Light vegetable croquettes with cheese

I just turned forty and I celebrated with some friends and cousins of mine. It was a very simple party but I really enjoyed it! The cake was really nice: a light sponge with creme patissiere, fresh fruit and delicious cream puffs on top.

For my birthday I did not invite anyone for a formal dinner and instead I prepared some easy light bites which were very successful: vegetarian croquettes made with mashed potatoes and with a delicious cheesy heart. I was looking forward to share this with you as they tasted great!

Choose any type of vegetable you fancy.

• Prep Time : 35 minutes
• Cook Time : 25 minutes

Ingredients

• potatoes – 800 g – 28 oz
• carrots – 2 large
• zucchini (courgettes) – 2
• peas – 200 g – 7 oz
• eggs – 2
• fresh cheese (mozzarella, cheddar or any hard cheese you like)
• butter – a knob
• olive oil
• breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper
• olives – a handful
• grated parmesan cheese – 3 tbsp

Instructions

Put the potatoes in a sauce pan, cover them with salty cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 40 minutes.

Drain them, remove the skin with a knife and mash them. Add a knob of butter and stir it well in.

Peel the carrots, wash the zucchini and chop them into small cubes.

Bring to the boil some hot water in a pan and when it is boiling add the peas and cook them for 5 minutes then drain.

Put the chopped carrots in a pan with 2 two tbsp of olive oil, add ½ glass of water and cook for 10 minutes; add the chopped zucchini season with salt and pepper and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes. Finally add the drained peas and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the vegetables cool down.

Mix them with the mashed potatoes, the egg yolks, 3 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese, the chopped olives and salt and pepper.

Mix well all the ingredients. Form the croquettes by taking a small portion of the mixture, put a cube of cheese on it and cover with more mixture.

Form a sausage like croquette or a round ball if you prefer.

Roll the croquettes in breadcrumbs

Line them up on a baking tray over a sheet of parchment paper. Drizzle the croquettes with olive oil

Cook them in a hot oven at 190C or 370 F for about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Advertisement