Caribbean Rice, Squash, and Peas, Zucchini Walnut Fritters, and Roasted Baby Potatoes...

A seemingly odd hodge-podge of side-dishes, Caribbean Rice, Squash, and Peas {page 268}, Zucchini Walnut Fritters {page 385} and Roasted Baby Potatoes with Spinach, Olives, and Grape Tomatoes {page 376} came together to make an easy, satisfying, and delicious meal.

Caribbean Rice, Squash, and Peas was a rice pilaf which included some flavors of the Caribbean, along with black-eyed peas and gems of tender butternut squash. The textures and flavors worked well together, although it was a little bland. Some additional seasonings and liberal addition of salt saved the dish and made it pleasant to eat. A great staple.

In Zucchini Walnut Fritters, I found yet another recipe in this book that is going to grace my table repeatedly. Easy to put together, these little fritters were crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of wonderful flavor. Everyone at the table absolutely loved them, including Supertoddler, Ninjahusband, and the Wondersisters. We all wished that I'd made a double batch, as we were hankering for seconds.

I love roasted vegetables, and Roasted Baby Potatoes with Spinach, Olives, and Grape Tomatoes was a fun variation on the standard. I didn't have the Savory herb called for {speaking of which...wtf is Savory? I'm beginning to think it doesn't exist. I have never been able to find it any ANY store.} I used a garlic and herb seasoning instead. The tomatoes and spinach went really well with the potatoes. I found the olives to be a little overpowering and distracting, but they were good for color, and added an interesting flavor note.

Over all, the dinner was delicious, and came together relatively quickly, despite the number of dishes. It is definitely something I would make again, either in whole or in part.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Corn Fritters

Tonight was one of those nights that I really didn't feel like cooking much. I had a ton of produce that needed to be used up but I didn't want a salad, but I did want pico de gallo and avocado. I needed something quick that would go along well with those two items. Flipping through the book, I saw that I had bookmarked Corn Fritters (page 366) and thought, "hm, that would go well with the avocado and pico de gallo". Best of all, I had all the ingredients on hand.

The recipe is marked fast, and it certainly is. You could have this on the table from start to finish in about 15-20 minutes. When working with the batter, it may seem a bit dry at first but resist adding more liquid until you've mixed in the corn (I used frozen). The corn added in extra moisture and I think I added in only about a tablespoon of extra soy milk to have a nice thick batter.

After you mix everything up, taste the batter to see if you want more salt or perhaps to add in additional herbs and spices. The only seasonings in the basic recipe are salt and a pinch of sugar allowing you to serve this both as a savoury dish or a sweet dish with maple syrup. It also opens you up to customise it however you'd like. I am definitely a salt person so I added in more salt. I think that if I had used fresh corn, I wouldn't have added in extra salt so the fresh corn could shine through. Do taste and adjust to your liking.

The fritters fried up fairly quickly (just a couple of minutes on each side) and yielded 10, though it should be more like 12 since I was a bit heavy handed with a few. Fresh out of the pan, they were already delicious and bursting with corn (the proportion of batter to corn is about 1:2). Crispy on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside like a good fritter should be.

I served this as an entree (5 fritters each) with a little more sea salt & black pepper alongside some fresh pico de gallo, sliced avocado and sprinkled with some cilantro. Everything went together so well but I do wish that I had some vegan sour cream on hand. That would have topped everything off nicely. Next time though!

— Ms. Veganorama

Pear Fritters with Caramel Sauce

The very first thing I beeline for is the Caramel Sauce (page 498). And this sweet, sweet nectar did not disappoint. It languidly drips down your stirring spoon, tempting the weary stirrer to taste. Oh, just another taste. A last. Single. One.

And you will be weary. It's incredibly simple to put together, but it takes some stirring over low heat to get it to thicken and reduce enough. But what you are rewarded with is a translucent, golden-brown nectar of the gods.

And what better role could it serve than to be drizzled over some Pear Fritters (page 483). All right, the recipe is actually Banana Fritters, but seeing as, shame of shames, I was out of those, I used the recipe's suggested variation and went with some ripe Bartlett pears. A good choice, I figured, since caramel and pears make one delicious duo.

I had them for brunch (though they're technically in the dessert section). Ladies, gentlemen – these may be the tastiest brunch items I've had in a very long time, maybe even—ever! And I don't say that lightly, for I kneel at the altar of brunch foods. The slight crispiness on the outside, the warm and gooey cinnamony pear inside; smothered in caramel—yes please!

Using pears is a fantastic move; trust me. Warm pears taste divine, especially if cinnamon's invited to the party. I can't imagine they'd taste better with bananas, but I stand ready to be disproved. More anytime!

By the way, I didn't peel the pears; that, my friends, would be a pure waste. It would cheat you out of an eighth of a fritter!

- - Ulpia - -