Cooking Light Late Autumn Harvest Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa

Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa

Once Thanksgiving has come and gone it is time to switch gears and bring out the warm sweaters, start a fire and begin to browse through my trusted cookbooks for comforting dishes to ward off any chill in the air. Living in Canada cold weather is an inevitable and unavoidable part of winter. Since I won't be moving to the Bahamas any time soon I have to think of ways to keep warm during the cold winter months and food usually plays a huge role.


We are so glad you have joined us once again for our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. This is a monthly event where 5 ladies and one gent in two neighbouring countries, Canada and the United States, get together to create a delicious meal with a theme in mind. We are now in our second year and continue to share a love for Cooking Light magazine which has an emphasis on healthy eating and living. This is a team effort where we combine what Cooking Light readers like best...good food with great company!!! Every month millions of readers turn to Cooking Light for recipes, advice on nutrition and fitness. This months theme to celebrate the harvest is hosted by Roz of La Bella Vita. Welcome to our kitchens!!!If you would like to join in add your light recipe that fits the theme into the Linky below.

With the shorter days comes the longing for comfort foods. When sick, or tired, or far from home, everyone seems to yearn for the gastronomic equivalent of a warm sweater, a kiss on the forehead, or a favourite blanket. Comfort foods nourish the soul as well as our bodies and tend to be familiar foods that remind us of simpler times or of a contented childhood. The best medicine when the weather turns is undeniably some delicious comfort food. Just like the pending season your senses can be awakened with anything from a caramelized squash soup to a large bowl of comfortable macaroni and cheese. It is not uncommon for my home to be filled with warm, fragrant and earthy aromas of a slow cooked roast or bubbling crock pot.

Let's see what our group has been up to.......

Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen brings along a delectable side of Warm White Beans with Roasted Fennel.

Sandi of The Whistlestop Cafe  wows us with a comforting Roasted Acorn Squash with Cornbread Dressing. 

For me one of the biggest comfort foods of the season are potatoes and their relatives. I also brought a side of  Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa. While I am still craving sun-ripened tomatoes, I find a myriad of squash, pumpkins and apples overflowing from market baskets instead. These mildly spiced latkes are the perfect way to highlight the season with a crisp apple salsa and a rich, buttery potato and butternut squash latke. What could be more perfect for the season!

Roz of La Bella Vita  brings the "piece de resistance with Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cranberry Sauce.

Jerry of Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants ends our meal on a sweet and delicious tone with Harvest Pear Cake with Pine Nuts.

On to the recipe....

**Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple Salsa**

1 1/2 cups finely chopped Gala apple
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 finely chopped seeded serrano chile
5 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided (I used parsley since I am a hater)
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3 cups shredded peeled butternut squash (about 3/4 pound)
3 cups shredded peeled baking potato (about 3/4 pound)
1 cup grated onion
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1. Combine apple and lime juice in a bowl; toss. Add onion, chile, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; toss. Cover and chill.

2. Combine squash, potato, and onion in a colander; drain 30 minutes, pressing occasionally with the back of a spoon until barely moist. Combine potato mixture, remaining 4 tablespoons cilantro, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour, and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; toss well.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Spoon 1/4 cup potato mixture loosely into a dry measuring cup. Pour mixture into pan; flatten slightly. Repeat procedure 4 times to form 5 latkes. Sauté 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Remove latkes from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure twice with remaining oil and potato mixture to yield 14 latkes total. Serve with salsa.

David Bonom, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2010

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