LENT recipe: Potato Pancakes

 Lent is a time where I prepare for Easter by making sacrifices. One of the food items I abstain from during all Fridays of Lent is meat. To me, this is the least I could do. It certainly poses some food challenges for me as I strive to eat enough protein and figure out ways to have my balance nutrition. I DISLIKE fish!! I can handle maybe a few raw shrimp drenched in my mom's homemade cocktail sauce. Thinking back to my childhood, our freezer was always stocked with potato pancakes. It was a go-to meal at our house along with grilled cheese, mac n' cheese, and cheese pizza.

Over the past year and a half or so, I have come to realize that I can enjoy the foods I always have, BUT it is important to KNOW what is in my food; therefore, I've had to bite the bullet and get over my fear of cooking.  I can't believe how I've been missing out on the TRUE taste of good food as opposed to processed and prepared foods. These potato pancakes tasted so fresh unlike their frozen counterparts.

INGREDIENTS:

*1 lb. of Yukon potatoes- I used 3, medium sized potatoes

*1 medium sized onion

*1/4 cup of whole wheat flour

*1 large egg

*1 tsp of sea salt

* 1/4 tsp of pepper

*olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them in quarters. 

2. Grate your potatoes. I used the blender grate option. If doing this, fill it with 2 cups of water and add 6 pieces at a time. Grate for 5 seconds and check consistency. I had to do it for about 10 seconds.

3. Drain potatoes in a strainer and use paper towels to extract the excess water.

4. Place the potatoes in a bowl.

5. Follow the same procedure for the onion as described above with potatoes.

6. Place the onions in the bowl once water has been drained completely. 

7. Lightly beat your egg before placing it in the bowl with the potatoes and onion and mix together with spoon.

8. Add the flour, pepper, and salt to the bowl and mix unit ingredients are fully incorporated.

9. Heat your skillet and add olive oil to cover the bottom of it. (Don't over heat skillet so that olive oil smokes)

10. Take about a Tbsp. of the mixture and place in your skillet. I cooked 3 at a time. Wet the back side of your mixing spoon to help flatten the potato pancakes.

11. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. 

12. Transfer them to a plate with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

These paired well with my salad and my mustard for dipping! My girls had theirs with the traditional side of applesauce. Greek yogurt or guacamole would be other delicious dipping sauces. 

This recipe made 16 potato pancakes the size shown above. 

FIXERS: 3 of these would be 1 yellow!!

Happy Eating!!

XoXo

Kynslee