Do any of you have a weekend food tradition? In our family, fritters tend to appear pretty frequently on our weekend menu. I find they are a great way to reduce food waste by using up veggies that have either been sitting too long in the fridge or have been leftover from my children’s uneaten dinners during the week.

The beauty of fritters is that they are so versatile too - your only limit as to what you add, is your imagination! I often create a plainer batter initially for my boys (i.e omitting the spring onions, herbs and feta) and then add all the bells and whistles to the remaining half of the batter for us. Fritters not only make for a nutritious meal, helping you reach 5+ADay, but you can also freeze any extras and use them as lunchbox fillers or for afternoon tea.

Recipe

Serves:

9 - 10 fritters

Ingredients

• 1 can corn kernels, drained

• 1 cup of your favourite or leftover vegetables, grated or finely chopped (e.g courgette, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, capsicum, legumes)

• 2 spring onions

• 3 tablespoons of your favourite fresh herbs, chopped (e.g parsley, thyme, coriander, marjoram, basil)

• 4 medium free range eggs, lightly beaten

• 1/2 cup standard flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• Ground black pepper

• 100g salt reduced feta - optional

• Extra virgin olive oil, for frying

Method

1. Put all vegetables into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the spring onions, herbs, eggs, flour, baking powder, black pepper and feta (if using).

3. Mix everything together to combine.

4. Heat a little olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat.

5. When the oil is hot, and creating a sheen on the base of the pan and before it starts smoking, scoop a dessert spoon of the mixture into the pan.

6. Fry until golden and the bottom of the fritter moves easily away from the base of teh pan

7. Turn and cook the other side, until cooked through and golden.

8. Remove from the pan and transfer onto a paper towel to cool.

9. Continue until all the batter has been used

10. Serve as is or with toppings such poached eggs or smoked salmon and a fresh garden salad. Enjoy.

Nutrition checklist

✔️ Good source of veggies for vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre

✔️ Good source of protein to help support growth and development

✔️ Good source of energy to help keep you powering through the day

✔️ Vegetarian-friendly

For a dairy-free option, replace the feta with your favourite cheese-alternative or omit the cheese entirely.