RMan is a definite meat eater. If he had his way he would eat meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner - 7 days a week / 365 days a year.
And - eating veggies?
Nope - not interested.
So, I have to be sneaky.
I add chopped veggies to every soup - sometimes - in an effort to "hide them", they're even blitzed into a puree.
Chopped sauteed veggies even get transformed into an omlette filling.
Salads - he'll eat them, providing the ingredients are chopped really small - and, trust me, that can be tedious at times. I mean salads are meant to be easy, aren't they?
I have just discovered that we have a new publication in South Africa. It's called "go! Platteland" and it has some really fantastic articles.
As well as some recipes.
Paging through it I came across a recipe for Chickpea fritters. By the time I had finished ready the ingredients, and method, I was salivating. It is just my kind of recipe.
And, it would be a perfect way to serve hide RMan veggies :)
The recipe is as follows:
Chickpea fritters
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
1 grated carrot (I used 2 - 3 medium sized)
1 grated onion
2 garlic cloves
pinch salt
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh parsley - chopped finely
400gm cooked or tinned chickpeas
2 tablespoons (30ml) breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon (15ml) tahini
1 teaspoon (5ml) smoked paprika
Optional:
1 teaspoon (5ml) cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, fennel seeds
 |
Onions caramelising ready to have the grated
carrots added. The carrot skins - why, they're
for the alpacas - they love carrots :) |
 |
Finely chopped fresh
parsley is a breeze with
this handy little manual
gadget |
Method:
Heat the oil and saute the carrots, onion and garlic until soft and caramelised. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir the parsley through the mixture and remove from the heat.
Pulse (or if using tinned merely squish through your fingers) the chickpeas and then mash with a fork until fine enough to form a pattie but not so fine as to be a puree. A granular texture is perfect.
Stir in the remaining ingredients and combine well. Take a spoonful and shape into a pattie. Shallow fry over a medium heat until cooked through and crisp-ish
Serve with a tomato chutney (or any chutney) or chilli sauce of your choice.
 |
The chickpea fritters prior to being gently fried in
a little oil |
I didn't add the cumin - RMan doesn't like the taste, nor did I add the garlic and onion powder - I mean, c'mon, I've already added them as fresh ingredients...? But, I did add roughly 1½ inches of freshly chopped ginger and a sprinkling of fennel seeds.
 |
Finely chopped home-grown tomatoes, red
pepper and broccoli |
I topped them off with some grated 6 month mature cheddar and the side dish of (finely) chopped tomatoes, red pepper and broccoli complimented the meal. (And I got some extra veggies into RMan. Because they were chopped small.)
 |
Finally, a sprinkling of grated carrot - yum, t'was
delicious |
The patties themselves are delicious on their own - perhaps a bit bland but that is my fault for not adding the optional flavourings, but the chutney / chilli sauce livens them up perfectly. Hot, as in freshly cooked, or cold, as in leftovers (of which I have just partaken) confirms that they would also be good as cocktail bite sized pieces with a chilli dipping sauce.
RMan's comment was the fritters are almost like very fine minced meat, and yes, he would eat them again... And, no, he doesn't know that he consumed carrots, chickpeas, parsley or tahini. Nor broccoli :)
Another plan that works!!
RMan and I had the above for dinner on Wednesday night. Last night we had some neighbours round for a cold tapas type meal and I made bite sized portions. Consensus - delicious :)
