heat your pancake pan over medium (or medium low) heat till it’s good and warm, then add 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon to each of the 4 “pancake holes”. Add about 2 Tablespoons of the potato mixture to each round, pressing down to flatten it. Cover and let cook for 3 – 5 minutes or until the bottom side is nicely golden brown, then, using a silicone spatula, flip the latkes. Cover and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes or until that side is golden brown as well. Repeat with the rest of the potato mixture.
6. Serve the latkes hot with the cool green dipping sauce.

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Notes

To keep the latkes warm while you are cooking them, heat the oven to 250 F, and set the finished latkes on a baking sheet in the oven.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Sweet & Savory Sunday, Weekend Potluck, Munching Monday, Inspiration Monday, Tuesday’s Table, Gluten Free Friday and The Hearth & Soul Bloghop.