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 sauce.  Tzatziki sauce 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.

Zucchini Cakes

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.