When I was working on this Monday’s tapas menu, I wanted a veggie dish that would compliment our Greek theme. Zucchini seemed to be a prevalent ingredient in Greek menus that I reviewed. As both of us like zucchini (and the kids generally don’t), it was a great veggie to use for our adults only meal.
I decided that it would be fun to use the zucchini for a fritter sort of dish. However, I am not a fan of frying which means that I had a problem, as fritters are fried dishes. So, what I decided to do was make a fritter-style batter but pan-fry my creation in a nonstick pan without oil, giving us non-greasy zucchini cakes.
To make these cakes have more of a Greek flair, I also made some tzatziki. Tzatziki is a condiment that is newer to my cooking but one that I thoroughly enjoy. The cooling flavor of cucumber combined with the bite of garlic makes a wonderful pairing of tastes in one sauce. Served atop piping hot zucchini cakes the sauce rounded out the dish quite nicely.
Served with Nachos with a Greek Twist, we had a delightful Greek tapas dinner on Monday.
- 2 medium zucchinis, grated
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 scallions, diced
- 1/2 cup flour
- salt & pepper
- Sprinkle grated zucchini with a little salt, and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Wrap zucchini in a few layers of paper towels, and squeeze gently to remove moisture.
- Use additional paper towels, if needed, to remove all excess liquid.
- In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, egg, scallions, and flour.
- Grind a little fresh pepper onto mixture, and stir.
- Heat large nonstick frying pan over medium heat.
- When warm, spoon a generous tablespoon of zucchini mixture into frying pan.
- Repeat with addition batter. (You should be able to fit about 5 or 6 fritters in your pan.)
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown, and flip.
- Cook second side for another 2-3 minutes, again until golden brown.
- Move to serving plate, and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Repeat cooking directions for second batch.
Greek Twist, loving it… a great way to get kids to eat Veggies. Looks good to me!
I never know what to do with zucchini, but this sounds like a great idea. Especially with the Tzatziki sauce. I think I’m going to have to try it.
[…] spinach and cheese, to entrées, such as stirfry, it is a wonderful ingredient. Last year, I made Zucchini Cakes as part of a Tapas Night dinner. Recently, I decided to try a different version of those […]