I made these latkes last year and have had a special request to serve them again. I am not a huge fan of variations on a theme, except perhaps in classical music, because I love tradition and tend to be a bit of a purist.  So to get around this, I usually prepare the classics and then try one new thing.

Last year, I made the No-Fry Potato Latkas (the Sweet Potato variation).  The con is that No-Fry kind of goes against the whole point of latkes and the story of Chanukah and the oil.  The pros are that you can prepare them in advance, they bake in the oven all at once so they are good for a party, and they are healthier.

So from now on, I make this recipe to have ready to go and then I have a batch of traditional latkes and some gluten-free ready to cook and serve fresh to our guests.

This no-fry recipe is from Norene Gilletz‘s Meal Lean I Yumm! I believe my bubbe bought it for me one year.  It was kind of an I love you and “have you put on more weight?” kind of gift that so many good Jewish mother and grandmothers buy for their children.  It’s the classic Jewish dilemma of “What you’re not eating?  You don’ t like my famous (name food here).  Have some more!” followed by “It looks like you might have put on a little weight.  Have you been eating too much chocolate?  I know it’s the noshing.”  The pros are: I love everything my grandmother cooks and no I can’t eat the quantity she offers, yes I like to nosh, and yes I put on weight.  The cons are:  I don’t really feel like talking about this right now in front of all these people and I’ll just take my cook book and get myself a glass of water…okay and perhaps a little nosh and find a quiet corner.  The reality is that once I flipped through the cook book I found a lot of good ideas and tips for healthier cooking and some great recipes.  This is one that’s a real crowd pleaser.

No-Fry Potato Latkas

I will list the ingredients, in case you need to make your shopping list and also because when I made the recipe I modified the ingredients slightly.

4 tsp. canola or vegetable oil, divided
1 large sweet potato (I prefer the white ones as they are less sweet)
2 Idaho potatoes (I think these are Russets)
1 medium onion
(if you still have some left from the farmer’s market this year…good for you!  If not buy more and store next season)
1 clove garlic, if desired (I don’t use garlic)
1 tbsp. fresh dill ( I don’t use dill either)
2 eggs plus 2 egg whites (or 3 whole eggs)
1/4 cup of flour (white or whole wheat)
1/2 tsp of baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper

For the cooking directions you can visit the recipe link here.   If you want you can also make some greatapplesauce with this simple method explained in the second to last paragraph of a post on making food approachable for my very picky son.

Bon appetit. ttyl your BFF (Boston Family Foodie)

For more info: No-Fry Latkes, Latkes on Chowhound,Gluten-free latkes (we serve these too), Chanukah Dinner Menu ideas (Food Network), traditional latkes