Tasty Bites - Fun with Latkes

With Chanukah just around the corner, I'm thinking about latkes. Yum. The traditional latke is a fried pancake, made with potato, egg, and onion, and topped with sour cream or apple sauce. They're tasty, don't get me wrong, but sometimes tasty just isn't enough. I want interesting, too, (and healthy!)

Image by Better Homes and Gardens

On the healthy front, my mom always makes latkes in the cast iron, with just a touch of oil, rather than deep frying them. Nonfat Greek yogurt can serve as a substitute for sour cream, which adds protein and lowers the fat while tasting delightfully rich.

Image by Lisa of The Cutting Edge of Ordinary 

As for interesting, there's so much you can do! For years, my family has been topping latkes creatively - with chutneys, tapenades, pestos, barbeque sauce, even ketchup! You can also change up the ingredients in the latkes themselves - purple potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, and all kinds of spices.

Image by John Autry and Cindy Barr for Cooking Light

This year, I'm going to try out this recipe from Meilssa Clark of The New York Times. She inbedded apples withing the latkes. I think they'd be delicious with carmelized onions on top. I'd also like to make a latke that complements a poached egg. I'm on a poached-egg-on-top kick!

Image by Verses My Kitchen

How do you like your latke?

P.S. Check out Babble's roundup of 8 Festive {inventive!} Latke Recipes