A Note Before You Start
Zucchini have a high water content so to avoid having soggy zucchini pancakes, I highly recommend placing your shredded zucchini in a colander, set inside another bowl to catch the draining liquid. Sprinkle the zucchini with 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt and mix gently. The salt will draw out the excess water, which you will discard. When ready for the shredded zucchini, gently squeeze the remaining excess water out.
These freeze nicely too. They can be reheated on a sheet pan in a 200 degree oven for 3-5 minutes.
Ingredients
1 lb of zucchini (about 2 medium)
1&½ tsp of salt
2 large eggs
3 green onions minced
2 TBSP of chopped fresh basil
⅔ cup of shredded gruyere cheese
⅓ cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 medium clove of garlic minced
¼ cup of all purpose flour
½ tsp of baking powder
Olive oil for sauteing
Preparation
Step 1:
Remove the ends from the zucchini. Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater, or in a food processor fitted with the shredding disc. Transfer the zucchini to a colander, and sprinkle with salt and allow them to drain for at least 10 minutes.
Step 2:
In a small bowl add the baking powder to the flour and mix. Set aside. Beat the eggs together in a large bowl. Add the drained, squeezed, shredded zucchini, basil, scallions, gruyere, parmesan, & garlic, and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
Step 3: Put 1 &1/2 TBSP of oil in a non-stick pan and heat on medium. If making large pancakes, spoon 2 TBSP of zucchini mixture into the pan and gently gently spread the batter to about 4” in diameter. Cook each side until golden brown; approximately 3 minutes per side. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Alternatively, if making smaller hors d’oeuvre size pancakes, use 1 heaping teaspoon of batter and cook as above. Saute the rest of the batter in the same manner and serve warm or room temp. Top with a dollop of tzatziki if desired. Recipe to follow.
Tzatziki
1 cup of whole Greek style yogurt
½ cup of shredded, drained English cucumber (no need to peel or seed if using an English cucumber
1 &½ TBSP of chopped fresh dill
1 medium clove of garlic minced
Zest from 1 lemon (zest first before squeezing for fresh juice)
1 TBSP of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
S&P to taste
Mix all the ingredients together. Allow it to chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Alternatively, you could substitute feta cheese and dill for the gruyere and basil.
These are fantastic, a cinch to make and an inexpensive dish to share. . Very easy and a perfect appetizer since they are not messy or difficult to eat while holding a glass or conversation!!
JC
I was a tester, they were awesome and easy to serve and to eat.
Refreshing Cocktail!
Bill Hoffmann