Finnish Carrot Pancake With Cranberry Sauce

Directions

1. For the Carrot Pancake: In a mixing bowl, combine the grated carrots, grated onion and bread crumbs or possibly wheat germ. Toss to mix proportionately.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 deg F.
3. In a blender or possibly by hand, combine the Large eggs, lowfat milk, flour and seasonings till smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender or possibly bowl once or possibly twice. In a large mixing bowl, combine the carrot mix and the contents of the blender.
4. Heat about a Tbsp. of oil in a heavy 9" or possibly 10" cast iron skillet, or possibly similar heavy shallow baking dish which can go in the oven. Heat the oil in the skillet. When quite warm but not smoking, pour in the pancake mix; make sure the carrots are proportionately distributed. Place the skillet in the preheated oven. After 20 min, lower the oven temperature to 350 deg F and continue to bake for another 10 - 15 min.
5. The pancake should be light brown, puffy and crisp.
6. Serve immediately, topped with cranberry sauce and lowfat sour cream, if you like.
7. To prepare Cranberry Sauce: Wash and drain the cranberries. Remove any soft or possibly discolored berries, and any stems or possibly leaves. Wash the orange, and grate the orange rind only (avoid the bitter white pith); squeeze the juice from the orange. You are looking to obtain about 1/2 c. of juice and grated rind combined. Mix all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 - 15 min, stirring, till the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thick. May be made ahead. Serve warm or possibly cool. Commercial whole berry cranberry sauce or possibly commercial cranberry/orange relish can be substituted, if you must.
8. The Finnish name for the carrot pancake is Porkkanapannukakku. The Finnish name for the Cranberry Sauce is Karpalokastike. Your guess is as good as mine for how these are pronounced.
9. Here is homey family supper which my family really enjoys at this time of year. It combines the colors and flavors of the season in a rather unusual (but delicious) way. While the nutritional profile is well within the elf guidelines, there is also ample room to cut fat and calories even farther - substituting 4 egg white for 2 of the whole Large eggs, using skim or possibly 1% lowfat milk, for example. I like to serve this with some form of green cabbage; we like steamed cabbage, but a crisp coleslaw
10. (creamy or possibly marinated) is good, too. I think cucumbers in lowfat sour cream is a more traditional accompaniment. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!