Keeper Potato Chops

"Looks delicious," he lied, "a mite crispy at the edges, but I like it that way." Incredulous eyes met his own. "You like your potatoes burned?" Ah! so he'd been right about that. If he could still recognize what it was she'd cooked, then surely he could eat it."
(~Tracy Anne Warren)


I don't subscribe to burned offerings at the table...least of all my own kitchen disasters...but this guy sure takes the cake, icing et al! My first guess is they're young, and he's still got stars in his eyes and nothing else matters...coochie pie! My second guess is they're an old couple...he's become immune to the burned offerings and his eyes are trained to recognize what he's eating because his tongue no longer can!

Enough sarcastic humor for the day!

Here is a potato chop that's filled with the goodness of vegetables. A nice way to get your kids to eat vegetables. What's doubly great about these chops is that you can store them for as long as two weeks in the freezer. That way you can keep using as many you need, whenever you need them, and in a jiffy you have a meal ready. And more important you don't have to deep fry them.


So here we go:

Ingredients for potato covering

Potatoes.......................................................7 large ones, boiled and mashed
Green chilli (aji verde)................................1, deseeded and chopped really tiny
Cilantro (green coriander)..........................a small amt. washed and chopped small
Corn starch..................................................1 Tbsp
Panko as required
Salt to taste

Ingredients for stuffing

Carrots........................................................2 medium, boiled in salted water, drained well & mashed
Green peas..................................................1,generous handful, boiled in salted water, drained well & mashed
French beans or string beans.....................3-4, boiled in salted water, drained well & mashed
Fresh ginger...............................................1/4 tsp, of finely grated 
Toasted bread crumbs................................1-2 tsps
Pepper acc to taste
Salt to taste


Prepare the potato mash by mixing all the ingredients, except Panko.
Keep aside.

Next prepare the stuffing by combining all the ingredients.
Now, make these into small balls, the size of a ping-pong ball or smaller, acc to the size you want.

Take a bit of the potato mash, and form a large ball, as big or small as you want.

Hollow out the centre, and place a vegetable ball inside. Now cover with the potato mash. Make sure it's enclosed and sealed well.

Lightly flatten by patting it down.

Roll the chop in the panko, to cover completely.

Lightly pat panko to hold. Keep aside.

If you aren't going to use them immediately and want to store them - place them in a thin aluminium container, seal with the cover and store in the freezer. No need to thaw before use. Just heat a non-stick pan on low heat, brush with oil, and place chops to cook. Keep turning over so that they brown slowly and evenly, and the centres thaw out as well!

Heat a non stick fry pan on medium heat. Brush with EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and place the panko covered chops. Brown on both sides and remove to a flat dish.

Serve with sauteed vegetables or pan roast chicken or beef.

Or put it in a burger bun, add whatever you like to it and have yourself a delicious vegetable chop burger.

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