Leftover Mashed Potato-Spinach Cakes

Golden and crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, Leftover Mashed Potato-Spinach Cakes make a delicious dish after the holidays, or any time, using leftover mashed potatoes.  I make them every year after Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Enjoy!

Leftover Mashed Potato-Spinach Cakes
Makes 6 cakes

Ingredients:

3 cups leftover mashed potatoes (I use my garlic mashed potato recipe)
2 heaping handfuls of baby spinach - 2-3 cups
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

1 egg, blended
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

Instructions:

1. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft, then add spinach and saute until spinach is wilted.
2. Mix spinach-onion mixture and the egg into bowl of leftover mashed potatoes.
3. Add flour and baking powder, and mix.
4. In the same frying pan used for the spinach-onion mixture, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
5. Drop potato mixture into pan by large spoonful (about 1/2 cup per cake).  Pan fry for 10 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  Flipping these cakes can be a little tricky.  I use two spatulas.
6.  Transfer to a plate.
7. Pan fry remaining potato mixture, adding olive oil to pan as needed.
8. Serve immediately alongside your favorite entree or salad.

Mother's Day and a Favorite Recipe or Two

Today we celebrated Mother's Day over Zoom!
I love today's technology, don't you . . .

My husband made grilled Alaskan king salmon and asparagus for dinner; while I made a favorite recipe - Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  I'm still eating a mostly plant-based vegan diet, but not strictly, and especially on holidays . . .

Garlic Mashed Potatoes is the first recipe I ever made many years ago that became a family favorite; especially with my little sons.  I made the original recipe with dairy sour cream, but this year I replaced the dairy with Tofutti Vegan Sour Cream for a healthier plant-based version that tasted just as good as the original . . .

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 pounds of potatoes (Russets or Yukon Gold)
3/4 cup dairy (or vegan) sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Peel potatoes, cut in half, then gently boil until soft - about 15-20 minutes.
2. While potatoes are cooking, mix together in a large bowl, sour cream, garlic salt, and pepper.
3. After potatoes are cooked, drain in a collander, then add to bowl with sour cream mixture.
4.   Mix until creamy.  I've mixed either by hand with a spoon and a potato masher, or with my KitchenAid Stand Mixer.
5. Potatoes can be served immediately, or put in a baking dish, and kept in a warm oven until ready to serve.

~~~

I also made Vegan Banana Bread over the weekend.  I ran out of organic canola and coconut oil, but substituted with 1/3 cup melted coconut butter.  It was just as delicious . . .

~~~

I cherish memories of the sweet and tender years of childhood; and motherhood.  They will linger in my memory all my life . . .

At home in Juneau, Alaska, 1995.

Children are a blessing and a gift from God.
Psalm 127:3

~~~

I hope you also had a very blessed and happy Mother's Day,
Kim

Vegan Broccoli and Wild Rice Casserole

Happy Fall Y'all!

I had planned to post more often this Fall, but it's been a busy one; including visiting our beautiful new granddaughter in September.

She is so sweet, and we are so thankful!

 Things have settled down for now, so I bring you this creamy vegan casserole recipe that is a satisfying meal served all by itself; or a delicious side dish.
 The French fried onion topping gives it a traditional Green Bean Casserole kind of vibe, so it would be a perfect vegan dish to serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

My husband and I are looking forward to our first vegan Thanksgiving dinner at the ChocolaTree Restaurant in beautiful Sedona, Arizona.  This will be the first year in many, that I haven't cooked a traditional Thanksgiving dinner!  Also, I've added the Happy Cow vegan restaurant guide link to my sidebar.  This is a very helpful website for Vegan travellers.

Wishing you and yours a very happy and peaceful Thanksgiving,
Kim


Vegan Broccoli and Wild Rice Casserole
Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked wild & long grain rice blend
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, par-cooked
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
8 oz. white mushrooms, de-stemmed and sliced
2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup French fried onions

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pre-cook the wild rice blend and broccoli, set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, cook onions and carrots in oil until tender.
4. Add mushrooms to the sauteed vegetables, then sprinkle with flour, and cook for about a minute.
5. Add broth, and bring to a boil.
6. Add the cooked rice and almond milk to the mixture, stirring to combine.  Cook until it thickens, then season with salt and pepper.
7. Pour into baking dish, then press individual broccoli crowns on top.
8. Top with French fried onions.
9. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.  It will continue to set as it cools.

Happy Trails, Happy Cow

My husband and I are celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas in the desert this year with our sons, and extended family.  But before we leave, I thought I'd share the Happy Cow website with you.  I think it's the best resource for locating great vegetarian-friendly restaurants, and health food stores.  I use it whenever we travel.

I plan to continue blogging while I'm away from Alaska, so check back again for more notes and recipes from One Tiny Kitchen, and have a very happy and warm holiday season.

Kim

~~~

What greater blessing to give thanks for at a family gathering than the family, and the gathering.
~ Robert Brault

Lemon Cranberry Bread

A favorite Christmastime bread recipe, it is soft, sweet, and delicious.
This recipe makes two regular-size loaves or four mini-loaves.

Lemon Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tbsp. lemon juice
4 eggs
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 cups dried cranberries

Glaze:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Mix butter, sugar, and lemon juice.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, and milk.
4. Add cranberries.
5. Pour into greased loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
6. Cool for 10 minutes, then with a toothpick, poke holes in each loaf.
7. For glaze, combine sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved.  Spoon glaze over loaves.
8. Cool completely before serving.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Don't forget to save your pumpkin seeds after you carve your jack-o-lantern!  They're delicious toasted, and make a great little snack.
Happy Halloween!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

~ After carving your pumpkin, lay the seeds in a skillet to dry. Don't worry about washing the pumpkin off the seeds, leave it on to dry for more pumpkin flavor.

~ Let seeds dry for several hours, or overnight.

~ Place 2 tablespoons of butter in skillet with dried seeds, and toast over medium heat until nicely browned, stirring frequently.  This does not take long, about 5 - 10 minutes.

~ Season to taste with sea salt.  And if you like your pumpkin seeds spicy hot, add a little cayenne pepper.

Pumpkin Crumble Cake

Pumpkin Crumble Cake is a delicious fall dessert recipe; and a great alternative to pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Crumble Cake
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, softened

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 8"x8" pan.
2. Reserve 1 cup of cake mix.
3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining dry cake mix with 1 beaten egg and 1/2 cup melted butter.  Mix well, then pat into prepared pan to form crust.
4. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.
5. Pour over crust.
6. Combine reserved 1 cup cake mix, 1/2 cup sugar, and 4 Tbsp. softened butter.
7. Crumble over pumpkin filling.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until firm.

Note:  The topping mixture at Step 6 will not seem very crumbly after mixing it together, but it will transform into a soft, but crumbly topping after it's cooked.

Barbecued King Salmon

On Sunday we celebrated Father's Day with our two younger sons who are home from college for the summer, and our eldest son who joined us by phone from Minnesota.
 Our middle son prepared barbecued king salmon for dinner.

He seasoned it with lemon pepper, garlic powder, onion granules, dill weed, chipotle chile powder, and lemon juice; topped it with onion and lemon slices, and placed it on the grill for 10-15 minutes.

It was delicious!

We also had garlic mashed potatoes, lemon-garlic broccoli, homemade bread, and warm berry cobbler with whipped cream for dessert.

It was a great time, and a great dinner, for a great Dad!