This recipe is great to use up some leftovers in your fridge and reduce food waste! I had a couple of baked sweet potatoes in the fridge from a Shepherd's Pie recipe test I keep putting off, and some leftover quinoa from last week's grain bowls.
These are packed full of fantastic plant-based nutrients like complete proteins from the quinoa, vital carbohydrates and beta carotene from the sweet potatoes, and all the yummy phytonutrients and antioxidants from the fresh herbs and garlic.
I had some delicious Greek food this past weekend and I needed more, so this recipe was inspired by that. So, kick back, enjoy these fritters, and visualize yourself in a Grecian cliffside villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. At least, that's what I did!
Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups of baked sweet potato (about two small sweet potatoes)
1/4 cup, packed, of fresh chopped parsley
1/3 cup, packed, of fresh chopped cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. of chopped shallot
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. You can use a spatula, but there's something grounding (and fun) about getting your hands dirty.
Once thoroughly mixed, grab a lacrosse-ball sized portion (bigger than a ping pong ball, smaller than a tennis ball) and roll into a ball. Gently press the ball into a patty and place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue until the mixture is gone. At this size, the recipe makes about 10 fritters.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, flip each fritter over, and bake again for another 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15- 20 minutes before serving. Pair with my super tasty Cashew Tzatziki and feel your insides do a happy dance. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
You can also freeze them for up to three months. When ready to eat, allow them to defrost in the fridge overnight and pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes to re-heat.