Corn Fritters with Zesty Curry Aioli

According to wise wikipedia,

frit·ter¹

noun

noun: fritter; plural noun: fritters

1. a piece of fruit, vegetable, or meat that is coated in batter and deep-fried.

These delicious and often very calories dense items can be made of a million different things. They're also called different things accross the world. When I was in India I fell in love with pakoras. These are essentially battered veggies or even sandwiches that are deep fried. They are delicious. 

See this site for more ideas about types of fritters (and cakes) that you can make. Really there are an endless number of combinations you can try. Just take a look in your fridge and follow this formula;

Feature Ingredient (Ex. Corn, Salmon, Zuchinni) 
+ binding ingredient (Ex. Egg, flax egg) 
+ batter (Ex. Bread crumbs, crackers, flour)

You can deep fry (if they're covered in batter) but my choice for it's simplicity and health, is to pan fry with a smidge of oil. Light and crispy but not overwhelmed with the taste of batter or the grease of the deep-fry.

Inspired by a recipe in our local paper, here is my version of corn fritters with a bright aioli to lighten it up.  Serve with salad, as a side, on a bun even. Enjoy :)

Corn Fritters with Lemon Curry Aioli 

For Fritters:

2 cups gluten free flour [quinoa]
2 tbsp baking powder
20 breton plain gluten free crackers (crushed)
3 cups fresh corn
1 cup grated zuchini
1 cup grated carrot
1 tbsp pink peppercorns
3 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp fresh chopped chives
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

For Aioli:
1/2 cup light mayo
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp yellow curry powder

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well
2. Heat pan on high heat with 2tbsp oil
3. Shape fritter and place in pan, flatten to create fritter patty
4. Cover with lid and allow to cook for ~3 minutes on high heat and then reduce heat to medium-high
5. Flip fritter and cover. Side should be golden brown. Cook on high for ~3-4 minutes
6. While batches are cooking combine ingredients for sauce.

ENJOY!

When you just need pizza.

Sometimes...you just need a good slice of pizza. 

Honestly, I have tried many different gluten free options and outside of actual Italy, I haven't found one that compares.

Options?
1. Frozen alternatives
2. Make your own.

Yes, I have done both. There was a time in my life that I would have been absolutely disgusted at the thought of even entertaining the idea of buying a frozen pizza. Yes, I have been a huge food snob. But that was before my free time/grocery shopping time/ time in general has shrunken down to late evenings and bursts of about 10 minutes in between different residency tasks. Busyness has humbled my palate to appreciate some of the perfectly reasonable already prepared options out there. My favourites are:

1. Sabatasso's Cheese Pizza: I usually add dried oregano, sliced tomatoes, chilli flakes and when done, I dowse it in siracha, Bajan hot sauce or tabasco. YUM.

2. Oggi Margherita Pizza: fluffier crust than #1, more filling overall. Add toppings as you wish, cook and enjoy.

But that homemade option? Nothing better. I usually use compliments gluten free flour blend (1:1 substitution) or the recipe below.

DIY flour blend:

volume ratio

1:1:2:3

white rice flour: tapioca flour: potato starch: brown rice flour

Vacation Inspired Italian Thin-Crust Pizza with Pesto(GF)

Crust*

3 cup GF flour blend

4.5 tsp Baking powder

pinch salt

2 Olive oil

1 cup Warm water

Pesto:

3 cloves garlic

3 tsp lemon juice

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup pine nuts

2/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup parmasean (or pecorino)

pinch salt and pepper (to taste)

For the 'za:

Endless proscuitto

Arugula

Cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)

Parmesean or goat cheese

Balsamic vinegar reduction

1. First make the crust. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in standing mix bowl. With the dough hook, slowly add warm water on medium speed. Add olive oil. Pour out onto kneading surface and knead briefly (~1 minute) until well combined. Form into ball and refrigerate for 1hour.

2. Next make the pesto: combine all ingredients into high speed blender. Blend until desired consistency (I think it's nice a little chunky). Refrigerate.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F.

4. Prepare your pizza toppings. Cut cherry tomatoes into halves. Grate parmesean (or other cheese). Reduce balsamic vinegar on stove (heat on medium with intermittent stirring until thickened).

5. Cover kneading surface with more flour. Roll out pizza crust into desired shape, approximateley 1/2 cm thick. Cover with Pesto --> proscuitto-->arugula--> tomatoes. Oven for ~20 minutes or until edges golden brown. Remove from oven and cover with balsamic reduction and sprinkle new parmesean or goat cheese

Buon apetito. 

Autumn Pumpkin Soup

What more could you want on a chilly autumn day than a delicious bowl of souppp. One of my go-to soups is generally butternut squash because of it's sweet and delicate flavour but why not switch it up? Why not turn your PSL craving into a meal?

Pumpkin Soup. Boom. Healthy. Delicious.

With my schedule these days cooking has become a task that has unfortunately taken a back seat. When I get a spare moment, there just doesn't seem to be enough of those moments to string together to do a ton of cooking so I've got to make it count!

Corners to cut?

Canned pure organic pumpkin. Chop that cutting, carving, de-seeding and roasting time out and get to that cooking!

Spiced Autumn Pumpkin Soup

1 can Organic Pure Pumpkin Puree

1 medium Spanish Onion

5 medium Carrots

3 cups Veggie Stock

1.5 tsp Cinnamon

1.5 tsp Ginger

1.5 tsp Cayenne

1 tsp nutmeg

1. Add chopped onion, carrots to large pot with a few tbsp of olive oil. Place onto medium heat, covered. Make them all sweat!
2. Add pumpkin puree and veggie stock. Cover and simmer.
3. Add spices. Simmer again. check veggies and make sure they're soft.
4. Use an emulsion blender or high powered upright blender (I use Vitamix) to blend until smooth.
5. Serve and top with roasted veggies of choice, quinoa, a little pepper and whatever else you want- maybe even some greek yogurt for some creaminess.

ENJOY!

Creamy Broccoli Salad

I had a salad the other day that was so satisfying. It was a conglomeration of broccoli and cheddar cheese with a number of spices, some onion and almonds. Really tasty. Unfortunately, afterward I was regretting all that cheese intake and wanted to have something similar that was also lactose free.

The answer? Nutritional yeast. Add a pinch or more to any dish to give a savoury and delicious taste that resembles cheddar. Add some greek yogurt (lactose free plain) and some lemon juice and BAM= non-mayo based creamy wonder that is bound to satisfy during a busy work day.

Creamy Broccoli Salad

1 large broccoli floret

3 large carrots

1/4 dried cranberries

1 cup lactose free greek yogurt

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp water

dash of sea salt

1. Wash and cut broccoli into smaller pieces
2. Use a peeler to peel the carrots into thin strands. Add to broccoli.
3. Add cranberries to veggie mix
4. In separate container, add greek yogurt, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, water and salt together. Stire until well combined. Add to vegetables.
5. Mix well and serve!