To take the pancakes from an A to an A+ she makes a chimichurri sauce using ingredients that often get discarded like radish tops and olive brine.
Marie Brennan graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Dietetics. She lives in the Bay Area and works as an educator, private chef, and culinary consultant. She has a healthy eating blog where you can find the tasty recipes below as well as many more.
RECIPES:
Vegetable and Cheese Fritters
Yields: ~15 fritters
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tbsp olive oil plus extra for frying
- 1 large onion, saute slice
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ~3 cups of misfit vegetables (see NOTES), finely chopped
- 2⁄3 cup vegetable stock or water
- 2⁄3 cup chickpea flour
- 1 egg
- Black pepper
- 1 cup misfit cheeses (see NOTES), grated
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium low heat. Add onion and ½ tsp of salt. Saute until translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Add any uncooked vegetables, the remaining ½ tsp of salt, stir and cover. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 3-5 minutes depending on what you are using. Remove cover and continue to cook until excess moisture has evaporated. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl whisk water, chickpea flour, egg and a few grinds of black pepper together. Fold in cheese, cooled vegetable mixture and any other vegetables you may be using.
- Heat a griddle or a large non-stick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and ladle the batter in ¼ cup increments. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges turn opaque. Flip and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter and serve warm with the Chimichurri.
Chimichurri
Yields: ~1 ½ c chimichurri
INGREDIENTS
- ~2 cups coarsely chopped greens such as radish tops, beet greens, parsley
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp olive or pickle brine
- 2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1-1 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄2 cup olive oil
- 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all ingredients into a food processor except for olive oil and chile flakes.
- Pulse until incorporated but still chunky.
- Add oil and chile flakes and pulse once or twice. The oil should not be fully mixed in.
- Serve alongside or drizzled onto the fritters.
NOTES
● Ideas for “misfit vegetables” include: leftover roasted vegetables, grating the lonely sweet potato in the pantry or the ½ packet of spinach rattling around your freezer.
● Ideal candidates for “misfit cheeses” include cheddar that is starting to grow mold (cut that part off!), colby that didn’t get stored properly and dried out a bit (trim those parts!) and the remnants of your holiday cheese platter.
More recipes, cooking tips, and videos from 18 Reasons:
- Chef Hacks to Reduce Wasted Food
- Radish Greens & Chicken Pie
- Crispy Cauliflower with Carrot Top Salsa Verde
- Quick Greens Gratin
Learn more about 18 Reasons in this article from Edible East Bay.
18 Reasons is a Chef Partner of the Stop Food Waste campaign. They are a nonprofit cooking school on a mission to empower our community with the confidence and creativity needed to buy, cook, and eat good food every day.