Anyone who gets the cooking bug ends up having a series of tasty favourites that you fall back on.

Old Favourites (Parsnip and Vegetable Fritters)

Anyone who gets the cooking bug ends up having a series of tasty favourites that you fall back on. Recipes that you keep coming back time and again. This one has nearly a 50 year pedigree for me. Taught to me by a fellow student in a share house in Adelaide, when I was at Uni. I remember the appalling condition of our house, the creepy crawlies and indeed our short run shared poverty. Lighting the barrel gas water heater for the shower was a nightmare and an exercise in faith.

Pooling our funds, we used to go to the central market on Saturdays to get the cheapest cuts and affordable vegetables. Staples included trusty spag bolognaise, fried rice, lamb chops, (then very cheap) and very basic curries. Food has come a long way since then, but I return to this one time and again.

These fritters are tasty and served with a salad or in this case Lebanese beans and tomatoes. You can experiment with other spices including cumin. You can cook this in about 30-40 minutes. It makes 10-12 fritters. As a then poor student they were affordable with only basic skills required. The current cost of the fritters is about $5 or around 40c a fritter. The Lebanese beans is about $4. A nutritious and the tasty dinner for one for less than a dollar. Simple to cook and worth the effort. 

Method

Grate all vegetables, squeezing the excess water out of potatoes and carrots. Fine cut onion and garlic and add it to the grated vegetables. Season with salt & pepper and the nutmeg and finely cut parsley. Break eggs in and mix with a fork. You may need third egg to ensure that it binds the whole mix.

Heat oil in large fry pan on a medium heat and add a large spoonful of the mix. Using an egg flip to press down on the top to flatten and ensure that the fritters are solid. Use egg flip to ensure that it is not sticking to the pan. Heat for a few minutes checking that it is not over cooked (slight browning) and flip it over to the other side pressing it down. You can use them immediately or store and reheat in an oven

Green Beans

Cut onions and garlic finely. Fry the cut onions and garlic in a tablespoon of oil until translucent. Add tomatoes, cut beans, salt & pepper and powdered cardamom and all spice. Heat until beans are cooked. You may need to add in some water to properly cook the beans

Parsnip and Vegetable Fritters

Ingredients

I parsnip

2 carrots

4 medium potatoes

1 garlic clove

1 onion

Parsley

2-3 eggs

Salt & pepper

Teaspoon ground nutmeg

Lebanese green beans

Three cups of cut beans

Can of crushed tomatoes

One onion and 2 cloves of garlic

Teaspoon of cardamom and all spice