Gluten Free Potato Cakes with Garlic Dill Aioli

When I was a kid, we didn’t have much money. My mom has always been an amazing cook, and she can be incredibly creative with the simplest of ingredients. Some of my favorite creations of hers were the potato cakes she’d make with leftover mashed potatoes. She would add flour, egg, and seasonings to create a savory and delicious pancake. They were crispy on the outside, moist and creamy on the inside, full of flavor, and so hearty. Looking back, they were one of the most comforting foods she made for us. Recently, I decided to recreate this childhood favorite as vegan and gluten free.

When I set out to recreate this recipe, I didn’t actually have any mashed potatoes, so the first thing I had to do was make some.

Simple Mashed Potatoes

4 large russet potatoes, washed and chopped

water

1/4 cup Earth Balance or other butter substitute

1/4 cup soy milk (or other milk alternative)

2 tsp garlic powder

sea salt & pepper to taste

To make the mashed potatoes, place your chopped potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and turn heat down to medium, allowing the potatoes to cook until tender, approximately 20-25 minutes. Once the potatoes are cooked, either use a strainer to drain them, or use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot into a large mixing bowl. Add the Earth Balance and soy milk (or other milk alternative) to the potatoes and mix with a hand mixer. You could also mash them by hand, if you don’t have a mixer, or if you’re feeling extra difficult. Once smooth, season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Once you’ve made your mashed potatoes, let them cool until you can touch them without hurting yourself. After they cool, you can continue with the recipe…

 Herbed Potato Cakes

Mashed potatoes

2 flax eggs (each flax egg is 1 tbsp of ground flax seed & 2.5 tbsp water)

3/4 cup gluten-free flour

2 tbsp dried sage

2 tbsp fresh chives

GF flour for coating

Olive Oil for sautéing

For topping, I used my favorite garlic aioli recipe and added fresh dill.  You can find the recipe here.

To make the potato cakes, use a fork to mix the leftover (or fresh) mashed potatoes with the flax eggs, gluten-free flour, and herbs.  You should get a soft doughy consistency.  Heat a skillet over medium and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet.  Next, sprinkle some flour onto a clean flat surface.  Scoop a 1-1/“ to 2” ball of dough into your hands and flatten it into a patty, then gently pat into the flour to get a slight coating on each side of the patty.  Add your patties to the skillet a few at a time, and allow them to cook until golden brown, usually 10 minutes on each side.  If you want your cakes a little crispier, you can bake them in the oven on 375 for a few minutes.  To serve, add a dollop of the dill aioli.  These make a great side dish to my butternut squash soup.  They’re warming and hearty, perfect for this time of year.