It's mid-July, which can only mean one thing around here...we are in just-about-to-go-on-vacation mode here in the Blackburn house. You know the drill... counting down the days of work, packing our bags, and trying to eat all the food in the fridge before we leave.
The anticipation for our cross country trip is killing me, but so is the random food items we have left in the cupboards. No way I'm making another trip to the dreaded grocery store, so I got creative in the kitchen to make use of what we had. In those creative moments, all kinds of fritters were born.
Side note: Let me first explain that I don't like the word fritter. But I don't know what else to call them, so forgive me. They taste better than the word sounds, I promise.
Cheddar Bay Fritters
Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
4 cups white or brown rice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
Salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
Step one, cook your spaghetti squash. This was new for me, so I used my friend Pinterest to help.
This was the article I referred to. I used the microwave technique simply for the sake of time.
When the squash is cooked and cooled, scrape the flesh out with a fork and place in the middle of a clean kitchen towel. Fold up the sides and squeeze over the sink. You'll squeeze out about a cup to cup and a half of liquid. This step is crucial!
Cook your rice according to package directions. Add to a mixing bowl with drained squash, egg, cheese, salt & pepper. Mix well to combine.
Using a melon baller or ice cream scoop, form your mixture into equal sized balls. I went slightly bigger than a golf ball.
Combine flour and old bay in a shallow dish. Roll each ball in the flour & seasoning until coated.
In a deep skillet or cast iron pan, heat oil of your choice until hot. I use coconut oil, but olive oil or plain ol' butter will work, too. Drop 3-4 fritter balls at a time into the oil. Cook about 2-3 minutes on each side to achieve a crispy outside. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees about 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Too long in the oven and they'll dry out and crumble!
Any ingredient can be morphed into this savory little side dish as long as you have the right combinations. Follow these guidelines:
1. Always aim to use a grain of some kind that absorbs liquid; rice, quinoa, and small pastas like orzo or cous cous do well. Too much liquid = a soupy mess that will turn into a gross pancake rather than a fritter.
2. You'll need a "binder". Something to (literally) bind your ingredients together. Think mayonnaise. Think cheese. Think avocado. Think something sticky to help your ingredients hold their form. An egg or two is what I usually go for here.
3. Make sure everything is pre cooked before making the fritter. When you form your fritter balls and fry them, the purpose is to get a crispy outside, not to cook the ingredients inside. This is especially important for when you're using meat.
4. A hot pan is a happy pan. Get that oil nice and hot before dropping your fritters in it. This will ensure they stay together and don't absorb extra oil in the cooking process.
I used these guidelines to help make these variations below!
Happy creating, happy cooking, & happy eating!
See you for some mid-western inspired dishes after we return from Colorado!