So they tweeps have spoken, with a narrow margin voting in favour of a food-related post!

Tonight’s post is another easy dinner, that you can throw together with mostly on-hand pantry items (depending on your pantry), but can also be modified to meet whatever flavour profile you’re hankering for, or adapt to whatever seafood you have available.

These little fritters are also great for folks who are on carbohydrate-restricted diets, as they make use of nut flour rather than grains — making them gluten-free to boot!

For tonight’s dinner, we went with slightly fresher flavours of lime, ginger and basil, and rounded out the fritters with a few grated carrots for added colour and nutrition.

The choose-your own adventure part?  You can substitute the prawns I used here for finely chopped seafood of pretty much any that is moderately firm — scallops, fish, shrimp, even lobster if you’re feeling extravagant!   You can also substitute the almond flour for any other nut meal, or even a flour such as chickpea flour for a texture more like tortillitas.  The veg are versatile to, subbing carrots for shredded zucchini, or even finely chopped, seeded tomatoes.

Finally, you have control over how you want to cook these — avoiding oil, you can bake them in the oven on parchment, 400 degrees, 10-12 minutes.  I’ve panfried these, but you could also drop into simmering broth and have them like dumplings in soup!

We opted here for more asian flavours, but if you’re inclined, you could leave out the ginger, and basil, and add cumin, coriander and cilantro for more Mexican flavours.  Hey, they’re your fritters!  Its your Monday night dinner adventure!!!

Seafood Fritters

• 1 lb. prawns, shelled and finely chopped
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1  1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 6-8 basil leaves, chiffonade
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well to combine.  Drop by 2 tablespoon scoops into a heated, oiled skillet, flattening slightly as you form the fritters.  Cook 4-5 minutes per side, turning only once.  Serve warm.

P.S. there were a number of requests for a cocktail post — stay tuned for a post tomorrow for an cocktail post on what to do with the other half of the lime from tonight’s dinner!