Trying something new for Tea: Steak, Latkes, Cheese and Onion Dip

 Nothing mind-blowing, just trying to make the most of what I have as usual which is enough but not stocked like I usually like things.

I am keen not to always have chips with steak as OH would like and in an effort to work on this, I decided in my infinite wisdom that I would have a go at Latkes using a Jamie Oliver recipe.  Link is here:

Basic Latkes Recipe - Jamie Oliver

To start with you take two large potatoes, peel and then grate them.  Place into a tea towel and squeeze until you remove all excess water from the potato.

Then in a separate bowl mix up 4 Tablespoons of Plain flour with two large eggs.  You end up with a `thick paste as in the photo below.

Shredded potato after being squeezed in a tea towel.  Add to bowl and stir through to mix through the "paste batter".

Then mix in a grated onion.  Stir again to distribute.  Season with salt and pepper.  I used Himalayan Pink salt.

Take a small amount of mix in your hands and roll into a ball then pop into a pan of hot fat.  Squish them down a bit as in the picture below and keep checking so that you do not over cook them.  They should take about 2 minutes; mine took a little longer but I did not want to over-do them, just get them nice and golden brown.

The first batch of four I made were a bit smaller than the others, but still a nice size.

After they had been squished down.

All nice and golden brown.  I popped them into a warm oven to keep them nice and hot in readiness for plating up.

As I had not made these before, I chose to make a homemade dip, in case the Latkes were "a little dry". I quite frequently make this dip as we like it.  It is also another good way of using up natural yogurt which is very good for  you, especially if you have any digestion problems.  It is particularly good eaten with crisp crackers or with Crudites as a dip.  It is made from a good quantity of grated cheese; half a grated onion and some live natural yogurt just to loosen it up a bit.  You can add in grated carrot, spring onion as well, but this is how we tend to eat it. It is best left to stand for over an hour to let the flavours develop. It is also very good with a baked potato.  I only made enough for two for tonight as I did not have much live yogurt left, so I used what I had.  However quantities can be increased to suit how many you are feeding.  For a party I would make a large Pyrex bowl full.  No recipe per se, just using your eye and popping how much of ingredient you want.  It is very forgiving in that if you do not have much in quantity you can always add more ingredients. Just go steady with the onion as I have said above the flavours do develop after being left to stand.  I like a good tangy cheese like M & S Cruncher. (not an advert just a strong cheese I like).

I served the steak with a mixed side salad which included Edamame beans which I really like as they give a bit of texture to the salad.  I fried some onions off, OH had a last lonely Portobello Mushroom fried, some Latkes, and cheese dip.  Has made a very tasty tea for tonight and something slightly different to "Steak and Chips".  Put it this way, he did not mind them too much and even referred to me making them again.

I enjoyed them, but potato and onion can be a little bland.  The dip helped with this, but I did add some sweet and sour chilli sauce to my plate and I definitely liked them like this.  The original recipe does call for fresh herbs to be added.  Unfortunately I did not have these to hand, and used what I had.  It makes something quick, cheap and filling to pad out your tea with.  I have some more to have downstairs as this mix made 12 of the Latkes.  Best of all though, you know exactly what is in them.  I think they would also be very good with some soured cream with chives in as well (a favourite of mine).  

Weather wise today has been windy and blustery, but it calmed down a little bit and we were able to get out for about an hour to try and get the garden sorted a little bit outside of the back door.  The Bay tree has gone OTT so that will get a hair cut another day, and although it is probably a little late the grapevine got trimmed a bit too. My part in this seems to have been following behind OH and clearing up after him.  However, my Rhubarb plants are up.  I had hoped that my large Rhubarb plant would be back and it is sprouting well.  I also found the added bonus of two more plants further down the garden.  Will need to sort these but it was a nice surprise.

With all the ghastly weather we have had the poor old garden has suffered a bit. In any event, I need to be out in the fresh air and with nature a bit after being unable to get out in the colder weather we have had.  Basically, because my fingers and toes have turned blue with gloves and layers on and I have been unable to feel them.  I need to ground myself down a bit and being in nature is the perfect thing to do to achieve this.  Gives you thinking time as well.  Weather permitting I am hoping to be able to get out for a little while each day to try and get things sorted out a bit as I would like to be able to grow a little bit of salad stuff to help the purse out.  If I can do more I will, but not quite sure what is going on yet,  I have plenty of seeds just need to get some compost and the greenhouses up.  I love growing seeds from scratch and am itching to get going but softly softly catch a monkey.  Better to do a bit each day rather than doing nothing at all.

Right am off to attempt a little bit  more knitting.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x