Croquettes! What are croquettes? They are the sophisticated grown up version of what we might think of as "tater tots". These versatile little bites can be made in countless variations, with meat and without. Filled with yummy goodness, they can be baked or fried to fit your dietary or cooking constraints. And best of all - they give you something to do with leftover cooked vegetables besides making soup! In the recipe that follows I will give you some alternate ingredients as well as some additional ideas to include in your repertoire. While this recipe is not vegan, as it calls for butter and eggs - you could experiment with the vegan alternatives to these ingredients.
Here's what you need in the basic form:
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 1/2 cups of mashed potatoes (or mashed sweet potatoes, or mashed cauliflower)
- 1 cup of mashed vegetables (can include: carrots, spinach, broccoli, peas)
- 1 small onion, chopped fine or minced
- 1 large egg, beaten
- flour for dredging
- breadcrumbs or panko for coating
- oil, if you are frying (different types of oil can affect the flavor - canola is a good choice if you don't want the flavor to influence the flavors in the croquette).
- Salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter and mix it with the potatoes, onion and vegetables along with the salt and pepper. Chill the mixture for a few minutes so that you can easily shape it into 2 inch log or sausage shapes. Roll each croquette in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs.
You can deep fry them until golden brown in a skillet. Or you can put them on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes (turning them at the halfway point) until golden brown.
Variations:
- Add 1/4 cup of cheese (bleu cheese or cheddar or asiago/parmesan/romano or feta)
- If you add feta, it goes particularly well with spinach in your vegetable mix
- If you have asparagus in your vegetable mix, add 2 tablespoons of spicy mustard
- Minced garlic or roasted garlic mashed into the vegetable mixture is always a nice addition
- Using different breadcrumbs can be a nice way to alter your recipe, for example crushing stale potato chips to use as breadcrumbs (just remember to cut back on the salt in your recipe if you do this).
- Add lemon grass and red chili flakes and fry in coconut oil for a Thai influenced version
- Curry adds an exotic touch, especially with carrots and cauliflower
- Serve your croquettes with a variety of "dipping sauces" for a buffet - salad dressing or greek tzatziki can work for this - use your imagination
Enjoy your Meatless Monday and Bon Apetit! Comments? Questions? Story information, product to review or breaking news? Please contact Natalia Corres at Natalia@bakwep.com.
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