Now that the fall season has finally arrived, it’s time to start cooking with seasonal ingredients that are richer in color and warmer in flavor. One of my favorite dishes to make in the fall is Potato Pancakes, served with applesauce and sour cream, just like my Grandma used to make.
I recently got a KitchenAid® Juicer and Sauce Attachment for my Stand Mixer and decided to do a twist on this traditional family recipe by making Homemade Applesauce and making the pancakes out of zucchini and sweet potatoes to add some healthy color and fall flavors to the dish. I used my KitchenAid® Stainless Steel 3-Quart Saucepan, which was perfect for cooking the applesauce in, and a fantastic KitchenAid® Copper Core 12″ Nonstick Skillet, great for cooking the pancakes with it’s large base and even, quick heat distribution.
Homemade Applesauce:
To make the Homemade Applesauce, I started out by peeling and quartering about 6 large apples and sprinkling a little lemon juice on them to keep them from browning too quickly. I also got my cinnamon, nutmeg and honey ingredients ready and put together the Juicer and Sauce Attachment for my Stand Mixer.
I turned my Stand Mixer on speed 10 and inserted the apples into the juicer chute a few at a time, with the pulp chute closed.
As the apples were processing, the juice was separated into the pitcher under the juice spout and the pulp was captured inside the mesh basket inside the sauce attachment.
I simply removed the mesh basket from the attachment to scoop out the apple pulp into a large saucepan, and added a little bit of the apple juice along with some cinnamon, nutmeg and honey into the pan with the apple pulp.
Then I cooked the applesauce mixture down over medium-low heat until the sauce thickened, and set it aside while I prepared my pancakes.
Zucchini Sweet Potato Cakes:
I started out by peeling and grating the sweet potatoes with a large box grater in to a large mixing bowl.
Then I grated a few zucchini and let them drain in a colander in the sink, squeezing with a kitchen towel to release the extra water. Then I minced up an onion and added both to the grated sweet potato.
I mixed in a couple whipped eggs and combined the mixture well.
While I heated up some coconut oil in my large frying pan, I added some flour to bind the mixture and started making the pancakes by scooping out heaping 1/4 cup mounds into the heated pan and pressing down on them slightly with a spatula to flatten.
I cooked the pancakes for about 3 minutes on each side until they were golden brown, cooking them in several batches and adding a tablespoon of oil to the pan for each new batch. Once they were done, I placed the pancakes on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil, and continued cooking more batches until all the veggie mixture was gone.
For serving, I topped them with some fresh sea salt and cracked black pepper, a dash of extra cinnamon, dollops of sour cream with chives, some fresh parsley and the warm Homemade Applesauce.
Delicious! And just like Gram used to make, only better.
Homemade Applesauce
INGREDIENTS
6 large apples, cored, peeled and quartered (Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji)
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
4-5 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup apple juice from processor
DIRECTIONS
Start out by peeling and quartering about 6 large apples and sprinkling a little lemon juice on them to keep them from browning too quickly, Prep and measure out cinnamon, nutmeg and honey ingredients.
Insert the KitchenAid® Juicer and Sauce Attachment in your Stand Mixer, inserting the medium sized mesh basket to make the sauce. Turn Stand Mixer on speed 10 and insert the apples into the juicer chute a few at a time, with the pulp chute closed.
As the apples are processing, the juice will separate into the pitcher under the juice spout and the pulp will be captured in the mesh basket inside the sauce attachment.
Turn off the Stand Mixer and remove the mesh basket from the attachment. Scoop out the apple pulp into your KitchenAid® Stainless Steel 3-Quart Saucepan, and add the strained apple juice along with cinnamon, nutmeg and honey into the pan with the pulp.
Cook the applesauce mixture down over medium-low heat until the sauce thickened, stirring occasionally. Cover and keep warm while preparing the Zucchini Sweet Potato pancakes.
Zucchini & Sweet Potato Pancakes
Makes 6 servings (about 20 small or 12 medium-large pancakes)
INGREDIENTS
3 zucchini, grated
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
1/2 large sweet onion, diced fine
4 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
Sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
3 eggs
1 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1 cup sour cream
Handful of fresh chives, minced
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Dash of cinnamon, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Peel and grate the sweet potatoes with a box grater in to a large mixing bowl.
Grate the zucchini and let them drain in a colander in the sink, squeezing in a kitchen towel to release the extra water. Mince the onion and add both to the sweet potato in the mixing bowl.
Beat the eggs, and add to the veggie mixture, stirring well. Mix in flour and combine well.
Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in your KitchenAid® Copper Core 12″ Nonstick Skillet, and start making the pancakes by scooping out 1/4 cup mounds into the heated pan. Flatten cakes a little bit with the spatula.
Cook the pancakes for about 3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown, cooking them in several batches until all the zucchini-sweet potato mixture is gone. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan each time you cook a new batch, and place the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.
For serving, top with some fresh sea salt and cracked black pepper, a dash of extra cinnamon, dollops of sour cream with minced chives, fresh parsley and the warm Homemade Applesauce.
*The Contributor of this post has been compensated by KitchenAid for this post, but this post represents the Contributor’s own opinion.*
