Out with hashbrowns - in with root veggies :) Root Vegetable Fritters

When you go out to breakfast, almost always your meal will come with fried potatoes of some kind*. Myself, I try to avoid eating hashbrowns of all types at home and when I'm out to eat but that doesn't mean that I don't like a yummy 'hashbrown-esque' side to go with my breakfast. Rather than using white potatoes (a food with a high glycemic load), I like to use other root vegetables - in this case: carrots, rutabaga and parsnips. Not only do they not affect your blood sugar in the same way as white potatoes, but they have a much richer taste and are filled with great nutrients. Another bonus? In this recipe they are combined with egg adding to the protein content of the dish. This is a great recipe to try for that special Saturday morning sleep-in breakfast (or for the ambitious among us, the post-early-Saturday-morning-run breakfast).

*if you are like most people, you can't resist picking at your hashbrowns if they come on your plate - even if you don't want them! - make it easy on yourself - ask the waiter to sub-out the hashbrowns. Usually they will offer tomato slices or fruit instead!

Root Vegetable Fritters
makes 3 servings of 2 fritters

Ingredients
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 egg
1/4 cup egg whites
1/2 cup grated carrot*
1/2 cup grated parsnip*
1/2 cup grated rutabaga*
1/2 tsp coconut oil
 salt and pepper to taste
*(grate all veggies into as long strips as possible! it will make for more stable fritters)

1) Preheat frying pan to med-high heat and add coconut oil.
2) Combine egg, egg whites and oats in the blender and mix until smooth.
3) In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine grated vegetables.
4) Pour egg mixture overtop and add salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with hands.
5) Take approx 1/4 cup handfuls and form 'mini patties' - make them nice and flat and squeeze out the excess liquid back into the bowl - this will help make them firm and solid.
6) Drop each formed fritter into the hot pan.
7) Pour the remaining liquid over each fritter. This will help hold the shape.
8) Cook for approx 5-6 minutes (until golden brown). Flip and then press solidly with your spatula/flipper to further flatten out the fritters even more.
9) Cook for 5-6 more minutes so both sides are equally golden and you're done!

This dish is great alongside an omelette (like I had today!) or a crustless quiche. It has a slightly sweet flavour and combined with the added salt, it's a perfect mixture of sweet and salty. Enjoy!

Calories per serving (2 fritters): 91; fat 2g; carbs 12g; fibre 3g; protein 6g;