Hanukkah Recipe: Olive Oil Baked Potato Latkes

Happy Hanukkah! Of course, what is Hanukkah without latkes? This traditional holiday dish can easily be baked instead of fried to make it healthier and in keeping with the teachings of the Torah. This tasty recipe reminds me of how my mother used to make them when I was a kid!

Olive Oil Baked Potato Latkes

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 lbs Russet (baking) potatoes
4 tsp olive oil, divided
1 small onion, diced fine
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

• Peel potatoes, then grate them, or run them through a food processor to grate.
• Place grated potatoes in a bowl and cover with cold water and let sit for 15 minutes, then drain and put in a cheesecloth covered colander and let stand for another 15 minutes.
• Dump potatoes out into a clean towel and squeeze all the water out, then put potatoes into a large bowl.
• Now add 2 tsp of the olive oil to the potatoes along with the remaining ingredients and stir until blended well.
• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and with remaining olive oil, grease a baking sheet.
• Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the greased baking sheet, very slightly flatten with spoon, allowing space in between each one.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until browned, then flip and bake another 10 minutes or until crispy and brown.
• Remove and let cool on a rack slightly before serving with an applesauce topping and/or a creamy topping.

Hungarian Cuisine Slow Cooker-Style

If you want to talk about a cuisine that's rich in flavor and texture, you definitely want to include Hungarian cuisine.  The evolution of Hungarian cuisine came about due to influence from neighboring countries Germany, Italy, and France.  Hungary has a history of making one-pot meals, so it would seem like an easy style of cooking for a beginner to learn, and perfectly suited to cooking hearty fall meals with your slow cooker.  Let's take a look at some of the ingredients and cooking methods that make this cuisine unique.

Paprika and More

Hungarian Gulash. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The best thing about Hungarian cuisine is it is not complex.  There are simple ingredients used and basic cooking techniques applied such as frying, baking, and boiling.   Paprika is known to be a key ingredient in many Hungarian dishes to give them more flavor.   This, along with garlic, lard, onions, and sour cream give these dishes a distinctive taste not found anywhere else.  

The meat stew known as 'goulash' is a favorite in Hungarian cuisine.  Locals rely on a supply of  pork and beef for their meals, which is one reason it’s hard to find dish without meat anywhere in Hungary.   A wide array of vegetables are used, however, and some types of fish can be found and cooked for a healthier menu choice. 

Each region in Hungary has its own selection of favorite foods and recipes.   As the land changes, so do the types of fresh foods that grow in that area.  Hungarians take pride in what they cook and want to showcase their culinary art by creating dishes full of sweet aromas and hearty flavors.  Some dishes may not be welcome by the sensitive stomach, but if you can handle the spice and rich meats, this is one of the most distinctive cuisines in the world and shouldn’t be missed.

Hungarian Meals and Slow Cooker Cooking

In the early history of Hungarian cuisine, most dishes were cooked all together in one kettle.  For this reason, using a slow cooker to cook modern Hungarian meals is a great way to create an authentic meal with ease and less stress.  With the world at our fingertips through the internet, it’s easy to find recipes that you can throw together for a Hungarian feast.  

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What better recipe to try in the slow cooker than the Hungarian favorite, goulash?   For an authentic taste you will need a few simple ingredients including paprika, onions, garlic, and tomatoes.   Small cuts of beef are added, soaking up the flavor of the seasonings and spices.  You can choose to serve with noodles or without, depending on how you like it.

You can choose to make other classic recipes like chicken paprikash or chicken and dumplings in the slow cooker as well.   Both of these recipes require a few easy to find ingredients.  Because these well known recipes are so simple to make, it is a great starting point for beginners who want to try their hand at Hungarian cuisine.

You don’t have to spend a ton of time going through cookbooks and finding odd ingredients you’ve never heard of to cook a Hungarian meal.  Most of the things you will need are already in your fridge or pantry.  Take advantage of your slow cooker and immerse yourself in Hungarian culture and cuisine without leaving the comfort of your own home.

A Quick World Tour of Kitchen Seasonings

Herbs, spices and other seasonings are a natural and healthy way to add a lot of flavor to your recipes without adding a lot of extra calories. With a little practice, you can create an endless variety of delicious recipes, such as Mediterranean-inspired favorites bursting with the fresh flavors of lemon, garlic and rosemary and spicy Mexican dishes featuring cilantro, cumin and chili powder.

Spices (Photo credit: srqpix)

Of course, your options won’t end there. A wide range of herbs, spices and seasonings are used throughout the world to make food taste better, and in some cases, last longer. Over time, certain flavors have come to represent the culinary identity of the areas where they originated. In large part, the seasonings you choose will define the direction of your own culinary development, as well.

With a little creativity, you can put a fresh spin on some of your favorite tried-and-true recipes by simply swapping out the herbs, spices and seasonings you use. For example, if you add fresh or dried basil or oregano to diced tomatoes, chopped onion and finely minced garlic, you have the makings of a wonderful red Italian pasta sauce. On the other hand, if you replace the basil and oregano with cilantro and lime juice, those same ingredients become the foundation for a fabulous homemade salsa recipe.

To help inspire you, the following chart shows some of the most popular culinary ingredients based on geographic region.

Most Popular Kitchen Seasonings From Around the World

Italian
basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, parsley

French
thyme, French tarragon, rosemary, basil, sage, mint, marjoram

Greek
dill, lemon, oregano, fennel

Spanish
saffron, smoked and regular paprika, rosemary, thyme

German
mustard, rye, caraway seeds, borage

Mexican
cilantro, chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano

Indian
curry powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric

Chinese
five-spice powder, star anise, fennel seed, cloves, cinnamon, ginger

Thai
Thai basil, cumin, turmeric, lemon grass, cinnamon

Of course, this chart is far from comprehensive, but it can serve as a good reference point for assembling your own collection of must-have herbs, spices and seasonings.

Harvesting Herbs (Photo credit: Chiot's Run)

Keep in mind, some herbs, spices and seasonings, such as salt, black pepper and garlic, have an almost universal appeal that isn’t limited by geographic borders. Chances are you will notice those items popping up in recipes from all over the world. As a result, you may want to keep an adequate supply of these basic ingredients in your own pantry or spice rack.

You will also see a lot of crossover among dishes from countries that border one another. For example, French, Italian, Greek and Spanish dishes often feature many of the same herbs, such as basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme. Of course, this isn’t surprising when you consider how these populations interacted with and melded together over the course of history. Depending on your personal tastes and cooking habits, these ingredients may be good to keep on hand, as well.

While assembling your own collection of herbs, spices and seasonings from around the world, remember you can save money by growing your own! Fresh herbs are super easy to grow from seed or from cuttings in your own garden and many can be brought indoors for year-round enjoyment.

However, if growing fresh herbs isn’t your thing, many popular fresh and dried varieties are readily available. Dried herbs can be a great alternative to fresh, but take note of expiration dates and suggested storage methods. Dried herbs, spices and seasonings can be quite expensive, so buy smaller amounts at one time if you won’t be using them often.

Cooking for Cinco De Mayo

Those who live in the American southwest have experienced the fanfare and celebrations of Cinco de Mayo a little longer than perhaps many other states across the U. S. though the exposure is most definitely growing. As a result more and more people of various ethnicities are joining in the celebration and adding Cinco de Mayo to their list of favorite holidays. Whether it's the music, the dancing, the drinks, or the food that is most enjoyable about this holiday no one is really sure. However, when you combine them all you have a holiday that is difficult to match in gusto and fun! But for some of us, the food is most definitely the draw.

Cinco de Mayo menu ideas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mexican food is becoming an almost Americanized version of itself in many restaurants across the United States. One reason is because it's just that popular. Even small towns are beginning to have as many Mexican restaurants as they do Chinese or Italian. This is good news on one hand as it indicates a growing desire on behalf of Americans to try the cuisine of our neighbors. It has also managed to get us accustomed to the wonderful flavors of Mexican cuisines and we are beginning more and more often to bring these cuisines into our own homes.

If you are looking for some great foods to cook for your family on Cinco de Mayo then you've definitely come to the right place for ideas and inspiration.  This week we will be featuring tasty recipes along a Cinco de Mayo theme, so you can prepare for the festivities next Monday!

If you are looking for something fun and festive, try creating a taco or fajita bar that lets everyone add their favorite ingredients to their tacos and/or fajitas and keeps the favorite sides such as black beans, refried beans, and Mexican rice close by to complement the meal. This is an excellent idea if you are situated in a manner that allows for buffet style serving of family, friends, and honored guests. It's a lot of fun and you can generally get people to help out or pitch in on the preparations and bringing their favorite toppings along. Be sure to have plenty of everything and refills that need to be chilled on ice and those that need to be kept warm in containers that allow for proper food safety.

If you need something that is a little more portable, especially if you have little ones that tend to wander around with their food, then quesadillas may be the perfect solution. They are delicious, they are easy to walk around with if you have them cut properly, they are fun to make and they do not require a good deal of difficulty in the preparation - especially if you make the $20 investment in a good quesadillas maker. You can put one in at a time and let them cook until they are ready. Clean up is a snap and you have a lot of happy campers with full bellies.

Keep the music upbeat and Mexican-inspired to further the tone of the party and the food will even digest  better if you get up and dance around a bit! Enjoy the spirit of the celebration. In other words, have fun!  Don't spend the entire day in the kitchen fretting over whether you've made enough or if you need to make more. Have a few options available for one and all and leave it at that. If they are still hungry they can always "make a run for the border," although I'm quite certain that all will agree that your food was far superior to any fast food offerings in town. :-)

Be sure to check back for some tasty Mexican-themed recipes later this week!

Cajun Favorites for Mardi Gras Cooking

Aside from the temperatures, there is plenty that sizzles in the city of New Orleans. From the streets in the summer time to the music in the square almost any night of any given week to the food in dingy diners and white-table-cloth restaurants alike, this city is hot and everyone who spends any amount of time here knows it! Mardi Gras in New Orleans is an entity unto itself. It has taken a hit since Katrina but the people of this great city that have come back and are dedicated to its rebuilding efforts are much like the food and the flare that makes Mardi Gras such a memorable event in this of all cities.

If you haven't had the pleasure of some of the spicier New Orleans cuisine perhaps we should place a warning label on it, but this is something most visitors simply must find out for themselves. One thing is for certain if the first bite isn't hot enough we can certainly bring up the temperature with some aptly named Louisiana hot sauce to be sure!

Red Beans and Rice (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Red beans and rice is a great Cajun favorite. While the beans and the rice aren't too terribly hot by themselves when you add a bit of the hot sauce and some andouille sausage to the mix you'll find the temperature inside might be rivaling the warmest of August days in the sunshine. Be sure to have plenty of water close at hand when you begin your dining experience because while you don't necessarily need it with the first bite, chances are good that you will need it by the last! When cooking red beans and rice, you'll want to brown the sausage a bit first, leaving the drippings in the pan, then add the beans and prepare to have them simmer all day once they've been brought to a boil (a crockpot makes this work nicely). You should season according to your preferences but be sure to add a little bit of salt unless you'll be adding ham in addition to the sausage. Serve the beans over rice, and it's best not to cook the rice and the beans together, though some people certainly use less rice than others.

Another thing you want to remember when enjoying Cajun food is that you want to save room for whatever comes next and you do not necessarily want to know what you're eating at all times. This adds to the enjoyment and mystery of Cajun food - and sometimes ignorance is bliss. In other words, no matter how good it is, never, ever ask what's in it!

If you're learning to cook Cajun food, of course, you won't have the option of deniability. You will learn the good, the bad, and the ugly about many favorites. But don't be afraid to try something new - even if it's out of your comfort zone. Your taste buds may be pleasantly surprised! Cooking Cajun food is part science, part art and helps you experience the Mardi Gras atmosphere even if you're not spending it in the Big Easy. Be sure to check back later this week for some amazing classic Cajun recipes for your Mardi Gras cooking next week! Good luck and "let the good times roll!" 

The Cuisine Of India Comes Alive In Your Kitchen

Think of Indian food and what do you think of?  Curry?  Vegetarian?  Spices brought from India to the New World?  All of these thoughts are correct.  But Indian cuisine has evolved, just like other cuisines around the world.  Let's take a look at what the cuisine of India is really like.

A selection of Indian spices (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Spices Make the Meal

You can't talk about Indian food without talking about spices.  There are people who simply won't consider eating Indian food because they believe they can't handle the hot spices inherent in the dishes.  However, there's more to Indian cuisine than burned tongues.  The proper blend of spices has been learned through the ages to impart just the right balance between hot and sweet.

Like most ancient cuisines, the people used what they had available.  In the case of the cook in India, they used spices.  Through the thousands of years of trade and conquest, Indian cooks found and used many spices we still know today.  Chili peppers, mustard seed, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, turmeric, and of course, ginger, are recognized today.

One popular spice found in just about every kitchen today is Curry.  This is, however, not a spice.  It is a mix of spices.  More accurately called Garam Masala, this mix is a granulated or ground powder that includes a number of spices which include at least these three;  cardamom, cinnamon, and clove.  When we buy the mix we know as Curry or even Garam Masala, we are getting a calculated blend of flavors known as 'Indian Spices."

These spice blends have a wide range of flavors, and hit the taste buds in totally different ways.  A good cook will know which to choose for which dishes.  Of course, this is something learned through trial and error, but it's a fun lesson, and very tasty!

Chicken Tandoori (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dishes We Need to Know

Many who learn about Indian cuisine at first are puzzled by what they find, or don't find, on the menu.  You won't find beef or pork because Hindus don't eat beef and Muslims don't eat pork.  Much of the population eat a vegetarian diet, since Buddhism was a big influence in India.

But don't let that stop you from trying an Indian recipe.  The spices can, and do, work wonders on any recipe!  Cooking methods also create splendid dishes.  For some of the most tender, juicy chicken  you'll ever have, try a Tandoori Chicken.  And after the main course, you will be tempted by another familiar treat - Kheer.  Think 'rice pudding' then take it up a notch way beyond a sprinkle of cinnamon.

All in Your Kitchen

Tender spicy chicken, fresh fruits and vegetables, and rich, fragrant spices are no stranger to the home cook.  We all want to fill our kitchen with these aromas.  Indian cooking is the perfect way to savor so many spices and flavors all at the same time, and your slow cooker is a great place to start.

Get your spice blend together and season up your meal.  No matter what's on the menu, Indian spices will provide a warm and wonderful treat for the taste buds.  Then, calm it all down with a dish of Kheer to complete the experience.  With just a few simple dishes, like we'll be sharing this week, you can enjoy the wonderful world of Indian cuisine right in your own kitchen.