In between holiday festivities, I tend to gravitate toward simple, snack-y dinners like pan-fried vegetable fritters made with seasonal vegetables such as winter squash.
The quickest way to a squash fritter is to look for pre-shredded vegetables. Pre-spiraled “zoodles” are your best bet because they’re thin enough to cook quickly but hearty enough to create a substantial fritter. To the zoodles, add a couple of eggs, along with self-rising flour and salt to form a batter. The salt will draw a bit of moisture out of the squash to ever-so-slightly thin the batter. It’ll still be quite thick; that’s OK.
I like to add a tablespoon of smoked paprika to my fritters, but the seasoning can be a choose-your-own adventure. Cumin, chili powder or garam masala would all work well.
To cook, fry small scoops (about 1/4 cup) in a generous amount of olive oil in a nonstick skillet. You won’t be able to fit them all in at once, but they only take a matter of minutes to cook through and turn golden brown, so it’s easy to fit in a few batches in less than 30 minutes. Keep the cooked fritters warm in the oven.
For serving, stir together a bit more smoked paprika (or your preferred spice) with Greek-style yogurt and a drizzle of olive oil. I like to add a simple mixed green salad on the side for color and brightness, but if you’re feeling worn out from holiday festivities, serve these fritters on their own.
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