Latkes with Salted Garlic Yogurt and Ginger Cardamom Apples

Hannukah will not be overshadowed by Thanksgiving!!

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’re somehow reading this and aren’t yet subscribed, be sure to do so below. You can expect recipes in your inbox every Tuesday, and paid subscribers receive even more every Thursday!

CATCH UP!

I’ll keep this short and sweet today, since I’m sending this out so late! I’ve been in full holiday recipe mode — I just finished up my Thanksgiving menu last week, and with Hannukah so early this year, I jumped immediately into getting a latke recipe ready for you all.

I have a complicated relationship with religion. I’m not the biggest fan of it, and I dentify as an atheist. But, as someone who was raised Jewish, I do feel like Judaism is connected to my identity. Sure, I myself do not personally believe in a god or practice religion in anyway in my daily life, but Judaism was a big part of my upbringing, and when it comes to family and culture, it is a part of who I am.

I’m sure I’ll go into all of this more at a later time, but if there is one thing that makes me feel connected to my family history, it’s food. And Jews love to eat and feed others. So it gives me great joy to pass on family recipes while also creating my own spin and making them my own.

I took my classic Latke recipe and gave the toppings a little twist. Traditionally, latkes are served with sour cream and applesauce, but I took some creative liberty and made these with a garlic salted yogurt and ginger cardamom apples. I loved it, and I think you will too!

RECIPE!

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

Latkes

• 4 large russet potatoes

• 1 large yellow onion

• 2 eggs

• 3 tbsp flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• Vegetable oil

Ginger Cardamom Apples

• 2 medium apples, finely chopped

• 1 tsbp ginger, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp cardamom

• 1/4 cup water (plus more, as needed)

Salted Garlic Yogurt

• 1 cup Greek yogurt

• 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1/4 tsp salt

Toppings

• Chives

• Scallions

• Dill

1. Begin by preparing the apples. Add all the apple ingredients to a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil on heat, and then reduce to low. Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes until apples are soft, stirring frequently and adding 1 tbsp water at a time as needed to prevent apples from drying out.

2. Prepare garlic yogurt by mixing ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside while you prepare the latkes.

3. To make the latkes, grate the potatoes and onions on the large hole of the grater (or use a food processor). Transfer to a colander or tea towel, and using your hands, squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can, getting rid of any liquid.

2. Transfer potato and onion to a bowl, and then mix in egg, flour, and salt and pepper.

3. In a deep, large skillet, heat up 1/2 cup oil on medium heat. Create a latke with your hands (about 2 tbsp worth of potato mixture per latke) and carefully drop into the oil, making sure not to crowd the latkes. Press down to flatten the top with a spatula. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels when done.

If you’re making a lot, you can heat the oven to 250 F and keep them warm while you make the rest. Be sure to stir the mixture with each new batch, and add more oil as needed, making sure it gets hot before you drop them in. Serve with your favorite toppings!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers got a special Thanksgiving dessert exclusive: Pumpkin Cookie Skillet with a Date Caramel Swirl!

Pumpkin Cookie Skillet with Date Caramel Swirl

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