#SundaySupper Irish Parsnip Cakes

Let’s be honest, Sunday is now the BEST day ever! I mean honestly, you get all these great recipes from lots of bloggers! I simply can’t wait for #SundaySupper every week! This week is Heritage week. I thought long and hard because I’m a mixture of many different cultures so I feel blessed to have many options to choose from.

Being Irish, one of my favorites holidays is St Patrick’s Day and I go all out every year. I love to celebrate the leprechaun and fairys and have fun looking for the pot of gold. Matter-a-fact, we did a “gold” hunt for my son this year which was a number game (teaching him numbers) to find the pot of gold, which was really a green clover box filled with coins and three-leaf clover gems but hey, it works! I usually make an Irish dinner as well. Sometimes its beef stew and Irish bread, sometimes corned beef and cabbage. Whatever it may be, never forget the Guinness! Maybe I like this holiday because of the magic that could possibly occur or the mystery of the unknown or the potential luck I really want to have, I don’t know. I do know this – talk to your fairy’s. They will make your garden grow. Be kind to the Earth and she will reward you back as well.

Back to my good ole’ Irish recipe search. I decided on parsnip cakes because I love the taste of parsnips. Plus, how many people really cook with parsnips? Do you? You should! As I peeled the layers away, I could smell the sharpness of the parsnip with its nutty sweetness and I loved it. It’s one of those good scents when you think you already cooked something but nothing is really there! I combined this beauty with its close friend, the carrot, for color and contrast. Added a few spices and herbs and my cakes were gone faster than the leprechaun could run!

Ingredients:

2 parsnips: peeled, diced
1 cup carrots: peeled, diced
1 teaspoon honey
1 Tbs parsley
1 egg
1 Tbs Parmesan cheese: shredded
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Did you know that root vegetables, such as the parsnips, were popular before the popular in Ireland? Potatoes didn’t originate to Ireland until the 1700’s where parsnips were popular in the 1600s!

Recipe:

1. Combine parsnip and carrots into a saucepan and boil for 8 minutes until tender.

2. Drain and mash in a bowl.

3. Add parsley, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, honey salt and pepper.

4. Whisk an egg in a separate bowl then combine it with parsnip and carrot mixture. Stir to combine.

5. Heat oil in pan until oil is hot and starts to shimmer. (This indicates you are ready to fry!)

6. Use two spoons or an ice cream scooper to shape out sizes of cakes and drop into pan.

7. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side.

8. Serve with more Parmesan cheese and/or garnish with Parsley.

As I have mentioned before, my husband likes to look at my food and tease me by saying, “That looks too healthy to eat.” He always takes a bite, he more than always wants more but this time, the most surprising thing happened. My parsnip cakes were gone before lunch! An abnormal day, my mom and sister came over for a quick visit and my husband was coming home at noon (RARE!). I was in the kitchen when I just placed them on a plate and was soaking up any extra oil with paper towels. Mom said, “Mmmm, whatcha cooking?” As I replied, parsnip cakes, I received the EEEWWW look. So I asked, “Have you ever had a parsnip?” She just looked at me like “oh no, what did I walk in on?” When I showed her the plate of the cakes and shoved a fork in their faces, they took a bite. I guess when things are new they are unknown which can scare people away. They hesitantly took a bite. I was waiting and mom grabbed the rest of the cake and walked away muttering “These are pretty good.” My sister quickly grabbed another one, “They look like crab cakes!” (We are from Maryland!) As I came back in the kitchen again, they were gone and so was my mom and sister. Hubby walked in – “Mmmm, I’m home. Watcha making?” I said quickly replied “Your late!”

This is a great dish for breakfast or breakfast for dinner. I truly hope you make it as it is delicious! Maybe it will even bring you the luck of the Irish!

Ready to get hungry? Take a look at what is coming for this event:

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Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) – Beetle’s Kitchen Escapades
Spaghetti Carbonara – Katherine Martinelli
Slow Cooker Chicken Paprikash – Make Dinner Easy
Potato and Spinach Knishes – The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
German Potato Salad – Magnolia Days
Sausage and Broccoli with Orecchiette – Daddy Knows Less
Chicken Enchiladas Suizas – The Weekend Gourmet
Strawberry Tiramisu – Chocolate Moosey
Chocoflan – Juanita’s Cocina
Egg Liqueur Cake – The German Foodie
Bucatini all’Amatriciana – Mooshu Jenne
Rasmalai (Ricotta in Sweet Coconut Milk with Almonds and Pistachio) – Sue’s Nutrition Blog
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Rouladen – Midlife Road Trip
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Keftikas (Turkish Meat and Leek Patties) – The Little Ferraro Kitchen
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Momma’s Meat Pie with Poutine Sauce – Momma’s Meals
Polish Rustic Plum Tart – Comfy Cuisine
Drop Scones (Scottish Pancakes) – Cositas Bonitas
Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding – The Lovely Pantry
Borscht Shooters – Cookistry
Shepherd’s Pie – Big Bear’s Wife
Parsnip Cakes – Mama’s Blissful Bites
Roasted Curried Vegetables – Hot Curries & Cold Beer
Portuguese Mussels in a Chorizo Sauce – Family Foodie
Bulgogi Kimchi Grilled Cheese – Damn Delicious
Wine pairings for all the recipes – ENOFYLZ