Sizzling Chanukah Veggie Corn Fritters – Veganized!

The Metro Vancouver newspaper’s December 1st issue this week (also the first day of Hanukkah) featured a recipe for Sizzling Hanukkah Veggie Corn Fritters from cookbook author Susie Fishbein. Now while this recipe kept in line with the Hanukkah tradition of cooking with oil for the entire eight days (find out why here ) and was kosher, it was not vegan. But that didn’t stop me! With a few minor adjustments, I veganized these fritters, cut out the microwaving step and made them (almost) gluten-free.

Ingredients:

1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch chunks

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water (egg substitute)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups cornbread mix ( I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free version)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (rice flour for gluten free)

Canola oil for frying (or coconut oil would be good too)

Method:

Place the cut up veggies in a stovetop steaming apparatus and steam for only 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flax/water egg substitute, almond milk, oil and salt. Stir in cornbread mix until a smooth batter forms. Sprinkle flour over steamed veggies and then mix floured veggies into batter, distributing them evenly. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, 1/2 an inch deep. Add batter 1/4 cup at a time to hot oil. Use a spatula to flatten each fritter. Work in batches of three or four fritters at a time-do not crowd the pan! Fry for 2-3 minutes on one side then flip (away from yourself to avoid oil splatters) and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Place cooked fritters on brown paper in an oven proof dish and keep warm at 220F till ready to eat.

The original recipe suggested serving it with jarred marinara, warmed. I made a quick homemade marinara in a small saucepan using:

2 cloves of garlic lightly sauteed in a teaspoon of olive oil

a dried herb blend (oregano, thyme, basil)

a can of whole plum tomatoes, squished (omit the juice leftover in the can)

1-2 teaspoons of tomato paste

salt and pepper

Add ingredients to the saucepan in the order listed above, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. If you are so inclined, get your immersion blender and blend for a smoother dipping sauce.

I stored the leftovers in one of my many jars, shown below: