Recipe: Walnut, Zucchini and Potato Pancakes

These soft potato pancakes, topped with walnuts, will satisfy all of your potato cravings. They deliver the hearty satisfaction you’d expect, combined with healthier ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup onion, diced fine
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons nonfat skim milk or almond milk
• 1 1/4 lb Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced (5 medium-size potatoes)
• 1 cup zucchini, grated on the largest hole of box grater (1 small zucchini)
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

Directions

1. Heat a nonstick sauté pan; add 1 teaspoon olive oil and the onions. Sauté on low heat until the onions are golden and caramelized; remove and set aside.
2. While onions are sautéing, squeeze excess water out of grated zucchini and reserve.
3. In a small bowl, combine whole-wheat flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.
4. In a blender add potatoes and skim milk and blend until pureed. Add in the bowl of dry ingredients and blend until well-mixed.
5. Pour blender ingredients into a large mixing bowl; fold in grated zucchini and sautéed onions.
6. Heat nonstick sauté pan; add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
7. When pan is hot, add quarter cup amounts of potato mixture and spread out to form 4-inch pancakes.
8. Sauté until golden brown on each side. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Try serving with broccoli or a light mixed greens salad.

Ingredient health benefits

• Extra virgin olive oil. Since ancient times, this cooking oil has provided plenty of benefits for plenty of plates. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is flush with fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamin D and vitamin A. It also has unsaturated fats and polyphenols, a type of antioxidant, to promote your heart health and help lower your risk of chronic disease.
• Onions. Solidifying the savoriness of these pancakes, onions are a source of vitamin C and flavonoids that boost your immunity while lowering unwanted inflammation. There’s also a good amount of prebiotics and fiber, which feed the beneficial bacteria that protect your gut and help keep you “regular.”
• Whole grains. An essential food group, whole grains give you plenty of vital nutrients. B vitamins help regulate your metabolism, as well as create and fix DNA. The carbohydrates found in whole grains also come with high-quality plant protein and fiber to keep you fuller for longer. And unsaturated fats help preserve your heart health by raising your HDL (“good”) cholesterol and lowering your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
• Cow’s milk and almond milk. Cow’s milk has vitamins and minerals that support your bones and teeth, like calcium, vitamin K and phosphorus. But that’s not all. Vitamin B12 helps your body make red blood cells to carry oxygen, while potassium plays an important role in regulating your blood pressure. There’s also zinc for immune support! Almond milk, on the other hand, has vitamin E and is lower in calories than its dairy-laden cousin.
• Potatoes. There’s been a lot of mixed messaging around starchy vegetables — especially potatoes. But rest assured, these celebrated spuds have plenty of perks when you eat them in moderation! Potatoes are high in potassium, and like whole grains, they have a bit of plant-based protein and fiber to help fill you up. Your immune cells will also love the vitamin C and vitamin B6, which will help them stay in fighting shape.
• Zucchini. Who doesn’t love a squash with panache? Zucchini has vitamin C and vitamin B6, which work with iron to prevent anemia. There are other B vitamins as well, like B2 (riboflavin) and B9 (folate). And manganese and fiber support your bones and lower your chances of developing chronic disease.
• Walnuts. Chopped or whole, walnuts are packed with omega-3s to fuel every cell in your body. These healthy fats, along with other natural properties, lower your triglyceride and cholesterol levels. There are also free radical-fighting antioxidants like vitamin E, which help keep your skin healthy and other cells in top shape.

Nutrition information (per serving)

Makes 6 servings
Serving = 2 pancakes

Calories: 180
Sugars: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Saturated fat: 1 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 5 g
Carbohydrate: 29 g