It’s New Year’s Eve and my mom says she’s going to make some corn fritters. Sadly I’m at least 8 hour away by vehicle not even taking into account bad driving conditions between here (Kelowna, BC) and there (Cardston, Alberta). You know I’m a little jealous when I start calculating if that’s a drive even possible. Judy (mom) is making an all-time favorite childhood staple of mine and I can’t get it out of my mind. It’s only a meal I had growing up and no one but Mom has made it since.
By george, I needed to see if I could re-create something gluten and dairy free that satisfied that nostalgic craving. Not so lucky. The only things I have in the fridge are kale and peas. Kale salad for lunch on a wintery day does not suit my fancy in the slightest. What’s a health conscious mom to do? Should I really attempt a kale-inspired fritter? Certainly. I’m up for the challenge. They’ll be green but I can always tell my daughter they’re jolly green giant fritters. I’m appealing to her sense of adventure, of course.
Kale is a just a phenomenal vegetable with so many nutrients that help prevent so many diseases it’s just dizzying.1,2,3,4 But sometimes you don’t want to think about all it’s health benefits, you just want to enjoy it. That was my main goal in creating this recipe. I like to buy kale at least once a week but it also has to pass through the mouth of my little 7 year old. And thankfully it did–with a little help from salsa and guacamole. You can really use any topping you want but the contrasting colors of bright green and red made it all so beautiful. What I especially like about blending peas with kale is how it sweetens the bitterness of the greens. What about the nutrition of peas though? With their high fiber and protein content, peas will forevermore be welcome in my kitchen.
So now we’re sitting down to a warm, cozy, delicious, very green meal on a very chilly day in Kelowna. They’re not corn fritters but in the pursuit of bliss, sometimes life takes you in a different and equally swell direction.
KALE AND PEA FRITTERS
No we won't be dropping our fritters into a vat of oil but you'll be still enjoy these fritters when you're tired of having cold kale salad. Really green and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Lacinto kale, destemmed
- 2 scallions
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 eggs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced and let sit for 10 minutes
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour or chickpea flour
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 2 T coconut oil
Directions
- Step 1 In a food processor, pulse kale and scallions until pieces are pea-sized
- Step 2 Add peas, eggs, garlic, cumin, salt and flour, cumin, salt and pepper and pulse until all ingredients are mixed well and pieces are very small
- Step 3 Heat skillet to medium then add coconut oil
- Step 4 Make each fritters about two tablespoons each, drop into skillet and flatten a bit
- Step 5 Cook fritters about 5 minutes per side
- Step 6 Top with salsa and garnish with sliced scallion
- Step 7 Serve with love and enjoy!
1. Stram, Daniel O., Jean H. Hankin, Lynne R. Wilkens, Sohee Park, Brian E. Henderson, Abraham M. Y. Nomura, Malcolm C. Pike, and Laurence N. Kolonel. “Prostate cancer incidence and intake of fruits, vegetables and related micronutrients: the multiethnic cohort study* (United States).” Cancer Causes & Control 17, no. 9 (2006): 1193-207. doi:10.1007/s10552-006-0064-0.
2. Jain, Meera G., Gregory T. Hislop, Geoffrey R. Howe, and Parviz Ghadirian. “Plant Foods, Antioxidants, and Prostate Cancer Risk: Findings From Case-Control Studies in Canada.” Nutrition and Cancer 34, no. 2 (1999): 173-84. doi:10.1207/s15327914nc3402_8.
3. Voorrips, L. E., R. A. Goldbohm, G. Van Poppel, F. Sturmans, R. J. J. Hermus, and P. A. Van Den Brandt. “Vegetable and Fruit Consumption and Risks of Colon and Rectal Cancer in a Prospective Cohort Study The Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer.” American Journal of Epidemiology 152, no. 11 (2000): 1081-092. doi:10.1093/aje/152.11.1081.
4. Feskanich, D. “Prospective Study of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Risk of Lung Cancer Among Men and Women.” Journal of the National Cancer Institute 92, no. 22 (2000): 1812-823. doi:10.1093/jnci/92.22.1812.