Bellinis (Lithuanian Potato Pancakes)

Bellinis (potato pancakes)

buy a 5 pound bag of russet potatoes.

peel & rinse 8 potatoes (more or less depends on how many people you are feeding. 8 potatoes can make over 20 pancakes easy).

grate 8 potatoes with a hand grater into a bowl or chop them up into cubes & put into the blender then put into a bowl.

grate a half of white onion into potatoes.

add white flour.

i don't have any measuring rules for this recipe. i just add enough to make a batter. it is usually like pancake batter. not to thick & not too runny.

add salt & pepper for taste.

fill the bottom of a frying pan with vegetable oil. add a scoop of batter, make sure the bellinis are deep in the oil. i can usually fry about 3 bellinis at one time. fry until golden brown on each side & serve. it is best to serve them as fast as possible since they do tend to get soggy, but they are still tasty.

i serve with sour cream but you can serve them with apple sauce too.

if you make too much batter just keep it in tupperware. it keeps for a good amount of time. since they are potatoes the batter will turn black on top but that is just like if a banana or apple is left out. i usually scoop off the black top & chuck it then mix the bottom white layer & fry them up.

Hashbrown Quiche

Hash Brown Quiche

3 cups, shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted 3 large eggs, beaten 1 cup half-and-half 3/4 cup diced Morning Star sausage patties 1/2 cup diced green onions 1 cup shredded Cheddar Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

Homemade Hummus

hummus recipe:

1 can of a chick peas1/2 cup of tahini sauce (i find a wide selection on the mediterranean aisle at wegmans) 1/4 cup of water1 teaspoon of sea salt or regular salt1 half of fresh squeezed lemon2 or 3 cloves of garlic (depends on how garlicky you like it!) dash of pepper or crushed red pepper (depending on how spicy you want it.)

mix all of these ingredients into a blender & puree until it is smooth. i prefer to chill mine before eating too.

to make different kinds of hummus add one red bell pepper or a handful of kalamata olives etc.

homemade guacamole

guacamole recipe:

i always squeeze my avocados to make sure they are soft but not mushy. i will buy hard ones if i am not planning on making the guacamole for a few days. the life span of an avocado is limited so you have to pick them wisely.

cut 3 (depending how much you want to make, you can add less or more avocados) avocado into fours then peel the skin back. place the pits aside & put all the halves into a bowl. mash with a hand masher to the consistency you like. i like mine a bit smooth with some lumps. you could use a blender if you want it really smooth.

dice one large tomato or 6 grape tomatoes add to the bowl.

dice a half of red (purple) onion add to the bowl.

add some salt & pepper.

mix all ingredients with a spoon.

wash off a pit or two until you get all avocado chunks off of it. dry them with a paper towel.

place the pits gently in the guac & push them down a bit. it looks nice & supposedly the pits keep the guacamole greener longer.