Zucchini Cakes

 

This is probably one of my favorite things to make. Not only is it really simple, but it's quite healthy with wholesome ingredients. It's also easy to adapt the recipe to ingredients that you have on hand such as sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, squash, asparagus, etc! 

Ingredients: Yields 6-8 pancakes

2-3 Medium Zucchini 

1/2 onion

1 egg

2-3 Tbs flour

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

What to do:

1. Shred the zucchini and onion with a hand grater or food processor

2. Add in the parmesan cheese

3. Mix the egg in with the rest of the ingredients, salt and pepper if desired

4. Add the flour in one tablespoon at a time mixing well

5. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and add in the zucchini mixture one spoonful at a time, flattening it slightly with the back of the spoon

6. Let cakes cook for 7-8 minutes on the first side and 5-7 minutes on the second side

7. As the cakes finish, you can keep them warm on an oven sheet in the oven while the rest cook!

**If you choose to use a more porous vegetable like potatoes, make sure to absorb some of the liquid after shredding with a paper towel. Otherwise the cakes will be mush!

Zucchini "Pasta" with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Recipe: A Well-Seasoned Appetite by Molly O'Neill

It has been gorgeous here in NYC, and when it's nice outside the last thing you want to be doing is cooking in the kitchen, right? Well, I stumbled upon this recipe in a cook book I got at strands this weekend, and thought it was pretty perfect for the warm weather. Using zucchini instead of pasta is a nice break from the heavy carbs, and it can hold its own against sauce. You feel full but not weighed down!

Ingredients: 
olive oil
3 cloves of crushed/minced garlic
1 shallot, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced (i used 2 cups of diced cherry tomatoes)
2 Tbs parsley
3 Tbs thinly sliced basil leaves (i used 1 Tbs of dried basil)
4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 tsp white wine
salt & pepper

what to do:
1. Sauté the shallot in olive olive for 2 mins
2. Add in the garlic on a low-medium heat.
3. In the meantime, start a pot of boiled water.
4. Add the tomatoes, spices, and wine to the garlic and shallot.
5. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 6-7 mins
6. Slice zucchini cut side down into thin slices.
7. Add them to the boiling water for 3-4 mins, then drain.
8. Plate zucchini and top with tomato sauce and parmesan!