These little cakes are made with leftover parsnip purée – like crab cakes but with parsnips. I don't go out of my way to make them, just when I have leftover purée. It's a wonderful way to create something new out of leftovers, and even my picky eater gives them a thumbs up. You might want to save this idea in your recipe app and tag it as a "leftover idea" to remind you of what is possible with a little bit of leftovers. You can also do this with leftover carrot or potato purées — or make some leftovers on purpose!
All you need to do is add an egg and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and fry them in a pan. You'll find some more ideas after the recipe.
At least about 1 1/2 cups of leftover parsnip purée
1 egg
Some breadcrumbs
Optional:
Add an egg to the leftover purée
Add some breadcrumbs. How much depends on the amount of purée. I add about 3 tbsp breadcrumbs to 2 cups of purée — just enough to bind the ingredients but not so much to make them dense and "bready."
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is warm, form some of the purée into a patty and add it to the pan. Continue until you've used up all of the purée.
Cook the patties until they're brown on both sides and set them on a serving plate or baking tray lined with a paper towel to drain.
Because the parsnip cakes are mostly parsnip, they're very moist and can easily fall apart. To keep them intact, use a spatula to gently flip them and remove them from the pan. If they break apart a bit, you can easily push them back together. Remember, it's nothing fancy, it's just a good family dinner.
You can also add some fresh herbs like parsley, chives, thyme, or some sautéed onion, or a clove of garlic.
Parsnip cakes with parsley
Carrot cakes with leftover carrot purée and a bit of leftover roasted red bell peppers — which always come in handy!
