Sunday, June 19, 2022

Broccoli parmesan fritters

(Adapted from the inestimable Smitten Kitchen.)

Serves two, so double or treble as needed!

  • 250 g or 3 cups washed, fresh broccoli cut into chunks (1 medium bundle)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 70 g (1/2 cup) flour
  • 50 g (1/3 cup) shredded parmigiano, plus a bit more for topping
  • 1-2 small garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt, like 1/2 teaspoon 
  • A few red pepper flakes or several grinds of black pepper
  • Ghee or oil for frying
  • For topping: yogurt, quark, or sour cream with garlic added

Steam the broccoli until tender but not mushy (maybe 5 minutes). Drain, chop, and set it aside.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk/stir in flour, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the broccoli and mix it all up with a spoon.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat and add a good slick of oil. (If a flick of water sizzles and pops when it hits the pan, you're ready.) Scoop a two tablespoon-size mound of the batter and drop it into the pan, flattening the blob slightly with your spoon or spatula. Repeat with additional batter, leaving some room between each. Once brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, about another 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer briefly to paper towels to drain, and then right to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed. 

Serve with blops of garlic-pimped yogurt/quark/sour cream and sprinkled with more parmesan. Cholula (or another other hot sauce) was also *chef's kiss*

Pasta salad

Perfect for a summer evening meal. ✨


Ingredients

        Salad:
    • 400g (about four cups) dry pasta in any small shape
    • 125g (1 cup) frozen peas 
    • 1 fresh cucumber
    • 1 red bell pepper
    • 1/2 of a red onion
    • 10 grape (or 15 cherry) tomatoes
    • 20 Kalamata olives, pitted
    • Celery would surely be good, too, but I didn't have any today
        Dressing:
    • 1 large or two small garlic cloves, minced
    • 60 or so grams (1/4 cup) of mayonnaise
    • 80 or so grams (approx 3/4 cup) plain yogurt
    • 1 tbs mustard
    • 2-3 tbs balsamico
    • 2 tsp or so salt
    • 1 tsp dill
    • A couple spoonfuls of capers
         Optional:
    • 3 tins of small oily fish (tuna, sardines, mackerel, etc), drained & mashed
                OR
    • 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
                OR
    • both!

Directions

Set your pasta to boil. When it's almost done (like 2 minutes left), add the peas. Drain and rinse in cool water.

Meanwhile, quarter & slice the cucumber; quarter & thinly slice the bell pepper; halve & really thinly slice the onion; slice up the tomatoes; cut the olives in half. If you have celery, give that a chop into those little c-shaped pieces.

Stir together all the dressing ingredients in a cereal-sized bowl. Then mix up everything in a big mixing bowl because this makes a lot!

Cover and chill for a while so that the flavors can all blend together before dinner. 😋