Fritters are a great easy and quick recipe that will please the pickiest of kids. Instead of making them from flour, corn and/or white potatoes, this recipe gives you a way to kick up the nutrient profile of this side dish without sacrificing any of the taste! If I do say so myself, I actually think this tastes better than any other kind of fritter I have had before.
Why You’ll Want This Fritter
Why are these fritters healthier than others? We use a 1 to 1 ratio of sweet potato to zucchini. First of all – zucchinis are much lower in calories than potatoes. One average sweet potato is just over 100 calories, while a zucchini is only about 30. Right of that bat that makes this a smarter choice for dieters and anyone wanting to watch their weight! But calorie count is the least of it.
Sweet potatoes are an incredible source of Vitamin A – a super powerful antioxidant that can provide benefits raging from anti-aging properties to eyesight maintenance, and even cancer prevention. Although they are sweet, they are low on the glycemic index and will not cause a spike in blood sugar – really important for anyone that suffers from diabetes. In addition to these facts, sweet potatoes contain compounds that have been shown to have both anti-inflammatory and immunity boosting effects, as well as minerals linked with better moods and less stress.
On top of all that we have zucchinis. Their benefits extend far and wide. Made from a high percentage of water means they are low in calories and perfect for dieters. But they also contain great sources of antioxidants and vitamin C. In addition to this zucchinis are a good source of B vitamins that help promote a healthy metabolism and keep energy levels up. They provide essential electrolytes that aid in digestion, and even may help balance thyroid and adrenal function according to some studies.
Isn’t it crazy that one recipe – using only two vegetables – can provide that many health benefits!? It is crazier when you try it and see how delicious and kid friendly it really is. So let’s keep going!
Perfect Imperfection
Don’t get too bogged down by the amounts in the recipe below. I know when I used to follow recipes like this I would always get anxious thinking silly things like, “Is this a medium sweet potato or a large sweet potato?” thinking it would make or break my end result. Here we are aiming for a one to one ratio of sweet potato and zucchini, but it doesn’t really make a difference if it is not exact! It will just dictate whether your fritter tastes a little bit more like sweet potato or a little bit more like zucchini 🙂 and the only reason we say large for both is because you are going to want to make as many of these as possible! They are that delicious. But if you only have small or medium veggies on hand that is fine too.
Once you have your veggies grated, it is as easy as mixing them up with your eggs and spices, and getting them on the stove top!
I will offer one piece of valuable advice when cooking these – try to wait as long as possible to make your first flip. I had a sous chef get pretty impatient while we cooked our first batch, I won’t name any names (NEIL!), and he eagerly flipped it before it had cooked enough and it kind of fell apart. Which was fine because he basically made himself a delicious sweet potato/zucchini hash, but if you want the perfect fritter, I’d recommend waiting until you see the edges starting to get brown so you know it is stiff enough to handle a flip 🙂
Sweet Potato & Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato- 1 large zucchini
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil mister
Instructions:
- Grate your entire sweet potato and zucchini into a large mixing bowl.
- Beat your eggs together in a small cup.
- Add the beaten eggs to the grated veggies, along with all of the spices, mix to combine until you have your “dough.”
- Spray a pan with ample olive oil, and put on the stove over medium heat.
- Make small balls with your dough, flatten onto the stove (the thinner the crispier!), and cook until you see the edges start to brown.
- Once brown, flip to cook the other side. Once this side is also golden brown (or just all the way brown if you like them burnt and crispy like I do!), remove from heat.
- Serve alone, with homemade ketchup, or with a fried egg on top!
Not Only a Side-Kick
This dish is presented as a fun side dish. It is great to accompany any main dish, especially with my homemade ketchup to dip. But that is not all it can do! We loved these so much we have been brainstorming other ways we can incorporate them into our meals.
Main dish – You could easily make this your main dish for dinner. You might just want to add a little more protein in order to keep yourself satisfied. My suggestion? Fry an egg and put it on top of a big stack of these beauties. The egg will provide more protein to make for a filling meal, as well as delicious runny yolk to satisfy you.
Fritter buns – I recently posted my jalapeno turkey burger recipe. Both of these recipes were inspired while we were on Whole30, and for those of you that do not know, you can’t eat bread on the program. Light-bulb moment. If you want a burger and a bun, but can’t have bread, what is there to do? Put your burger patty in between two of these fritters! Oh my gosh my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Warning – you may still need to use a fork and knife, I don’t know if these fritters will hold up being used as a bun, but the flavor combination just sounds perfect. A little spice, a little sweet. Carb-like bun with the meat patty. All your favorites and totally healthy and Whole30 approved! Try it today and thank me later 😛
That’s Chef Neil to you! These are incredibly delicious though, and combined with the turkey burger is definitely a game changer!
haha you are indeed a great chef! And I agree, with the turkey burger is the way to go for a complete meal that is amazingly satisfying!