Zucchini and Carrot Fritters- The Plant-based diet life

A few months ago I read an article in which an actress who is in her fifties, and looks good-( and when I say good, I mean darn good, hella fly, on fleek, and -still has a third husband in her if she decided to marry again-good)- said that she follows a plant based diet and that is what has helped her to age youthfully (this was totally news to me, as I, with my ignant (ignorant) self usually think it's botox, plastic surgery, and fillers which have these celebs looking "radiant" *cough*cough*). Naturally (no pun intended) I needed to find out more; so I googled. I read all sorts of literature which basically said that meat triggers an inflammatory reaction inside your body, and a plant-based diet has an anti-inflammatory effect and can slow down the aging of our cells.

At this point in my reading, your girl was over here like:

Since learning about the anti-aging benefits of a plant-based diet I've been trying to embrace more plant-based meals (ooh, and I've upped my skincare game-but that my friends is for another post). Now, I aint gonna lie y'all, this is haaard, I love meat- give me some bacon and some ribs and I am in food heaven. But, I am prepared to try to make adjustments for the end goal of being healthy and aging well. Full disclosure though: For now, I am only doing one day a week. Eventually, I hope to get up to 3 to 4 days a week of plant-based/meatless eating, but we will see what happens. 

I recently made these zucchini carrot fritters for my plant-based/meatless day. They were delicious, and a hit with my husband and toddler- and we all know how kids can be picky eaters- so as an added bonus, these fritters are a way to sneak in veggies to your kids *cue in the corny maniacal laughter MWAHAHAHA*

ZUCCHINI CARROT FRITTERS 

INGREDIENTS 

2 cups grated zucchini 

2 cups grated carrots 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 grated onion (totally optional, many recipes don't require the onion, but I added it)

2/3 cup all-purpose flour 

2 large eggs lightly beaten 

1/3 cup scallions 

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon white pepper 

1/8 teaspoon turmeric (optional, but I use turmeric as often as I can for the health benefits) 

DIRECTIONS 

Place the grated zucchini in a colander, sprinkle lightly with salt, and let it rest or "sit" for 10-15 minutes. Then, using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the zucchini. Squeezing out the excess moisture from the zucchini is supposed to prevent the fritters from becoming soggy. 

Place the zucchini in a large bowl, add the grated carrot, the grated garlic, the garlic powder, the grated onion, the salt, the scallions, the black pepper, the white pepper, the turmeric, the flour, the eggs and mix everything together. 

Light the stove, and put the pan you will be using on medium-heat,and add the oil. When the oil becomes hot (or shimmering) scoop spoonfuls of the fritter mixture into the pan. You can use the back of the same spoon to flatter the mixture once it is in the pan. Leave spaces between the fritters when they are in your pan. 

Cook the fritters for 2 to 3 minutes then flip them once, and cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes until they are a nice golden brown and crispy. I used a low heat because I did not want to risk them burning, but stoves are different, the medium setting on your stove might be like the low heat setting on mine: so use your discretion, just try not to let those babies burn. 

When the fritters are finished frying, remove from the pan, and place on a paper-towel. 

You can eat it plain, or with a chutney, or dipping sauce, sour cream, whatever you fancy. There are no rules, only your creativity when it comes to cooking and eating.

So, folks, this was my plant-based recipe this week. If you decide to make it, let me know, tag me on Instagram. 

Until my next post, live well and be happy.

Ciao bellas!