Veggie and Grain Fritters

Eating more veggies is always a great way to eat healthier.  Today, I'm going to share a recipe that's easy to customize and make your own, using your favorites grains and veggies, or whatever you have on hand.

 

You can make these with any grain- rice, quinoa, barley, farro, whatever you like.  And you can also use whatever veggies or cheese you like.  I've made them with sweet potatoes, zucchini, or regular potatoes.  If you don't like cheese, you can leave it out, but I think a little Parmesan, feta, or white cheddar add to the flavor.  Here's what I used for this batch:

Veggie and Grain Fritters

2 cups cooked rice

1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli

1/2 cup grated carrots

3 green onions

2 eggs

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Until everything is combined.

Form into patties, much as you would cheeseburgers.  Lay on a flat plate or cookie sheet.   I usually end up with about a dozen patties.  Then pop them in the fridge for anywhere from half an hour to overnight.  This gives the patties a chance to firm up a little.

When ready, melt a little butter or oil in a pan and pan fry each patty over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, then flip and fry for approximately another 3 minutes. When patties are done, you can serve them on their own or with a dip of your choice.  I like them with  feta dill dressing best, but you could use ranch or a little Greek yogurt if you prefer.

A Few Favorites April 13

This has been a weird week.  I feel like I've hardly been at home at all!  I went to visit my friend, Lori, on Tuesday and my car broke down while we were on our way to lunch.  Luckily, her husband is awesome at all things mechanical so he was able to fix it, but we had to wait for a part to come the next day.  So my husband picked me up Tuesday and then Wednesday after work, we drove back up and picked up my car.  It's running like a champ now. 

Work has been busy, snow is almost gone, and both cats have been trying to sneak out at every opportunity.  I've started some seeds indoors, done some spring cleaning, but not much sewing or crafting. 

But, here are some things I'm loving this week.

1. Did you guys see that See Kate Sew is having a Zippy Top sewalong?  I like the pattern because it's hard to find a cute, simple, top that uses non-stretch fabrics.  I think the zipper is an adorable addition too.  I haven't had time to start mine yet, but I did buy the pattern, and find some fabrics I may try to make it out of.

2. These candles are from Maple Hill Farms are awesome!  Their farm is near here and they sell at our local farmer's market.  (Actually I mentioned them in a blog post from last July about my Farmer's Market.) Their candles are soy and they smell great.  I was excited to see that they sell on Etsy now.  Trust me, if you're looking for good smelling soy candles, you can't beat these.

3.  Blissful Basil is one of my favorite vegan blogs.  I can go days without eating meet.  (Giving up dairy altogether is another story.)  Blissful Basil always has great recipes and these avocado radish toasts are no exception.  It looks so tasty!  I actually went out and bought radish seeds after seeing these. 

So it finally feels like spring is here and I'm super excited to get some projects started as well as finish up some that have been hanging over my head.  Hope it's nice where you are!

A Few Favorites 9.29

Autumn is here.  The leaves are changing.  Sweaters and boots are back.  You can order something with pumpkin in the name at just about any restaurant you stop at.  So, naturally, my favorite things this week are leaning a little towards autumnal things. 

Photos are taken from their respective blog or Etsy shop.

1.  Autumn means time to curl up with a book.  What Should I Read Next is a fun webpage were you type in the name or author of a book you enjoyed, hit enter, and peruse a list of books it recommends for you that are similar to what you had entered.

2.  Gingerbread Cookie Perfume Oil is from Etsy Shop Symbolic Imports.  This shop has great smelling products and fabulous customer service.  I ordered this perfume last year and it smells good, without smelling like you're a walking gingerbread man.  I always got comments about how good it smelled.  I'd say it's defiantly an autumn/winter scent, but it's not overpoweringly strong, and it comes in a roll on, so it's easy to carry in your bag.

3. This African Flower Crochet Pattern is from a new blog I came across called The Yvestown Blog.  The blog is full of beautiful photos and crafty things.  I love this African Flower design.  It kind of reminds me of a hipper version of a granny square and looks simple enough.  If I ever get going and learn to crochet, I want to make some of these for sure.

4. This Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer from Shugary Sweets is a tasty little treat for your coffee.  I made it with half and half instead of whipping cream, but I think next time I make it, I may splurge and use the cream.  Also, it tastes better the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to meld a little.  I strained all the little pieces of pumpkin out the next day, just because I didn't like them in the bottom of my cup, but it's totally a preference thing. 

So there you are, four fun things to try.  What do you think of autumn?  Are you ready, or are you dreading it?

A Few Favorites 8.25

Here's what I'm currently really, really liking.

1. This Upcycled Computer Monitor Cat Bed is super cute!  I found it on Etsy, and while it's super cute, it's out of my price range.  It makes me want to keep my eyes out for an old iMac though and try for a DIY version.  I could see both my cats loving this.

2. I love this print, and it's kind of snarky, but true, People will kill you over time, and how they'll kill you is with tiny, harmless phrases like "Be realistic".  Most people don't do this on purpose, but they unintentionally give you a look or ask questions about your reasons or goals for a project that make you start to doubt yourself.  I searched high and low for the source of this Dylan Moran (who is a comedian) quote, but couldn't track it to it's origins.  I think I would love a big print of this for in my office.

3.  The Civil Wars new album is awesome!  I have been listening to it for hours on end.  I wasn't a huge fan after their first release, but this one has bumped them way up on my like list.  If you have Spotify, go listen to it now.  I always say I don't like country, but there's a definite country vibe to their music.  There's a touch of  Avett Brothers, Ray LaMontagne, and Mindy Smith all rolled up into one here.  "The One that Got Away" and "Eavesdrop" are probably my two favorite tracks, but the whole album is great!

4.  Finally, zucchini season is in full swing, so of course that means zucchini bread!  This cinnamon zucchini bread recipe is yummy, moist, and makes two big loaves.  I tried it out and it's really good, so if you're being inundated with squash, you can use up some of them to make this tasty bread.  Put a little soft butter on it and you're good to go.

Have a good Sunday!

Zucchini Fritters

So, I saw my patio zucchini plant had a zucchini.  I was going to pick it about three days ago, but forgot, or only thought about it when I was walking by it on my way to the car to go to work, or had my hands full with groceries.  So I finally picked it.  It seemed bigger than I recalled.

My three pound squash.

Then I had to decide what to do with it.  Growing up, we pretty much only used zucchini for bread, cupcakes, or muffins.  But as I've gotten older, I've found I use it more for cooking than baking.

I found a recipe for Smitten Kitten's zucchini fritters and thought I'd give it a shot.  I like potato pancakes and they sounded similar.  You can check out the recipe at Smitten Kitten for the particulars, but I'll give you the gist. I only needed a pound of zucchini, so I whacked mine in half and pulled out the seeds and grated it with a box grater.

I left the peel on because I thought it looked prettier.

Then you salt it and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Notice kitty lurking in the shadows?

Then, press out all the water you can using paper towels or cheese cloth, throw it back in the bowl, and add egg, pepper, shallots (or some garlic in my case).

 

Next add a little flour and baking powder. And mix.

 

Then fry in oil on the stove top over medium heat till golden on bottom, flip and cook a few more, and then your finished.  Serve with yogurt or sour cream and some fresh lemon juice.

Lunch!

I thought these were pretty good, they fry up crispy on the outside, but soft and tender inside.  They were pretty fast to make too and no fussy ingredients.  I love that!  Next time I think I'll skip the sour cream and just put a little butter on top.  Which, I'm in luck, because there's leftovers! The recipe makes about 10 fritters.  Yum!  And now you have an idea for zucchini besides more zucchini bread.