Spunky Spud Cakes! GF, BED & V Opt’n!

Here we are at the end of June! Where has this month gone?

super crunchy outside!

Well…I guess it’s been pretty eventful — from myprocedure, to the fire at our lake home, to my Bro and his wife moving to Cincy — I’d say it was a jam-packed month! And now, we’re getting ready to head back up to Wisconsin for our Fourth of July family reunion! (We’ll be staying at a rented lake home, courtesy of our insurance! Thanks State Farm!)

so flavorful!

So — that leaves me with a nearly-empty fridge …. hmmmm …. a few sprigs of basil, a bit of broccoli, frozen peas, and red skinned potatoes.

It sounds like a night for Potato Pancakes with Broccoli and Pea Pesto!

what a meal!

Potato pancakes that are crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and topped with a creamy and luxurious sauce! And they’re gluten-free and Body Ecology Diet friendly with a Vegan Option!

chewy shiitake mushrooms!

But wait — How are Red Skinned Potatoes on the Body Ecology Diet? That’s a ZERO sugar diet; and starchy veggies — ie: potatoes — are strictly prohibited! Welllll, it just so happens that Red Skinned Potatoes are the ONLY potato allowed on the BED because they have less sugar than their white and orange potato cousins, and therefore, don’t feed the yeast! (pg 52) Yippee!

yummmmm!

Here’s what you need: (Serves 4)

6 organic red skinned potatoes, grated
1/4 onion, minced
3 egg whites (Vegan option: 2 flax/chia eggs)
1/4 cup almond flour
salt and pepper

Sauce:
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
2 garlic cloves
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/3 – 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup basil
salt
1 tsp EVOO

5 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
green onions, sliced

Toast your pine nuts and steam your broccoli for about 5 minutes until bright green and tender. Rinse under cold water & drain. Add it to your food processor along with the other sauce ingredients. Puree until fabulously thick and creamy, scraping down the sides twice. Meanwhile, quickly saute your mushrooms until tender. Set aside.

Grate your potatoes on a box grater. Then, put them in a clean kitchen towel and wring out all the excess water. Put your potato, onions, eggs, almond flour, salt and pepper into a medium bowl and mix until well combined.

Heat a big frying pan and add 1 tsp EVOO. Place 1/3 cup scoops of the potato mixture in the pan and cook for 4 minutes per side, until golden brown.

mmm mmm mmm!

To assemble, dollop each potato pancake with about 2 Tbsp of the puree, and garnish with some mushroom slices and green onions.

gluten-free and Body Ecology Diet friendly!

With these pancakes, I served Lobsta Bakes’ wild, ocean-caught cod. So sweet and succulent! I broiled it with 1 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, and fresh dill. SO good.

luxurious broccoli and green pea sauce!

This meal was outrageous! The potato pancakes were crunchy on the outside, and chewy on the inside — just perfect! And the thick and creamy sauce complimented that *crunch* brilliantly! It was fresh and bright from the basil and lemon, and luxuriously rich from the pine nuts!

Spunky Spud Pancakes!

And what made it even more special, is that one of our dear family friends swung by our house when we were having dinner, and there was extra, so she had some with us!

That’s the best part about cooking — you get to share it with family and friends:)

What are you looking forward to in July?

Wish me luck on the 12 hour car ride!

See ya tomorrow!

Need a box grater, or a food processor? Here are the ones I use: