Monday, September 26, 2011

Grain-Free Zucchini Fritters


Even if you don't like veggies, I think you might like these.  Or at least tolerate them.  I suppose I can't promise that.  Some people are just picky!  But my whole family gobbled them up for dinner; I didn't even get to freeze any for another night! It was a delicious way to use up some of the last zucchini from our garden.

I used three medium-sized zucchinis, but I wish I had used more!  Before you begin, shred the zucchini, sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt, and let the zucchini sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes.  Then, wring the heck out of it.  It's amazing how much water you'll squeeze out.  Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze until you just can't anymore.  Some people use a cheese cloth, but I just hold the zucchini strands in my hand. Do not skip this step.  Trust me.  See those nice firm zucchini fritters in the picture above?  Not my first try.  I've tried to make these a few times in order to get it right sans flour and egg, and I attempted these once on a night when I had less time, and there was much muttering and grumbling in my kitchen due to runny, watery fritters.  Once you've gotten that excess water out of the zucchini, you're ready to make your...batter.   (Would this classify as batter???)


Zucchini Fritters Ingredients
3 medium-sized zucchinis, shredded and excess water removed
2 eggs, or 2 flax eggs (2 Tb. flax + 5 Tb. water, microwave for 20 sec. so it's a bit goopy.)
3/4 c. almond flour + more to coat
1 Tb. dill
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 c. gorgonzola or feta cheese (optional, omit if vegan or dairy-free)
3-4 Tb. chives, chopped
Olive Oil

Makes about 10 fritters.

Combine all the ingredients except for olive oil in a bowl. I've used eggs and flax eggs and both worked just fine.  I've also made them with and without the cheese, and though I like them with the cheese, they are tasty without it and the structure was fine.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.  When the oil has heated up, take a scoop of the mixture, form it into a patty shape, and coat on both sides with excess almond flour.  (You could use wheat flour, or spelt flour for this obviously, but the almond is lower in carbs and higher in protein.)   Cook the fritters for about 3 minutes on each size.  I keep another pan with a lid on my warming burner so they stay warm until they're all done cooking.  I add more olive oil to the pan as needed so the fritters don't stick.


I like to make these zucchini fritters smallish in size, because they can be delicate - especially if using the flax egg - and it's easier to turn them when they're smaller.  I make mine about the size of silver dollar pancakes. 



A traditional way to eat these would be with a yogurt topping, but I had some homemade tomato sauce I had made over the weekend that was pretty delicious with it.

1 comment: