Some of you longtime Scramblers (I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you long timers!) might remember that The Scramble was built around my mom’s weekly menu planning habit when I was growing up.  My mom is an organizational genius and a great problem solver, so I had to share this private note I received from her after last week’s column about my coffee desperation during the blizzard. 

“Hi, Honey.  In reading your column (which I love to do), I was reminded of the worry I had going to Honduras in 1987 that I might not find my coffee fix (little did I know how important coffee was to the people there!).  So I took along edible espresso beans–maybe chocolate covered, just to get the “fix” if needed–which it wasn’t.  A little stash of those in your home might allay the coffee anxiety.”
Much love, Mom

Sweet Potato Pancakes (Hanukkah Latkes)

Prep (20 minutes) + Cook (20 minutes)

Makes 16 pancakes, or 4 servings

In my family, latkes are one of the best parts of celebrating Hanukkah. These modern potato pancakes have a terrific blend of flavors and a nice crunchy texture without all the oil.  If you make the batter ahead of time, refrigerate it until you are ready to cook them, and drain the excess liquid from the bowl before frying them.  Serve the pancakes with a green salad with dried cranberries and shredded or grated Parmesan cheese.  For a heartier meal, serve them with scrambled eggs. 

1 large sweet potato

1 large white potato

1 medium yellow onion

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

6 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

1 cup nonfat or low fat sour cream (optional for serving)

1 cup naturally sweetened applesauce (optional for serving)

Using a hand grater, coarsely grate the potatoes and finely dice or grate the onion.  Drain the vegetables then wrap them in a clean dish towel for a minute or two to get the excess water out.  Transfer the grated vegetables to a large bowl.  Stir in the beaten eggs.  Thoroughly mix in the flour, salt and cayenne pepper (optional).  (Prepare the eggs and salad now, if you are serving them.  The eggs can cook while the potato pancakes cook.) 

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium to medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, scoop in spoonfuls of the potato pancake mixture and flatten them with the spoon or a spatula.  Cook the pancakes for several minutes per side until they are browned.  After each batch, add 1 – 2 Tbsp. oil to the pan and let it heat for a minute or two, to keep the pancakes browning nicely.  If they start to get too browned on the outside before the middle is cooked, reduce the heat.  Transfer the cooked pancakes to the baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while the rest cook.  Serve them topped with the sour cream and applesauce (or dipped in ketchup, as our kids like them!)

Side Dish suggestion:  For fluffy scrambled eggs, beat 6 eggs with 1 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt or sour cream, and 1 heaping Tbsp. cottage cheese until thoroughly combined.  In a medium-sized nonstick skillet, melt 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine.  Add the eggs and cook them over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are just firm and still fluffy.  Season them with salt to taste and serve. 

Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values):

Calories 300, Total Fat 16g, 26%, Saturated Fat 2g, 10%, Cholesterol 110mg, 36%, Sodium 620mg, 26%, Total

Carbohydrate 32g, 10%, Dietary Fiber 4g,12%, Protein 6g, Sugar 8g

Nutritional Information per serving (with applesauce, sour cream, and 1 1/2 cups salad, 1/4 of eggs):

Calories 475, Total Fat 28g, 45% Saturated Fat 5g, 26%, Cholesterol 431mg, 143%, Sodium 825mg, 35%, Total Carbohydrate 36g, 11%, Dietary Fiber 5g,  17%, Sugar 8g, Protein 19g

I hope you enjoyed your feast last night with family and friends, and that the rest of your holiday weekend is a wonderful break (and that you don’t have to fight too much holiday traffic!).  If you are looking for a way to use up that leftover turkey, you might enjoy this healthy and delicious salad that can be served warm or cold. 

Have a happy and healthy weekend.

Warmly, Aviva

Wild Rice and Turkey Salad

Prep (10 min.) + Cook (60 min.) + time to cool
6 servings

1 cup wild rice blend (such as Lundberg)
1 cup cooked turkey breast, chopped
1 cup sliced celery (about 2 stalks)
¼ cup - ½ cup thinly sliced scallions, to taste
½ cup dried cranberries (or use raisins or pomegranate seeds)
¼ cup light balsamic vinaigrette dressing (such as Newman’s Own)
½ cup pecans, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
salt and black pepper to taste (optional)

Prepare the rice according to the package directions, using water or leftover chicken broth. 

In a medium serving bowl, combine the turkey, celery, scallions and cranberries.  When the rice is cooked, combine it with the ingredients in the bowl.  Stir in the vinaigrette dressing.  Refrigerate the salad for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 days.  Just before serving, stir in the pecans. 

I love this note I received last week, following up on the list of healthy snacks on my website:

Hi Aviva: I have to tell you a funny story - I printed out your “Snack Attack” list yesterday and gave it to my daughters, ages 6 and 4. My older daughter patiently read every option out loud, discussed it with her sister, and then wrote down yes, no, or maybe next to each one, depending on whether they thought they might like it or not. I couldn’t believe how seriously they took the task, how well they collaborated, and how easily they were entertained by it. Plus, I now have a fully anotated list on my fridge to refer to when we get the munchies. (And, of course, they’re particularly excited about the options that involve chocolate and such.)

Thank you for the list!”
Molly Thompson, Bozeman, MT