Category: Brunch

Confetti Latkes with Harissa Sour Cream


True story. I’m somewhere late into my 9th month of pregnancy and a little something called Braxton Hicks comes to pay me a visit. If you’re not familiar, Braxton Hicks are false labor pains that feel almost like the real thing. They play with your head, make your think you’re going into labor, and sometimes even have you rushing to the hospital. Which is exactly what happened.


It’s amazing how no matter how many kids you have, you completely forget how it all goes down at the end. I suppose that memory lapse is natures way of protecting procreation. I mean, what woman in their right mind would want to go through labor ever again?


So there I was, pulling up to Mount Sinai Hospital when I caught site of a farmer’s market at the corner. Now let me explain what it’s like for a farm-fresh-veggie-loving-foodie like me to stumble upon a farmer’s market. It’s enough to stop me dead in my tracks and have me all but forget about my contractions. “I think they’re going away,” I muster to my husband as I eye the rainbow carrots in the corner crate. “Oh no you’re not!” he counters. “I promise I’ll take you to every farmer’s market in town once you have this baby!”


A couple of hours and plenty of false labor pains later, I’m back at the same corner picking farm-fresh produce.I score the most amazing purple kohlrabi, beets, carrots, baby turnips, breakfast radishes and little sugar pumpkins. The Braxton Hicks are behind me and I’m dreaming up all types of recipes as I head home on the FDR.


With farm fresh bounty in hand, this recipe practically wrote itself. I combined the kohlrabi (which is white inside, by the way), carrots and beets with some fresh beet greens to create beautiful jewel-toned latkes, that are even tastier than they are colorful. In fact, my husband brought a pan of the crispy-fried latkes to a business meeting and they were gone in seconds. He came home with rave reviews and a generous offer to take me back to the farmers market!

Confetti Latkes (Kohlrabi, carrot & beet)

1 large kohlrabi, peeled and grated (approximately 2 cups)
3 medium beets, peeled and grated (approximately 2 cups)
2 large carrots, peeled and grated (approximately 2 cups)
1 handful beet greens, shredded (approximately 2 cups)
1 medium onion, grated
4 eggs
1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs
salt and pepper, to taste
oil, for frying

Method:

Grate the kohlrabi, beets, carrots and onion in a food processor using the shredding disc. Wash the beet greens to remove dirt and finely shred with a knife. Place the grated veggies and beet greens into a large colander and press down to remove excess moisture. Add to a large bowl and mix in eggs, panko, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry until golden and crispy on both sides.

NOTE: If the mixture starts to get soggy, form patties and squeeze out excess moisture before frying.

Harissa Sour Cream

1 c sour cream
1 tbsp Harissa
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Method:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Serve with confetti latkes.


Other latke recipes:

pumpkin ricotta cheese latkes with cranberry maple syrup
gluten free butternut squash latkes
cheese latkes with raspberry sauce
gefilte fish latkes
snacker-crusted salmon cakes

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Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes with Cranberry Syrup


I bet you didn’t think it could get any better than good old pumpkin pancakes. How about pumpkin ricotta pancakes with some cranberry maple syrup to top it off? Thanksgiving heaven, wouldn’t you say? This is fair warning: you might want to get yourself some tissues. There’s going to be some drool involved.


I love pancakes. Any flavor suits my fancy. Blueberry corn and Speculoos Spiced are favorites, but gimme some cheese and I call ’em latkes. These old cheese latkes with raspberry sauce were my idea of a deconstructed donut. This year, I decided to get into the Thanksgivukkah spirit with some pumpkin flavored pancakes with a generous dose of ricotta and autumn spices. Whip ’em up on Chanukah or Thanksgiving morning – better yet – lunch, or even dinner (I am not beyond eating pancakes for dinner)…


I’m gonna go all Pioneer-Woman on you and throw in some extra photos for your drooling pleasure. I don’t know what was better, getting to eat these, or photographing them. They almost look too good to eat, don’t they?


Go ahead, dig in. These babies won’t last long…


Now open up WIDE, there’s a mouthful of flavor on that fork…


Be generous. Slather on that buttery goodness…

Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 c brown sugar
8 oz. ricotta cheese
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of ginger
pinch of cloves
butter, oil or cooking spray, for frying

Method:

Add the eggs, milk, brown sugar, ricotta, pumpkin and vanilla to a bowl and mix to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated, but still slightly lumpy. Heat a skillet and grease with butter or oil. Add 1/4 cup of batter and fry until golden brown on both sides. Continue with remaining batter, adding additional butter or oil, as needed.

Nothing goes together quite like pumpkin and cranberries – two fall favorites that complement each other like yin and yang. There’s also no better topping for pancakes than pure sweet maple syrup. Why not combine the  two to make cranberry maple syrup over pumpkinlicious pancakes – a perfect pairing for the autumn holidays!

Cranberry Maple Syrup

1 cup maple syrup
1 cup cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp lemon zest

Method:

Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until cranberries burst, about 10 minutes. Crush the cranberries with a fork or spatula and continue to simmer until thickened, 5-10 minutes.

Related Posts:

cheese latkes with raspberry sauce
healthy baked pumpkin oatmeal
pumpkin banana bread

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Chestnut Hummus with Herbed Pita Chips

Unless you are living in a cave somewhere far away (in which case you probably don’t have wifi), you’ve probably read about all the Thanksgivukkah hype. That’s right – it’s got it’s own name. By unusual coincidence, the first day of Hanukkah coincides with Thanksgiving this year. Apparently, this has not happened since 1888 an won’t happen again for another 70,000 years. Yes – seventy thousand years. Is that a cause for celebration? Well, why the heck not?

This whole Thanksgivukkah thing has taken the internet, and the world really, by storm. They’re making t-shirts, developing websites, and most of all – cooking up recipes that merge the “gobble, gobble” with the “latke’le latke’le”.

I couldn’t imagine being left out of the Thankgivukkah foodie frenzy. I mean, who would turn down the opportunity to converge some of the classic Thanksgiving flavors with Jewish/Chanukah themes?


I’ve got some fun recipes up my blogger sleeve, but in the meantime – we’ll start with this amazing sweet and creamy chestnut hummus. I decided to combine hummus and pita – traditional Israeli foods, with chestnuts and stuffing spices – traditional Thanksgiving flavors – to create this delicious appetizer. The chestnuts add a wonderful hint of sweetness to the hummus, while the savory stuffing spices create an addictive crunchy chip you’ll want to make again and again!


Chestnut Hummus

10 oz roasted chestnuts (store-bought or roast your own)
1/2 cup tahini paste
1 large garlic clove
1/2-1 cup water
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp cumin or 1/4 tsp cumin + 1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. If the hummus is too thick, add more water until desired consistency is reached.

If you’ve ever roasted a turkey or made stuffing for Thanksgiving, you’re probably familiar with all of the delicious herbs and spices that are so often used. Sage, rosemary, and thyme are perfect compliments to roasted turkey, and apparently, to pita chips as well!

Thanksgiving Pita Chips

3 pitas, cut into wedges
extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Method:

Add all the spices to a bowl and break up herbs with your fingers. Brush the pita wedges with olive oil and sprinkle spice mixture on the chips.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy.

Related recipes:

roasted garlic hummus with “everything” pita chips
thanksgiving turkey roulade with 5-minute stuffing

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Rainbow Cobb Salad

Each year, the week that the Torah portion of Noah* is read, my kosher newsfeeds are flooded with rainbow cakes and crafts of all kinds. It’s fun to get the kids involved in the Shabbat menu but if I had it my way, I’d rather not load them up on food coloring. I’m guilty of creating these rainbow cupcakes last year, but this year I decided to think of something a lot less sugary, and a lot more healthy. Which is how THIS happened.

If you’re not familiar with Cobb salad, it’s a culinary classic, alongside the popular Nicoise and Caesar varieties. Classic Cobb salad is not kosher, as it calls for both bacon and blue cheese. In my kosher version, I subbed pastrami for the bacon and smoked turkey for the traditional grilled chicken. Incorporating popular Shabbat food like cold cuts, will make this rainbow salad a sure hit on your lunch menu. And with all the bright beautiful colors – you may just get your kids to eat it too!

*In the story of Noah, G-d promised never to destroy the world again with a flood, and as a symbol of that promise, he made a rainbow appear.

Rainbow Cobb Salad

1 handful chives, roughly chopped
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 cup iceberg lettuce, chopped
4 hardboiled eggs, whites and yolks chopped separately
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1 cup smoked turkey, cut into cubes
5 slices pastrami

Dressing:

1/2 cup light olive oil
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Prepare all the salad ingredients and set out strips of each on a serving platter. Whisk the dressing ingredients until emulsified and drizzle over salad (or serve separately).

VARIATION: Feel free to experiment with different vegetables of similar color to suit your taste.

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Honey Mustard Roasted Potatoes

This is one of those recipes where you whack yourself over the head and wonder, “why haven’t I thought of this sooner?”

Potatoes are my thing. I just can’t get enough. I’ll eat them any way, pretty much. But sweet? who would have thunk it? I mean sweet potatoes are usually reserved for “sweet potatoes”. But these little starchy red pillows need to be savory. Some thyme or rosemary and fresh garlic – now that’s a good roasted potato, right? Wrong.

Don’t mistake these for over-the-top sweet. They’ve got just enough honey to caramelize the edges without being cloying. Plus, the garlic, onion and mustard give it that savory quality that makes for the perfect balance.

CASE IN POINT: I’ve got two daughters. One loves honey to the point that she was dipping her finger in the jar during every Rosh Hashanah meal. The other one things it tastes like raisins. And she doesn’t like raisins. When I made these potatoes, my honey-loving daughter couldn’t get enough. She kept telling her sister how amazing they tasted. But my honey-hating daughter wouldn’t hear of it. She likes her potatoes prepared as simply as possible. Preferably just potato – cooked. Now somehow, some way, we got her to try one. And her eyes lit up. And then she grabbed her fork.

So there. Honey mustard roasted potatoes. For those that love sweet. And those that love savory.

Happy Holidays!

Honey Mustard Roasted Potatoes

2 lbs red potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1-2 tbsp honey
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash potatoes well and pat dry. Cut in half and place on a baking sheet. Add remaining ingredients and stir until potatoes are well-coated. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes – 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

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