Easy Potato Pancake (With Sneaky Vegetables Inside)

My husband's mom is from Germany, so he is kind of picky about his potato pancakes.  He grew up eating the real deal, in which you have to grate potatoes.  This recipe is a short-cut version that uses shredded hash browns, and he loves it.  It also has some sneaky vegetables in it, so when my son eats it, he has no idea that he is getting in a serving of veggies ;)  You cannot even taste them!

This is from The Pampered Chef Celebrate cookbook.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
*1 medium carrot, grated
*3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
*2 Tablespoons yellow onion, very finely chopped
*1 teaspoon margarine
*1 pkg. (20 oz.) frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
*3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*dash of black pepper
*4 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
*applesauce--optional

Directions:
Saute onion in margarine just until tender. 

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, carrot, parsley, and onion.

In a small bowl combine flour, salt, and black pepper.  Sprinkle over potato mixture.  Stir lightly.

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil over medium heat until hot.  Add potato mixture and spread out evenly in the skillet.  Press down with a spatula to get it all even.  Cook 10-12 minutes or until underside of potato pancake is dark golden brown and crisp.

Carefully slide potato pancake onto a dinner plate.  Place a second dinner plate upside down over the pancake.  Firmly holding plates together, turn the plates over so that the browned side of the pancake is now on top.

Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil to the skillet.  Let it get hot.  Return the potato pancake to the skillet with the golden brown side facing up.  Press down firmly with a spatula.  Cook for 10-12 more minutes or until the bottom side is dark golden brown and crisp.

Slide onto a plate.  Cut into triangles with a pizza cutter.  Serve with applesauce for dipping on the side, if desired.

Sausage & Potato Kebabs

This is a recipe from the Pampered Chef Casual Cooking cookbook.  The original recipe calls for green onions, but I cook this without the green onions to make it a lot less work.

Ingredients:
*1 lb. petite new potatoes or baby dutch golden potatoes (about 15), halved (I half them using the crinkle cutter from Pampered Chef.  It leaves ridges so that seasonings stick to the potatoes better.  I put 7 halves per skewer)
*2 teaspoons olive oil
*1 garlic clove, pressed
*3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
*dash of salt + 1/8 teaspoon salt
*1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1 package bratwurst (5-6 sausages)
*12 cherry tomatoes
*6 cups water
*1 medium yellow onion, cut into wedges
*skewers

Directions:
If using wooden skewers, soak in water in a 9x13 dish so that all the skewers are immersed.  Cook bratwurst by placing them in a large skillet with the 6 cups of water and the yellow onion wedges.  Bring to a boil.

 Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from skillet and let cool enough to handle.  Slice diagonally into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes by bringing water to a boil in a medium sauce pan.  Make sure there is enough water for the potatoes to all be immersed.  Add a dash of salt to the water.  Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes and boil just until fork tender.  Drain.  Drizzle with oil.  Add garlic, salt, pepper, and dill weed.  Mix gently using a rubber spatula so that the potatoes do not mush.

Preheat indoor grill to medium-high heat.  Alternately thread bratwurst, potatoes, and cherry tomatoes onto 6 skewers.  Grill uncovered until bratwurst is browned, turning frequently.  My indoor grill will only fit 4 skewers, so once I cook those, I put them on an oven safe plate and put them in the oven on the "warm" setting (about 170 F) while I cook the remaining 2 skewers.

This goes great with German-style salad.

Germany-Style Salad

 My mother-in-law was born and grew up in Wiesbaden, Germany near the Rhine River.  She moved to the U.S. when she was in her twenties, and she has lived here ever since.  She shares her German culture with our family.  One way she does this is through her amazing cooking.  She has made me a lover of German food.  This is my easier version of how she serves salad at her house.  (She cuts her own lettuce and carrots into shreds.)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
*1 bag shredded iceberg lettuce
*1 small bag shredded carrots
*1 radish, sliced 
*2 packets of Knorr brand Salat Kronung Wurzige Cartenkrauter*
*2 Tablespoons sugar
*8 Tablespoons water (= to 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons)
*8 Tablespoons vegetable oil (= to 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons)

Directions:
In a pourable measuring cup, whisk together the dry salad dressing packets, sugar, water, and vegetable oil.  Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours so that the flavors can blend.

When it is time to serve, place lettuce, carrots, and radishes in a large serving bowl.  Mix well.  Whisk the salad dressing again.  Let people pour their own salad dressing on top of their salads.
*Note:  My husband's aunt makes a trip to Germany every winter to visit family, and she brings back the salad dressing packets for us.  You might be able to find this at a specialty food store like Central Market or World Market or online.