Stop the presses!

Or at least, that's what I've wanted to say since I discovered broccoli fritters this week.

Broccoli is a staple veggie in many boonies kitchens - holds together well in the fridge, can be frozen, is a good way to get green veggies in the dead of winter when wilty salad isn't looking so appealing...  But for years, many boonies cooks have resorted to simple steaming or boiling to get their broccoli fix, smothering them in cheese sauce so the kids will eat them.  Well, no more.  I tell you, I'm going to eat my broccoli in fritters from now on. 

These were so delicious that I was eating them straight from the pan, barely waiting for them to cool.  By the time I finished cooking the end of the batch, I had 2 left  *urp*. 

Recipe Notes:

If you don't have good parmesan cheese, cheddar works as well.
I've heard that Canadian flour is somehow different from American flour, and this has affected most of my attempts to make bread.  I know that American bread recipes call for way more flour than I can mix into the dough, and this seems to be the case with this recipe too.  When I made it, I added a couple of teaspoons of water to the dough to get the rest of the flour in, but next time I will probably just use slightly less flour - maybe 1/3 c.  Depending on where you live, this is something to consider.

Broccoli Fritters

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

1 small bundle fresh broccoli crowns (3 cups, chopped into 1" pieces)
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (maybe a little less - see Recipe Notes)
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan or cheddar cheese
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
 A pinch of red pepper flakes or several grinds of black pepper
Olive or vegetable oil for frying

Steam the broccoli for about 5 minutes until it is soft, but not too mushy. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Mix remaining ingredients. Mash the broccoli with a potato masher and mix into batter until it's all the same consistency.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until it spatters when you drip water in it. Add large spoonfuls (2-3 tbsp) of batter to the oil, keeping the fritters a couple of inches apart. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon or spatula.  Fry until golden brown (2 - 3 minutes), then flip and repeat. 

Drain the fritters on paper towel before serving (or eating with your fingers from the plate.. *ahem*).

Black Bean Fajitas!

Here's a recipe that came my way back in university from dog-knows-where. It's a high-protein, low-fat, super-fast weeknight meal that uses just a couple fresh ingredients, and lots from the pantry. If you don't have tortilla wraps, have no fear - you could serve this up as a side dish with rice and salad. If you don't have green peppers, any colour will do. I've even made this with chopped zucchini. It's reasonably versatile.

First, chop up half an onion, several cloves of garlic and a bell pepper (colour doesn't matter). Saute those together over medium heat in a little bit of olive oil until the onions are translucent.

Drain and rinse a can of black beans. Add the beans to the onions and mix for just a couple of minutes.

Add some spices: about a teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder, some salt and pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat (if you want). Mix well, then add about 1/2 cup of salsa (you choose the heat). Mix together and cook until heated through.

You could serve this in wraps with lettuce, cheese and sour cream, or as a side dish with rice and a salad or yam fries.

Recipe:
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bell pepper (or 3/4 c. chopped zucchini or celery)
1 12 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper
1/2 c. salsa

A Healthy 10-Minute Meal

Roast chicken, root veggies, potatoes and chard - this is a hearty meal that will warm up any night. It's perfect for winter because it uses vegetables that store very well and provide you with lots of great nutrients. As a bonus, this takes about 10 minutes of active prep time, and one hour to cook.

Chard is probably my favorite leafy green - it grows really well in the garden, lasting well into the fall (even through a hard frost). It also stores well in the fridge - just wrap the stems in a damp paper towel and store a bunch in a plastic bag in the crisper. It will stay crisp for at least a week, and is excellent steamed or in salads. The taste is similar to spinach, but a little more flavorful. Usually, I only see it in the organic section of the grocery store, but like I said - it's easy to grow in the garden, so you can enjoy it all summer and fall.

Potatoes, carrots, and parsnips store very well in a cool, dark place - months, if you keep them well ventilated and cool, so buy or grow them and store them in a root cellar, crawl space, or shed (as long as it doesn't freeze).

The recipe for the chicken is the easiest, tastiest one I know. It comes from Epicurious.com and easily feeds a family of 4. Buy whole chickens when they're on sale, preferably in packages of two or more. I got 2 at the wholesale for $14. Separate them out in ziploc bags when you gets home and freeze them.

For the chicken, you'll need:
- one whole chicken
- salt
- dried thyme

Rinse the chicken inside and out, and dry it off really well with some paper towels. You want to make sure it's as dry as possible, inside and out.

Place it in a roasting pan and truss it up. Then take about 1 tablespoon of salt (or the salt shaker) and "rain" salt down on the bird so it's evenly coated on top. This will make a nice, crispy skin.

Then throw that sucker in the oven at about 400° (the original recipe says 450°, but it always seems to get too dry when I cook it that way - could be my oven though).

That's it. Don't baste it, don't look at it.

While it's cooking away, cut up some parsnips, carrots and potatoes into large chunks. You want them to be about the same size so they all cook in the same amount of time. 2" cubes work. Once the chicken's been in the over for about 30 minutes, throw all the root veggies in the roasting pan with in and put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

Adding carrots, yams and parsnips

Finally, prepare some chard. Rinse each leaf and tear the green parts off the stem in chunks. Put about 1" of water in a large pot, and put the chard in a steamer basket over the water. If you don't have a steamer basket, just put the chard in 1" of water - you don't want to cover the leaves with water, just have enough in there to steam them. Leave this until the chicken is done.

When the chicken is finished (check with a meat thermometer, or stick a fork in the side and make sure the juices run clear, not pink), take it out of the oven and remove the root veggies from the pan with a slotted spoon. Crush about 2 tsp dry thyme (not ground) into the juices, then baste the chicken with the juice and let it sit.

Cook your chard over high heat for about 5 minutes until it all wilts. You can serve it with a bit of butter, or just plain.

Now serve it all up!