This week I need to figure out how to cut into books. I was talking with my mom about this when she
woke me up
called me this morning. Jigsaw? Drill? Good ol' fashioned X-acto knife? I'm searching for videos and how to's, and there are actually not a whole lot. I want to keep the book closed and cut into it, not open it and cut into it, like the DIYers have done. Have you carved a book? I'm cutting through hardbacks, so... yeah. Glutton for punishment = me.
I found
, and while he's not cutting through the hardcovers, I imagine a sharp knife would help... maybe? Also, I want his vase. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.
Absolutely NONE of this has anything to do with potatoes, broccoli,
or
fritters. I was just trying to avoid saying "balls". Because I'm 12 going on 30 in a month, and it's going to take a giant leap of maturity for me to not giggle/squirm whenever I hear/think/say balls.
So instead I talk about this morning's concerns over wedding things. Because I figure you like hearing about wedding things, and probably don't like hearing about my immature stream of consciousness, right? Or maybe you do. Maybe you're silly and like ball jokes. Maybe we should get together and have drinks and talk about it and giggle. Call me.
I made these
balls
fritters the other day and they were delicious. I tried to cross the raging rapids of cooking and forge ahead without freezing them before proceeding. Let this be a lesson to all who attempt these -
you need to freeze them
and NOT try to make them an hour before you want to eat. They need time to harden so you don't make a huge freaking mess of your hands. So freeze you will, and you'll thank me for it when you wrap your lips around these balls. ACK!!! Ball joke!!!!!
Hopefully I make up for my bad humor with these bad boys. They're ridiculously delicious and can be made exactly to your specific tastes. Use a different potato, sub out onions for leeks, try a Moroccan spice instead of Old Bay. Whatever blows your skirt up. Meanwhile, I'm going to figure out how to cut into books.
Broccoli and Potato Fritters
Adapted from Joy the Baker... hey girl.
2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean but not peeled
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
3 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (or favorite seasoning)
more olive oil for the pan
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the racks are in the upper 1/2 and upper 1/3 of the oven. Lots of math.
Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and put on a cookie sheet. Set aside while the oven preheats.
Place the carrots and broccoli on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Salt and pepper them, re-tossing after.
Place the vegetables on the upper rack of the oven, then place the potatoes on the middle rack. You'll roast the veggies until tender and just starting to brown. Remove from the oven once or twice to toss around during the roasting time (approx. 30 minutes total roasting time). The potatoes will need almost an hour, at which point they should be fork tender).
While everything roasts, heat up a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil while it warms, then add the onions and garlic. Sautee for 3-5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
After the veggies have finished roasting, remove them from the oven and let cool for about ten minutes. Combine the roasted veggies and onion in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely minced.
When the potatoes are tender, remove from the oven and let rest until they are cool enough to handle.
Once the potatoes are cool, cut into chunks and add to the food processor with the veggies and onions. Pulse until almost smooth (you still want some body to the fritters, but you'll be shaping them into... balls). Scoop the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Add the Old Bay seasoning, the mustard, and the salt and pepper to the mixture and adjust to taste. These are meat-free, so you can do sh*t like that.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop out the fritter mixture with a cookie scoop and shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place them in a single layer on the cookie sheet just close enough to where they won't touch. Place in the freezer for about an hour. This will make them easier to handle when you go to bread them. Swear.
In the last 5 minutes or so before you remove the fritters from the freezer, prepare your station:
shallow bowl 1: flour
shallow bowl 2: beaten eggs
shallow bowl 3: bread crumbs mixed with seasoning of choice
Remove the fritters from the freezer and set them next to your station. To coat a fritter, roll around in the flour first, knocking off the excess. Next, coat in the egg, letting excess slide off back into the bowl. Finally, roll around in the breadcrumbs and place the fritter back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the fritters. Place the sheet back into the freezer for 30 minutes. Trust me. Just trust me.
While your fritters re-freeze, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Your rack should still be in the upper third of the oven.
Once the fritters are frozen and the oven is preheated, place the fritters onto an olive oil-coated rimmed baking sheet. Bake for for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5-7 minutes. The nuggets should be golden brown on both sides. Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for for 10 minutes.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (we used Cori's homemade buttermilk ranch sauce, but marinara would be awesome too). So freaking good.
*Breaded but un-baked fritters can be frozen in a freezer bag for future use. Just remove and bake!*
