Squash Fritters!

 

I love all of the fresh homegrown vegetables we get from the garden in the summertime.  My parents have had a garden as long as I can remember. They still have a small one and Daddy is in his  nineties, but that doesn't stop him. 

 He takes care of his own yard and he and Mama plant their garden each Spring.   I plant a few things at my house also, mostly herbs, tomatoes and several types of peppers, but also a few yellow squash and zucchini plants and some lettuce and greens.  

The yellow squash usually does really well every year and eventually it's coming out ears, so we look for a variety of ways to use it all.  These "Yellow Squash Fritters" are something my mother has made since I was a girl and I just love them.  They are easy, but so tasty.

 Here is what you will need:

2 cups grated yellow squash

1/3 cup grated or minced fine sweet onion (I used Vidalia)

1 egg

1/3 cup self rising flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup oil for frying

2 Tbs. butter

In a mixing bowl, combine the grated squash and grated onion.   I just used a box grater for this.  The food processor tends to over do it and you end with baby food. 

 Mix in the egg, self rising flour, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.  If you do not have self rising flour, add about 1/2 tsp. baking powder to all purpose flour.  It makes them puff a little.  

Depending on how much water is in your squash, you might need just a pinch more flour.  It's loose batter, but it has to be tight enough to drop with out running every place. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet and melt the butter in it for flavor.  I drop them by heaping tablespoon to make them sort of small.  They are easier to work with and turn.  You can make them as large as you like though.   

Cook on one side for about 3-4 minutes.  Lift up and if they are brown, carefully turn them with a wide spatula.   This is a delicate batter so turning  them only once is a good idea.  Cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes or until brown and remove to a paper towel lined plate.

I like to garnish mine with a dollop of sour cream and some chives or a little green onion! 

These can be served as an appetizer or for a delicious side! 



Fully Loaded Corn Fritters!

 

 

 

The kind folks at Fleischmann's sent me some of their new Simply Homemade Cornbread Baking Mix and a bunch of other goodies!  I love it when that happens!  They had one request, that I come up with a recipe using their cornbread mix, but the key was it had to done on the outside grill and go with grilled foods.  Ok, I had to think about that one for a minute, but these "Fully Loaded Corn Fritters" is what I came up with and boy were they tasty!   I actually cooked the whole meal on the grill and never even had to turn the oven on.  It was great!  

 

Here is what you will need:

 

1 (15 oz. box) Simply Homemade Cornbread Baking Mix

1/4 cup self rising flour

2 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 Tbs. butter, melted

1 cup corn kernels (fresh, canned or thawed frozen works)

1/4 cup real bacon bits or crisp cooked bacon crumbled

1/4 cup sliced green onions, including some of the green blades

1/4 cup Monterrey Jack Cheddar cheese blend

oil for frying

 

 

This is what the cornbread mix looks like in case you go looking for it!



 

Combine the first 5 ingredients until smooth.  Add in the corn, bacon, green onions and cheese and just stir in until incorporated. 

 

Heat the oil in your skillet until a little of the batter sizzles.  Drop about two heaping tablespoons of batter for each fritter. Cook on one side until brown and then carefully turn them over and brown on the other side.  Make sure you put enough oil in the pan or they can stick.  I used the burner on my gas grill, but of course,  you can do this on the stovetop also.

 

Take them and place them on a paper towel lined plate!

 

Serve immediately...yummy!!!





Cheesy Fresh Corn Fritters!

We used to eat at this little restaurant that served corn nuggets as an appetizer.  They were these wonderful little nuggets made of corn, cornmeal and cheese and then deep fried and served with a ranch dipping sauce.  This recipe for corn fritters reminds of those corn nugget appetizers.   These could be served as an appetizer or a side and they are really good with fried fish or seafood instead of hush puppies.   Here is what you will need:

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh corn kernels (I cut off 2 ears for this or if you don't have fresh corn you could use frozen niblets)

1 cup chopped sweet onion ( I used Vidalia)

3 Tbs. butter

1  1/2 cups self rising corn meal

1//2 cup of flour

1 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's)

1 tsp. sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Oil for deep frying

Cut off about two ears of fresh corn and chop the onion.

Melt the butter in a skillet, add the corn and onion and saute until the onion is just tender.

Mix cornmeal, flour, seasonings, sugar, eggs, and buttermilk until well mixed.  Add the corn and onion mixture and mix.  Add in the cheese last.  The mixture should be thick, but as it sits it will get tighter, if it gets too thick add just a tad of water.

Heat the oil in your deep fryer or pan to 375 degrees.  I use canola oil, you can use vegetable oil or peanut oil also.  Drop the fritters by about a tablespoon at a time.  You can use a cookie scoop or I use my small ice cream scoop and just dip about a tablespoon full.  Let them brown on each side, you will probably need to roll them over once to get them even and then remove to let drain on a paper towel lined plate.