Cauliflower Fritters with Lime Yogurt Sauce

Fritters...what a funny name. The word sounds sort of like critters, which makes them seem totally adorable. I guess you could say these fritters were adorable. They're cute in an ugly kind of way if that makes any sense, and are kind of like a thick, hearty, savory, pancake. I couldn't quite finish the serving you see in the picture above. 

In addition to being both cute and ugly, they were also very tasty, and quick and easy to make. I loved the spice combination (turmeric...where have you been all my life?), though I did have to make a few adjustments to suit my own taste. The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin. I like cumin just fine, but to my taste buds it can quite easily take over a dish, so I reduced the amount to only 1/2 a teaspoon. This worked for me, as I knew it was there, but it wasn't overpowering at all. I also think that next time I would reduce the lime juice by about half in the yogurt sauce. It was a tad too tart for me, but Chris thought it was just fine, so I again think it's  up to personal preference as to how much to use.

I love finding hearty vegetarian dishes like this, especially since in China, you don't really know the quality of the meat that you buy. Plus, they are usually very inexpensive to make! I hope you enjoy these little fritter critters as much as we did!

Cauliflower Fritters with Lime Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients 

1 small cauliflower (about 320g or roughly 3/4 lb.)

1 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 large clove of garlic, crushed

2 shallots, finely chopped

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon-1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, depending on your preference

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Sunflower or other neutral vegetable oil for frying, enough to cover the bottom of your skillet.

For the Lime Yogurt Sauce

1 1/4 cups Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Grated Zest of one lime

1-2 tablespoons lime juice, depending on preference

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Make the yogurt sauce by whisking together the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.

Prepare the cauliflower by removing the leaves and dividing into small florets. Cook in a large pan of simmering salted water for about 15 minutes until soft. Drain.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cilantro, garlic, shallots, eggs, spices, salt, and pepper. When mixed well, add the soft warm cauliflower and stir, breaking down the cauliflower into the batter.

Heat the oil in a wide pan. Once very hot, carefully scoop the batter into the oil to cook (I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup). Avoid overcrowding them, cooking maybe three at a time. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side, then remove from the pan and allow to drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately with yogurt sauce and garnish with more cilantro if desired.

Recipe Source: seen here and here, both adapted from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook

Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Vegetables

I can't believe I've had this blog for a little over a month, and have yet to post a pasta recipe! This is shocking considering how much Chris and I love a good pasta dish. I've been following Kelsey's blog Apple a Day for a while now, and it was one of the blogs that inspired me to start one of my own. I appreciate the interesting dishes she chooses to present, and on my list of things I want to cook, many dishes come from her blog (I'm making a soup today I found there as well!).

While perusing through some of Kelsey's "Meatless Monday" dishes, I found this little gem. To be honest, I didn't really read what she wrote about this dish until later on, because the description started out with "Two. heads. of garlic." I immediately jumped down to the picture and recipe, and added it to my list. If you know me at all, I love everything and anything that has tons of garlic in it. The more garlic, the better.

This dish was easy to make, as the hardest part was having to wait so long for the garlic to roast (the apartment smelled incredible). I sadly didn't add the toasted walnuts, because mine were a little "iffy", and used about 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley instead of fresh (one of the many things I can't find in Beijing..sigh). I think this recipe would be a great base for experimentation. You could try adding a meat or fish, mix up the veggies, or try different cheeses. This combination however, was delicious, and I will definitely make it again.

Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Vegetables

Ingredients

2 heads garlic, papery skins removed, top quarter of heads cut off and discarded

6 tablespoons plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 lb. cauliflower

3/4 lb. broccoli

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 lb. pasta (short shapes work best)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped and divided

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 500˚F (my "oven"/easy bake only went up to 475˚F and I had no problems). Adjust oven rack to middle position, and place a large rimmed baking sheet on rack.

Place garlic heads, cut side up, in middle of a 12x12 piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and seal packet. Place packet on oven rack (not on pan) and roast until garlic is very tender, about 40 minutes. Open packet and set aside to cool.

While garlic is roasting, cut cauliflower and broccoli into florets. Place in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and sugar.

When garlic is done, carefully remove baking sheet from the oven. Spread cauliflower and broccoli on pan and place in oven to roast, about 15 minutes.

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Boil until al dente, according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, squeeze or spoon garlic from skins into a small bowl. Mash with a fork to form a smooth paste, then stir in lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Slowly whisk in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and return pasta to pot. Add vegetables, then stir in garlic sauce, 1/4 cup cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon parsley, and 1/2 cup cheese. Adjust consistency with additional cooking liquid and season with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice (I felt that there was enough lemon flavor in the garlic sauce, and chose not to add any more). Serve immediately, garnished with remaining cheese, parsley, and walnuts.

Recipe Source: adapted from Apple a Day