The all-year-round latke

Veggie fritters are a fun finger food for toddlers and adults alike, and a great way to load up on nutrients

Latkes, fritters, veggie patties, call them what you may. These finger-food delights are usually a big hit among families with babies and toddlers, as they can be part of lunch or dinner, or taken on the go. Plus, you can cram a lot of nutrients into them by using a mix of veggies, eggs, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Fritters can also be served up as a lovely and elegant appetizer for an adult meal, and if you really want to spruce them up and impress your friends, you can add a simple dipping sauce like tahina, guacamole, or pesto.

Based on the seasonal produce, I decide to pair together sweet potatoes, zucchinis, and leeks – a nice color and flavor palette that has a natural sweetness to it. Zucchinis, especially, have been one of my favorites lately because they’re so versatile, and their gentle flavor helps them assimilate well into almost any type of dish, both raw and cooked. Zucchinis are also loaded with fiber, vitamin C, folate, and B6. Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber and antioxidants, and they’re often a toddler favorite.

Sweet potato-zucchini fritters

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups grated sweet potato, packed down

• 1 cup grated zucchini, packed

• 1 cup diced leek

• 6 tbsp hummus flour (can also use rice or almond flour)

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 2 tbsp olive oil (+ 1 tbsp for drizzling)

• 2 organic eggs

Instructions:

1. Heat your oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potato, zucchini & leeks. Add in flour, chia, salt & turmeric and give a mix.

3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together eggs & olive oil. Pour into the veggie mixture, and mix everything until well combined.

4. Scoop out 1/3 cup of mixture, and using your hands, press it into a round disk-shaped patty. Place on baking tray. Repeat until the tray is full. The patties will appear to not bind together well, but once cooked, they hold together nicely (the egg acts as the binding agent). If you want to avoid the fuss of shaping the patties, you can scoop your batter directly into a muffin tray and press down on each one with the back of a spoon.

5. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil atop the patties, and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges are browned.