Squash and Chick Pea Fritters

Adapted from Sunset magazine, October 2010

Serves 4

Printable version here: click

1-2 cups peeled, seeded, cubed butternut squash

2 slices whole wheat bread

1 can garbanzos, drained

1 egg

2 Tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce

Olive oil for frying

Steam or roast butternut squash until tender--whichever method you prefer is fine.

Pulse bread in food processor until fine crumbs form. Add remaining ingredients (except the olive oil) and pulse until blended and relatively smooth. A few chunks are okay.

Heat roughly 2 Tablespoons olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Drop 1/4-cup portions of fritter mixture into the oil and press down every so slightly to spread them out a bit. Cook about 3 minutes on each side--until they are golden brown. Serve hot.

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Another Meatless Monday success story! These fritters took less than thirty minutes to prepare and go great with a salad and a hunk of bread. The original recipe called for microwaving the squash (boo!), chili flakes (not cool for kids), and a scant 8 ounces of squash (do they even grow them that small?). Add a little more squash if you need to use it up or a little less, if that's all you've got. In a pinch, you can make it with canned pumpkin. If you have leftover steamed or roasted squash, stick it in the freezer and wait patiently for me to perfect my recipe for Squash Bread. Or just freeze it and make another batch of fritters in a couple weeks. It freezes really well--the cooked squash, that is--so you can stock up for lazy days.

Oh, and these fritters make an awesome dinner for babies with teeth and toddlers with forks. And they're good as leftovers. I do think they could use a mellow saucey drizzle of some sort, but we haven't gotten that far, just yet. Soon, though...soon.