Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Fritters

We just made it through many birthday parties around here.  It gets a little busy after Christmas, or rather it just stays busy.  I have none of that Christmas let down.  My daughters always have to have parties with their friends as well as parties with the family.  That usually makes for about four parties.  I am not complaining mind you, its just busy.

I was thinking today about the quick passage of time, the way time speeds up as you get older.  I remember when I saw the American Freedom Train as a little girl.  I thought about how our country was started 200 years ago.  Wow, that sure was a long time ago, I thought.  Now, its not nearly as long as I used to think it was.  If  a person lives to 100 that would be half the time.  Its just really a few generations.  It will be 250 years next year that our country was founded.  How quickly that went.

Now onto fritters!

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Fritters
Recipe adapted from BHG.  Find the original here.

3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch chunks
1 small head cauliflower (2 pounds), cored and broken into 1 1/2- to 2-inch florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion (1 cup), peeled and cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped sage
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

Oil for frying such as vegetable or corn

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place cut sweet potatoes and cauliflower on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with salt and pepper. Divide them on the baking sheet- cauliflower on one side, sweet potatoes on the other side. Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until browned and just tender, stirring halfway through. Let stand 10 minutes.

In a food processor combine onion and garlic; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a very large bowl. Add cauliflower to processor and pulse until chopped; transfer to the bowl with onion. Process sweet potatoes, half at a time, in food processor until coarsely mashed. Add to bowl with cauliflower.
Add sage, rosemary, salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cayenne pepper to bowl with potato mixture. Stir to combine. Add egg and flour and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate potato mixture for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Add 1-inch of oil to a large skillet; heat over medium heat for 10 minutes or until 350 degrees F. Place panko in a shallow dish. Using a 1/3-cup measure, shape the sweet potato mixture into 16 balls and roll in panko to coat. Place a little piece in the oil. If the oil goes to work immediately than your oil is hot enough- if not then it probably isnt and that means taht your fritter is going to absorb a lot of oil. Place fritters in skillet, 5 or 6 at a time, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned and heated through (160 degrees F), turning to brown evenly. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Serve warm.