Greek Zucchini Fritters – Kolokithokeftedes

[madmax]

Happened upon this recipe and it sounds great! If you have a favorite 'fritter' recipe, please post 'em. Don't you just love little finger foods. It's 97 here, I'm going to the market for zucchini, eggs and yogurt after the sun goes down. If I can hold out that long.

Don't know why I get the bug to cook when the temps are near 100. I'm craving banana nut bread, and a cuban dish called Ropa Veija, which takes about 2 hours of simmering on the stove. Not going there today!

Greek Zucchini Fritters (Kolokithokeftedes) with Tzatziki

2 medium to large zucchini coarsely grated
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
4 green onions including green parts, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
1 large egg
1/2 cup flour
4 Tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
salt
olive oil

Wash zucchini. With skins on, grate them with the coarse side of a grater. Put the grated zucchini in a colander and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let sit and drain for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

Remove the zucchini by the handful, squeezing to remove as much liquid as you can. Put it in a bowl with herbs, feta and green onions. Mix with a fork. Add the lightly beaten egg and stir. Add flour and bread crumbs. The mixture should be wet but not watery. Mix in a healthy dose of salt, I prefer coarse sea salt.

Heat olive oil in a pan about 1/8 inch deep covering the entire pan. When hot, scoop out a spoonful of the zucchini mixture and put it in the pan. Let it cook about 3-4 minutes or until brown and then flip them. Cook another 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove fritters and place on a paper towel -lined plate to remove some excess oil. Serve hot with tzatiki sauce.

Tzatziki (Cucumber Yogurt Dip)

2 cups plain yogurt (or 2 cups, thick Greek yogurt
2 large cucumbers
1 1/4 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and white pepper to taste

If using regular yogurt, put yogurt in a cheesecloth lined sieve over a bowl. Drain several hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Greek yogurt is thicker and does not need the draining. Peel, seed and coarsely grate cucumbers. Drain well. Add garlic, vinegar, olive oil, sat and pepper to cucumbers. Mix well. Add drained yogurt and blend.

http://whippedtheblog.com/2009/08/04/greek-zucchini-fritters-kolokithopitta-with-tzatziki/

[grasswire]

1. mmm the fritters sound delish

I'll try them this week. There may be trouble, just as there can be trouble with making potato latkes. I think I will squeeze the grated zucchini in a dish towel.

Also, I don't really like food fried in straight olive oil, so will probably use half olive oil and half veg oil.

And I've never thought of using vinegar in tzatziki. I use lemon juice. I'll try vinegar for a change.

Thanks! Good idea.

[madmax]

2. I don't fry in olive oil either

I use veg. oil for frying, I'm not a purist ;) I like your way, lemon juice in place of vinegar - just sounds right. Definitely dish towel, I hate splashing and popping hot oil!

I haven't cooked for about a year so I'm a little rusty. I made Sausage with peppers and onions the other day and it wasn't as good as I usually to make it. Hard to find good Italian sausage here in NC. Jonesville or some such brand. :(

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. You reminded me of this -

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/dining/111irex.html?ref=dining&pagewanted=print

I've fixed these with all sorts of leftovers - shrimp, asparagus, broccoli, even potatoes - and they never make it out of the kitchen...................

[madmax]

4. lol I'm on an eating binge today!!

God help me, the dog is getting scared. Made it to the market in 101 heat, got all the bags into the car, out of the car, into the house. Started to eat grapes by the fist fulls. Then started on chocolate raspberry cookies, Monterey Jack cheese w/Triscuts. Made potato pancakes from a box with sour cream and am on my second bowl of grapes. I'm going to EXPLODE!! I'm too tired to make the fritters and I think I'm just about sated.

These damn cortisone pills are going to kill me. But, so what - I'll die fat and happy :rofl: :fistbump: :toast:

I just took a 'calming pill' maybe that will help. Yep, that's the ticket a pill and a nap. :evilgrin:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. It's SO good that you're eating -

remember when food didn't matter?

This is good, my friend. VERY good...........................

[madmax]

7. Right, right

I just weighed myself. I gained 4 lbs since yesterday, LOL. Must be the (6), yes six slices of french toast I made last night at 2 a.m. But, I don't think I should call them 'French' toast since I made them from Italian bread. Oh girl, were they ever so good. Every single succulent, buttery, syrupy morsel - with sugar and cinnamon of course.

I need a nap, :p

[hippywife]

6. Those fritters do sound really good.

Gonna add those to my list of things to try next. Thanx for posting them.

As far as Italian sausage goes, you can always buy fennel seeds and work 'em in a mortar and pestle to add flavor to it. I have a hard time when I moved down here to OK and had to settle on the Johnsonville brand, too, for a while. It was the closest thing I could get. Now I buy bulk Italian sausage from our coop and even tho it does have the fennel seed, I still add a little more.

Prednisone can be a real appetite stimulant. Hope you're just on a short coarse of them. :hug:

[madmax]

8. I may try that or there is

an excellent Italian specialty store not that far from me but, far enough to keep me from going. Check out this website:

www.capriflavors.com She has cooking classes where you can select a full course dinner and all those who sign up cook various dishes. Sounds like so much fun. I want to do this!

[hippywife]

9. Looks like they got a coupla

different kinds. If it's that far away, you can always buy enough to put in the freezer for later. Titina's class look yummy! :9 I bet it's lots of fun.

[beac]

10. Anything w/ zucchini always sounds good to me.

And oddly, tzatziki is the only way I will eat yogurt.

Will definitley give this a try soon!

[Vinca]

11. I have a similar recipe that leaves out the mint and adds chopped walnuts

and is billed as Lebanese. They're friend more like little pancakes though.

[madmax]

12. I don't have mint

but, I have walnuts. Thanks for the tip. I've prep'ed everything, the zucchini batter and cucumber dipping sauce are in the fridge. Waiting for the other half to get home so I can fry 'em up.

So while I'm waiting I made some french toast!! :evilgrin:

[madmax]

13. I made them last night

All I can say is meh, and ewww. Way too salty!!! If it not were for the extreme salty taste they would have been ok. I could only eat one - it was so bad. The Tzatziki dip was very good. Going to use it on salad.

If I ever make this recipe again I'll skip all the salt. The Feta is salty enough for this dish.