I’ve long had the theory that just about anything can taco. Really! Got frozen veggies leftover in your freezer? Saute them up, add a heavy dose of spices, wrap it in a tortilla, and voila! A taco. Leftover zoodles? Same thing. Even your leftover veggie burger could be a taco if you really want it to be.
This is all to say that I’ve got a new favorite method of cooking up leftover veggies—turning them into fritters, like these delicious, healthy, baked cauliflower fritters. And while I don’t recommend turning a veggie burger into a fritter, I do recommend trying these Healthy Lemon Basil Corn Fritters.
Why I love these baked cauliflower fritters
These gluten-free fritters are baked, instead of fried, making them quite a bit better-for-you without sacrificing any of the deliciousness. They’re pretty much like spring in a bite, with zesty lemon, sweet basil, and bright and juicy corn.
The base is fresh or frozen cauliflower and fresh or frozen corn (keep scrolling for why I love cooking with frozen veggies so much) combined with half an onion, a cup of fresh basil leaves, the zest and juice of one lemon, sea salt, three pasture-raised eggs, and a bit of almond flour. That’s it!
A few tips: If your fresh basil always goes bad super quickly, don’t refrigerate it! Basil actually hates cold temperatures. It’ll last way longer stored in a glass with some water, like flowers, on your countertop! Plus, who needs a bouquet of fresh flowers in your kitchen, when you can have basil instead? Oh, and if you’re nut-free or just don’t have almond flour, try substituting with oat flour. Don’t have that either? Add oats to a food processor, and make your own (it’s that easy!).
Before combining all your ingredients, you’ll just need to steam your cauliflower until it’s super fork-tender (this takes about 15 minutes) then transfer it to a large bowl and use a fork to mash it into small pieces. Next, you’ll add all the other ingredients (aside from the olive oil, which is for drizzling on a parchment paper-lined pan so your cauliflower baked fritters don’t stick), and combine.
Form your mixture into 12 patties, place them on your prepped pan, and bake! Flip after 15 minutes, bake for 10 more, and that’s it! I recommend squeezing lemon juice on top before serving, but to go the extra mile, you can mix lemon juice with yogurt and some more chopped fresh basil to make a dipping sauce. It’s so, so good!
Why I love using frozen veggies
I love fresh vegetables, but I HATE wasting food—throwing away veggies that I never got around to using makes me very sad. When I’m grocery shopping, I often opt for a mix of frozen and fresh veggies, so that I guarantee I use all of them before they go bad. I also often throw a half-used bag of fresh greens in my freezer if it’s looking like I won’t use them all in time—frozen greens are perfect for smoothies, soups, and stews, so I know I’ll use those!
Frozen veggies are often more affordable, but their nutrients tend to be very similar to their fresh counterparts, especially if the vegetables are blanched right before freezing. I highly recommend keeping a bag or two of frozen cauliflower and frozen corn in your freezer, so you can make these delicious Healthy Lemon Basil Corn Fritters whenever you get the craving!
Watch it being made!
Enjoy, and tag me if you make it on Instagram (@lizmoody)—I can’t wait to see!
Print
Healthy Lemon Basil Corn Fritters (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cauliflower florets
- 2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) corn
- 1/2 large onion or 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 3 pasture-raised eggs
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- Olive oil, to cook
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Steam cauliflower until it’s super fork-tender, about 15 minutes, then transfer it to a large bowl.
- Use a fork to mash the cauliflower into small pieces, then add the corn, onion, basil, lemon zest, salt, eggs, and almond flour. Stir until a batter forms.
- Drizzle a parchment paper-lined pan with olive oil, form the cauliflower mixture into 12 patties, and place them on the pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown, then remove from oven and flip. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until it’s golden on the other side. Squeeze lemon juice on top and serve. Makes about 12 fritters! Enjoy!
