Hearts of Palm Cake

Ingredients

Sweet chili aioli

• 2 tablespoons (tbsp) of sweet chili sauce
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon (tsp) of sriracha
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) of fresh lime juice
• ½ cup of allergy-friendly mayonnaise (such as Follow Your Heart Soy-Free Veganize)

Hearts of palm cakes

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) of vegetable oil, plus more for frying
• ¼ cup of allergy-friendly mayonnaise
• ½ cup of minced yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons (tbsp) of fresh lemon juice
• 2 14-ounce cans of whole hearts of palm
• 2 teaspoons (tsp) Dijon-style mustard
• 1½ cups of lightly mashed Yukon gold or yellow potatoes (about 14 ounces raw potatoes)
• 1½ teaspoons (tsp) of Old Bay or Cajun seasoning
• 1 cup of garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
• ½ cup of minced red bell pepper
• 3 cups of gluten-free panko (such as Ian’s), divided
• 1 cup of unsweetened alternative milk (such as hemp)

For serving

• 1 (5-ounce) package of mixed spring salad greens
• Lemon wedges

Preparation

• Mince the onion and bell pepper. It’s important that the cuts are very small and uniform, so the cakes stick together while frying.
• Wash, peel, and dice potatoes into ¾-inch cubes. More important than size is that cubes are uniform, so they cook at the same rate.
• Place the potato cubes in a saucepan and cover with 2 inches of cold water.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, uncovered.
• When the water comes to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Begin checking for doneness after 5 minutes of simmering. The potatoes should take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the cuts.
• When tender, drain the potatoes in a strainer.
• Set aside to cool.
• Transfer the potatoes to a small bowl and gently mash, leaving some texture.
• Measure out 1½ cups of potatoes and set aside.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set aside.

Directions

Sweet chili aioli

1. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup of mayonnaise, the sweet chili sauce, the lime juice, and the sriracha.
2. Set aside in fridge.

Hearts of palm cakes

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and cook until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Remove the onions from the heat and set aside.
4. Drain, rinse, and dry hearts of palm.
5. Slice hearts of palm in half, lengthwise. Cut into thin slices at an angle and place in a medium bowl.
6. Use your fingertips to further shred, but leaving some larger pieces for texture.
7. Add the potatoes, and gently mash together with a fork or potato masher.
8. Add the cooked onion, bell pepper, ½ cup of panko, ¼ cup of mayonnaise, the lemon juice, the mustard, and the seasoning. Stir until evenly moistened.
9. Form a quarter-cup of hearts of palm mixture into a thick patty. We use a #16 portion scoop or disher to portion the patties, often designated with a blue handle. Place the patty on prepared baking sheet. After shaping all patties, start breading.

10. Breading

    • Place the garbanzo bean flour, milk, and 1¼ cups of panko each in their own wide, shallow dish. Set up the breading station with flour on the left, milk in the middle, and panko on the right.
    • Gently place a patty in the flour and coat all sides evenly.
    • Quickly submerge the patty in milk, making sure the flour is wet.
    • Remove the patty from the milk and place it in the panko, coating all sides well.
    • Set the breaded patty on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining patties. Add more panko for breading, as needed.

11. Cooking

    To pan fry:

    • Place oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan to a depth of ½ inch.
    • Over medium heat, bring the oil to a temperature of 350-360°F on deep-frying thermometer.
    • Pan fry in batches of 2-3 (depending on the size of your pan) for about 6 minutes or until golden and heated through, turning once. Add additional oil, as needed.

    To air fry:

    • Preheat your air fryer to 390°F.
    • Lightly spray the patties top and bottom with olive oil, or other vegetable spray.
    • In batches, place the cakes in the air fryer basket with space between.
    • Air fry about 8-10 minutes, until golden and heated through, flipping each patty after 5 minutes.
12. Serve over mixed greens with chili aioli and lemon wedges.