Today we are going to make a great vegetarian meal that is healthy for you but feels kinda bad. We are going to mix white bean zucchini fritters, with a nice chive mayo.
Chives are a delicate grassy herb with a mild flavor similar to onions and garlic. Here, we use chives to flavor a mayonnaise-based sauce that goes perfectly with crispy white bean zucchini fritters. We served it over a roasted tomato and arugula salad and you have a healthy fun meal.
There are 4 main ingredients to this dish. First you have Cannellini Beans, they are wonderfully nutritious. They’re fat free and an excellent source of fiber, folate, iron and magnesium.
Then we have the Harissa Spice Blend that is made up of caraway, cumin, coriander, and mint.
The third main ingredient is Zucchini, there are many healthy benefits to eating it. Zucchini is high in the antioxidant vitamin C, which may help the lining of your blood cells function better, lowering blood pressure and protecting against clogged arteries.
And finally fresh chives, they are considered to be a Nutrient-dense food. This means that they are low in calories but high in beneficial nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Cooking Tip:
One of the trickiest parts to frying anything is knowing you think the oil is hot enough, dip the handle of a wooden spoon or a chopstick into the oil. If the oil starts steadily bubbling, then the oil is hot enough for frying. When the oil bubbles very very vigorously, then the oil is too hot and needs to cool off a little bit. If you have no bubbles or very few bubbles than you need to turn up the heat a little.
Wine Pairing
Pinot Noir
Body and Tannins: light, silky tannins, light-bodied
Pinot noir is a red wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for pine and black. The word pine alludes to the grape variety having tightly clustered, pine cone-shaped bunches of fruit.
Pairs Well With These Foods: mushrooms, Asian food, Mediterranean food, legumes, fruit-based sauces, camembert.
White Bean & Zucchini Fritters with Chive Mayo & Tomato-Arugula Salad
Equipment
- rimmed baking sheet
- large skillet
- colander
- box grater or microplane
Ingredients
- 3 oz baby arugula
- 2 oz mayonnaise
- harissa spice use 1 Tbsp
- 1 oz panko
- ¼ oz fresh chives
- 1 can white beans
- ¾ oz piece Parmesan
- garlic use 2 large cloves
- 2 zucchini
- 1 container grape tomatoes
- balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 large egg
- kosher salt & pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
- Roast tomatoes: Preheat oven to 450°F with a rack in the upper third. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes with 1 tablespoon oil and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Roast on upper oven rack until lightly charred and starting to burst, about 20 minutes.
- Prep ingredients: Trim ends from zucchini, then coarsely grate on the large holes of a box grater to make 1 cup. Spread on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 5 minutes, then squeeze out any excess moisture. Peel and finely chop 2 teaspoons garlic. Finely grate Parmesan. Drain and rinse white beans. Thinly slice chives
- Mix & form fritters: In a medium bowl, use a potato masher or fork to coarsely mash beans. Add panko, grated zucchini, chopped garlic, half of the chives and Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of the harissa spice, 1 large egg, and ½ teaspoon salt; stir to combine. Form mixture into 4 (4-inch) fritters.
- Make chive mayo: In a small bowl, stir together mayo and remaining chives. Season to taste with salt and a few generous grinds of pepper.
- Fry fritters: Place ¼ cup flour on a plate, then gently dredge both sides of each fritter in flour, tapping off any excess. Heat ⅛ inch oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering (oil should sizzle vigorously when a pinch of flour is added). Add fritters and cook until golden-brown, 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; sprinkle with salt.
- Make salad & serve: In a medium bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon vinegar and 2 tablespoons oil. Add arugula, roasted tomatoes, and remaining Parmesan, and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve fritters over tomato-arugula salad with chive mayo spread over top or on the side for dipping.
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