Spicy Cauliflower-Corn Fritters

Uh-oh guys, I think I made another veggie burger. In an attempt to make an easily packable lunch, I mixed a little cauliflower, some corn, a few eggs, flour and BAM all of a sudden I had some sort of fritter-patty that fits between two slices of bread oddly flat “sandwich thins.”*

This recipe was borne out of an attempt to use up leftover sandwich thins from my avocado and chickpea salad-making days. I needed to make a sandwich of some sort, and since sticking a bunch of cold cuts on weird bread does not a blog post make, I tried to get creative. At first I thought turkey burger, but I spied some fresh corn at the farmer’s market underneath a sign screaming “Summer’s Last! Buy it now!” and fell hook, line and sinker. I am such an easy sell.

Somehow in my brain, corn and cauliflower seemed like natural companions, and undeterred by the lack of corn-cauliflower fritter recipes out there, I decided that combining a corn fritter recipe with a cauliflower recipe would work. (This is the same brain that has managed, two days in a row, to mess up making coffee in a REGULAR DRIP MACHINE that she’s been using since college, so I don’t really know what to say. I think my new roommate is concerned for me but is too polite to say so.)

It would be fine, except that I already have this delicious chickpea veggie burger, and this also very good black bean burger, and compared to those masterpieces, this cauliflower-corn situation can’t quite compare. Part of that is my fault – I ended up with a leeeetle too much flour for my taste. (I was also lazy and pan-fried rather than baking, so the insides could have cooked a bit longer.) But the combination of sweet corn and cauliflower plus smoky cumin, Pecorino and a kick of cayenne will always be pretty good, so I’ll tell you about this recipe anyway.

*I bought these on a whim, assuming that their low-carbness would cancel out the lack of flavor. I was wrong. It’s not worth it, people! Stick to real bread when you want a sandwich.

Spicy Cauliflower-Corn Fritters
Adapted from Skinny Taste and Simply Recipes

I made these in two different sizes: most were a little larger than the size of my palm, made to fit the sandwich thins and were more burger-like. A few were smaller and more “fritter-sized,” and I thought these were better – the smaller size allowed for more even cooking of the insides, so unless you’re trying to use up old bread, I say go this route.

– 1 cup whole wheat flour

– 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

– 1 teaspoon chili powder

– 1 teaspoon cayenne powder

– 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

– 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

– salt and pepper to taste

– 2 large eggs

– 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets and steamed

– 2 cobs corn, kernels removed

– 1/2 cup water

1) Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, mixing together just until the flour is incorporated and a batter forms.

2) In a 10-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium-high until shimmering. Shape out 3-4 palm-sized fritters, then drop them in the skillet and fry for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and fry for an additional 3-4 minutes. Set on a paper towel, then fry the remaining fritters and serve. (They were delicious topped with avocado.)