Mashed Potato Quinoa Puffs with Sriracha Mayo

Who said you couldn’t eat mashed potatoes with your hands?

Photos by Leah Lizarondo
 

Fiddling with mashed potatoes sounds like a Rube Goldberg exercise, but, dear reader, to come up with a way to liberate it from the confines of a table and fork setting, to be enjoyed wherever we please – this is a necessary complication.

I’m not sure I need to say much more than that. What part of “Mashed Potato Quinoa Puffs” did you not understand? Oh — the quinoa part. And those flecks of green stuff in the picture? What's that all about? Whelp, we're in The Brazen Kitchen, after all. Here, we like to sneak in healthy additions to make treats work for us a little.

Sure, you can omit the quinoa and the greens. But guess what? The quinoa and greens make this a stellar and quite fortifying meal in itself. The quinoa adds fiber and protein, and the greens add a load of nutrients. All this in a neat nugget, ready to be dipped in Sriracha mayo!

So go ahead, make this recipe and then sit back and enjoy your favorite side’s newfound portability.

Now sing it with me: When I dip, you dip, we dip!

  Mashed Potato Quinoa Puffs

Ingredients

• 1 lb. potatoes
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 cups very finely chopped greens such as lacinato kale, swiss chard or spinach
• 1-3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil or Earth Balance Soy-Free Spread
• ¼ cup almond milk or rice milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.     Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2.     Cut the potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Steam or boil until soft. Drain.
3.     Mash the potatoes well or put it through a ricer.
4.     Once the lumps are gone, add all the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5.     Using a tablespoon, form into 1 inch balls or using two tablespoons, form the into rough “quenelles” or oblong discs.
6.     Drop into parchment lined cookie sheet.
7.     Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the puffs and bake for another 15 minutes.

Note: For some “extra fancy” you can:
1.     Form more perfect quenelles. Learn here.
2.    Form into balls and roll in seasoned cornmeal and spray with olive oil before baking.

Sriracha Mayo
1.     Mix Sriracha and mayo to your desired spice level.
2.    Kick up with some catsup and lemon juice.