Baby Nieces and Potato Pancakes

I'm an Auntie again!!!! My sister gave birth to sweet Evy Marie last week! I'm so excited to meet her when I drive to Minnesota NEXT WEEK!! She's 2/3rds the size that my sweet CharBaby (my first niece, Charlotte) was when she was born. We've nicknamed her "Baby Gigantor". :) But Evy is a wee baby and I can't wait to get her in my arms next Friday night.

Her name is very special. We called our great-aunt, Evelyn, "Aunt Evy". She was my grandma's sister and just a wonderful woman. She passed away many years ago, but I guarantee she's smiling down at her little bitty namesake. :)


Well, after that big news, some potato pancakes are pretty unimpressive, but that's the recipe I've got today. :) With the start of Hanukkah last week, I saw a lot about latkes on Facebook (which I learned is another name for potato pancakes), and learned that they are traditionally eaten during Hanukkah because "the oil for cooking the latkes is reminiscent of the oil from the Hanukkah story that kept the Second Temple of ancient Israel lit with a long-lasting flame that is celebrated as a miracle" (from Wikipedia).

Potato pancakes remind me of my childhood best friend's house. Jasmin is from Germany, so her mom tended to make different things for dinner than my mom did. So it was always fun to eat dinner at her house. (I remember how impressed I was when they busted out the Nutella for breakfast one morning! SIGN ME UP, SISTER*.) And one of the things she would make is potato pancakes. I remember loving those and always finding reasons to stay for dinner the days I knew Elvira was grating the potatoes. :) Normally, these have eggs in them, but I think the vegan version is delish and you wouldn't even miss 'em!

Vegan Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

• 

• 1 pound white potatoes, peeled (I used 4 large Russet potatoes)
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 1/4 cup flour
• Ener-G Egg Replacer equal to 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil for frying

Grate the potatoes. Put them in a strainer and rinse under cold running water. Let the water drain from the potatoes, press them down and pat them dry.

In a large bowl, mix the potatoes and grated onion. Add egg replacer, salt, pepper and flour. Stir well.

In a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, pour enough oil in to cover the pan to a 1/2-inch depth. When the oil is hot and shimmering, drop the batter into the oil 1 heaping tablespoon at a time and use the back of the spatula to flatten it out.

Cook pancakes until the edges brown, about 5-6 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully flip them. Fry for another 5-6 minutes or until browned on the other side. Remove from oil and place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. (I also kept a plate in the oven at 200-degrees to transfer pancakes to, to keep warm.) Add oil to pan as needed for additional pancakes. Serve with applesauce, ketchup or vegan sour cream. I prefer them with applesauce!

*Sadly, I don't believe Nutella is vegan. :(