Mother’s Day Layered Potato Dish
I got a 1-pound package of plant-based protein made of peas. Since we are close to Mother’s Day, I decided to make a savory cake using this healthy alternative to meat, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and vegetables.
Cut 6-8 large potatoes and sweet potatoes into 1–2-inch chunks.
Use the oven or the microwave to roast them in separate containers until they are soft.
Use your favorite mashed potato recipe to prepare the potatoes or simply mash them with a little bit of salt and pepper and set them aside.
Mince a medium onion, and two garlic cloves.
Toast about 2 teaspoons each of cumin seeds, oregano and smoked paprika powder in a skillet on medium heat until they are fragrant.
Stir in the minced onion and garlic in about a tablespoon of oil. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Then add the pea-based protein and cook it as if it was ground beef: brown it for about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. When everything was browned, I stirred in some chopped roasted red peppers.
I used a spring form to assemble my cake but, you can use any medium size oven proof pan you have with at least 2-inch rim. Spread the sweet potatoes on the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Add a layer of the ground protein on top of the sweet potatoes and spread the mashed potatoes on top in an even layer.
Make flowers out of vegetables to put on top of the mashed potatoes. You can cut flowers out of peppers, pumpkins, or any other vegetable. I used my vegetable peeler to make zucchini roses, sliced up sweet peppers to make flower petals and hollowed out Brussel sprouts. Use your imagination and the vegetables you have available.
Gently brush the result with some oil or butter and roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the flowers are roasted and the cake is heated through.
Serve with a tossed salad for a healthy edible bouquet that anyone would like on Mother’s Day or any other day.
