 
It would be terribly appropriate, for example, to serve at a New Year’s Eve party as both a sophisticated hors d’oeuvre and a sturdy base to absorb the alcohol. You can make the goat cheese ahead of time and store it in the fridge, bake the latkes instead of frying them (so they can be kept fresh in a warm oven; see instructions in recipe notes), and assemble these at the last minute for party guests. Or, make them for yourself as a carby-yet-healthy comfort food on a cold winter night. Now that the holidays are (nearly) over, what else can we turn to besides carbs to get us through the next 3 freezing months!?
Sweet Potato and Carrot Latke-linis with Whipped Goat Cheese and Smoked Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 large white sweet potato, about 3 cups, peeled and shredded
- 3-4 large carrots, about 2 cups, peeled and shredded
- 1/2 medium white onion, about 1/2 cup, shredded
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Heaping 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons coconut flour
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- OIl for frying, optional
- 3/4 cup plain goat cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Generous pinch salt
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
- Thinly sliced smoked salmon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the shredded potatoes, carrots and onions. Stir in the salt, pepper and coconut flour, then fold in the beaten eggs.
- Add about 1/4" worth of oil to a large skillet and preheat until a single shred of the veggie mixture sizzles energetically as soon as you drop it in. Scoop the mixture out in heaping 2-Tablespoon portions and pack together into a tight ball, then flatten slightly between the palms of your hands to form a disc. Drop the disk in to the hot oil and repeat, quickly, until the skillet is full of discs with a minimum of 1/2" between each. Cook, uncovered, until the bottoms of each latke turns deep golden brown, then flip and cook until the other side is the same color.
- Remove cooked latkes from the pan and allow them to cool and drain of excess oil on a large plate covered with 4-5 layers of paper towel.
- Repeat the process with the remaining mixture until all the latkes are finished.
- Prepare the goat cheese by whipping it in a food processor or stand mixer for about 30 seconds until smooth. Turn off the machine and add the pepper, lemon juice and salt and process for another minute or two until light and fluffy. Use a spatula to fold in the chopped chives.
- To assemble the latkes: layer a few slices of smoked salmon on top of a latke and spoon or pipe a dollop of goat cheese on top of the salmon. Garnish with a few sprigs of chive.
Notes
Goat cheese is a lower-lactose (read: easier for your body to process) alternative to cow's milk cheese that seems to be ok, occasionally, for those who don't have a serious lactose allergy. Take that promise with a grain of salt because I have only really tested the hypothesis on a patient population of one (uh, me). So, skip it if you're nervous, or replace with ricotta if lactose isn't an issue but cost is.
I used white sweet potatoes, but this would work just as well with the regular ones. Also, you can use all carrots or all sweet potatoes if that makes grocery shopping easier.
Skip the salmon to make this vegetarian.
To bake these instead of frying them, preheat the oven to 350 and line a large cookie sheet with a nonstick pad, or greased layer of foil. Portion the mixture onto the sheet the same way you would into the pan and bake for 18-25 minutes until golden brown and firm. The baked version doesn't develop a crust or hold together quite as well as the fried version but still tastes wonderful.
Omit the goat cheese (or replace it with cashew cream cheese) to make these Whole30 compliant.
Yield: About 45 mini latkes
Mariana says
You know I thought i would be all over the kitchen like a little duracell bunny cooking non-stop this holiday season but it was so busy I was more than happy to get loads of food cheats. These look so lovely and light, perfect after all the eating i’ve done last week.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I thought the same thing! It turns out that some rest was greatly needed, and still is….but I am still happy to be back in the kitchen 🙂
Happy New Year, Mariana!
Zainab says
I was in the same boat..totally crashed and decided to relax for a week. Was great!! These are perfect little bites!!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I’m thrilled that you got a chance to rest and relax after a busy year! I don’t know how you stay on top of everything AND do it so well. You amaze me!
Taylor says
I’m so glad you’re back! I swear I checked your site pretty much every day last week and I was wondering where you were. Can I just say how much I love these photographs?! That carrot picture is gorgeousssss like seriously. And the chive picture? I want (read: need) that jar that they’re in- please tell me you bought it because if you made it, then I’m totally jealous of your artistic abilities! And, finally (sorry for being way creepy here and fawning all over you haha) I love these latkes- I’ve been dying to make some for the longest time and I think your recipe is the one I have to try because sweet potatoes and smoked salmon? Droooooling.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Ahh you are so sweet! To be honest, I had planned to post and then…. crashed. A lot harder than I thought I would. Oh well! The best laid plans, right? How was your holiday? And oh my gosh THANK YOU for all your kind words! I really can take precisely 0 credit for the photos – it’s all thanks to a new lens I got for Christmas! The bowl was a gift from my uncle that I “borrowed” (aka stole) from my mom so you’re going to have to fight her for it! It’s from a tiny little store in Connecticut, probably by a local craftsman. But I’ll bet you could find something similar on etsy 🙂 But ok, let’s be serious here: MAKE THESE! My husband, who is usually a reluctant taste tester, devoured these and asked for more. I had this batshit crazy idea in my head and I can’t believe it actually worked out. Also, for the full experience, fry them because, well, what isn’t better fried rather than baked? Let me know if you try them! Happy new year!!
Alex B says
The latkas taste quite good but fell completely apart. I increased the amount of flour and egg to try to glue everything together, to no avail. I would call these latke hash, not latkes. Good as a side with eggs in the morning.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Strange! It sounds like your batch might have had a bit too much moisture and needed a bit more flour. Sorry these didn’t work out for you.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
What a creative idea to make little latkes.. I definitely will be making these tomorrow for NYE!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thanks, Thalia! Hope you love them! Happy new year 🙂
Joanne says
I totally feel you on cooking for the sake of cooking! It feels like such a treat sometimes! These latkes are definitely year-round food. So cute!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Isn’t it a treat!? Getting in to this blogging thing, you don’t expect it to become such a job and when it does and you get to cook without testing/photographing/etc, it’s a bit of a relief sometimes 🙂 Happy new year, Joanne! And congrats on your wedding!