Foodie Fridays: Sweet Potato Latkes with Cranberry Applesauce

From Joy of Kosher
(the recipe from this site is spicier than the one
I am posting, but also sounds delicious)

I was all set to prepare a Southwestern-themed Thanksgiving feast this year, until I found out about Thanksgivukkah!  In a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah will fall on the same day.  My husband is Jewish, but we rarely celebrate Hanukkah because he is often traveling when the holiday arrives.  He is almost always home for Thanksgiving, though, and he will be here this year, so I thought I would make the attempt to combine the foods of both holidays.  Since hubby is very much of a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, I will not stray too far from our usual menu, but I will make a couple of adjustments.  We will still have my Mom's Sausage Stuffing, but I will use challah bread.  And yes, I do stuff my bird!  I have eaten it that way all my life, and no one in our family has ever fallen ill.  Sometimes the turkey has been dry, other times it has been moist -- stuffing it does not seem to be a factor.  I think it is more a matter of not overcooking the bird while making sure the stuffing is sufficiently heated, which is tricky but not impossible (check this site for some good tips).  I say phooey to Alton Brown and all other stuffing naysayers -- cooking is as much an art as a science, and some of us have been taught the art of roasting a stuffed turkey by family cooks who have been perfecting it for generations.

The other change I will make is the addition of Sweet Potato Latkes with Cranberry Applesauce as a starter to the meal.  I don't usually serve potatoes at Thanksgiving, as I think the stuffing is all the starch we need.  My husband loves potatoes and would prefer to have them, but he has resigned himself to my choice, so just this once I will make him happy by adding latkes.  Sweet potatoes are relatively healthy, but more importantly latkes are one of the most traditional Hanukkah foods and whenever my husband is around for this holiday we have them.  You could make the Cranberry Applesauce from scratch, but I am simply going to combine some canned whole berry cranberry sauce with some bottled applesauce.  I will play around with the proportions to get the flavor combination I like best -- I am thinking maybe one part cranberry sauce to two parts applesauce, or possibly equal parts of both.  Any leftover sauce can be served with the turkey.

It is possible that Sweet Potato Latkes will be such a hit this Thanksgiving they will become a new addition to our annual meal.  After all, the holiday is at least partly about the blending of old and new family traditions, and what better place to add a new tradition than the celebratory feast!

Sweet Potato Latkes with Cranberry Applesauce

2 medium (1 lb.) sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
2 T. minced or grated onion (or use 2 minced scallions)
1/4 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 to 1 C. whole berry cranberry sauce
1 C. applesauce
Sour cream or Greek yogurt

Combine all but the last three ingredients.

Oven Directions:  Generously grease a baking sheet.  Drop the latke batter by teaspoonfuls onto the pan and flatten slightly.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.

Skillet Directions: In a 12-inch skillet heat 1/4 C. vegetable oil over medium-high heat.  Drop the latke batter by teaspoonfuls into the skillet and flatten slightly.  Cook for four minutes, turning once, until golden  brown.  Drain on paper towels.

Combine the cranberry sauce and applesauce.  Top the latkes with the fruit sauce and the sour cream as desired.  Serves 6.