Easy (Grain Free) Root Vegetable Pancakes

I am a simple cook. Before I got sick, I almost never cooked at all. As an overworked Washington, D.C. career woman, I subsisted for over a decade on a steady diet of skim milk lattés,  Mr. Chen’s organic Chinese takeout and Annie’s organic, boxed macaroni and cheese mixed with a can of dolphin-safe tuna and a half bag of frozen, organic peas.

My greener version of the SAD diet.

Today, my family’s health and allergies require that we eat a grain-and dairy-free, whole food diet. But the combination of my lack of experience in the kitchen, and my schedule as a busy mom and caregiver means I am, well… a simple cook. 

As you can see from my recipe selection, our favorite day-to-day dishes tend to be easy to prepare (often in one big skillet!), and are usually made from simple, basic, in-season ingredients. Consequently, root veggie pancakes are a staple of our diet, and I make them a few times a week.

I think there’s nothing like a fried, shredded vegetable pancake to fill you up and bring you comfort. This recipe definitely fits the bill—without grains, gluten, dairy or nuts. You can make these pancakes with potatoes for a traditional latke, or use shredded turnips, rutabaga, celery root, parsnips, sweet potato, yam, or even butternut squash for a more nutritious, GAPS-legal and Paleo-friendly variation.

If you are on the GAPS or anti-candida diet, these pancakes are a great way to make sure you’re getting enough carbs without consuming the grains or fruit sugars that make your health issues worse.

After you make these a couple of times, you will quickly memorize the ratio of shredded root veggie to onion to egg, and you’ll find the seasonings you like best, too. Then it will be easy to whip up some pancakes any time, with whatever root veggies you have on hand, without a recipe.

Easy Root Vegetable Pancake Recipe

Makes 10-12 pancakes

Tools

• Food processor with shredder attachment or Box grater
• Nut milk bag, cheesecloth or fine sieve
• 10″ or 12″ skillet

Ingredients

• 5 medium sized potatoes OR 4-5 small turnips OR 2-3 rutabagas/celery roots (about 10 cups of shredded root vegetables)
• 1/2 to 1 medium onion, to taste
• 2 pasture raised eggs, beaten
• Sea salt
• Other seasonings, to taste (parsley, garlic, chives, chile powder, cumin, etc.)
• 4 Tbsp. coconut oil, butter, schmaltz or pastured lard (where to find online)

Directions

1. If you are using rutabaga, celery root or butternut squash, peel them before grating.
2. In the food processor, grate/shred the root veggies and the onion together for a total of about 10 cups of shreds. (You can obviously use a box grater for this, but I think it’s exhausting and time consuming.)
3. Use your hands to put all the freshly shredded veggies into a nut milk bag, bundle of cheesecloth or fine sieve. (I find the nut milk bag easiest.)
4. Squeeze as much water out of the veggies as you can so the shreds are as dry as possible.
5. Place the dried shreds into a bowl and add 2 beaten eggs, salt and seasonings.
6. Mix thoroughly with your hands to separate and coat all the shreds in the egg.
7. Heat a skillet to medium heat and melt about 1/8 inch of coconut oil, butter, schmaltz (chicken fat) or lard into it.
8. With your fingers, grab a small “nest” of shredded veggies and place it onto the hot, oiled skillet. You should be able to fit at least four “nests” onto the skillet. Press them flat into pancakes with your spatula.
9. Cook till golden brown, then flip and cook the other side.
10. Keep finished pancakes in a warm oven until you are ready to serve them.
11. These pancakes go great with yogurt, sour cream or homemade applesauce, and they also freeze and reheat well too.

_{Shared with Seasonal Celebration Sunday, Sunday School, Mix it Up Mondays, Natural Living Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Better Mom Mondays, Homestead Barn Hop, Gluten Free Mondays, Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Tasteful Tuesdays, Titus 2sdays, Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays, Living Green Link Up, The Family Table, Hearth & Soul Hop, Frugal Tuesday Tip, Titus 2 Tuesday, Teach Me Tuesdays, Kids in the Kitchen, Backyard Farming Connection, Tasty Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesdays, Tutorial Tuesday, The Gathering Spot, Tiny Tuesday Tip, Whole Food Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Wildcrafting Wednesdays, Party Wave Wednesdays, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Women Living Well, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, The Mommy Club, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Creative @ Home, Wicked Good Wednesdays, Adorned from Above, Wicked Awesome Wednesdays, Homemaking Linkup, Creative Juice, Keep it Real, Natural Living Linkup, Your Green Resource, Simple Lives Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Tastetastic Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Tasty Traditions, Gluten Free Fridays, Fight Back Fridays, Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Farm Girl Friday, Foodie Friday!}