Meatless Monday: Southwestern-style Corn Fritters

I hope nobody out there melted from the intense heat over the weekend. I know it left me swimming in sweat and utterly lacking motivation. I did, however, manage to make a new variation of my corn fritters using black beans and tomato which came out really good, and a perfect summer, poolside treat.

If you didn't catch the first post I did on corn fritters, click here. This time I happened to have a bag of a frozen veggie medley containing corn, red and green bell peppers, tomato, onion and black beans, which is why I decided to use it for this purpose. Although they came out yummy and all got eaten up by Paul, Lily and I, I still honestly think my original Zesty Corn Fritters recipe is my favorite fritter concoction so far. 

This version uses classic southwestern ingredients and scallions fresh from my garden. Yes, finally got my herb garden going thanks to Paul! We also have lots of lovely flowers sprouting up to as you can see...

Southwestern-style Corn Fritters
(makes about 1 dozen fritters)

Ingredients
(please note: I used a bag of frozen mixed veggies, but this recipe is written as if using the ingredients fresh) 

1 14 oz package frozen corn defrosted, or fresh corn from 3-4 ears

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

1/2 cup cooked black beans

1/2 cup chopped scallion
4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lime, juiced

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup flour

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup water (plus extra if needed) 

Apprx. 1 cup oil for frying (canola, grapeseed or vegetable)

In a large bowl, mix flour, seasonings and baking powder together in bowl, then beat in the eggs, lime and water. Stir until smooth, then add all other ingredients except for the oil. If mixture looks too wet, add a little more flour; if it looks too dry, add a little more water. It should basically look like pancake batter with chunks of veggies in it. 

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot enough (simmering and smoking, but not boiling), drop spoonfuls of the fritter batter into pan like in the picture below.

Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove from pan with a spatula and set on paper toweled plate or cookie sheets. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

I made a little salad to go with them using these ingredients

 

Mommy's and Daddy's

Lily's

  

YUM.

These tasty veggie cakes are full of vitamin C, B vitamins, fiber, iron and protein. Using a healthy oil like canola or grapeseed helps to keep carcinogens at bay. Pairing them with a fresh salad or soup makes a perfect light lunch or dinner. Kids will love them, too, guaranteed! They're also super easy to make and your little one can even help with put the ingredients into the bowl and mixing them.

 

This may surprise you, but scallions are actually good for you. I always used to think they were just a simple herb that gave a nice tangy onion flavor to many tasty dishes, but they also contain a fair amount of vitamin K, fiber, healthy fatty acids, and are even found to be anti-cancerous. They are easy to plant and grown, and cheap! In fact, after Paul planted them, we forgot about them until they suddenly popped up in our garden, blessing us with an abundance of zesty chive goodness.

 

Planting herbs is easy to do and to maintain. Most herbs don't need much tending, just enough sunlight and water. Plus, fresh herbs always taste way better than dried. The issue I've always had with buying fresh herbs at the supermarket is that I'm always forced to buy a huge bunch that I know I will never use up in time, and I never do, causing most of what I buy to go to waste. Luckily, we have now been blessed with plenty of land to grow a garden on, but if you don't have your own plot, an Aerogarden is a great way to grow your own plants in doors. You could probably also easily find DIY herb garden set-up instructions by doing a Google search, like this one.

Have a happy and healthy Meatless Monday!