Cauliflower Patties

Serves 8-10 (Three patties per person)

Cauliflower patties are small, round and contain garlic, parmesan cheese and seasoned bread crumbs. They can be eaten as a side dish, as an hors devour, or even a snack. Because they are healthy and cooked in vegetable oil, I’ve found cauliflower patties to be an effective and creative way to get kids to eat their vegetables. I’ve also observed that some small children do not like to eat white-colored foods like milk, cauliflowers, provolone, white rice, mayonnaise, mashed potatoes, etc., so these golden brown patties should fool them into eating right.

Because of the recipe’s diverse ingredients, I can’t imagine a dish that wouldn’t go well with the patties. For someone who is losing weight, diabetic or just want to eat healthier, cauliflower patties are great substitutes for chips, sandwiches or any other snack food one may eat while watching TV. This recipe only takes 20 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to serve.

You will need:

• 1 large skillet
• 1 spatula
• 1 cereal bowl
• 1 medium-sized or large pot
• 1 spoon (optional)
• 1 ice cream scooper (optional)
• 1 bowl of any size (optional)

Ingredients:

• 2 large heads of fresh cauliflower
• 2 bulbs of finely chopped garlic
• 1 cup of grated parmesan
• 4 cups of seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs
• 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
• Some apple sauce or ketchup (optional)
• Salt and pepper (optional)

Preparation:

Boil the 2 heads of cauliflower in the pot until it is tender, then place the cauliflower, still in the pot, under cold tap water until it is cool enough for you to safely touch. Drain the water from the pot and break up (not mash) the cauliflower into small chunks. I like to use my hands to break up the cauliflower but you can also use a spoon if you’d like. Beat the two eggs in a small bowl.

With the cauliflower still in the pot add the chopped garlic, the parmesan, 3 cups of seasoned bread crumbs and the eggs. Pour the remaining cup of bread crumbs into a bowl. If you’re itching to get your hands dirty, you can scoop out small clumps of the mixture with your fingers and roll them between the palms of your hands until they take on a patty shape. But if you do this, be sure to wet your hands with cold water and have a bowl of cold tap water handy. If your hands dry up and the patties begin sticking to your hands, simply rinse your hands in the bowl until completely wet and continue. On the other hand, if you do not wish to get your hands dirty, you can always use an ice cream scooper to scoop out the patty mixture and give it its shape. Place the patties into the bowl and roll them around until the patties are completely covered with bread crumbs. This will help the mixture stick together as it is cooking. By now your uncooked patties should look like this.

In order for them to cook properly, the patties should be about the size of an ice cream scooper and definitely not the size of a hamburger patty. Remember that these are often served as snack food or a side dish. Take your large skillet and add vegetable oil, just enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Don’t use too much oil or you will drown the patties and they will not stick to themselves. Remember that the oil must already be hot by the time you place the patties onto the skillet. Cook both sides of the patties until they are golden brown and look like this.

With the spatula, place the cooked patties onto a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up any excess oil and allow 5-10 minutes for them to cool down to an edible temperature. The best part about the patties is that they are delicious at any temperature, so don’t worry about them getting cold. Because the patties are firm, they can be eaten with your hands (making them so snackworthy!) as well as with a fork or spoon. If you prefer, add some apple sauce or ketchup on the side in which to dip the patties as well as salt and/or pepper.