VEGETARIAN FOOD BLOG: SPINACH, RICOTTA AND RICE FRITTERS

Before we go any further with this fritter and patty party, an explanation of what defines each is useful.

Fritter mixture is wet. Sloppy. You can't use your hands to form balls with fritter batter. Imagine a very thick pancake batter, with vegetables and stuff bulking it out.

Patty mixture can still be quite moist. But importantly, you can use wet hands to form large round balls. You place them on a large plate, flatten them slightly, and place in fridge or freezer to firm-up before frying. Being cold keeps the patty in one piece when you fry it, especially when you flip it.

If you've only just stumbled across Billie Bites, here's some background: Billie grew a little fussy. On return from holiday we embarked on a fritter and patty frenzy. Suddenly, vegetables are back in her diet.

She loves cooking, and fritters and patties are perfect toddler fodder. Yes it does involve hot oil, so here's where I insert a disclaimer. However, Billie is very clear that pans on the stove are hot. We've never had any problems or any near-misses. I do of course watch her at all times around hot oil. Hey, those master chef kids had to start somewhere.

This is from the fritter camp. Next up, we'll demonstrate the difference with a patty recipe.

These numbers were a HUGE hit. Billie ate plate-loads. And she was a fabulous sous chef.

SPINACH, RICOTTA AND RICE FRITTERS


2/3 cup brown rice (makes 1 1/4 cooked rice, and can be prepared ahead)
Large bunch of English spinach 
1/2 cup grated cheddar
600g fresh ricotta (if at all possible, use the really fresh, firm stuff)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
freshly ground black pepper
just a little bit of salt
freshly grated nutmeg, or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
handful fresh oregano (or basil, parsley if oregano not around)


Place rice in small pot with double the amount of cold water. Bring to boil with lid on, then turn right down to low and simmer with lid on until water absorbed. Don't stir, just lift lid occasionally and it will be obvious when water almost gone. Turn off and leave lid on for few minutes. Remove rice from pot and place in large bowl to cool.


Meanwhile, pick spinach leaves and wash. Drain, leaving a little water on the leaves. Place in large pot with lid, on medium heat. After a minute shake pot. After another minute lift lid and give quick stir. When just wilted, remove and chop spinach.


Add salt and pepper, nutmeg, spinach, cheddar and herbs to rice. Next add eggs, then ricotta. 


Heat a large heavy fry pan on medium with couple of spoons of oil - olive, rice bran or coconut are best. Once hot, turn down to low and dollop tablespoons of mixture into pan. The smaller the fritters, the quicker to cook. But if they are larger they will soak up a bit less oil. So depending on your priorities...With this recipe I found smaller to be better as the mixture is a slow cooker. 


Flipping rules: Avoid multiple flips. This encourages breakage. Instead gently try the edges with your flipper, and if it comes away easily and does not look about to break into pieces, your fritter is ready to be turned. Flip when solid. Patience is a virtue with these fritters, they don't like to be rushed.


Place on a large plate lined with newspaper to soak up any excess oil and serve as are. No sauce or chutney needed. (Yes, newspaper really works just as well as paper towels. But if you don't have newspaper lying around your kitchen because you read everything online, you may have to go out and buy paper towels.)


Where's the picture? Billie scoffed them all before I could reach for the camera.

QUINOA, SWEET POTATO AND BROCCOLI FRITTERS

Actually, Billie is making some other patties here

 It's well and truly fritter season in our household. And we're partial to patties too.

Billie Bites is back with a wad of inspiring recipes after a rather long summer break.

I'll admit I've been hiding a little due to a bit of an extra fussy faze - not mentioning anyone in particular...

But I can now report two solutions for dealing with that fussy toddler: Get them cooking. Make fritters. Oh, there's one more - make patties.

So stay tuned for the play-out of Toddler Master Chef. It helps that Billie actually loves cooking. Really. I can't get her out of the kitchen.

Here's the first in our series of fritters and patties - otherwise known as 'hide the vegetable'.

But they are tasty. And multi-functional. Today I wrapped a warm pile of these straight out of the frying pan to serve at Billie's friend Henry's third birthday party. I think the adults devoured them before the kids got a look-in. Except for Billie - who barely moved from the food  table.

I've been busting for ages to experiment with quinoa in a patty or fritter. I'm very happy with this result - and Billie gobbled back a plateful for dinner this weekend.

QUINOA, SWEET POTATO AND BROCCOLI FRITTERS

These are kind of in between fritters and patties - in that the mixture is too wet to form into solid patties but not quite as wet as a traditional fritter. It works well though.

This makes quite a large batch, but the mixture keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days. Half it though if you like. And it's gluten-free (provided you use tamari rather than soy sauce). 

1 cup Quinoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cup water

1 large sweet potato (use the purple-skinned kumara if possible)

1 head of broccoli

butter (optional)

2 eggs, lightly whisked

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

three spring onions, finely chopped (or use one brown onion)

handful mushrooms, finely chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2-3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (depending on how salty you like)

1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar (optional)

coconut oil (or olive or rice bran oil)

Peel sweet potato and chop into smallish pieces. Steam until soft enough to mash. Chop broccoli and add to steamer about half way through.

Meanwhile, rinse quinoa and place in small pot with water and salt. Bring to boil with lid on, then turn right down low and simmer with lid on until water is absorbed. DON'T STIR. To check if water absorbed simply tilt pan. It will take about 15-20 mins. Once absorbed remove pot from heat and leave to stand with lid off for about 5-10 minutes.

While this is all on the boil, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy frying pan. Saute onions, garlic and mushrooms (if using) on a medium heat until nicely softened. Add spices and black pepper and stir for 30 seconds.

Mash sweet potato and broccoli, adding a dollop of butter if you fancy. Combine with rest of ingredients. Check seasoning.

When ready to fry heat heavy frying pan over low-medium heat with large tablespoon of coconut oil (or other oil). Dollop a tablespoon of mixture into pan, and repeat until pan is full. Leave room to flip.

Try not to flip too soon - they take longer than you think and will break up if you flip too early. Try them gently with the flipper - when done they will turn easily. Cook on other side for a few minutes, until browned. It's better to be slightly overcooked than under cook when it comes to fritters. Place on a plate lined with newspaper, recycled printed paper or paper towels (newspaper actually works very well and saves on buying all those paper towels).

Add more oil to pan and repeat. 

Delicious hot, warm or cool. No sauce needed but a salad on the side is nice.

VEGETARIAN BLOG: Cheesy Yoghurt Onion Olive Cakes

A few weeks back I made a promise. Now, after a few crazy weeks at work, I am delivering on that promise.

These are the little savory pies I served at Billie's second birthday party. This weekend I pressed replay for a friend Miream's shared lunch. They were devoured around a crowded kitchen as mountains of delicious food was served.

I have slightly adapted this vegetarian recipe from Julie Le Clerc's feta and olive pies in her Cafe@home book. Julie uses the mixture to make a few small pies. Instead I divided it into 12 muffin tins.

At Saturday's lunch we had some gluten-free folk so I swapped the regular flour for a gluten-free one. It worked just fine.

Unfortunately Billie's experience of these tasty pie/cakes was tainted by her false expectation that they were sweet muffins. She mistook the olives on top for dates...and we all know how her taste buds would have reacted.

RECIPE: CHEESY YOGHURT ONION OLIVE CAKES

3 onions, sliced thinly

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup self-raising flour, or 1 cup gluten-free flour and 1 tspn gluten-free baking powder/soda

 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup thick plain yoghurt

300g feta, cubed

1 cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

black pepper

1/2 cup kalamata olives (remove pits, but avoid cutting in half, before using)

Saute onions in oil for ten minutes to soften well but not brown. Remove from pan to cool. Preheat oven to medium - about 180/350. Oil 12 muffin pans.

Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour beaten eggs and yoghurt into the well and stir with a wooden spoon. Mix in onions, feta, Gruyere, dill and pepper. You don't need to add salt as the feta has plenty.

Pour into oiled muffin tins and place an olive or two on top of each. Bake for 30 minutes or until set and browning on top. Let them cool a little before removing one from the tins. If still quite wet and difficult to remove, pop them back in oven for few more minutes.

Cool on wire racks or serve immediately. Great fresh out of the oven, but at Billie's party they were cold and still delicious.

 

SALAD FOR ALL with PUY LENTILS, PUMPKIN AND RICOTTA

When a Melbourne friend announced she was in town and popping in for lunch with her 7.5 month-old baby, I knew it was time to really test out the Billie Bites philosophy.

Could I come up with a dish that would inspire and nourish two adults, a toddler and a baby newish to solids?

BINGO. Mission accomplished. And while this is similar to other salads listed here, it's different enough to warrant fulfilling my guest's request for the recipe.

Oscar hadn't had lentils or ricotta before, but he happily consumed a fair serving of the two, mashed with some roasted pumpkin. I chose ricotta because it doesn't have any added salt - good for babies under one year.

Billie chose on this occasion to pick out the lumps of fresh ricotta. But we know she normally devours anything from the pulse/bean family. Pumpkin these days goes down if it's mixed in with other stuff, or is the only thing on offer.

And Emily and I devoured my cherry tomatoes freshly picked from the back-yard.

Here we have a meal for all. Family friendly, vegetarian and gluten-free.

SALAD FOR ALL with PUY LENTILS, PUMPKIN AND RICOTTA

1 cup French puy lentils, rinsed
1/4 pumpkin, skinned and chopped into bite-sized chunks
olive oil
large handful French green beans, topped and tailed and cut in half
handful cherry tomatoes
few slabs of fresh, firm ricotta (avoid the runny stuff in the tub)
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper


Preheat oven to hot. Place lentils in small pot with 3./4 cup water and bring to boil. Turn to low and simmer with lid until water absorbed or just soft - about 20-30 minutes. Place pumpkin on oven roasting tray and rub with olive oil. Roast until soft and crispy around edges. 


Steam beans until just soft. Mix lime, balsamic, olive oil and salt and pepper and stir through drained lentils, beans and tomatoes in a large serving platter dish. Top with pumpkin and slabs of ricotta.


FOR BABIES 6 MONTHS AND UP: Reserve some pumpkin and puree
BABIES 7 MONTHS AND UP: Reserve some lentils and pumpkin and mash or puree with ricotta
BABIES/TODDLERS 1 YEAR AND UP: Serve salad as is - let them pick what they like. It's all good

SUPER PATTIES with TOFU, BROWN RICE AND WALNUTS

I call these super patties because they are delicious cold, filling enough to make lunch - or dinner if you take two - and extremely healthy.

They also happen to be gluten-free and vegan if you're entertaining somebody in those camps.

And yes, Billie happily scoffed back the mixture before it even hit the fry-pan.

I do owe a big shout-out to Iku, the fantastic vegetarian whole foods cafe I drew inspiration from. Iku's don't have walnuts, and I think they must deep-fry to get them totally crispy. I don't actually know what Iku puts in theirs, but this was my attempt at imitation:

SUPER PATTIES with TOFU AND BROWN RICE

1 cup brown rice

Toddlers, babies and adults will love these patties

1 block of firm tofu (about 250-300 gms)
1 Tablespoon brown rice vinegar (optional)
5 Tablespoons tamari (soy sauce if none available)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional, or use other nuts)
1/4 cup poppy seeds
two handfuls fresh herbs  (I used dill, oregano and thyme beause that's what's in the garden)
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Rice bran oil, or other good cooking oil


Cook brown rice in 2 cups cold water in small pot. Bring to boil then turn right down to slow simmer, leaving lid on and not stirring at all. Turn off once water gone. Pour into large bowl to cool.


Break tofu into pieces and place in food processor or bowl where you can use hand-held blender. Pour tamari and brown rice vinegar on top and blend until thick paste - doesn't need to be completely smooth. Add walnuts, spring onions and herbs and blend again. Remove from processor and add to rice with poppy seeds. Check seasoning then use wet hands to form LARGE flat round patties. These work well as very big patties. Place on plate in freezer for 30-60 mins, or fridge if leaving for longer.


Pour enough oil into fry pan so you can shallow-fry - about half as high as the patties. Heat on medium until hot and then drop some patties in. Cook on medium for about 5-8 minutes or until browned and crispy, then turn and repeat. Try to just turn once in order to avoid breakage. Place on paper towel on plate and eat hot, warm or cold. They don't even need sauce.

Billie collects sticks at the Wentworth Falls lake

BILLIE BITES RETURNS TO CELEBRATE 9-MONTH B'DAY

We're back, just in time to mark Billie's ninth month. She has now been living in this world for as long as she lazed about in my tummy. Read on to learn how to make the best corn fritters, served with delicious Mexican-style sides.
 
Some baby food literature recommends waiting til this point to bring on the eggs etc, and some recommends banning eggs and nuts until at least one year. However, Billie has been happily chomping back eggy delights for a few weeks now. I chose to dive in - she also loves the cashew, brazil and almond nut paste I have been mixing with her tofu and ricotta.

This recent research report, American Academy of Pediatrics- Allergies, suggests there are no known advantages to delaying the introduction of these foods, although I did wait til she was 8 months for the nuts and 8.5 for the egg whites. See my previous writing on this subject, An Eggy Affair . Peanuts are on next week's menu, before we hit America where peanut butter finds its way into everything. (Please consult your doctor if your baby has been deemed at risk of developing food allergies.)

"Although solid foods should not be introduced before
4 to 6 months of age, there is no current convincing
evidence that delaying their introduction beyond this
period has a significant protective effect on the devel-
opment of atopic disease regardless of whether in-
fants are fed cow milk protein formula or human
milk. This includes delaying the introduction of foods
that are considered to be highly allergic, such as fish,
eggs, and foods containing peanut protein. " American Academy of Pediatrics policy revision

To mark the return of Billie Bites, after a forced break due to over-use of my right arm (at first attributed to the computer but now deemed to be equally about carrying and manoeuvring an ever-growing baby) I am offering up my latest and most exciting vegetarian creation. You could easily make this gluten-free by swapping the flour for a suitable version.

Whenever we find ourselves looking at a cafe menu - less and less with Billie in tow - my eyes stop at anything corn fritter-related, or anything that sounds vaguely Mexican. So when we were sharing a late lunch at an Avalon cafe in Sydney last Sunday (can't recall the name sorry) we went straight for the gluten-free corn fritters served with salsa, fried egg, black beans and avocado. I have no idea how they made their fritters, but I was inspired by the array of sides.

Somehow I've never tried to make corn fritters, just busied myself becoming the best critic of other peoples' (chefs). So I'm pretty proud of these last minute numbers. No recipe book on the shelf offered me a guide, and I couldn't/didn't want to look on-line (kinda cheating anyhow) so this is what I came up with. And yes, Billie loved them. The second time round. So don't get put off if your baby at first refuses.

RICOTTA CORN FRITTERS served with BLACK BEANS, TOMATO AND CORIANDER SALSA and FRIED EGG

 First soak/cook/pressure cook 1 cup black beans, aka Brazilian Beans. Or open a tin and heat before serving. 

Finely chop 3 tomatoes, 1/2 red onion, bunch fresh coriander and mix with generous dash of olive oil and fresh lime or lemon juice. Add salt and pepper and set aside.

CORN AND RICOTTA FRITTERS        

1/2 cup self-raising plain flour

1/2 cup cornmeal (could use plain flour or omit)

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs well beaten (use electric beater if have)

200g ricotta (fresh is best)

3 corn cobs, kernels removed uncooked

freshly ground black pepper

milk - 1/2- 1 cup (mixture should be very wet, not dry enough to handle)

Heat olive oil in cast iron fry pan. When hot, turn to low heat and spoon in dollops of fritter mixture and flatten. Cook for about 5 mins on low heat so cooks through, rather than just browning. Flip, flatten and cook for another few mins. Place in tray in warm oven while rest of fritters are cooked.

When ready to eat, fry up an egg per person and serve on top of fritters with large spoon of salsa above, black beans and avocado or sour cream if you have (we didn't).

 Billie ate the black beans mashed with some ricotta, a fritter sliced into fingers and would have chomped on avocado if any were on offer.

Better run, as I am bashing this out in between changing nappies, whipping up Billie's lunch, and now my folks visiting from New Zealand await a tour of Sydney's finest winter offerings. It's great to be back...