Do you need a super quick dinner, like now?! And have a fridge full of, quite frankly, not much? I know that there are many nights when everyone is short on time and sometimes short on inspiration too, and making a good dinner at the end of a long day can sometimes just feel too hard. I’ve had those nights, but born from one were these quick and yummy Pumpkin and Halloumi Fritters.

All that was left in our fridge was half a pumpkin and a square of halloumi, plus a few hands full of greens left over from days before – you know, a random handful of rocket, the last of a cauliflower, half a cucumber and a couple of green beans… how do these odds and ends accumulate?!

At first it felt like there was nothing substantial enough to make a whole meal, just a random bit of veg here and there. But add in a couple of eggs (thanks to the backyard chickens), a little chickpea flour from the pantry and a fistful of mint from the pot outside and it made our family a nourishing and tasty little meal.

The fritters come together very quickly and aren’t much work at all, way quicker and easier than going out and getting a takeaway – much better for your body too. So, hopefully the next time your fridge is looking a little bit bare and random, you can take a few minutes to whip yourself up a good little dinner too.

Pumpkin and Halloumi Fritters

Halloumi is a great fridge standby – keeps for ages if you buy it in a vacuum-sealed packet, so pop some in the back of the fridge and it will be your friend when you need it! Pumpkin also keeps well, for months at room temperature if it is un-cut or for at least a week or two if it is cut and stored in the fridge. Two great ingredients to have on standby for when you are having a lunch or dinner emergency.

10 – 15 minutes
serves 2-3 with a few leftovers

You will need: a medium size bowl, grater and heavy-based frying pan

around 600g pumpkin, grated
a good handful of mint, roughly chopped
200g halloumi, grated
4 eggs
1/2 cup chickpea flour
pinch of salt
crack of pepper
+
olive oil for frying

In a bowl stir together the grated pumpkin, mint and halloumi. Crack in the eggs and give a good stir, then add the chickpea flour and seasonings and stir until thoroughly combined.

Heat some olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Once the pan is hot add the batter in spoonfuls to make the size fritter you like to eat (I used 3-4 tablespoons for each fritter). Fry for 4-5 minutes on the first side, then flip and fry on the other side until golden on the outside and set in the middle.

Serve warm with some greens, a wedge of lemon and, if you have some, yoghurt and dukkah on the side.