Zucchini and Chickpea Fritters with Smoked Salmon

I got back to my hotel room at midnight and put my things down on the bed. The whole weekend I had been focused on my work, photographing the World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards, and after nine hours, I was exhausted. The first thing I did was open my computer and scrolled through Facebook. I had planned on it being a way to decompress before bed. And then I came across a link to a video of Anderson Cooper reading the names of the victims. Seeing him, hearing his voice, quivering, failing to hold back tears, brought up all the emotions that I had kept tucked away over the last 24 hours. I began to cry with him. The times I've cried like that are few, but I remember each one well. The death of Matthew Shepard. Columbine. 9/11. Sandy Hook. 

There are so many other emotions that I feel and others have articulated them so much better than I ever could, but I wanted to put this moment down here, in this space, because these feelings are something I never want to forget. I don't mean that in a hashtag way. I mean that in a "Let's put this in our hearts and make sure we change because of it" way. I hope it gets more people to talk about some major problems we have as a nation. Our disgustingly lenient gun laws. Our hatred/fear of anyone that's different. Maybe... maybe... we can learn from what happened and grow. 

I wish such a terrible thing didn't have to take up this space, because I do want to talk about a fabulous new cookbook: Pure Delicious by Heather Christo. I love this book for so many reasons, but, mainly, because of its approach to allergy-free recipes. None of the recipes are titled "Non-dairy" or "Vegan" or "Nut-free." They just are. Now, I don't have any food allergies (something I'm continuously grateful for) but my sister and a number of my friends have serious allergies. I have memories of my sister going into anaphylactic shock after consuming a peanut that had made its way on top of an ice cream sundae. So, whenever I'm cooking for others, I make sure to find out if they have any allergies. This book is the perfect reference for those who have dietary restrictions or who have friends and family members that do because all of her recipes are without gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, or shellfish.

These zucchini and chickpea pancakes/fritters were the first recipe I came across. I loved how simple they were to prepare and thought I could use them as a base and then just create my own unique toppings (Heather made a fantastic looking red onion marmalade). I love how rustic vegetable pancakes can be, but that they can be dressed up to make them a bit fancy. Here I use my favorite non-dairy topping, a creamy coconut milk and Dijon mustard sauce, some smoked salmon, and chive. They can be served as a pre-meal appetizer or even for brunch!

GIVEAWAY INFO!!! Heather and the publisher of Pure Delicious are generously providing a copy of her book to giveaway to one lucky reader! Just leave a comment on this post to enter (one (1) entry per person). It's only open to U.S. residents (sorry to my Canadian and international readers). Giveaway closes at 12PM EST on Friday, June 24th. The winner will be contacted via e-mail. 

Zucchini Chickpea Fritters with Smoked Salmon

Servings
Serves 10, as an appetizer

Special Equipment
Food processor

Ingredients
For the Zucchini Chickpea Fritters
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
3 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Vegetable oil, for frying

For the creamy mustard sauce
1, 13.5 oz. can full-fat coconut milk, chilled in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (to separate the cream from the milk)
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Smoked Salmon
Chopped fresh chive, for garnish

Directions
1. To make the zucchini chickpea fritters: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Add the shredded zucchini to a colander and, using a clean dish towel, press as much of the water out as you can. 

3. Add the chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they turn into a thick paste. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and add the onion and zucchini. Use clean hands to mix well, then form the mixture into 10 cakes. Set aside.

4. On a plate, combine the garbanzo bean flour and the salt. Gently dredge each cake in the flour, patting it onto all sides of the cake. 

5. In a heavy pan or skillet, over medium-high heat add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add 3 or 4 cakes at a time and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until the cakes are golden. Transfer the cakes to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until hot and a deeper golden color.

6. While the fritters are baking, whisk together the coconut cream (the fat in the coconut milk), Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and salt until combined.

7. Serve fritters warm, with the smoked salmon, creamy mustard sauce and fresh chive on top.

Zucchini and Chickpea Fritter recipe - Reprinted from Pure Delicious by arrangement with Pam Krauss Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2016, Heather Christo LLC

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips // A Thought For Food

Wait. What? How are we already approaching the end of July? I'm pretty sure it was May yesterday. And didn't we just have snow on the ground? Can we just slow things down a bit? Maybe there's been a bit too much running around these last few weeks. There was the trip to the Berkshires, followed by some time in New Jersey/New York, which went directly into a couple days on the Cape. All good, fun stuff, but, at the same time, it's all a little exhausting. Our lives slow down a bit over the next few weeks. There are plenty of projects to work on, but not as much travel. Just some Cape-time, reading, swimming, boating. Simple, quiet activities.

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips // A Thought For Food

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips // A Thought For Food

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips // A Thought For Food

Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips // A Thought For Food

After all the back and forth, it was great to get into the kitchen and work on some recipes I've had in my head for quite a while. Corn is my summer obsession. Even more than tomatoes or asparagus or berries, I can't get enough corn. The thing is that I really don't like eating it on the cob and would much rather shave the kernels into a salad. The inspiration for this salsa came from my father-in-law. With my adaptation, I gave it the summer treatment by charring the corn, giving it some added flavor and texture. A good amount of spice comes from the habanero Tabasco. This stuff doesn't just have a kick... it burns. But in a good way. It's something to think about as your seasoning the salsa.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Tabasco. Over the course of the year, I will be creating recipes featuring the Tabasco Family of Flavors and this is the first of those posts. All opinions expressed on my site are my own.

You can check out my recap from my trip to visiting Tabasco here and my recipes for Smokey Shrimp Burgers and a Watermelon Shrub Spritzer.

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Charred Corn and Mango Salsa + Plantain Chips

Notes The corn can also be prepared on a grill by removing the husk and grilling the corn kernels until charred.

Yield
Serves 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients
For the salsa
4 ears corn
1 mango, peeled and cut into 1/4" cubes
Olive oil
1 teaspoon habanero Tabasco (or more depending on desired amount of spice)
1/8 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
Juice of one lime
Salt

For the plantain chips
3 plantains, peeled and sliced 1/16" lengthwise (using a vegetable peeler or a mandoline) Vegetable oil (I used safflower oil)
Salt

Directions

For the salsa
1. Preheat a large caste iron skillet (or pan) on the stove over medium-high heat for three minutes. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Once heated, add the corn kernels and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels have charred. Remove from heat.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together habanero Tabasco, cilantro, and lime juice. Add corn, mango, and red onion. Season with salt.

For the plantain chips
1. Pour vegetable oil in a large, deep saucepan so it comes up 2 inches. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.

2. Cook the plantain slices in batches, carefully lowering the plantain into the oil. Cook until crispy, approximately 1 minutes. Line a plate with two layers of paper towels. Transfer plantain chips to the paper towel and season with salt. Serve with corn and mango salsa

Beet Dip with Hazelnuts + Goat Cheese

There was a palpable energy on Friday night as we headed into the city for dinner. I suspect it's because most people, like Eric and I, have been stuck inside for the last month. It was cold... brutallycold. So cold that it was dangerous to be outside for more than ten minutes. But that didn't stop folks from going out. Boston businesses have been suffering, so seeing packed bars and restaurants was a nice sight.

This was a very social weekend for the two of us. There was dinner and drinks on Friday. On Saturday, we were invited over to our neighbors for "'ninis and 'tinis" (that's panini and martinis). I got inspired to make some potato chips for the occasion, along with a bowl of cucumber salad. Six hours later and more than a few martinis in and we were all feeling pretty good.

Sunday was equally enjoyable (and, thankfully, warmer than it's been recently).  We prepared brunch for some friends and then had more over to watch the Academy Awards. I put together a spread of baked brie, beet dip, and a large pot of wild rice and mushroom soup. We sat and ate and drank and laughed and said snarky things during the show. Is there anything better?

Going back to this beet dip. It's an Ottolenghi creation and, therefore, it's perfect. I first had it at a holiday party a few years back and have been anxious to make it ever since. And, so, now I have. Twice. In two days. It was that good. Minor adjustments have been made because, well, I'm not sure how many folks have za'atar in their spice cabinet. Of course, you can play around with this recipe as much as you'd like. The pepper certainly gives it some nice kick, but a little more couldn't hurt. I also can't get enough of the color. It's striking and really brightens up a table. Just be aware that it'll stain anything it touches, so keep it away from carpets and couches... and small children who might be likely to get it all over the place.

Beet Dip with Hazelnuts + Goat Cheese

Source Slightly adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe via Food and Wine

Ingredients 6 medium beets (1 1/2 pounds), trimmed 2 small garlic cloves, minced 1 small red chile, seeded and minced 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika Salt 1/4 cup roasted skinned hazelnuts, chopped 2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, for garnish Warm bread, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Put the beets in a small roasting pan and add 1/4 cup of water. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until tender. Let cool slightly.

2. Peel the beets, cut into wedges and transfer to a food processor. Add the garlic, chile and yogurt and pulse until blended. Add the olive oil, honey, cumin, ground ginger and smoked paprika and puree. Season with salt. Scrape into a wide, shallow bowl. Scatter the hazelnuts, goat cheese and chopped parsley on top and serve with bread.