Zucchini Keftedes with Feta & Dill

This was the first recipe I came across on Epicurious that really caught my eye and made me love the site. Keftedes made out of zucchini like potato patties! Why didn't I think of that?

 

Keftedes are a tradition in my family, as in any Greek family. It's our version of meatballs and we throw in everything but the kitchen sink when making them. I think I asked for them by name at under 2 years old. So, this was a great find and it made my taste buds scream "Opa!"

 

2 small or 1 large zucchini

1 Tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup minced onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 large egg, beaten

3 Tbsp dill

1 Tsp lemon zest

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil

 

Recipe Adapted from Epicurious

Grate zucchini on a cheese grater.

Mix in remaining ingredients and form into patties. Firmly pack patties and place on parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Heat up a skillet and once hot, add oil. Place patties in the pan and brown on each side until golden (3-4 minutes). Place on a paper towel to sop up extra oil and cover with a paper towel. Gently pat out excess oil. Best served warm!

 

Serve with plain Greek yogurt or better with Tzatziki. I think I might make a big batch of these and then freeze them. They were very moist so, I think they would reheat well in the oven. They would certainly be a great addition to my Greek Easter, which is today!



Zucchini Pizzas

 If you didn't get enough vegetable pizza goodness from my recent post of Cauliflower Crust Pizzas, here is another great pizza recipe with a vegetable base. I'm not as crazy about them as the cauliflower ones but they are still a good healthy option. They may not be as acceptable to kids and husbands, but give them a try. They are so easy that this recipe barely has an ingredient list.

 

Cut zucchini in 1/4-1/8 inch slices. Spray or brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Then lay out the zucchini. Spray or brush the top of them with olive oil again. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Then take them out and assemble your pizzas. I added tomato sauce, pizza shredded cheese blend, and then topped off each one with a slice of turkey pepperoni. You can add any toppings you desire. Raise the oven temperature to 500 degrees and bake an additional 5-7 minutes until cheese bubbles. Let sit for 5 minutes after they come out of the oven, as this will help stop the topping from sliding off the zucchini when you try to eat them.

Caramelized Zucchini

I've seen pin after pin claiming this as the holy grail of cooking zucchini. I certainly wouldn't go that far, but I liked it alright. I used my Misto for the first time and loved that! I'll never buy Pam ever again. Like a ton of the recipes you'll find out there say, you can use any spices you like on these because the key is the cooking. Caramelizing anything helps bring out flavors and sugars in the food. I honestly preferred the ones cooked more (sliced thinner, more oil?) that were closer to chips. I used my favorite staple spices of onion and garlic powder on these but use whatever you prefer.

 

Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet

Spray the parchment paper with oil

Lay down veggies

Spray with oil again

Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, salt, and pepper

Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or more