Quick & Crispy Zucchini Fritters + “Vegan Comfort Cooking” Review
As summer hits its peak, markets and gardeners will find themselves inundated with never-ending pounds of zucchini and summer squash, covering every farmers market stall, and filling your kitchen counters and fridge space. If you find yourself totally overwhelmed with zucchini this summer, here is a great recipe for comforting, hearty, crispy zucchini fritters topped with a silky avocado crema. They can be made in the oven or a skillet, and are a great way to get through a lot of zucchini without feeling like you’re just eating vegetables. It’s from Vegan Comfort Cooking: 75 Plant-Based Recipes to Satisfy Cravings and Warm Your Soul by Melanie McDonald, founder of A Virtual Vegan. If you believe that food should be comforting, delicious, and homey, this cookbook will be a great resource for you, and anyone else looking to increase their plant-based cooking.
About “Vegan Comfort Cooking”
Vegan Comfort Cooking is all about taking comforting, soul-feeding versions of familiar favorites to satisfy anyone interested in plant-based recipes. It aims to create comfort food recipes so delicious, that vegans and non-vegans alike will be left happy and feeling satisfied. If mac and cheese, wings, brownies and other comfort food is what you seek, the Vegan Comfort Cookbook seeks to provide those recipes to you. Most of the recipes stick to basic, find-in-any-grocery-store ingredients, but Mel makes a point to explain any less common ingredients. Each recipe is accompanied by a colorful, vibrant photo. The recipes are detailed, with tips and advice given as needed. Measurements are typically given both in cups and spoons, as well as in grams and ml for those who prefer a scale. This book is perfect for the new vegan, or the becoming-vegan, or anyone who needs more good, solid, comforting recipes in their life.
What Does the Book Contain?
Vegan Comfort Cooking by Melanie McDonald hits the best of comfort food recipes, from brunch to dessert. The book contains 75 vibrant and flavorful recipes, and is organized into 5 chapters.
- First, We Brunch They say brunch is the most important meal of the week, and Mel has you covered. From classics like her Best Ever Fluffy Pancakes and a Go-To Tofu Scramble to more creative choices like Zesty Orange Olive-Oil Muffins and Berry Good Breakfast Cake
- Indulge Yourself Don’t be that vegan that lives off salads- go for one of these hearty meals, from Heavenly Vegan Hot Pot to “I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan” Roasted Garlic Alfredo to Smoky Tomato and White Bean Soup.
- The Munchies Because some of the best times in life are when you’re snacking. This chapter includes the Quick and Crispy Zucchini Fritters (see below for the recipe!), Smash-’em-Up Salt and Vinegar Potatoes, and Pizza Party Pull-Apart Bread.
- Sweet Talk We’re not moving on until we talk about dessert. From Drool-Worthy Cinnamon Donuts to Peanut Butter Nutter Chocolate Cake, these recipes should satisfy every sweet tooth.
- Bits and Bobs Because there are some recipes you should just have, this chapter includes staples like Life-Changing Vegan Butter and Basic Crusty White Bread.
Making Your Zucchini Fritters
Zucchini fritters are perfect for summer, when the summer squash start producing at a head-spinning speed. The first step is to grate the zucchini and onion, and place in a large bowl with salt. After waiting a while, the salt will have drawn out much of the liquid from the vegetables. Squeeze the liquid from the zucchini, leaving your vegetables more dry (which allows a firmer batter, and crispier fritters). From there, mix the ingredients for the fritters together until all the flour is incorporated to create a stiff batter- it will take a little muscle, but with enough mixing, all the dry flour will disappear. Now you get to choose- skillet, or oven. I did mine in the oven, as I prefer to be able to stick it all in and walk away rather than cook a couple at a time in a skillet. The final step is to make your avocado crema, which is done in a flash with a little help from your blender.
Quick & Crispy Zucchini Fritters with Avocado Crema
These fritters are super simple and easy to make. They’re crispy on the outside and moist but not soggy on the inside. They make great party food, appetizers or snacks and are also perfect for a more substantial dinner with salad, or in a bun in place of a burger. No matter how you stack them, though, one thing is certain: When it comes to crispy fritters straight from the pan, just one is not enough!
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini
- 1 medium onion
- 1½ tsp (8 g) salt
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseeds
- Zest of 1 small lemon (reserve the rest of the lemon for the crema)
- 1½ cups (138 g) garbanzo bean flour
- 1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Olive or vegetable oil, for pan
- 1 medium avocado
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce
- 2 tsp (10 ml) white wine vinegar
- 5 tbsp (75 ml) water
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil (optional)
- Salt
Instructions
- To prepare the fritters, grate the zucchini and onion. If you have a food processor, use the grating attachment to do this, which makes it really quick and easy. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with the salt, stir really well and leave for at least 30 minutes; longer is okay.
- Transfer the mixture to a large sieve or colander and use clean hands to press out the water; alternatively, wrap in a clean dish towel and wring out the water. It is important to get as much water out as possible.
- Return the mixture to the bowl. Add the cumin, oregano, thyme, garlic, flaxseeds, lemon zest, garbanzo flour, baking powder and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir together really well so everything is distributed well and you cannot see any dry flour. It will be a very stiff batter. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes. During this time, it will loosen up a little.
- Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Grease with a little oil if it’s not nonstick. Once it’s hot, give the batter a quick stir, and then add it to the pan, using around 1/3 cup (80 ml) per fritter and leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) around each one. Use a spoon to flatten the fritters to about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick and allow to cook for about 7 minutes each side, or until golden brown. Serve them immediately or keep warm in the oven on its lowest setting while you finish cooking the rest.
- You can also bake the fritters in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop the mixture onto it in roughly 1/3-cup (80-ml) amounts; then flatten them to about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, flip them and then bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- To prepare the avocado crema, cut the avocado in half. Remove the pit and scoop out the flesh into a blender or food processor. Add all the other crema ingredients except the salt and blend until completely smooth. Season with salt to taste. You can adjust the thickness by adding a little more or less water. The olive oil is an optional addition. It makes the crema glossier, but you can easily omit it and add 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of extra water instead.
- Serve the hot fritters with a generous dollop of avocado crema.
- Leftover fritters keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge. They also freeze really well. They can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat or in the oven. They are also surprisingly good cold! The crema will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Vegan Comfort Cooking by Melanie McDonald, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019. Photo credit: Melanie McDonald.
Tip: Enjoy leftover crema as a dip with chips, with tacos, burritos, veggie burgers and sandwiches or thin it out with a little more water or a drop of white wine vinegar to make a great salad dressing!
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