Recipe: Broccoli Parmesan Fritters

Or How to Get Your Kids to Eat Broccoli Without Hiding It.

Last week, when a friend and her son joined us for dinner (and Mystic’s daughter as well), I was on a serious vegetable kick.  Truth be told, I’m always on a vegetable kick, but when there is company over, I tend to make more, because I know I’ll have more people to share it with.  When it’s just me and the kids, I tend to stick to a handful of vegetables (and fruit and salads) that I know they like.  Company coming?  All bets are off and I experiment (or pile on the dishes) more.

And it may or may not have had something to do with the fact that the entree wasn’t super, super healthy.  It wasn’t terrible, but apparently I had some guilt to reconcile with myself.

Or some such.

So when my friend Cathy e-mailed me a link to Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for Broccoli Parmesan Fritters, I quickly added broccoli to my grocery list.  It joined the table alongside a Creamy Cauliflower with Greens Soup from Martha Stewart, and a riff on Spaghetti Carbonara from Jamie Oliver.  It was an awesome eating kind of night.

And those Broccoli Parmesan Fritters?

Not one speck leftover.

Not one.

Which kind of bummed me out.  But I consider that a First Class problem.

Madeline goes through phases with broccoli.  Sometimes she eats the crowns.  Sometimes the stalks.  And then there are other times, which is more often than not, that she won’t touch any piece of it.

She who is fickle about broccoli ate two of the fritters.

I can usually get Nick to eat a piece or two of broccoli.  He was good for one fritter.

Mystic’s daughter, who is not only picky but also slightly unadventurous when it comes to food, ate three.

This all should tell you something.

Make the darn fritters.

The recipe is crazy simple to make (you can find it right here).  I cut out some of the work by using those Ziploc steamer bags and cooked the broccoli that way.  I happened to have some on hand, and it was one less pot and less time.  Once the broccoli is cooked, it really is quick work to blend it with a few other ingredients, brown them, and devour.

My friend said they reminded her of the Spinach Cheese Squares that we make a lot of, so I bet they would be pretty good if you put the batter in a baking dish and bake them, cutting them into squares once they’re done.

And that way you could skip the frying step, making it even healthier.

Hungry for more vegetable inspiration?
Follow my Pinterest board dedicated to all things vegetables.
These 5-Minute Individual Potato Gratins that we’ve made before are divine.
Take advantage of summer’s zucchini and use these tips from Kalyn on how to grill it perfectly.
Or try this recipe for Braised Chickpea Dumplings with Vegetables from Joanne, which is next on my list to make.
And not to be missed is this Not Your Mama’s Green Bean Casserole that we made for the first time two years ago.  The best ever.  Seriously.

Tomorrow?  Aiming for a book review.