Fritters.
I could practically stop right there, couldn’t I?
They’re so good that they really don’t need an introduction or explanation — they just need to be in your tummy ASAP. Whether it’s lunch, dinner, a midnight snack, or (of course) breakfast, there’s never a bad time for fritters.
But as good as regular fritters are, there’s nothing “regular” about the recipe I’m sharing with you here (seriously, amazing doesn’t even begin to cut it, they’re that good).
Alas, as much as I wish I could claim credit for this recipe, it’s actually one that I picked up from the brilliant sister trio over at Omega3NutraCleanse.
Once I tried it, I loved it so much that I knew I just had to share it with all of you. Zucchini and broccoli are the stars of the show, but they’re backed up by a supporting cast of flavours that brings everything together like a Michelin-quality masterpiece.
And even more impressively, on top of the healthiness cred that this recipe gets for being loaded with veggies, it’s also air-fryer-friendly, so you get all of that delectable, irresistible crispiness without dunking your fritters in oil.
My 4 recs for fantastic fritters:
Here are a few quick observations/recommendations from my experiences with this recipe. You certainly don’t have to follow them, but I think just being aware of them as you’re working your way through the steps will help you get the result you want.
- In step 1, use a tea towel or cheesecloth when you’re squeezing the liquid out of your grated zucchini; less liquid will help you get those fritters perfectly crisp and browned.
- Give the mixture some time to thicken up around steps 4 and 5 before you decide to add in extra thickener; adding is easy — removing, not so much.
- For step 6, go thinner rather than thicker if you want a crispier result, but be careful not to make your fritters too thin, otherwise they’ll fall apart.
- You’ll be tempted to eat those fritters straight out of the air fryer in step 8, but use that willpower and resist! They’re better if you give them time to cool off and crisp up.
And that’s it — let’s get cooking!
The ingredients you’ll need:
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 2 cups broccoli “rice”
- 1/2 cup non-fortified nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 artichokes (if this is to share with kiddos – you may choose to omit Artichokes, they have a distinct flavour)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon pink salt
- 1/3 c Omega3NutraCleanse® (Available at Nature’s Fare, Choices Markets, Save-On-Foods)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup hemp seeds
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup avocado oil
Step-by-step directions:
- Grate your zucchinis into a colander and – using your hands, a tea towel, or a cheesecloth – squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Add the zucchini to a bowl with your broccoli “rice”, parsley, salt, pepper and toss to combine.
- In a blender or food processor, combine hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic, turmeric, Dijon mustard, artichokes, Omega3NutraCleanse®, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and avocado oil. We like to call this “cheese sauce” – you’ll see why when it’s done.
- Add the “cheese sauce” from the blender into the bowl of greens and mix well to form a thick batter. If the batter is too runny add in more Omega3NutraCleanse to thicken.
- Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes as the batter thickens up.
- Shape the dough mixture into 12-15 patties the size of a golf ball and flatten. The smaller, the better!
- Arrange the patties in your air fryer in a single layer and cook at 350F for 15 minutes until golden brown and crunchy. You can also bake or pan fry. Overall, my family preferred them fried in coconut oil to provide a nice crisp coating.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy while warm.
- Serves great as an appetizer with tahini or tzatziki or as a complement to a fresh green salad.
