August 5, 2009

Spiced Vegetable Fritters



When I first began visiting blogs about three years ago, Kathryn Elliot from Limes and Lycopene was a regular site I loved to check out. Kathryn is a nutrionist with her own clinic in Sydney and she always posted interesting and useful facts about healthy eating and nutrition together with wholesome but delicious recipes.

I was delighted to pop over last week to find she had a little surprise. Both she and Lucy from Nourish Me had come together to create this lovely e-magazine (first time I had heard of that). Pouring over the pages, this recipe caught my eye so I thought I would give it a go. It's rather timely actually as I find I need to lose a couple of kilo's and that's where Kathryn's food and advise always comes in handy. I tweaked a few ingredients and also some of the method; so my fritters although close, are not exactly the same as the fritters in An Honest Kitchen. Hope you don't mind Kathryn.

Spiced Vegetable Fritters
adapted from An Honest Kitchen

300gm (combined weight) cauliflower and broccoli
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 x 400gm can lima or butter beans
1 egg, whisked
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons rolled oats
1/2 bunch fresh continental parsley, finely chopped
light olive oil for cooking

Roughly chop the cauliflower and broccoli.



Place the cauliflower, broccoli, beans and onions in a food processor.



Process till all the ingredients are finely chopped and clump together.



The recipe says to transfer this to another bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil. Mix well together and it may be necessary to mash the mixture slightly with the back of a spoon to get the right texture. Season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into 12 fritters and it may be easier to mould the mixture with wet hands.

That is what you are supposed to do. But this is what I did instead. And discovered I had gotten myself into a slight bit of bother. Umm, maybe the author knew what she was talking about after all.

Instead of transferring to a bowl; I kept going with the processor. Next I added the egg.



Then I added the cumin, ground coriander, cracked pepper and paprika (in place of cayenne pepper).



Next I added fresh parsley (in place of fresh coriander), the oats and the flour. The recipe stated using 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour but my mixture was looking rather wet and I added the same again.



Hmmm. I felt my mixture was still too wet but I didn't want to add any more flour. Perhaps that is why I should have paid attention to the recipe and not continued on with processing. I think processing definitely created a wetter mixture.



I really didn't want to mould the fritters with my hands so I had to become creative. I remembered this round metal ring I had been wanting to use, so I searched in my overloaded gadget draw until I found it. It has a nifty little holder attached so I thought I would give that a go.

I took out a tray, lined it with glad bake and sprinkled it generously with dried breadcrumbs. I felt this was the best way to help with the fritters not sticking. I placed the well floured ring onto the tray and began filling it with the mixture to create my fritters. Perhaps I should change the name to burgers, because that is what they were resembling.



This is fun. I was really enjoyed making the 'fritters' and seeing how they would go.



I made exactly six and they fit perfectly onto my tray. I was very pleased. I placed them in the fridge for half an hour to help them firm up a little.



The recipe says to place fritters in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat; add a drizzle of canola oil and when hot cook fritters in batches. Cook for about three or four minutes on each side till browned and cooked through. I didn't have any canola oil so I used light olive oil instead. As my fritters were twice the recommended size I cooked them for about five minutes on each side and I even covered the frypan with a lid during some of the cooking to ensure they cooked all the way through.



Yep. They turned out. And they were delicious. I ate mine with some plain yoghurt drizzled with a little sweet chilli sauce, baby spinach leaves and a wedge of lime.



I really would have liked to have had some of my homemade sweet red pepper relish. Then half way through eating I remembered I had some roasted red peppers in the fridge. I quickly zapped them in the microwave to bring them to room temperature then draped them over what was left of my fritter. The perfect touch.



I froze the remaining uncooked fritters. They will certainly come in handy when time is short and I need some good nutritious, healthy, tasty, "honest" food.

13 comments:

  1. YUUUUUUUUUUUM!
    We will make this when I come home soon! :D

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  2. Okay darla. I had one for lunch today with some cucumber, homegrown avocado drizzled with homegrown lime, yoghurt and sweet chilli sauce. It was yum. I have three left in the freezer which will probably be gone by the time you come up. It is definitely a date. You and me together in the kitchen. Wow, won't that be a new experience. One I am utterly looking forward to. See you in a couple of weeks sweetie.
    Love Ma.

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  3. Well your fritters certainly do look lovely Mariana and I like the extreme close up shot in the top picture. Processing all the ingredients in a food mixer does lead to a wetter "batter". There's something about cutting all the ingredients up into smaller pieces which makes it stickier. However you made an excellent recovery, and adapted the recipe to suit your needs and your pantry - well done.

    I always find it fascinating to hear how people use my recipes and am not precious about them at all. These basic fritters can be adapted in so many different ways.

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  4. Oh, Mariana! How fabulous they look (and love your paprika idea...may just try it myself next time).

    Thrilled your enjoying Kathryn's recipes - she's a damn good food writer! X

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  5. These do look wonderful. I've spent some time browsing your site and find it most interesting. I'll be back more often.

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  6. Great recipe!! I'm going to try to check out this e-magazine because it looks to have yummy and healthy recipes!

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  7. Oooh don't I feel privileged. Not only the food writer herself, but the photographer as well. So nice of you to drop by Kathryn and Lucy. And even nicer to receive your 'thumbs up'.

    The fritters are really delicious Kathryn. I had a small brainwave today when I had another one for lunch. Due to the size of mine, I thought serving one on some wholegrain toasted bun with salad and yoghurt would make for a great vegetarian burger. If I ever get my dream cafe going this will be on the menu for sure.

    What can I say Lucy; yes I am enjoying your beautifully photographed mag and I knew years ago Kathryn was a damn good food writer. Now onto the next discovery.

    I'm pleased that you've found my site interesting Mary. I enjoy posting little stories or thoughts along with my recipes.

    Hi Marta. Just click onto Kathryn or Lucy in the comment section and you will find your way to "An Honest Kitchen". I am hopeless with linking; my gorgeous lad has gone overseas and I am lost without him if I am required to do anything new on the computer.

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  8. Mariana, These look quite delicious, and so neat with your clever little ring thingy! I'll definitely give them a go - and will add the red peppers just as you have done. I'm quite addicted to those! Have a lovely weekend. Dx

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  9. Hi Mariana. Definately liked the look of these. I have some cauliflower and broccoli in the fridge so will make up a batch. I am glad they freeze well, that means if I make a whole batch I can freeze them for when I want a light meal when I am here by myself. The GB loves vegetarian meals...so long as I serve them with meat ;-) Me ! I just love interesting and imaginative food :-)

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  10. Debora - you have a red pepper addiction? Guess what - join the club. One of my all time favourite things. x Mariana

    Linda - I should mention when I froze them, I left them on the tray in the freezer for a couple of hours to allow them to firm up. Then I took them out and bagged them all together with 'go-between' wrap between each one. It works beautifully. And it has been wonderful when I have been peckish and have wanted something healthy to eat. I have finished them all now and need to make some more. Give GB one with a lamb chop on the side. Hehehe.

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  11. You were correct I love this recipe Marianna and I make fritters all the time but have never thought to use beans in them such a great idea. I just love beans and especially those ones of filomena's don't you think?

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  12. Gayle I just loved her whole lunch, but yes the beans were amazing. Fancy the potatoes being in the ground that morning and the pumpkin and beans picked that morning and then on the table for our lunch. They are amazing people our Mano and Mina and we are so lucky to have them in our lives. I was wonderful to see you and Sara and family.

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  13. oh how lovely! veggies made circular, spicy and fun!

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