Potato Kale Cakes with Smokey Cashew Cream Sauce
I’m not going to lie, the inspiration for these potato cakes was the sole purpose of wanting a vehicle to serve with our favorite smokey cashew cream sauce. We love this simple sauce and had all the ingredients on hand to whip it up. Besides, the farm is still producing kale (which is more flavorful than ever after a few hard frosts) and our barn is stocked to the brim with storage potatoes which made whipping these patties up pretty darn easy. Honestly, these little cakes are a wonderful side dish to keep in your back pocket this time of the year. And heck, these tasty bites can become a complete meal if you top them with a few fried eggs and serve with a simple salad. This is one of those recipes that’s easy to prepare but can wow everyone at the table because they’re absolutely delicious.
Happy cooking everyone!
Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm.
Potato Kale Cakes With Smokey Cashew Cream Sauce
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Serves: 10 cakes
Smokey Cashew Cream Sauce- 1 cup raw cashews-soaked in warm water for at least 30 minutes (optional--but will lend a smoother consistency)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika, more or less depending on preference
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper + more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 cup water + additional to thin if necessary
- 1 1/2 pounds unpeeled russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
- salt
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- hefty pinch of salt and ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 bunch of kale (about 2 cups) coarsely chopped
- hefty pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons cooking fat (bacon grease or a high heat oil such as grapeseed or peanut oil), divided
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 300F.
- Make the smokey cashew sauce by draining the cashews (if you pre-soaked them) and placing them in a high speed blender along with the rest of the ingredients and blending on high until completely smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes. Taste for seasonings, adjust if necessary and then set aside.
- Place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes well and then return to the pot. Heat the potatoes over medium heat for about 1 minute to dry out (this will help hold them together when frying). Mash the potatoes with a potato masher and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together the almond flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, lightly beaten eggs and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Keep to the side.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the kale and a hefty pinch of salt. Cook, tossing often, until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the kale from the heat and stir into the wet mixture. Add the potatoes and mix until everything is well combined.
- Shape the potato/kale mixture by 1/4 cupfuls into 1/2 inch thick patties and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Heat the same skillet that you sautéed the kale in over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of your cooking fat of choice. Add the cakes and cook for about 3-4 minutes (or until crispy) carefully flip (the cakes can be delicate so be careful here) and then cook for about 2-3 minutes on the second side.
- Place cooked patties on the rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining batter and cooking fat.
- Serve the cakes with the smokey cashew sauce and enjoy!
Notes
*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Store extra cashew sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days
Rather than frying the patties, have you tried baking them?
I have not as I prefer the crispiness of pan frying. However, I’m sure these would work just fine baked. Have fun with the recipe. It’s forgiving!
Would you only suggest using russet potatoes?
Russet potatoes work well here because they’re starchy and hold their shape well. I’m sure another potato will work but with different results. Let me know if you try these!
I just made these with Yukon Golds and it came out pretty good!
Awesome! Glad to hear. Happy cooking!
I tried this recipe and it turned out amazing! We got paprika from Spain so I used it in this and it ended up being really intense, I think I will use 1/2 tsp next time. Just wanted to let you know this recipe starts with “Preheat the oven” so you could edit it if you wanted:)
So happy you loved it. And yes, you do preheat the oven to start this recipe off. It’s to keep the potato cakes that are cooked warm until you’re ready to serve. Thanks for cooking along!
I made these the other day and they we AMAZING! The cashew sauce was beyond easy to make and is now our new favorite condiment! I used some of the left over cashew cream to make a coleslaw, just added a bit of ACV to it and a touch of honey to sweeten, with kale, carrot and onion- so good.
Great rec on using bacon grease to fry them in the pan, an awesome addition of flavor. Thanks for the amazing recipe and can’t wait to make these again!
so happy to hear!