spaghetti squash + quinoa fritters

sometimes i will embark on a curious cooking journey only to find that after my ambitious efforts, the recipe just didn’t make the kelly cut.

 

these fritters are not one of those recipes.

these fritters literally rocked my waffle iron world.

first, let’s chat about fritters. what in the world are they?

the internet told me that the definition of a fritter is:

frit·ter 2

 (frĭt′ər)

n.

A small cake made of batter, often containing fruit, vegetables, or fish, sautéed or deep-fried.

these fritters have a batter + they have veggies. that’s where the copy cat-ing stops.

the biggest change of pace is that in lieu of the traditional deep-frying method {uhm. have you ever cleaned up after a shallow deep fry sesh?} i took a walk on the waffle iron wild side + let the gadget do all the work!

 

so, now, let’s chat about waffle irons.

1. they get fricken HOT. i have the burn on my finger to prove it. so, don’t be like me and drink three energy drinks before cooking then start an impromptu dance party bump into it! be mindful of the hot fella!
2. aren’t waffle irons just for waffles? this might blow your mind, but no! turns out the waffle iron is a legit crisp-up master! it’s awesome at cooking all sorts of things {hashbrowns, quesadillas, grilled cheese. .} let these fritters be the first edible delight to show you that!
3. seriously though, i don’t have a waffle iron. that’s okay! you can pan-fry these in a screaming hot skillet. but. if i were you, i would hop onto amazon + treat yo self.
4. like. $29.99 kind of treat yo self.

the batter ingredients are super different! it’s a strange-yet-perfect combo of spaghetti squash, crunchy quinoa, zesty scallions, cheese + some spices to keep things dancing on your palate.

for the quinoa, i took a microwave short cut {i’m basically the inspector kitchen gadget} + used one of those 2 minute steam bags. i think you should follow my lead on that one. avoiding the stove-top cook time is a great upside, but mainly, who needs another saucepan to clean! {read: life is SO hard}

now, for the main event, let’s talk spaghetti squash! because if you’re like me, you’ll see this recipe and nearly convince yourself to decide against it because it looks too complicated! but stick with me as i give you the key to success with this recipe..

let’s start with the facts:

• roasting a spaghetti squash takes roughly 50 minutes.
• in this recipe, you want your spaghetti squash to be rid of as much of its moisture as possible.

with this knowledge handy, i suggest to toss a spaghetti squash in the oven on a night when {another} dinner is being made stove-top. then, simply shred the squash with a fork + toss it in an airtight tupperware! not only have you completed a double-task but you also planned ahead! 

because, a few days later when the hunger bug taps on your shoulder, you my friend, will have spaghetti squash ready for the batter + these fast fritters will waffle-ize {is that a word? how would you say it?} in a jiffy!

if you want to make these on the same day as your squash roasting – that’s totally acceptable! just grab some cheesecloth, wrap ’em up + take out the anger you have for your new boss on the squash strands!

i’m posting these festive fritters as an appetizer idea but feel free to make them into a dinner! you could serve them alongside a side salad or with a big bowl of soup – maybe dip ’em in the soup! maybe you could treat them as bread + make a sandwich with ’em! or fold ’em up around some chorizo + make fritter tacos!

sorry. i just got SUPER excited. back to the point. .

these make for an awesome appetizer because the batter can be made ahead of time, they’re finger food, there’s major hidden veggie power + by using the waffle iron, they crisp to perfection in just FOUR minutes!

so when last minute company came knockin’ at my door for thursday night football, i was able to whip these guys up before the commercial break was even over! 

not only did i look like a total Martha but that might be an entertaining hail mary! amiright?

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the no waffle iron method is to pan fry these fellas.

you’ll start with a SCREAMING hot skillet. once the skillet is ready, add 1 tablespoon olive oil until it sizzles + smokes. then, drop the fritters onto the skillet, cook for 2-3 minutes, flip with a spatula + finish cooking the other side until golden brown. be sure to let the skillet get back up in temperature between batches – if it’s not hot, fritters they will not! {should i put that on a tshirt?}

knowing how to cook a spaghetti squash is valuable knowledge here!

here is the step-by-step:

1. preheat your oven to 425º
2. cut the squash in two halves {hot dog style} + scrape out the seeds with a spoon {like a pumpkin!}.
3. place the halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet + roast for 40 minutes.
4. remove from the oven, flip the halves cut side up + let the squash cool.
5. when cool enough to handle, using a fork, scrape the flesh away from the skin to receive ‘spaghetti-like’ strands.  

NEXT. for this recipe you decide whether to use the squash the day-of or to let it ‘dry out’ on its own. . .

DAY OF ↓

wrap the spaghetti squash strands in a cheese cloth or paper towels + SQUEEEEEZE out as much moisture as you possibly can!

NEXT OR UP TO FIVE DAYS LATER ↓

place the squash strands in a tupperware in the fridge. it will naturally release it’s moisture over time! 

i used scallions in my recipe. spinach, kale, chives or fresh jalapenos would all substitute wonderfully! you could also swap brown rice for the quinoa!

i added sriracha to the sour cream for a bit more heat-centric dipping sauce – give it a try if you’re a heat lover!

i suggest to store the batter in an airtight container in the fridge + just cook up your fritters as the time comes! but cooked fritters will reheat with a quick zap in the microwave!

 

did you know that the more yellow the spaghetti squash the more flavorful it is?