This time-honored recipe is handed down from Chef Bill’s late, great Father, Henry Duckman, a Russian Jew decended from a long line of expert Latke-makers. And trust me, if anyone knows how to do justice to the potato, it’s a Russian Jew. Henry’s recipe is simple, absolutely delicious, and chef Bill amended it to be gluten-free.  Chef Bill’s discovery last night:  they were even BETTER with the gluten-free bread crumbs.  The reason, he said, is the rice-based crumbs made the latkes taste and feel less ‘bready,’ allowing the subtle flavor and crispy texture of the fried potato to shine.

Henry’s latkes make a great side to a roasted chicken or, in our case, a slowly braised pan of short ribs.  Throw in a side of sauteed spinach or roasted Brussel sprouts, and you’ve got a clean, delectable winter night feast.  These latkes are also absolutely fabulous in the a.m. with eggs!  If you have leftovers, simply reheat uncovered in an oven no higher than 300 degrees until warmed through.  They should crisp back.  Serving latkes with condiments is a matter of personal preference.  I’m such a potato lover, I don’t want anything but a shaker of salt coming along for the ride.  If you love them with applesauce or sour cream, I’d say go for it, but try some whipped, room-temperature chevre as an alternative for the cow dairy.  Another way to enjoy these is this Borscht Belt favorite, also known as the Jewish Timbale:  top a potato latke with a slice of smoked salmon and a dollop of whipped, room temperature chevre, and sprinkle with fresh or dried dill – DIVINE!

Henry’s Famous Potato Latkes

6 medium sized potatoes, skin-on, grated coursely

1 small onion, finely grated or pulverized

2 eggs, beaten well

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs

Put grated potatoes into colander and squeeze as much liquid out as possible (use clean dish towel or paper towels to absorb water from potatoes). Transfer potatoes to large mixing bowl.  Combine remaining ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly. Don’t be concerned if potatoes discolor, it’s normal.

In a deep frying pan or skillet, heat an inch of light olive oil (not extra virgin) or grapeseed oil to aproximately 325 degrees. Using hands, form mixture into balls about twice the size of a golf ball. Very slowly and gently, set potato ball into the hot oil and immediately flatten into a latke pancake with metal spatula.  Cook until crisp and golden on bottom and then flip carefully, hot oil may splatter. Cook until golden brown and serve immediately.  If there’s any lag time in serving the latkes, place them on a platter in a warm oven so they stay crisp. Do not cover as they’ll get soggy. Bon Appetit and Happy Festival of Lights!

These are as easy to make as they are delicious – I like these better than French fries. 

My Jewish King…and his masterpiece. 

In my nearly four years of eating clean, doing DDPYOGA, and in the process, dropping 185 unwanted pounds, I’ve learned a thing or two about food. Most importantly, it’s crucial to still enjoy it.  I do. How else could I have made it this far?  But balance is equally critical because, again, I ask:  how could I have made it this far? In my other life, I was either dieting or overeating. No middle ground. None.  Today, it is on a patch of fertile middle ground where I have pitched my tent. And right next to it I’ve planted a massive victory flag that waves triumphantly in the wind.  And since the New Me is here to stay, I’ve had to learn the fine art of choosing my battles, or in this case, simple carbs.  In other words, I’ve got to know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em. I have every intention of making Thanksgiving a gastronomic feast this Thursday. I eat considerably more and considerably heavier on this day.  Why wreck the glory of it by inserting a dish or two that would be better suited at a spa?  That said, I don’t go wild either.  Case in point, the sample menu below.  It’s simple, yet rich. And because of that, I’ve chosen a clean green to cleanse the palate of all the fat and starch that’ll be going down the gullet that day.  I used to be enamored with the green bean casserole made with canned mushroom soup. If you are and it would dampen the day by excluding it from the menu, by all means go for it.  I’ve decided for me, I fare better with a simple dish of sauteed string beans, a little olive oil, and a few splashes of lemon topped with slivered almonds. Every dish on here is gluten free and mostly dairy free.  I confess to baking and cooking on special occasions with heavy cream.  As much as I adore coconut milk, I don’t want the taste of it in mashed potatoes or creamed onions.  And besides, the per serving ratio of cream is about a half cup. The cranberry sauce is made from whole berries and no white sugar.  It’s another delicious way to give the palate something else to grab onto and also cut through the gravy and butter.

This may look like a small menu, but it’s simply reflective of my preferences.  I’ve done the 15-item Thanksgiving menus in years past and discovered we tend to gravitate to five or so favorites.  A tight list of all-time faves saves time, money, and sanity.

SAMPLE MENU

Turkey with Gravy

Gluten-Free Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes

Green Beans Almondine

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Creamed Onions

Optional:  Gluten-Free rolls or biscuits

Below are recipes for some of the above.  As for the mashed potatoes, my secret is, boiling quartered potatoes in chicken stock instead of water. When they’re soft and fork-tender, drain liquid and add this delicious elixir known as melted butter and warm (NOT cold) heavy cream in increments as you blend with electric beater.  Salt and pepper to taste. As I openly admit, I use heavy cream (not milk) on special occasions.  Sometimes there’s just no other viable substitute.

Cranberry Sauce (All natural, no white sugar)

www.staceymorris.com/?p=131

Gluten-Free Stuffing Video with Chef Bill

Gluten-Free Stuffing Recipe

www.teamddpyoga.com/forum/topics/gfree-stuffing

Cauliflower Scallion Puree

www.staceymorris.com/?p=135

Cherry Cobbler

www.staceymorris.com/?p=75

Dessert

Given the nature of the meal, I prefer lighter desserts on this occasion.  When I’m smack in the middle of digesting copious amounts of turkey and carbs is not the ideal time to send down a slice of flourless chocolate cake as a chaser. Sometimes I’m too full for a dessert, but if you’re big on it, you could give a Crustless Pumpkin Pie, or Fruit Cobbler a go.  Served with a small scoop of Almond or Coconut-milk based ice cream and you’ve got a dazzler.  Often at the end of any dinner, if I’m truly craving a sweet, I’ll have a small piece of dark chocolate and let it melt slowly in my mouth.  It totally does the trick.  Every time.  But if you’re of the belief that a pie just isn’t a pie without a crust, below is a recipe for a gluten-free pie crust, courtesy of Team DDPYOGA member Diane Bender, who adapted it from a Libby’s Pumpkin Pie mix label.

And then there’s the other option after a voluptuous menu:  a liquid dessert. Here is one Chef Bill invented recently, after deciding that I’d been deprived of White Russians long enough:

Sparkling Clean White Russian

6 oz. Almond Milk

1 ounce vodka

1 ounce Godiva Liqueur or Kahlua

A dash of cocoa powder

Pour all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Serve strained or on the rocks.

Gluten-Free Pie Crust
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon apple cider or white vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Pie Crust: Combine rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Form well in center. Add egg and vinegar; stir gently with a fork until just blended. Sprinkle with water; blend together with a fork and clean hands until mixture just holds together and forms a ball. (Be careful not to add too much water as dough will be hard to roll.)
Shape dough into ball and divide in half. Cover one half with plastic wrap; set aside. Place remaining half on lightly floured (use rice flour) sheet of wax paper. Top with additional piece of wax paper. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Remove top sheet of wax paper and invert dough into 9-inch deep-dish (4-cup volume) pie plate. Slowly peel away wax paper. Trim excess crust. Turn edge under; crimp as desired. Repeat with remaining half.

There’s nothing like a good soup, stew, or combination thereof when daylight and warmers temperatures are in short supply.  Anyone familiar with the country church ritual, where funds are raised via those wonderful home-cooked meals like chicken and biscuits.  Love that dish.  But when made with gluten, it doesn’t love me.

For the first few years of eating clean, I went without, until I got to know the wonders of non-wheat flours like potato, tapicoa, rice, chick pea, even coconut (my new favorite for baking).   Recently I came up with my own version of Chicken and Biscuits.  For those concerned about eating too many carbs, or simple carbs with the evening meal, you can easily eat this on its own, minus the gluten-free bread or  biscuits. This also works wonderfully poured over rice.  It’s your choice.

The recipe below is not a too-the-letter one.  I made this from leftover meat from a deboned, boiled chicken.   One of the favorite things to do when fall begins is to regularly simmer a whole chicken in a pot filled with celery, rice, carrots…whatever’s in the vegetable drawer.  The meat is unfailingly moist and tender and the stock can be used as a base for soup, and also a fantastic flavor-enhancer for making rice or baked potatoes.  (One of my number one flavor rules…why use water to cook something if you don’t have to?).

So the instructions below are a guideline.  Let intuition and the way your particular pot of Chicken and Biscuits is unfolding on your stovetop be your guide.  Don’t be afraid to adjust measurements and ingredients.  It’s a very forgiving dish.  Enjoy the flavor of this dish and the benefits of the gluten-free ingredients.

Gluten-Free Chicken and Biscuits

Meat of a whole chicken (one that’s been simmered slowly, cooled, and deboned). Meat can be in chunks, no formal chopping necessary.

About 2 quarts chicken stock (that the chicken was boiled in)

1/2 to 1 stick butter (or half-cup or so of grapeseed or olive oil)

1/2 to 1 cup of rice or potato flour

Salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried sage

1 bag of frozen peas and carrots, thawed to room temperature

Gluten-free biscuits or rolls, toasted and sliced

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and keep warm on low heat. In another (large) saucepan, melt the butter or heat the oil then add flour, a little at a time as you whisk constantly to make a roux.  Eventually add all the flour and/or more butter as needed.  There’s no scientific way to make a roux – just play with it and don’t use too high a heat.  The texture should be similar to pancake batter or perhaps a bit thicker.  This will be the basis for turning the chicken stock in to a beautifully thick gravy.

Once the roux is in place, add the chicken stock gradually and continue to whisk. The roux and stock will eventually meld into a thick gravy.  If gravy is too thin for your liking, carefully add some more flour, perhaps a few tablespoons at a time, until it’s the thickness you like.  Remember though that the gravy won’t happen instantly….it takes 10-15 minutes of dedicated whisking at a slow simmer, not a boil.

Once the gravy is in place, add the salt, pepper, onion powder, and sage, and whisk thoroughly. Add the chicken meat and continue to whisk.  The meat should naturally break into smaller pieces and even shred.  Once the meat is mixed in, add the bag of peas and carrots, mix thoroughly, then cover and let the contents heat thoroughly over low heat.  Any kind of gravy can stick to the pot or burn easily so be sure the heat is low and give the bottom a good scrape every now and then with a wood spoon or rubber spatula.

Serve in bowls over toasted gluten-free biscuits or rolls.  This is also excellent on its own or served over a bed of rice.  Bon Appetit!

 Piping hot, gluten-free, and no post-dinner bloating…what a deal!