Is your garden bursting with zucchini? We’ve got ‘em coming out of our ears.
My hubbie is the master gardener in our household and I absolutely adore him for it. There is nothing better than walking out the backdoor with my scissors and colander in hand ready to harvest the greens for my daily green smoothie or beets for my favorite raw salad.
We’ve had a steady supply of zucchini for the past several months and have enjoyed our fare share of grilled zucchini, zucchini noodles, Spicy Zucchini Hummus (available in our free e-cookbook), and Almond Flour Zucchini Bread (which the kids love).
This week I decided it was time to add a new recipe to my zucchini repertoire!
I’ve been daydreaming about zucchini carrot cakes ever since one of my girlfriends texted me a picture of her latest creation. Zucchini cakes or “fritters” as we like to call them, are often packed full of flour and egg binders, then deep-fried into crispy oblivion. Delicious, maybe, but I knew there had to be a better way!
This fritter variation delivers Conscious Cleanse friendly flavor and food combining on the same plate. With added shredded carrots for more color and antioxidant power, these are also baked to avoid standing over a hot, oily stovetop.
Enjoy these garden-fresh fritters with a bountiful plate of mixed greens or steamed veggies. Drizzle the entire plate with Sesame Garlic Sauce and you have a savory end-of-summer meal.
Is your mouth watering yet? Time to go eat! But wait – before you go, be sure to leave me a comment below. What zucchini creations are you cooking up with your end of summer harvest?
With fritter love,
Zucchini Fritters with Sesame Garlic Sauce
Yield: 12 fritters, 2 ½ cups of sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 large zucchini, shredded (about 3 cups)
- 3 1/3 cups water, divided
- 1 tsp. sea salt, divided
- ½ cup flaxseeds, ground
- 4 large carrots, peeled and shredded (about 1.5 cups)
- 3 TB. fresh chives, finely chopped
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. black pepper, divided
- ½ head medium or large cauliflower, washed and cut into small florets
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 TB. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place shredded zucchini into a large mixing bowl with ½ teaspoon sea salt. Stir to mix. Scoop the zucchini into nut milk bag or colander and let sit over the sink for 10 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons ground flax to a small bowl with 1/3 cup water. Stir to mix and let sit for 10 minutes.
Once water on stove starts boiling, add cauliflower, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is very tender.
Place shredded carrots into same large bowl used for zucchini. Add chives, remaining ground flax, garlic powder, and ¼ tsp. black pepper. When 10 minutes has passed, squeeze the water out of the zucchini and add to bowl. Add gelled flax to bowl and use a spoon to mix well.
Drop heaping spoonfuls onto the parchment paper and flatten with the spoon to form 2-3 inch rounds that are no more than ¼-inch thick.
Bake for 15 minutes.
In a small saucepan, warm sesame oil over low heat and stir in the garlic. Cook the garlic, stirring frequently, until tender and becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes. Scrape the garlic and sesame oil into a blender. Use a slotted spoon to drain the cauliflower and add it to the blender as well. Reserve 1 cup of cauliflower water and add to blender along with cumin, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Blend until smooth. If needed, add more cauliflower water to thin sauce.
After 15 minutes, remove fritters from the oven, flip with a spatula, and bake for 5 minutes more. When finished, serve immediately with a drizzle of warm sesame garlic sauce.
Hi! This looks amazing! Can I make these with Chia instead of flax?
That should work just fine!
Could I use broccoli instead of cauliflower?
Hi Ryane, Thank you for reaching out! We’ve never tried it. We imagine that you would need to cut up the florets and might need to peel the outer layer of the broccoli stock before shredding. The stock’s outer layer can be very fibrous. Give it a try and let us know how it turns out!