Confetti Fritters/ Savory Waffles

I love the idea of getting more cruciferous veggies into my diet, and what better way than to get several of them all at once: broccoli and cauliflower with just a touch of beets and carrots!

I wanted to use them in a different way though than as a base for some other veg or grain, so I came up with ….fritters!

If you buy the veggies already “riced” like I did at Whole Foods, they literally take 15 minutes, start to finish (depending on the size of your pan and how many batches you need to make to use all the batter).  If you rice your own veggies, it won’t take that much longer, especially if the veggies are already cleaned. (which I totally know I should do when I come home from the store so that everything is ready to use, but really, it is all I can do to get them into the fridge, never mind prepping them.)

So without further ado:  the recipe

Confetti Fritters

• 2 cups of “riced” veggies.  If I rice them myself, I do 3/4 cup each of broccoli and cauliflower and 1/4 cup each of beets and carrots.  Just pulse them in a processor till they resemble grains of rice, but do not use the top of the broccoli heads.  Not a pretty picture.
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic.  (I usually use the stuff from the jar, but try not to take too much of the liquid with the garlic.)
• 1/2 small onion, grated on the large hole side of the grater.  (Do NOT try to save time by putting them into the processor.  Trust me, you will end up with a watery mess for fritters.)
• 1 teaspoon salt.  I use Celtic Sea Salt.
• pepper to taste
• 9  tablespoons aquafaba. (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour

1.  Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat.
2. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well.  The batter will appear “dry” at first, but the longer it sits, the salt will drain the water out of the veggies, so that by the time you are making the last fritter, you will have a small puddle in the bottom of the bowl.  That is okay, but I wouldn’t make the batter ahead of time either.
3. You might want to brush a thin coat of olive oil on the pan, especially if you are not using a non-stick pan.  At this point, I just get right in there with my hands (covered in gloves so I don’t gross everyone out), and start making the fritters. Grab a small handful, and give it a gentle squeeze like you are making a meatball, then flatten it out right there in your hand to the size of a silver dollar pancake and put it in your pan.  Continue till the pan is full or the batter is used up.
   

   All fritters are on the second side except the two top right

4. Cook until lightly browned (you may have to adjust your heat accordingly) maybe 2-3 minutes, and firm enough to flip with a spatula.  Don’t worry if an edge or two gets a bit messy on the flip.  Unlike pancakes, you can just pat it back into place with the spatula and when the other side is done, no one will know the difference!
5. Remove when other side is golden brown, plate and serve while still hot.  My husband likes them with a dollop of (vegan) sour cream on top, but I like them plain.

Recipe should make about a dozen fritters.

Waffles:

• 1/2 sweet potato, peeled
• 1/2 of a small onion
• 4 cloves roasted garlic
• 3/4 cup riced broccoli (I chop it very fine in a processor)
• 3/4 cup riced cauliflower (chopped in a food processor)
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas or other white beans)

1. Grate the sweet potato and the onion.  Put it in a medium bowl.  Add the cauliflower and broccoli and mix well.   Not counting the onion, you want 2 cups total of the veggies.
2. Add the flour, salt and aquafaba and stir to combine.  It will be a very thick batter.
3. Using your waffle iron, cook the batter in batches at high setting so that the veggies cook and the batter sets.  I got two waffles (4 parts each waffle).  I used the highest setting on my waffle maker which is 5.  You want the waffle crispy on the outside but not burnt.

Enjoy!