merrifood

Zucchini fritters

Posted by merrifood on December 17, 2012 · 1 Comment 

So, I have come back to Australia, and although it’s been a bit of a re-adjustment (aka, having to do my own laundry, having to pay for things, not being able to hop to a different every country every other other weekend or so), one of the things that makes me absolutely the happiest to be back, aside from my sheer love of Sydney, is being able to cook again!  I’ve been looking through some new vegetarian recipes and decided to make this the other night.  I know the concept of a zucchini fritter might not be the most appetizing, but really, they are quite delicious, especially served alongside a nice green salad.  It felt a little fancier than a typical weeknight dinner even.  Cooking for myself again feels like a delightful novelty, as does walking outside in the street alone at night and actually feeling safe.  I’m quite happy to be back. With the holidays coming up, there will be plenty of baked goods posts in the new future, so I figured I’d get this next phase of my life/blogging kicked off in a nice healthy way…

Zucchini Fritters (adapted from The Healthy Foodie)

Ingredients – makes about 12

• 450g courgettes / zucchini, grated (this is about 3-4 of them)
• 30g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (freshly grated is ideal, but to be honest it’s so expensive in Sydney I just used a bag of it)
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp flour (white is fine, although whole wheat would probably be better, but I just had white)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of chili Flakes

Grate up all your zucchini into a big bowl.  Try to remove some excess water by squeezing handfuls of the grated zucchini in paper towels or a dish towel.  Then mix in the Parmesan, followed by one egg at a time.  Sprinkle in the seasoning and add the flour.  Then heat a flat frying pan with nonstick cooking spray (or if you want to be slightly less healthy then a thin layer of olive oil) and turn to medium-high heat.

Take a spoonful of mixture into your hands (this can get a bit messy).  Squeeze out any excess moisture and place in the pan.  Since there’s not very much flour in it they have a tendency to fall apart a bit so feel free to use a spoon or utensil of some sort to shape it together once it’s in the pan.  Use a spatula to flatten it after it’s been in the pan for a minute.  I cooked two to four of them at a time. Cook them for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.  Use the spatula to lift them up a bit and test them, and feel free to flip them over a few times if you feel one side is not browned enough.

If you are making them for a few people, put them on a plate and keep them warm in an oven while you make the rest.  I suggest serving with a fresh green salad for a satisfying and healthy meal.

All the grated zucchini/courgette

Cracking the egg into the mixture

Little zucchini fritters ready to go in the pan

Halfway done – see how they get nicely browned

So happy to have this fancy little vegetarian meal for myself – what a change from eating out literally every day!

These were delicious for dinner, but actually great heated up the next day for lunch, and I even ate some cold as well for a quick snack. They are quite versatile!