It’s Hanukkah and Dave’s been seriously cashing in on his first year celebrating the festival of lights.
He still can’t get over the whole presents-for-eight-nights-in-a-row thing; he hustled me for 20 bucks in his first game of dreidel (beginner’s luck); and he enjoyed a couple of the best dishes Judaism has to offer: Latkes and matzo ball soup.
It’s been a lazy couple of weeks for me and the thought of shredding four pounds of Russets gave me a headache. Lucky for me, I had this fabulous Progresso package from MyBlogSpark (Which one lucky commenter will also win, courtesy of Progresso via MyBlogSpark) …
… and some frozen hash browns. Soooooo, I present to you …
Lazy latkes and mellow matzo ball soup
Lazy Latkes
You’ll need:
6 cups frozen hash browns (about one large bag)
1/2 of a large yellow onion, minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
ground pepper (5-10 turns or the grinder)
1-2 teaspoons salt (kosher, of course)
vegetable oil for frying
Before I start, a message to all you traditionalists out there—once you go frozen (hash browns, that is), you’ll never go back. These turned out flawlessly with a fraction of the work. And your bubby will never know the difference.
Thaw your hash browns and let them “drain” on paper towels. Dry out the minced onions as well. You’ll want to make sure you get as much of the moisture out as possible—otherwise the latkes fall apart in the pan. Mix the potatoes, onions, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and pepper together and form into small patties. Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat and fry the latkes (about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown). Serve with applesauce and sour cream.
Mellow matzo ball soup
You’ll need:
For broth:
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 large carrots, chopped
1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
For matzo balls:
3/4 cup matzo meal
3 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Remember what I said about the latke cheat? Ditto for the pre-made broth. Heat your broth and veggies in a covered pot until veggies are cooked through. Mix all ingredients for matzo balls and form into golf-ball sized balls. Drop into hot broth and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Now leave a comment telling me what your favorite holiday tradition is. I’ll pick a random winner next Thursday (12/24) and you’ll get the lovely package you see above. Consider it your Hanukkah present.
21 Comments
Candice
I TOTALLY DID THE SAME THING WITH THE HASH BROWNS!!!!!!!!!!! It came out pretty darn good (not as good as my mom’s though…she does the WHOLE shredding process) Unfortunately Michael felt the latkes were a little oniony…I’ll have to alter it for next time, I am getting some grief for not making soup though. 🙂
Linda
Those latkes look great! I’m going to try this recipe. My holiday favorite is baking cookies for Santa.
Jess
I love opening presents on xmas morning!
Maria Baldino
I am sooooooo excited to make matzo ball soup this weekend!
Im going to make the Latkes Christmas Morning for my boyfriends family!
CupcakesOMG!
my favorite holiday tradition is watching Charlie Brown’s Christmas special and decorating my christmas tree!
fermata
oy, the goyim… this recipe is a sacrilege, but I appreciate your enthusiasm embracing the holiday & its cuisine. keep up the good work.
Melissa
My favorite holiday tradition is waking up early and opening our stockings together, then watching the Disney World Xmas Day Parade together with breakfast!
Kelley Schwartz
Welcome back to blogging!!!! I seriously check this on a weekly basis looking for new inspiration and although I love going back and reviewing things already posted… I am always excited for new “stuff.” I can’t however picture Dave hustling you for $20 (insert sarcasm). I had fun this past weekend with you and I will see you in a few days…. when I get to meet the other 50 cent piece of the Cash sisters 🙂
Joe
Assuming I’m at home (parents’ house), my favorite tradition is going to church on Christmas Eve with my family and getting home to open one gift per person. Then, Christmas morning, after opening the rest of the presents, there’s that time when everyone sits around and unboxes their new clothes, toys, gadgets, etc and starts messing with them.
Jim
My favorite tradition is watching college football on New Years Day.
Bookwyrm
We’re building new traditions this year with a solstice night lamb roast and yule log cake.
Judy B
Baking cookies (originally with my mom, but now we can start it in my family with my son)
Wehaf
We celebrate the New year, and my favorite tradition is exchanging New Year’s gifts.
tina reynolds
my favorite traditions is making cookies and decorating the christmas tree with my kids thanks for the chance to win eaglesforjack@gmail.com
shelly
mine is a family seafood dinner on Christmas Eve
valerie2350
we like puttting food outside for the reindeer 🙂
Susan
My favorite tradition for any holiday has to do with food. I love all the different foods that people associate with holidays. I love making the food and I like eating it!! It’s always great to make something new that everyone likes.
blueviolet
I love doing a candy cane hunt with the kids!
Cassie M
My favorite holiday tradition is making Christmas Dinner as a family!
Cassie
cjm92995@yahoo.com
fish finder
hi……
Excellent blog post, I look forward to reading more.
children learning games
HI,
Sensational info. I look forward to seeing more.