Recipe: Veggie Potato Cakes by Jennah Jensen

Getting your children to eat their veggies can be difficult to say the least but maybe, just maybe, a delicious potato cake reminiscent of hash browns will make it just a tad bit easier! Grab-and-go friendly, these potato cakes are perfect for school lunches or an after school snack. Use them as a side at dinner or just because! They’re hearty and healthy and made using predominantly whole plant foods. Thanks to the rice acting as a unique binder, they’re naturally gluten-free too! In this recipe, the potatoes and rice add quite a bit of substance for energetic play while still sneaking in some vegetables for that healthy lifestyle encouragement! If you’re in the later season of transitioning from milk to solids, these could be a great snack for developing a diversified palate. Although many models and cultures encourage responsible amounts of seasoning during this phase, feel free to lessen or omit the seasonings altogether depending upon your preference and what you feel is best for your baby. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Makes about 20 potato cakes.

 Ingredients:

• 2 packed cups of golden potatoes, mashed

• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

• 1 cup broccoli florets, minced

• 1 cup carrot, grated

• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

• 2 tablespoons oil

• you will also need parchment paper

   Cooking Method:

• Start by rough chopping the potatoes and boiling until fully cooked and fork tender. For convenience I like to leave the skins on! Next cook rice according to package instructions or use 1/2 cup brown rice to 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and let cook without stirring until the water is fully absorbed. Once the potatoes are done, drain and thoroughly mash. Add potatoes and cooked rice to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

• While potatoes and rice are cooking, grate the carrots and mince the broccoli, leaving out any chunky stems. To prevent too much moisture in the potato mix, dry sauté the veggies (meaning without oil or water) in a non-stick pan preheated to medium-low heat. The key to dry sautéing is to use lower heat in a non-stick pan and continuously stir throughout the entire sautéing process. This allows the natural liquid from the veggies to release, while also keeping the temperature low enough not to burn. It’s much easier than it sounds, I promise! Sauté veggie mix until a good bit of the moisture has evaporated and the broccoli has achieved a vibrant green color.

• Add sautéed veggies to the mixing bowl along with all other ingredients. Stir well to combine.

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. or about 180 C.

• Using clean hands (hopefully some little helper hands too!) take about 2-3 tablespoons worth of mixture and roll into a ball, then slightly flatten out with your fingers to create a patty.

• Place formed potato cakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 F./180 C. on the middle rack for about 15-17 minutes. Flip then bake for another 15 minutes on the opposite side. Let cool until warm and enjoy plain or with your child’s favorite dipping sauce, ketchup pairs great!

Jennah Jensen is a vegan, blogger and recipe extraordinaire! You can follow along her adventures, find her recipes and be inspired by her musings here and follow along on Instagram @jennahjensen