Cauliflower & Cheese Fritters

My youngest daughter does NOT like cauliflower at all. No matter how I prepare it. I can't say I blame her as I didn't even like it myself until several years ago, and now I love it. My favorite way to eat it is roasted with some fresh garlic (go figure!). So one night I decided that I would puree some frozen cauliflower I had and make fritters out of them. I normally buy fresh cauliflower as it does taste better, but I also like to keep some frozen vegetables on hand in case I have last minute guests (saves me a trip to the store). I thought these would also be easier to use than steaming fresh cauliflower too (and boy were they...5 minutes in the microwave and done!). At first, I set out to make them a little healthier so I tried baking them, but the inside never seem to set right and they were doughy. So I resorted to frying them, and they were a hit.  She must have eaten 4 of them herself! Later, I was pleasantly surprised that they were only 78 calories a piece too; however, I don't know this until after I make something and it's usually consumed by that point. I just used some 2% American sliced cheese I had, but feel free to add whatever you have. Maybe some sharp cheddar or Asiago might be nice or if you like things a little on the spicy side, some PepperJack. In any event, these were delicious. Besides, everything tastes better with cheese! 

Cauliflower & Cheese Fritters
1-16oz. Bag Frozen Cauliflower Florets
3 oz. Cheese (I used 2% American)
1/4 c. Scallions, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 c. Self Rising Flour
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Canola Oil, for frying

Defrost cauliflower, drain excess water and place in a food processor or blender. Add in the cheese, scallions, and garlic and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Place mixture in a bowl then stir in the flour, salt and pepper. Heat about 1/2"-1" of oil in large, non-stick saute pan then carefully drop a kitchen tablespoon size amount of batter into the oil, pushing down on it to flatten it. Allow to brown on both sides, approximately 2-3 minutes per side, then drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Makes 16 fritters. 

Nutritional Information (I factored in that a total of 1/4 cup of Canola is used to fry the fritters):

Calories 78 Total Fat 4.7g

Saturated Fat 1.1g

Cholesterol 3mg

Sodium 55mg

Total Carbohydrates 5.3g

Dietary Fiber 2.1g

Sugars 0.9g

Protein 1.4g

*Nutritional Information from CalorieCount.com and may not be 100% accurate. 

Shared on Thursday's Treasures 6/28/12

Enjoy!