Broccoli Cauliflower Fritters with Lemon-Garlic Cream

In order to maintain my title as “the fun aunt,” I play to my strengths – food. Trust me, I always try to deliver! Pancake breakfasts, cookies in the cookie jar, and “bunny pasta” (the Annie’s brand mac and cheese with the bunny on the box) every night! There’s no time for veggie casseroles or mystery meats. There’s no time for “eat your greens” and “don’t feed that to the dog!” That’s for other aunts.

I was invited by The Honest Company to share a healthy recipe as part of their campaign to highlight real moments of parenthood. It’s about sharing #honestmoments in every day life of raising families. One of these honest moments for moms is The Polite Refusal:

Every parent has moments like these. Whether it’s giving away their vegetables, unbuckling their carseats, or not staying in bed, parents are familiar with The Polite (and Non-Polite) Refusal. It might be because kid’s want to express themselves by making their own decisions and feeling heard, no matter the situation.

Despite my pursuits of staying in my nieces’ good graces, I actually do want them to eat their vegetables because I want them to be healthy and happy. But I also want to help them make healthy choices for themselves. I want it to be their idea to happily eat their veggies. And just like their parents, I’m invested in finding creative and fun ways to do it!

The Honest Company’s message is about adapting a healthy lifestyle so that teaching healthy practices to our families becomes easier.  I love that Honest provides products to help parents through those #honestmoments. Products like kid vitamins when your kid refuses to eat anything but crackers or hand sanitizers for when your kid picks up that cigar at the park. But perhaps the biggest message is that parents are not alone in these endeavors!

In my experience, when I share my excitement and love for something good, kids receive it whole-heartedly. In terms of trying to teach kids not to refuse vegetables, for me, I get excited when we’re talking fritters.

If we are thinking along the lines of pancakes or fried scones, these fritters are a savory medley of those two favorite dishes… just with a few veggies thrown in. What kid doesn’t love pancakes or scones? It’s familiar, comforting and satisfying. Mozzarella is deliciously cheesy, eggs add protein and a chewy bite, while tomatoes add a little sweetness. Top these fritters with a flavorful sour cream that has the perfect amount of zing to keep those mouths full. This dish is sure to please every kid, (young or old) so that they want to eat whatever veggie is in these sweet little fritters. Let’s create honest moments that lead us closer to our goals of raising healthy kids… and maybe saving a few calories for the dog.

Broccoli Cauliflower Fritters with Lemon-Garlic Cream

1 1/2 cups chopped Fresh Broccoli, about 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups diced Fresh Cauliflower, resembling rice
3/4 cup diced Fresh Tomatoes, divided
4 large Organic Eggs
3 Tablespoons Olive or Coconut Oil, plus more frying
1/2 cup grated Mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese
2 large Garlic Cloves, finely chopped (about 1 Tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Zest
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 teaspoon Hot Sauce or Siracha (this helps enhance flavor but isn’t overly spicy)
1/2 cup Gluten-Free Flour Mix or White Flour
Fresh Parsley and Lemon, for garnish

Place cut broccoli on a parchment lined baking sheet and broil on high for about 4-5 minutes until crisp and slightly tender. Don’t over bake!

Transfer broccoli and cauliflower to a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup tomatoes, eggs and oil and mix to coat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Gently mash the broccoli into the batter if large pieces are not mixing in well. The batter should look like a thick pancake batter and all veggies should be well coated.

Use a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop batter for cooking. Cook the fritters with about 3-4 tablespoons of oil on medium heat until golden and browned, flipping after 2-3 minutes for each fritter. Serve fritters warm with the lemon-garlic cream sauce (recipe below) 1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes, lemon wedge and parsley.

Lemon-Garlic Cream

1 cup Sour Cream
Juice 1/2  Lemon
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
Lemon Zest

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth. Garnish with lemon zest and serve.

Yields 10 Fritters

NOTE:

The batter can be made in advance the night/morning before you want to eat them! Store the batter covered in the fridge for up to 10 hours. Cook them up on a hot griddle when you’re ready to eat. They also freeze great for up to 2-3 weeks. Reheat fritters in a 375 degree oven for best results.