Avocado, Falafel & Potato Latkes

This month, the Recipe Redux is challenging members to create the perfect summer get-together dish using California Avocados.

• California avocados are a nutrient-dense fruit which contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, per one oz. serving (1/5th of a medium avocado).
• With their flavor, texture, nutritional value and culinary versatility, California avocados can be used across all day from breakfast to lunch to dinner, in snacks and desserts. 
• Naturally cholesterol-free, California avocados are a creamy and nutritious alternative to saturated fat laden spreads, toppings and dips.

Ripe avocados are creamy and spreadable, but when I opened my box of samples, each one in a different stage of ripeness and I was actually happy to find a firm one. Since we were given the specifics of this challenge, I have spent considerable time checking out avocado recipes. I really had no idea what to make with them that hadn't already been done, not to mention a really fabulous cookbook recently released to rave reviews, and I did not have some old secret family recipe. The truth is, this was going to be hard and a true challenge.

“I received free samples of California Avocado mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Avocado and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

Experience has taught me that to create a successful recipe you should start with a dish you like and put a spin on it. It also had to appeal to many and it had to be diappropriate. I love, love, love fritters and latkes and with all the overabundance of zucchini this time of year, it was a natural thought progression to think of fritters & latkes. Although potato latkes are at the top of my latke list, they were not something a diabetic should eat but if I added garbanzo and avocado to the mix, it could permanently change the whole"forbidden fruit" list. And let me ask you this.....who doesn't love crispy-edged foods? and if it was a healthy version?

Crunchy and dense, the best successfully, coveted latkes require root vegetables and I found that an unripe avocado had that texture. I also knew that once fried, that avocado would work miracles to the interior texture and taste. Place a platter on the table, with a dip of applesauce, sour cream or salsa and they will disappear. OMG, these babies had it all and the batch I sent The Nudge into work with, when reheated, had the boys in the lunch room wondering what he was eating that was making that wonderful smell.

These were insanely delicious and I know if The Nudge gobbled them up, the kids will also.
Only requires a quick reheat for a snack after school, and they are loaded with Vitamin A,C, E, and K, a huge amount of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids and a host of minerals. I always knew avocados were a super food, so now even the fussiest of eaters can reap the benefits.

Avocado, Falafel & Potato Latkes
Yield: 24 latkes (4 servings of 6 each)

* 2 medium red potatoes, grated, moisture squeezed out
* 1 unripe avocado, grated
* 1 package Mediterranean-style falafel mix (3oz)
* 1/4 sweet onion, grated
* 1 large garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 2 tablespoons water
* 2 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 teaspoon amber agave nectar
* 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

Condiments:
salsa
sour cream
applesauce

1. Grate the potatoes (remove and squeeze out the extra water), then in order, the avocado, onion and garlic using the large grate attachment on your processor, stand mixer or hand grater. Remove to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients except the oil.
2. In a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet, heat the oil until it bubbles around the handle of a wooden spoon.
3. Using two dinner forks, place as much mixture as one fork will hold into the oil and spread the mixture apart like you would to pull pork. The thinner the better will yield crunchy edges.
4. Fry for 4 minutes on each side or until the edges are a deep golden brown but not burnt.
5. Remove to a sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in a warming oven (200°) and repeat until all the mixture is fried.
  Can be stored wrapped in paper towels, placed in a large zip bag for 2-3 days and reheated in a toaster or range oven set to 400° for 10 minutes. 

Nutrition analysis of this recipe: Calories 216g, Total fat 9.2g, Saturated fat 1.6g, Monounsaturated fat 22.5g, Polyunsaturated fat 4.2g, Cholesterol 82g, Sodium 412mg, Potassium 2063mg, Total carbohydrates 27.9g, Dietary fiber 5.5g, Total sugars 3.6g, Protein 7.5g, Vitamin A 5%, Vitamin C 26%, Calcium 4%, Iron 11%, Folate 51%, Omega-3 fatty acids 253mg, Omega-6 fatty acids 3886mg.