Patty Cake....

Every year it seems like I accumulate a LOT of zucchini squash.  I really kind of run out of ways to make it.  I use it for lasagna, bread, cake, shred and freeze some, puree to add to foods later, stuff it, saute it (insert Bubba Gump and his shrimp monologue here :)

But zucchini is something that my whole family loves and as versatile as it is by mid-July I am looking for ways to spice it up a little.  Last summer, inspired by something I had at a restaurant for lunch, I made zucchini pancakes for brunch one Sunday.  It took a little trial and error to get the consistency and flavor right but in the end I came up with something that can be made a variety of ways depending on what you have and what you are going to use these little pancakes for.

Try some of these variations and see what you think:
* add 1 TB of chopped flat leaf parsley, a dash of lemon juice. When cooked add a sprinkling of feta and a little dollop of Greek yogurt. Serve with paper thin cucumber slices..sort of like a Napoleon.
*add 1 TB of chopped basil and 1/2 TB of chopped oregano.  Top with marinara.

You get the idea.  Tonight I added Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, basil and just dipped them in a little melted butter.  We have been outside ALL day and we were red, hot and hungry.  It was one of those nights where nothing sounded good and I was really too tired to make anything, really.  We had this made, eaten and cleaned up in 45 minutes :)

Zucchini Pancakes

2 medium zucchini (about 3/4 pound)
2 tablespoons grated red onion
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 to 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Unsalted butter and vegetable oil
1 TB of grated Parmesan
1 TB of chopped basil
1/2 chopped oregano
1 clove of minced garlic

Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater. Immediately stir in the onion, herbs, Parmesan and eggs. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper. (If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.)

Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot, but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop little spoon fulls of batter into the pan. I like to smooth it out a little (spread) so my pancakes are thin and crispy.  Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned.

Make sure to eat when fresh from the pan as they can become soggy.  The taste is similar to fried zucchini slices but with a little more flavor.  Really, add what you have and experiment a little :)

You want them to be a little brown and crispy so they won't have a mushy or soft texture.






“Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.”