Every now and then my mom decides that she wants to eat something "different", as if all the menus we have every week are not "different" enough! In those days, she just announces that for dinner we're having fried cauliflower. Of course it's understandable that every now and then one might have some cravings, so I let it be and make her what she asks for. We used to have a neighbour who actually spoiled mom by making it for her almost every week, but since I'm not easily convinced of frying things, even vegetables, every week, I can do it for her when she asks for it. So, let's get spoiled for a day and have something fried.
FRIED CAULIFLOWER AND ZUCCHINI
It is a very easy dish to make, my only problem with it is that it is fried. But as we said, having it every now and then is not that bad, and if it makes people happy, that's a bonus. For years we depended on our neighbour who likes to fry things and give us some of her products. To tell you the truth, I never ate her fried veggies, simply because I prefer my own cooking. She uses a batter that she makes from scratch. Usually when mom asks for this dish I simply beat an egg, dip the veggies in it, then coat them with bread crumbs and fry them. For some reason today I decided for the first time to make it with a batter. Why? I really don't know, maybe because I had some dill on my kitchen table and remembered the batter that our neighbour used. I really can't tell for sure. I also fried some zucchini. I actually had placed an order from the grocery store and asked for 2 zucchini. They sent me two alright: one of them was huge, something like a baseball bat, so I used this one only. The second is still in the fridge. You can use as much as you want, the only thing that matters is how you slice it. You'll need:
1 head of cauliflower
2 green zucchini
4 to 5 tbsp flour
A few sprigs of dill
1 egg
1/2 to 3/4 cup of skim milk
Salt, pepper and cumin to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
In a deep bowl mix the flour, egg and milk. Start with half a cup and add more if needed. The batter should be more fluid than that of pancakes. Finely chop the dill, add it to the bowl, plus salt and pepper. Mix to make sure that there are no lumps. Set aside. Cut the cauliflower into florets (don't throw away the core, you can peel it and nibble on it later, it's very tasty). In a sauce pan bring some water to a boil, add salt and the cauliflower. Bring again to a boil and promptly remove from the heat. Drain and let cool. The idea is to make the cauliflower a little tender to make sure that it will be fully cooked when fried. You may also add a pinch of cumin to the boiling water; it's up to you. While the cauliflower is cooling, rinse the zucchini and pat dry. Cut both ends of the zucchini and then slice them in 1/4 inch slices on the bias to have a larger slice. Dip the zucchini slices in the batter and one by one carefully drop them in the heated oil. When they are golden brown on one side turn them once, then remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Taste one, you may need to sprinkle the zucchini with some salt and/or cumin while they are still hot. Dip the cauliflower in the batter and fry in batches. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.
EASY CHEESEBURGER
Only vegetables for dinner? I think not. So, since we're having something different today, we'll go all the way. I'm thinking cheeseburgers. I had the dill and parsley on the kitchen table, so I decided to make the burgers. It's my basic recipe with a small twist. It's easy and can be done in minutes. You may make a big batch, use what you need and freeze the rest for later. That's what I did. I also made two sizes: one the size of the whole slice of cheese and the other the size of half the slice. It depends on the people you are feeding: if they are all grown ups, go ahead and make the big patties, for children or elderly I prefer the smaller ones. They can always get another serving instead of leaving a half eaten burger on their plate. You'll need:
3 lb lean ground beef
1 egg
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 small onion
3 to 4 garlic cloves
1/2 a bunch each dill and flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp skim milk, optional
Slices of provolone cheese
Salt and pepper
In a food processor chop the onion, garlic and herbs until very smooth, almost pulverized. Add some of the ground beef and give it a spin. Transfer to a bowl big enough to hold all the beef. Keep working with the food processor until you've given all the ground beef a second grinding to make it smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients to the meat in the bowl and mix them thoroughly with your hands. If you feel that the meat mixture is a bit dry, go ahead and add the tbsp of milk. Form the patties by taking one ball of meat in your hands, roll it several times between your hands, then press it between your palms to the size of the cheese slice, and about 1 inch thick. To make the smaller burgers, take half of the amount of meat, roll it between your hands, then shape it in an oval patty and press it lightly between your palms to get the perfect shape we need. Heat a griddle over high heat, arrange the burgers over it and let cook for 3 minutes. Turn with a spatula on the other side and let cook for another 3 minutes. Put one cheese slice over each burger, cover the griddle for 2 minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Remove to a platter. If you're making the smaller burgers fold the cheese slice in two and place over the burgers. Serve with a salad.
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