Monday, February 25, 2013

Tater-less Tots

I'm gonna tell you something now and you have to promise not to laugh.  Ok?  You promise?  Alrighty then.


Here it is:

Before making this recipe, I didn't realize that the "tater" in "tater tots" had to do with potatoes.  I know, I'm an idiot.




But it just never occured to me.  I thought tater was just a funny word that sounded good with tot, which was just another funny word that let you know that whatever dish you were about to eat is small.

The whole tater = potato thing sort of flew right past me.  Whoops.


I didn't realize the connection until after I had made these tater tots (which actually taste like the real thing, believe it or not, even though they're made with a single 'tater).  I was trying to decide on some clever name for the recipe, with no luck might I add, when everything became clear.

I felt so stupid!  After a big long "ohhhh" I decided to call this recipe Tater-less Tots, and then I ran into my kitchen to eat more of them in hopes of halting the embarassment.  It didn't work... but at least the tots were delicious!

Tater-less Tots

  • 1 1/2 cups (1 can) chickpeas, rinsed and drains
  • 120 g cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa (about 1/3 cup dry)
  • 1/4 cup ground flax
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup finely minced shallot
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
In a large bowl, mash chickpeas until mostly broken up.  Add in remainging ingreidents and mix until combined.  Mixture probably won't hold together too well.  Do your best to form into tater tot shapes.  Warm a frying pan over medium heat and pour a bit of olive oil in.  Place tater tots in batches on pan and cook for a couple minutes on each side until browned and crispy.  Store in fridge.   Recipe makes 3-5 servings.



Right now you're probably looking at the ingredient list above and thinking that I'm even crazier than the story I already told you implied.  Just trust me.  It sounds nuts, but those ingredients really do come together to create something that tastes like a potato.

Which by the way, is what "tater" means in the phrase "tater tot".  You know, 'cause I know that now.


Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Vegan Sweet Potato Chili



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17 comments:

  1. haha! No judging... :) These look yummy! I love the veggie quinoa mixture

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    1. Thanks, Kristina. Someone who puts up with my extreme moments of stupid-ness is definitely someone I want visiting. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. another quinoaaaa recipe yay! its almost like a combo of falafel and tater tots.

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    1. A quinoa fan, I see. I am too. I love the idea of a mix between falafel and tater tots. It didn't even occur to me, but you're so right.

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. Hahaha! Yessss, love it! And I'm sooo intrigued by these!

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    1. Thanks, Koko. Tell me what you think if you give them a try!

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  5. I LOVE tater tots but never eat them because...well, they're just not super healthy for you. This recipe just made my day! Can't wait to try it out!

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    1. I'm so glad! Make sure to tell me what you think!

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  6. I don't understand how these are supposed to be healthy when they're still cooked in oil. Potatoes are healthy, it's the oil that's bad for you.
    If I tried these I'd probably bake them, just not sure what the point is.

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    1. It's true that potatoes are healthy, but chickpeas and cauliflower are both very healthy as well. Also, a very small amount of oil is used and it is also olive oil which has monosaturated fats which our bodies actually need. So, these are pretty good good for you and make a very nice substitute to tater tots. Feel free to bake them if you like, though.

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  7. These are yummy! Thank you for sharing it's hard to find tasty food that is gluten free and not so dense you could use it as a door stop! These were a big hit and will be made often!

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    1. I'm so glad you liked them! Dense foods are no fun :(

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  8. I can't have oil. Can you bake these? They sound amazing!

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    1. You could try, but I'm not sure how they would come out. Also, cooking spray instead of oil in the pan might work as well.

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  9. Maybe you could brush a very light coating of oil on them and broil them? That would give you a little more control without omiting the oil completely and risking dryness.

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