zucchini fritters

Last week, when I made my Lasagna Roll Ups, I had a tough time deciding what sides to go with them. A salad is classic (so I did that with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette) but I also needed something with more substance. I definitely wanted a vegetable so I looked at my little sticky-note full of "want to cook" items and saw Zucchini Fritters - BINGO.

After looking at countless recipes for zucchini fritters, I noticed that many of them had Greek or Mediterranean style seasonings. Since I was going with an Italian theme, I just changed up the herbs to fit. The rest of the recipe is almost always the same: shredded zucchini, flour and egg (as binders). My fritters were free form but if you prefer something more stiff that you can actually shape into a patty, just add more flour.

I served my fritters with homemade marinara to dip in but they are certainly delicious by themselves as well. Since they're fried, they will only be crispy on the first day. I've been eating the left overs all week and despite being soft and mushy (especially after reheating in the microwave), they were still very flavorful and satisfying.





Total Recipe cost: $2.08
Servings Per Recipe: 6 (2 fritters each)
Cost per serving: $0.35
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 10 min. Total: 25 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 cups	shredded zucchini (2 small or .75 lbs)	$1.15
1/2 tsp	minced garlic (1 small clove)	$0.07
1/2 tsp	dried oregano	$0.05
1/2 tsp	dried basil	$0.05
1 handful	fresh parsley	$0.12
to taste	salt and pepper	$0.05
1 lg	egg	$0.16
3/4 cup	all purpose flour	$0.11
1/2 cup	vegetable oil (for frying)	$0.32
TOTAL		$2.08

STEP 1: Wash the zucchini and cut the ends off. Using the large holes on a cheese grater, grate the zucchini. You will need about 2 cups total which was 2 small zucchini or about .75 lbs.

STEP 2: Combine the garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl (start with 1/4 tsp of salt and about 10 cranks of the pepper mill). Stir to combine. Taste the zucchini and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. It should be stronger than you want the finished product to be because once you add the flour and egg, the flavor and saltiness will be diluted.

STEP 3: Whisk an egg and add it to the zucchini along with 3/4 cups of flour. Stir until everything is evenly combined. The texture should be similar to cake batter.

STEP 4: Heat 1/2 cup oil in a small skillet until very hot. To test the temperature, drop a SMALL piece of the batter into the oil, it should bubble heavily. The oil should not be smoking, if it is, lower the heat immediately. Drop the batter into the oil, one spoonful at a time. Fry the fritters on each side until deep golden brown. Let the fritters drain on a paper towel covered plate.

Step By Step Photos

I bought four small zucchini expecting it to be 2 cups once shredded. Each zucchini yielded one cup shredded so the other two got chopped and added to my salads. Wash the zucchini well, cut off the ends then shred into a bowl.


Add the chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper to the bowl. Stir it up and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Make sure it is more heavily seasoned than you want the finished product to be because the flour and egg will dilute and mellow it out. I added about 1/4 tsp of salt and 15 cranks of the pepper mill.


Once the seasoning is adjusted, add the flour and egg. Stir it all up until it is an even consistency. It should look like cake batter with shredded zucchini bits.


Heat about 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a small skillet until very hot. I like to use a small skillet so that I can use less oil. I cooked the fritters in batches of three. Drop a spoonful into the hot oil and pat it down into a circle if necessary. Fry until you see the edges turn deep golden brown then flip and cook the second side until deep golden brown as well.


If the first side isn't quite as dark as you'd like, you can just flip 'em over again and cook until they're dark enough.


Look how beautiful and bright green the insides are!! It might be a good idea to fry one, taste it and then see if you need to adjust the seasoning before you cook the rest.


Yummers.