Little Green Kale Fritters

It was half term school holidays here in Wales last week and I popped into my brothers house in the afternoon, it happened to be Shrove Tuesday that day.  Like a nosey Aunt I peered over my nieces shoulder who was surfing the Internet for pancake recipes.  I teased her was she going to make her Aunty some lovely sweet pancakes?.  She confidently nodded her head and said she would, but I wasn't too sure when she was actually ever going to detach herself from the comfort of the sattee and physically go into the kitchen and create them, so in short I didn't get any.

So having felt I missed out a little,  I made some savoury fritters of my own over the weekend.  I would have preferred sweet, but having paid a long well overdue visit to the garden, it ended up being savoury ones with a good handful of garden pickings of curly kale.  

I am rather ashamed to admit that I haven't ventured much into the garden this year, but fortunately D has - every day in fact, as he goes out to feed the various birds we have and refresh the bird bath.  He raised my awareness a week or so back, when we had the high winds that the neighbours fence had fallen down,  typically it landed on our side too.  I begrudge this as it means more work for us in the garden come March.

Anyway, having finally stretched my legs in the garden my eyes fell on some curly kale that had not been got at by the beasties, bugs and birds.  I also spotted some purple sprouting broccoli, but thought it could do with another week to sprout a bit more, I will pick it this weekend.  

Back to the Green Kale Fritters,  D liked them very much describing them as 'a nice change'. There were some left over, which he polished off the following day simply re-heating them in the microwave.  I served these little fritters with a home-made sweetcorn-chilli relish. 

Baked Carrot-Parsnip Quenelles

May I wish you all a Very Happy, happy New Year and thank those of you who left warm wishes on the previous posts. Each comment has been truly appreciated.  I personally have never looked forward to a new year as I am this one.  So to welcome the new year, new beginnings and change, I have changed my blog header that will gently lull my transition from Scotland to Wales in the next month or so.  Today though I am enjoying the company of family, playful nephews and nieces and good food.

As its a day of celebrations and one of tucking into posh looking edible morsels, I am pretentiously calling these Carrot-Parsnip Quenelles, but the homely cook in me has to admit that they are essentially just wintry oven baked fritters. 

These Carrot-Parsnip Quenelles are actually based on some Sweet Potato Falafels I made a few years back.  Although these can be reheated, I think they are best eaten fresh from the oven on the day that they are made.

I am sharing a plate full of these rooty bites with Ricki at Diet, Dessert, Dogs for her Wellness Weekend: 29th December 2011- 2nd January 2012.  
 

Carrot and Parsnip Baked Quenelles

Makes about 16 - 20
Ingredients
600g carrots and parsnip,s peeled and sliced
1 -2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 ½ teaspoons of ground cumin
½ teaspoon of ground coriander½ teaspoon cayenne
Juice of ½ lemon
120g besan, gram flour also known as chickpea flour
Olive oil to coat the baking tray

Optional 20g fresh herb, chopped
Optional: Generous sprinkling of sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Either roast or steam the root vegetables, until very tender.  Allow to cool.  Then put the soft root vegetables along with the garlic, and mash well.  Then add the spices, lemon juice, herb if using and chickpea flour and combine well, so this either with a spatula or your hands.  Season well, and mash lightly until you have a smooth mix with no chunks. Put the bowl into the fridge to allow the mixture to firm up for about an hour.

 

Oil a baking tray.

Turn the oven to gas mark 6.

Using a couple of large spoons, put a well heaped spoonful of mix in one spoon and use the concave side of the other to shape the sides. Or use a falafel shaper and put onto oiled tray.

Or use a falafel shaper to put onto oiled tray. 

Sprinkle the optional sesame seeds on top and bake in the oven. 

After 15 minutes, flip them over and give it another 5 minutes until golden.   

Parsnip-Carrot and Spring Onion Fritters

Parsnip and carrot fritters for light nibbles.

These were not binding as well as I had expected, so I decided to add some chickpea flour to the mixture.  When made these were served warm with the sweet garlic chilli sauce left over from the Spiced Sweet Potato Wonton Potstickers.

I am sharing these with Haalo for Weekend Herb Blogging #308.  WHB was the first blogging event I ever participated in, so its exciting to learn that this week WHB turns 6.  It was originally founded by Kalyn.

Parsnip - Carrot and Spring Onion Fritters
Makes about 16 x 2 inch fritters
Ingredients
300g Parsnips, peeled and shredded
200g Carrots, peeled and shredded
75g spring onions, sliced
50g plain flour
50g chickpea flour
2 teaspoons rapeseed oil, plus extra for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
 120ml water
Method
In a large bowl, combine the parsnips, carrots and spring onions. Mix well. Add the flours, oil, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Add the water and mix until the batter holds together when squeezed. Add more water if needed.
Preheat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Form about two tablespoons of batter into a ball, to form 2-inch wide pancakes. Add enough batter to the pan without crowding, leaving enough space to turn the fritters over. Cook each side for about 2 ½ to 3 minutes until both sides are golden brown.  Drain on kitchen towels and eat immediately.  Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance  by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Apple and Sage Fritters

For those of you who were wishing to see photographs of my fathers allotment and progress since the last time I showed you.  I have to apologise, as I don't have any to share.  We did take the camera over, but it had started raining quite heavy, (yes the rain really did follow us all the way from Scotland to Wales and then back).  However, I did manage to steal some apples from his tree. I had to get D to give the tree branches a good shake for some of them to come tumbling down at my feet - about a dozen.

So it is with those eating apples that I made these fritters with a little sage from my own garden plot.

These fritters were puffy and airy light.  The apples in it are both sweet and sharp; and the sage soft and musky.  These fritters reheat really well in the oven, so its okay to make them a day in advance.   I am submitting some of these 'Apple and Sage Fritters' to Graziana of Erbe in Cucina for this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB) #301 . WHB is overseen by Haalo from Cook Almost Anything.

Apple and Sage Fritters
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
For the batter
100g plain flour
Salt to taste
1 tablespoons fresh sage, finely minced
1 medium egg, separated
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
150ml/¼ pint water
For the fritters
1 medium onion, finely sliced
2 sharp eating apples
Salt and pepper to taste
4 - 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil for frying
Method
Sift the flour with the salt into a large bowl, then stir in the sage.  Make a well in the centre and add the egg yolk, oil and gradually whisk in the water to form a smooth batter.  Cover the batter and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
Peel, core and finely slice the apples, then stir into the batter.  Add the onion and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Whisk the egg white until stiff, then lightly fold into the batter.
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large frying pan.  When the oil is sizzling, drop a couple of tablespoons of the batter into the pan, shaping them into neat, even rounds.  Fry over moderate heat for abut 3 minutes until golden, then carefully turn over and fry the other side for a couple of minutes.
Drain the fritters on absorbent paper, transfer to a serving platter and keep warm in the oven.  Continue frying batches of the fritter in the same way, adding more oil if necessary.  Serve immediately.

Beetroot - mint tea cakes

The name of these cakes somewhat suggest that these are 'cakes' are sweet and should be served with cup of tea, but I must clarify from the onset. These Beetroot-mint tea cakes are actually savoury. The 'mint tea' in the cake serves purely as an ingredient; or a flavour enhancer, and what a lovely addition it was too. These Beetroot cakes were neither earthy or spicy, somehow the mint managed to tame the rooty flavour of the beetroot.

These Beetroot cakes were also quite dense and had a bit of chew, unlike the autumnal beetroot fritters I've made before. I think these would be fantastic in a burger bun for flavour, texture and colour.
I have to admit, originally I was just going to use dried mint, then I remembered I still had some spicy mint tea sent to me last year by my best friend, so I used some of that for this recipe. If you don't have any just substitute with dried mint, I have no doubt it will work just as well.

I am submitting this recipe to PJ of Seduce my Tastebuds who is hosting a food blogger event called Herbs and Flowers in my Platter. The idea is to cook and blog about a vegetarian or vegan dish using a herb or flower. The theme this month is mint.
Beetroot –mint tea Cakes
Makes 6
Ingredients
2 large raw beetroots, peeled and grated (about 300g)
1 small red onion, finely sliced
110g chickpea flour, plus extra if required
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon spicy mint tea or dried mint
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
Vegetable oil for frying
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the beetroot, onion, chickpea flour, coriander and cumin seeds, mint, salt and chilli flakes. Mix until the dough hold together in a firm patties, adding more flour if necessary to aid the binding process. Divide the beetroot mixture into 6 and mould with your hands into round cakes, about 3 inches wide and ½ inch thick.
Heat the oil in a wide pan, add cakes. Fry on one side for 3 minute, before flipping over and cooking the other side, press gently with a spatula until browned and crisp. Adapted from The Artful Vegan: Fresh Flavours from the Millennium Restaurant.

Gobi Fritters with Carrot Salsa

Instead of having what some people do on a Friday night in Scotland - Fish Supper - we've had Gobi fritters and Beetroot-mint tea cakes. Many of you will be familiar with the word Gobi, its the Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi word for 'cauliflower' and I have to say they were very nice too. The Gobi fritters were lightly spiced. I'd go as far as describing them as cauliflower popcorn, as the bite size pieces were perfect to pick and eat with your fingers.

I accompanied the Gobi fritters and Beetroot-mint tea cakes with a light and refreshing carrot salsa. I really enjoyed the carrot salsa. It was sweet, spicy and herby. I will be making it again, perhaps to serve with some tortilla chips.
Those of you keen on the Beetroot -mint tea cakes will note that I have not posted the recipe, I promise to do so tomorrow.
Carrot salsa
Makes a large bowl
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 small red onion, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons Jalapeño from a jar, roughly chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, minced
Method
Mix all the ingredients together in a dishing dish. Chill for an hour before serving. Adapted from 'Tis the Season.
Gobi Fritters
Ingredients
1 small cauliflower
For the spiced batter
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoons black mustard seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
100g chickpea flour, sifted
Enough water to combine
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Method
For the batter
Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl, then pour in enough water to combine and whisk gently. Season with salt and set aside for flavours to mingle.
Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower. Rinse the cauliflower under water and then chop into bite sized florets.
Heat oil in a deep pan.
Add some of the cauliflower into the batter and coat well, then carefully place them in the hot oil in batches. Turning them now and again, so that they are browned and crisp all over. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon onto a kitchen paper. If you are not serving them immediately, they will keep warm in the oven on low heat for a little while, but they are best eaten immediately.

Autumnal fritters

These Autumnal fritters can be made with Beetroot, carrot, celeriac, kohlrabi, parsnip, pumpkin, swede, sweet potato, turnip … You choose.

If you do find yourself tempted to make these Autumnal fritters, I'd recommend combining 3 to 4 root vegetables together, but no more than that as the flavours may start fighting each other, rather then complimenting each other.

I also think these are best eaten on the day, but unless your having friends over or have a family who will devour them in moments, you will find yourself with some left overs. In this case, You could also put these in between a bread roll with greens and sauce and treat as a veggie burger, well kind of. I know that is what I’ll be doing tomorrow for my working lunch.

Autumnal fritters: Beetroot, carrot, celeriac, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, sweet potato…
Makes lots
Ingredients
1 medium-sized potato, grated
1 medium-sized beetroot, grated
2 carrots, (pumpkin or butternut squash), grated
1 parsnip (or celeriac), grated
150g gram aka besan flour
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Luke warm water to combine
Cooking oil for shallow frying
Method
Combine the grated vegetables, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir well. Add a little water so that the ingredients begin to stick together, enough to form into fritters. In large frying pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Cook fritters until slightly crisp on bottom; flip and cook other side until crisp, roughly 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and serve immediately with a Green salad and a zingy sauce.