Leftover Ricotta Garlic Mashed Potato Pancakes

Today is a very important day, it is the day that the Ducks are going to beat Ohio!  I am through and through a full fledged duck fan, not only did I go to U of O but so did my older brother and both my parents lived in Eugene for quite a while.  On top of that my boyfriend was born and raised in Eugene and also went to U of O, so there you have it I am a full blooded duck.  This past weekend was a pretty great one, Friday night I went out to dinner with one of my dear friends to this Ethiopian place called E'Njoni Cafe.  Now Dalo's Kitchen is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in PDX but they are currently only a food cart because they are looking for a new permanent location and because of that they aren't open dinner hours.  So E'Njoni Cafe is the runner up in my book, you should definitely check it out, great food, and a very warm and welcoming atmosphere.  Saturday I was a volunteer for my mom's Bowen Body class and got 2 1/2 hours of work done that ended up making my body feel fabulous...not a bad volunteer gig ;)  Then Saturday night my friend Valorie (who's birthday it was, happy 30th Val) and I went to the Blazer game, it turned out to be an exciting game even though we should have crushed the Magic.  Then Sunday I went and visited with my great friend Ali and saw her newly purchased home and checked out the awesome Asian market next to her house called Hong Phat.  This store had a pretty darn good selection of foods including king mushrooms, I stocked up on Tom Yum paste, tamari (so cheap), ginger candies, chopsticks, coconut milk, shallots (very cheap), and garlic.  I can't wait to go back and spend even more money :)  Onto the adapted recipe!

Makes 12 pancakes

The Ingredients

3 cups chilled leftover ricotta garlic mashed potatoes

2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 Tablespoons chopped scallions, green and white parts

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 Tablespoons plus 1/2 cup almond flour

Avocado oil for frying pan

The Process

1.  In a large bowl, stir together the mashed potatoes, cheese, scallions, egg and 3 tablespoons flour until combined.  Using your hands, divide the mixture into 12 portions. Roll each portion into a compact ball then flatten it into a pancake about a 1/2-inch-thick.

2.  Place the remaining 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow dish and carefully dredge each pancake in the almond flour.

3.  Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. (Add enough oil to thoroughly coat the bottom of the pan.)

4.  Fry the pancakes, in batches, until they're golden brown and crispy on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Add more oil to the pan as needed between batches. (Do not overcrowd the pan and do not flip the pancakes too soon or they won't develop a crisp crust.) Transfer the pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle them with salt.

5.  Serve the potato pancakes with a poached egg.