By Alex Clough, University of Minnesota Medical Center – Fairview Dietetic Intern on rotation with Open Arms
I have been one to find it hard adding vegetables into my diet on a daily basis so I prefer to find unique, fun, and easy ways to jazz them up. Cooking fritters is simple and can be modified in different ways such as replacing the cauliflower with broccoli or carrots and switching up the seasonings to satisfy your particular taste buds.
Cauliflower is part of the cruciferous vegetable family and has a number of nutritional benefits. It is loaded with B vitamins, vitamin K and Omega 3 Fatty Acids, and is an excellent source of Vitamin C and Manganese which are antioxidants. Due to all of the vitamins and antioxidants, cauliflower has been known for its anti-inflammatory features, help with digestion, and its link to cancer prevention!
Cauliflower Parmesan Fritters
Ingredients:
1 large egg
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 small clove garlic (minced)
½ tsp. Kosher salt, plus more to taste
A pinch of red pepper flakes or several grinds of black pepper
Olive oil for frying
Directions:
– Cut off the large stems and cut the florets into 1 inch pieces.
– Peel stems and slice into ½ inch lengthwise pieces.
– Steam cauliflower until tender; boil water in a saucepan, add cauliflower simmer for about 5-6 minutes then set aside to cool.
– In a large bowl beat the egg, add flour, cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and semi cooled cauliflower and mash it all together (just enough so you can still see some chunks). Folding in the ingredients in the bowl after cauliflower is mashed.
– Add seasonings to taste.
– Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add cover the pan with olive oil (~ 2-3 Tbsp).
– Scoop a 2 Tbsp. size mound of batter and drop it into the pan and flatten with spatula.
– Repeat with the rest of the batter, flipping when the underneath is golden brown, cooking the other side until it is equally as golden brown.
– Transfer to paper towels to drain the oil then to serving plate.
*To add protein try dipping the fritters in Greek yogurt; delicious!
