Cheesy Cauliflower Fritters

My sweet girl just turned two a few days ago. Any other mom’s or dad’s out there tear up singing happy birthday to their kiddos? I’ve been an emotional mess. I still can’t believe this sweet girl of mine is growing up so fast. Not only is she becoming more assertive, playful, and talkative, but this girl is really into “helping out” in the kitchen these days. She loves setting the table before meals and is really into helping me “chop” or whisk eggs into batter for muffins. It’s definitely messier to be in the kitchen with a toddler but the truth is, she has become a better eater when she helps me prepare our food. Take these fritters for example, Pepper added the cheese, flour and eggs into the cauliflower batter before we both got a turn mixing the dough. She is also really into “dipping” her food these days so I’ve been on a real condiment kick. I’ve been making a lot of homemade sauces in the form of ketchup, greek yogurt ranch (recipe coming soon!) cashew cream sauce, and homemade tartar sauce for salmon nuggets. I love making my own sauces because I can control the ingredients that go into them and keep the sugar low (this ketchup is sweetened with dates and is SO good!)

Anyhow, this recipe isn’t just for toddlers. It’s for anyone who loves a good fritter! We served these alongside grilled sausages that we got from our neighbors pigs and it was the perfect meal. I hope you and your family love these as much as we do. If you have a toddler or young kiddo at home, I encourage you to let them help you mix up this batter. It’s a fun recipe to make together!

A quick note on these– you can bake them but I prefer the crispiness of a little pan fry. If you are frying these use a healthy high heat cooking fat such as ghee, duck fat or avocado oil. Little toddlers can benefit from healthy fats (especially animal fats) and I chose duck fat as my cooking fat of choice here. But use what you are comfortable with.

Happy fritter making everyone!

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS WITH DATE SWEETENED KETCHUP

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES    COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES    SERVES: ABOUT 12 SMALL PANCAKES

Cauliflower Fritters

• 3 cups of finely chopped cauliflower (from about 1 small head)

• 3/4 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup sprouted chickpea flour (see note)

• 1 large egg, whisked

• 3 green onions, finely chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• Ghee, duck fat, or avocado oil for frying

Date Sweetened Ketchup

• 1/3 cup finely chopped Medjool dates (from about 4 dates)

• 1 (7 ounce jar) tomato paste

• 5 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 3 tablespoons water

• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

• pinch of ground cloves

Preparation

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the chopped cauliflower. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

2. To a large bowl add the cauliflower along with the cheese, chickpea flour, egg, green onions, garlic, pepper flakes (if using) and salt. Use a wooden spoon to mash up the mixture and mix it well.

3. Add the cooking fat to a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Use a small measuring cup to scoop out small portions of the batter (the batter is a bit delicate so smaller patties are easier to flip) and place in the hot skillet. Lightly press the batter down and fry each fritter for about 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned and crisp. A metal spatula works best for flipping.

4. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate do drain any excess cooking fat.

5. Prepare the ketchup by soaking the dates in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain the dates and add them to a blender (or use a stick blender) with the remainder of the ingredients. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick add a touch more water to thin as needed. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

6. Serve fritters with the ketchup and enjoy!

Notes

*Sprouted chickpea flour is easier to digest than regular chickpea flour. You can find sprouted flour at healthyflour.com or Vitacost.com. However, regular chickpea flour will still work if that's all you have. I haven't tested these with all purpose flour but I'm sure that'd work just fine.