Veggie Cakes with Beetroot Dip and Quinoa
Serves: 4
Time: 30 mins
I love a fritter of any description but they have to be cooked properly - thick or thin, crispy or soft, it doesn’t matter how tasty the ingredients are - if you don’t cook them right they will be a disaster and every style of fritter requires a different technique. Tonight is a pan fry that gets finished in the oven, so you’ll still get a little bit of crunch on the outside when you fry them but flashing them through the oven will ensure they are cooked the whole way through.
Leftovers
Want More
Add some greens to the side like rocket or baby spinach
These fritters are awesome for leftovers. Eat them hot or cold and bulk up with some leafy greens.
What you'll need
3 zucchini
2 carrots
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 bunch of mint
1/2 bunch of parsley
1 cup of quinoa
1 large beetroot
2 eggs
From the Pantry
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons of greek yoghurt
1 cup besan flour
Optional Extras for Meat Eaters
crispy baked prosciutto would be a tasty addition
Feeding Four
I have added 1 bag of baby rocket to your shopping list.
Prep and Cook
Pre heat oven to 180c
Boil Beetroot
Peel your beet and cut it into small squares, then pop into a medium sized pot and cover completely with cold water, a pinch of salt and bring up to the boil.
Cook till soft right through, then strain and let cool.
At the same time
Cook Quinoa
Rinse quinoa under cold water then combine in a pot with 2 cups of water and bring up to the boil. Turn down and simmer gently till almost all the water has evaporated and the quinoa looks like hot lava. Place a lid on and remove from the heat and allow to steam.
Make Fritters
Grate the zucchini and place into a mixing bowl, sprinkle lightly with salt.
Peel and grate the carrots.
Roughly chop mint and parsley.
Lightly toast off the sunflower seeds - you can either do this in a small fry pan or, seeing as the oven is going, pop them in the oven for approx 7 minutes.
Squeeze the moisture out of your zucchini. To do this I take a large handful and stand over the sink and squeeze until no more juice runs out. Return to the bowl and continue till all the zucchini has been done.
Combine the zucchini, carrot, herbs and sunflower seeds with the eggs and flour and cumin powder and mix till well combined with some salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Cook Fritters
We are shallow frying so you will need enough oil to fill your pan about half way up your fingernail on a medium to high heat.
Use your hands to mold your mix into round cakes that are about as thick as your thumb. Cook each side for 2 minutes then transfer to an oven tray with a cooling rack on top.
Once the tray is full, bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Use your finger to touch one fritter that is in the very center of the tray, what you want is for the center of the fritter to feel slightly firm almost springy. If it pushes in and feels wet it is definitely not cooked and if you aren’t 100% sure then rip it open and have a look the inside - it should be nice and dry.
While the Fritters Bake
Finish the beetroot dip off by combining the beetroot, tahini, yoghurt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil with a good pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor and blitz till smooth. Taste to see there is enough seasoning and add if necessary.
Plate it Pretty
Use a spoonful of beetroot to make a circle in your plate then stack 3 fritters onto each plate and a large spoonful of quinoa and garnish with a sprig of parsley or mint.
Lunch tomorrow
Tomorrow’s lunch is exactly the same as tonight’s dinner. Keep them in an airtight container and hot or cold these tasty fritters work either way.