It’s Shavout, the Jewish holiday where we commemorate receiving the Torah, and for most people who celebrate, it brings to mind dishes that focus on dairy. However, I just read an interesting article on The Jewish Daily Forward called “Want Authentic Shavout Meals? Try Fruit, Not Dairy.” The article states that dairy was not an original Shavout food but that the focus was on fruits and grains. During this time, there was the wheat harvest as well as the first fruits that were brought to the Temple of Jerusalem. Further, “the original names of the Shavout holiday were Chag HaBikkurim, or Festival of the First Fruits, and Chag HaKatzir, or Harvest Festival.”
So I know traditionally, if I’m going to make blintzes on Shavout, they should be cheese blintzes covered in a beautiful fruit compote. However, I was always more a fan of potato blintzes and reading that article empowered me to go with what I love, rather than what is expected.
When my mother would make blintzes, she would usually make both kinds. And she would make about a hundred at a time, freezing most of them to enjoy at a later date. My father preferred the cheese blintzes but I opted for the potato ones dipped in sour cream.
When my mother would make the filling for the blintzes, creamy mashed potatoes mixed with caramelized onions, it was all she could do to keep me away from the pot. That filling was so delicious, I wanted to just eat it like that straight out of the pot and there would have been none left to fill the crepes.
So yesterday Tom and I made our own potato blintzes. I made crepes with a mix of a gluten-free flour blend and some chickpea flour. My reasoning for using both was that I wanted the starches in the blend so that the crepes would hold up to being manipulated and folded. I made a big pot of mashed potatoes and folded in the caramelized onions. I made extra so I could much away without worrying that I would run out before all the blintzes were made. Tom filled and folded up the crepes. Then we fried up the blintzes and enjoyed them with some vegan sour cream. They were delicious! Crispy but tender on the outside and the filling was rich, creamy and filled with the amazing flavor that only caramelized onions can give you.
These took me right back to my childhood though I’m sure my Mom’s were better. You can certainly get creative and add other things to the filling such as mushrooms or spinach but I wanted to keep them traditional. Happy Shavout and enjoy!
Vegan and Gluten-Free Potato Blintzes
GF
Makes about 9 large or 12 medium-sized blintzes
For the crepes
2 Tbs. ground flaxseed + 1/3 cup warm water
2 cups gluten-free, all-purpose flour mix
½ cup chickpea flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
2½-3 cups non-dairy milk
Cooking Spray
For the Potato and Onion Filling
6 large red potatoes
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
¼ cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried rosemary
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
For the Blintzes
¼ cup vegetable oil
Vegan sour cream
To make the crepes: In a small bowl or mug, mix the flax seed and the warm water until it is a loose paste. Let it sit and thicken for 10 minutes. This acts as a binder. In a large bowl, combine the flours and the salt. Add 2 ½ cups of milk to the flour and then add the flax gel. Whisk until you have a loose batter. You want it pourable but not too thin, similar to pancake batter. If it is too thick, add more milk or water. Let the batter rest for at least 20 minutes.
When you are ready to make the crepes, prepare enough pieces of parchment paper to place between the crepes. Heat a non-stick 9” skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and pour about 1/3 cup of the batter in the center of the skillet and swirl it around until it covers the pan. Cover the pan and let the crepe cook for 3 minutes or until the edges brown and you can lift it off the pan with a spatula. You are only going to cook one side of the crepe; the other side will get cooked when you fry the blintzes. Transfer the crepe to a plate lined with a piece of parchment paper. Cover the crepe with another piece of parchment paper. Repeat until you have used all the batter. Set the crepes aside until you are ready to fill them.
To make the potato filling: Cut the potatoes into even chunks. Put them in a medium-sized saucepan and fill with cold water until it just covers the potatoes. Add a pinch of salt, cover the pot and cook over medium-high heat. When the water comes to a boil, remove the lid, lower the heat and let the potatoes cook until they are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a skillet (that has a lid) over medium heat. Add the onion to the skillet and cover the pan and let cook for about 25 minutes. Stir the onions a few times during the cooking process to make sure they are not browning too much. You want them soft and a bit caramelized. When the onions are soft and browned, sprinkle a bit of salt over them. Set aside.
When the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them and mash them until they are soft and smooth. Mix in the milk. Fold the onions with any remaining oil into the potatoes. Season with garlic powder, rosemary, salt and pepper. Taste for any seasoning adjustments. Set the potato filling aside until you are ready to make the blintzes.
To make the blintzes:Take one crepe and lay it on a work surface, cooked side facing you. Add about ¼ cup of the potato and onion filling to the lower third of the crepe.
Fold up the bottom edge of the crepe over the potatoes. Then fold the sides of the crepe in.
Roll up the crepe like you would a burrito until it looks like an envelope.
Lay the blintz on a baking sheet or plate, seam side down.
Repeat until you have made all the blintzes.
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Fry the blintzes, about 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size of your pan, until they are slightly browned and crisp on the outside. Flip them carefully and fry the other side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Continue until all the blintzes are friend. Serve hot with vegan sour cream.
The “V” Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.
- For the crepes
- 2 Tbs. ground flaxseed + ⅓ cup warm water
- 2 cups gluten-free, all-purpose flour mix
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2½-3 cups non-dairy milk
- Cooking Spray
- Potato and Onion Filling
- 6 large red potatoes
- 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. dried rosemary
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- For the Blintzes
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Vegan sour cream
- To make the crepes:
- In a small bowl or mug, mix the flax seed and the warm water until it is a loose paste. Let it sit and thicken for 10 minutes. This acts as a binder.
- In a large bowl, combine the flours and the salt.
- Add 2 ½ cups of milk to the flour and then add the flax gel. Whisk until you have a loose batter. You want it pourable but not too thin, similar to pancake batter. If it is too thick, add more milk or water.
- Let the batter rest for at least 20 minutes.
- When you are ready to make the crepes, prepare enough pieces of parchment paper to place between the crepes.
- Heat a non-stick 9” skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and pour about ⅓ cup of the batter in the center of the skillet and swirl it around until it covers the pan.
- Cover the pan and let the crepe cook for 3 minutes or until the edges brown and you can lift it off the pan with a spatula. You are only going to cook one side of the crepe; the other side will get cooked when you fry the blintzes.
- Transfer the crepe to a plate lined with a piece of parchment paper. Cover the crepe with another piece of parchment paper.
- Repeat until you have used all the batter. Set the crepes aside until you are ready to fill them.
- To make the potato filling:
- Cut the potatoes into even chunks. Put them in a medium-sized saucepan and fill with cold water until it just covers the potatoes.
- Add a pinch of salt, cover the pot and cook over medium-high heat.
- When the water comes to a boil, remove the lid, lower the heat and let the potatoes cook until they are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a skillet (that has a lid) over medium heat.
- Add the onion to the skillet and cover the pan and let cook for about 25 minutes.
- Stir the onions a few times during the cooking process to make sure they are not browning too much. You want them soft and a bit caramelized.
- When the onions are soft and browned, sprinkle a bit of salt over them. Set aside.
- When the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them and mash them until they are soft and smooth.
- Mix in the milk. Fold the onions with any remaining oil into the potatoes.
- Season with garlic powder, rosemary, salt and pepper. Taste for any seasoning adjustments.
- Set the potato filling aside until you are ready to make the blintzes.
- To make the blintzes:
- Take one crepe and lay it on a work surface, cooked side facing you.
- Add about ¼ cup of the potato and onion filling to the lower third of the crepe.
- Fold up the bottom edge of the crepe over the potatoes.
- Then fold the sides of the crepe in.
- Roll up the crepe like you would a burrito until it looks like an envelope.
- Lay the blintz on a baking sheet or plate, seam side down. Repeat until you have made all the blintzes.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Fry the blintzes, about 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size of your pan, until they are slightly browned and crisp on the outside.
- Flip them carefully and fry the other side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Continue until all the blintzes are friend.
- Serve hot with vegan sour cream.
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