Hello sandwich time.

So that idea I had to use my Ginger and Sweet Potato Latkes in a veggie version of a bánh mì resulted in a ridiculously good sandwich.

What knocked this sandwich out of the park for me was the Spicy-Sweet Quick Pickles. I followed the pickle directions from this Catfish bánh mì by Five And Spice recipe and added some heat. Next time I’m at the grocery store I’m definitely scoping out the fish counter to see if they have catfish because the marinade sounds delicious. Plus, I prefer broiled fish over fried.

Moving on. Halfway through making the bánh mì I realized I had forgotten to pick up cilantro. I love cilantro, so I was tempted to stop what I was doing and race back to the store, but I had kind of reached the point of no return in the sandwich making process where everything was done and I was spreading the yogurt sauce on the bread. Next time, and there will be a next time, I’ll probably sub out the mixed greens for cilantro.

Ginger and Sweet Potato Latke Bánh Mì with Spicy-Sweet Quick Pickles, makes one big or two small sandwiches

Sandwich Ingredients:

1 batch of Ginger and Sweet Potato Latkes, recipe found here

Sriracha Yogurt sauce (mix a couple tablespoons plain Greek yogurt with sriracha to taste)

Handful of baby mixed greens, washed

1/2 ripe avocado, sliced

smal pile of Spicy-Sweet Quick Pickles (recipe below)

6-inch portion of baguette, left whole or cut into two 3-inch portions, toasted

Pickle Ingredients, makes about 2 cups pickled veggies:

3 medium carrots, peeled

4 quarter-sized red radishes, washed

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 Tbs. kosher salk

2 Tbs. honey

1/2 tsp. dried chili pepper flakes

Method:

1. For the pickles combine vinegar, water, salt, honey, and chili pepper flakes in a container with a lid and about a 3 or 4 cup capacity (I used a Gladware thing. Use whatever is handy). Slice the radishes into thin rounds. Cut the cucumber in two, scoop out the seed with a spoon, and cut into thin half moons. Use a vegetable peeler and peel the carrots into thin, noodle-esque strips. Put the veggies into the pickling brine and let sit for at least 30 minutes before using. Pickles will last in the refrigerator for a few days. If you finish the pickles before then, don’t throw out the brine! You can reuse it again for a new batch. Discard the brine when it becomes cloudy.

2. Smear each piece of toasted baguette with a healthy dollop of sriracha yogurt. Use more or less depending on your liking.

3. Place lettuce on top of the bottom of the sandwich.

4. Place latkes on top of the lettuce.

5. Put pickles on top of the latkes. Use as many or as few as you like.

6. Put sliced avocado on top of the yogurt sauce on the top slice of baguette.

7. Put the sandwich together and serve with a nice, cold beverage. I cracked open my last Yuengling, which I can’t buy in Indiana, for this sandwich. Yeah, IT’S THAT GOOD.

We have a winner.

Want a quick dinner or fairly guilt-free snack? How about a two-bite, crunchy potato pancake that has a taste of the exotic? The you need these Ginger Sweet Potato Latkes.

What I now call the fried kidney bean disaster of 2012 kind of put me off trying to fry things. That is until tonight, when flipping through my favorites on Gojee I realize I have three different recipes for latkes.

I’m a big fan of the potato pancake (Hello, THREE different recipes). Potato and pancake are two very comforting words. And the latkes I want you to try are very comforting, but they’re also not your Bubbie’s latkes.

Good, traditional latkes have a satisfying crunch but a velvety interior and are best with sour cream and applesauce. Then there are latkes that can feel like glue in the mouth.

What I like about latkes is that they are very adaptable and can take on some hearty flavors like blue cheese. And you can swap out your basic Idaho potato for sweet.

There I was, sitting at my computer with three tabs open to my favorite latke recipes and then another came along on Gojee. Reading this spiced latke recipe rocked my world a little bit.

Using the above recipes as guides, I think I’ve come up with my new favorite latke.

Ginger and Sweet Potato Latkes with Sriracha Yogurt Sauce, makes 8 half-dollar or 4 palm size latkes (serves 1)

Latke Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup red onion, small dice

1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced

1 egg

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. grapseed or other neutral oil

Sauce Ingredients:

2 or 3 Tbs. plain greek yogurt

Sriracha sauce to taste

Method:

1. Wrap shredded sweet potato in paper towels and squeeze all the excess moisture out. Repeat squeeze step again with new paper towels, you want to get as much liquid out as you can.

2. Whisk egg in large bowl. Add potato, onion, ginger, cumin, salt and flour. Mix to combine. In 10-inch frying pan or skillet, heat oil over medium heat.

3. Form latkes into half-dollar/palm size patties, again squeezing any liquid out before you fry. Place in hot oil and let fry on each side until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to plate lined with paper towels to drain and sprinkle with a final dusting of salt if you wish. Repeat until all the latke mixture is gone.

4. While latkes are frying, stir yogurt and sriracha in a bowl. Serve with the latkes and enjoy.

I’m in love with these. This was a totally satisfying dinner, not too heavy but it also didn’t have me pawing for the Oreos later. I paired the latkes with the last bit of my baby greens, so all in all I feel this is a fairly healthy meal.

Great on their own, I imagine these would be amazing in a vegetarian bánh mì on crusty bread with pickled carrots, radishes and cucumbers, topped with lettuce and the sriracha yogurt sauce.

I still have a sweet potato left. I know what’s for dinner tomorrow.

The oven is off limits.

I love cooking for a crowd. I think sharing a meal with others is a truly rewarding experience. This can sometimes be a problem when you live alone. My “cook for five” mentality is awkward at times, and usually results in me eating a single casserole for four consecutive days. It’s a good thing I grew up in a house that used leftovers.

It’s summer and the days of hot and sticky weather are here. Enter the period where I try not to turn on the oven at all. I’m even hesitant to turn on the stove. When I do it’s something that I can make quickly so as not to make my apartment any hotter.

Still, I love my caramelized/charred onions. Toss in a few potatoes and coat in a white wine and herb sauce and I’m sold. This meal took about 45 minutes, which would have been shorter but I didn’t par boil the potatoes beforehand.

Onions and potatoes in a white wine herb sauce by EMLundblad

1 medium onion, any variety but I like yellow or white

3 or 4 small potatoes, I bought a mix bag from my grocer; it had purple, red and golden potatoes

1 Tbs. each of your 2 or 3 favorite fresh herbs, I used thyme and rosemary because they were on hand

1/4 to 1/3 cup white wine, I used a Riesling because I like and it comes in a pretty blue bottle

2 Tbs. unsalted butter or olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In progress.

Method:

1. Scrub potatoes clean and dry them. Cut them in half, or quarters if they are on the large size. Cut onion. I don’t care if you like rings, a large dice or half-moon slivers, the goal is to make the onion smaller.

2. Heat the fat (read: butter or oil) in a pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and potatoes. Cook until onions are slightly browned and the potatoes are nearly tender. Add the wine, herbs, salt and pepper. Let the onions and potatoes simmer in the sauce for a bit.

3. Cook to the mixture until you’re satisfied with the “doneness” and serve over a bed of good lettuce mix or baby spinach. Serve with a glass of white wine and relax.

Finished product.

Notes:

You really can’t screw this up. And you can use any veggies you like, I just had onions and potatoes in the house. It would be good with mushrooms and onions, or peppers and chickpeas, etc.

As for the sauce, make it how you want it. If you have red wine, use it, but you might want to use meatier veggies, like mushrooms, or throw in some chunks of stew beef.

Nutritionally I don’t know where this stands, but it tastes good. Just go with it.

Owned it.