Healthy and Easy Zucchini and Feta Fritters
I just finished the last of my healthy and easy zucchini and feta fritters for breakfast. Yes, for breakfast. We had a couple of leftover fritters in the refrigerators. It may sound strange to some of my readers; however, it shouldn’t! These delicious healthy and easy zucchini and feta fritters are simply eggs, zucchini, feta and a bit of flour kind of like a pancake. That sounds pretty breakfast-like to me. I did not originally make these for breakfast. In fact, the only reason I can write about leftovers is because this easy zucchini recipe makes ten large fritters!
My Sweetheart and I are recently home from another transatlantic trip back to the states and we have been nesting after all of the traveling. For me, nesting includes reading cookbooks, watching cooking shows, making new Mediterranean Diet meals and of course eating! Nesting is easy in Sicily when you live three minutes walking from a fantastically lovely fresh food market. The zucchinis are plentiful and inexpensive. This makes healthy and easy zucchini and feta fritters just perfect for an aperitivo for two in our little apartment in the sea. Even more perfect is it allows for leftovers!
Ingredients
- zucchini
- green onions
- garlic cloves
- black pepper
- flat leaf parsley
- lemon zest
- dill weed
- flour
- baking powder
- sea salt
- coriander
- sweet paprika
- eggs
- feta
- Optional: finishing salt, Tzatziki or Greek yogurt
The first time I had zucchini and feta fritters or Kolokithokeftedes, was in Athens. In fact, I just found my very first Facebook video on Olive Sunshine and guess what was on the menu? Yes, Kolokithokeftedes! I still do not really do live videos (or any videos for that matter) and you will probably see why (Ha!). Even though video making is not my expertise, what does come across is how tasty I think zucchini and feta fritters are in Greece.
What Makes Zucchini and Feta Fritters or Kolokithokeftedes Healthy?
The fritters I enjoyed in Greece were a bit different than the Olive Sunshine version. Do not get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE eating in Greece, but even some restaurants in Mediterranean countries could use to borrow some of the Mediterranean Diet principles. There are a few changes the Olive Shine version makes to these easy fritters. First, the Olive Sunshine recipe does not deep fry the fritters but rather pan sear them in extra virgin olive oil. Additionally, there is more focus on fresh herbs and spices in the fritter than what I remember in Greece. Finally, these are less cheesy, but do not worry, that warm-melted feta hits the spot. Finally, these fritters are flatter, more like a pancake, allowing them to cook more evenly with less oil.
An Easy Make-Ahead Tapas
Healthy and easy zucchini and feta fritters are as easy as making a pancake and the batter can be made ahead of time. The batter will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. If you need to make the fritters the day before, you can crisp them up in a large skillet right before serving. If you want to use the premade method, be sure to allow them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator using parchment paper between the layers. This morning, I warmed our fritters in the microwave. They were DELICIOUS but very soft and pancake like. All of that fritter-like crispy was gone. Nice, for leftovers, but not what I would recommend for a nice tapas party.
Tips for Making Zucchini and Feta Fritters Healthy
- Make when you have fresh zucchini: The good news is zucchini grows relatively fast, from seed to fruit, in about 50-60 days, in a moderately warm environment. Here in Sicily, we are blessed to have three growing seasons, similar to Florida.
- Choose a quality flour: A core principle of the Mediterranean Diet is to use whole grains. Whole grain flour will work in this recipe. With that being said, I use 00 flour here in Italy, as the quality is different to what we commonly find in all-purpose flour in the USA. If I were making this in Florida, I would do a 50/50 all-purpose and whole grain flour. The reason is the white flour is lighter and holds the ingredients together. The batter is a very wet batter, so use whichever flour works best for you (gluten free works too). Just know if you want to use whole grain (and they will be delicious) you may need to add another egg.
- Buy real Feta cheese: Quality cheeses are healthier, less and it will still provide more flavor for the fritters.
How do you know if it is real Feta? In Greece, real Feta is made with at least 70 percent sheep’s milk. The other 30 percent is usually goat’s milk. Sometimes they use a blend of goat and cow’s milk for the remaining 30 percent. Due to my allergy, I look for only feta with the more common blend of sheep and goat’s milk. That probably does not matter to you, what is important is to look for the DOP or PDO label on the package. It certifies their origins, and the methods used to produce the cheese.
These easy and healthy zucchini and feta fritters can be made small or large depending on your needs. They are wonderful for tapas or a light, vegetarian lunch, or as I said before even for breakfast. I hope you enjoy them!
Ingredients
Instructions
Leaving the skins on, grate the zucchini. Sprinkle the grated zucchini with the sea salt. Place the zucchini in a cheesecloth or clean tea towel in a colander. Set aside to allow the zucchini time to sweat. Prepare the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, crack the eggs and beat until fluffy. Small chop the green onions, using both the green and whites. Finely chop the garlic cloves. Medium chop the parsley, reserve a few leaves for topping the fritters. Add all the ingredients in the bowl with the eggs and add the lemon zest and dill weed.
In a small bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, black pepper, coriander, and sweet paprika.
Using your hands wring the cheesecloth, or tea towel to squeeze the remaining liquid from the zucchini. Add the zucchini to the egg mixture. Stir well. Add the dry flour mixture to the egg and zucchini mixture. Combine well. Crumble the feta and gently fold in.
In a cast iron skillet heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. If you don’t have cast iron, use a heavy-bottomed skilled. Heat a large burner to medium heat. The pan is ready when the oil sizzles when sprinkled with water. Working in batches, add 1/4 cup of batter for each fritter into the hot pan. Using the back of a spatula, flatten the fritter into a pancake shape. Flip after 2-3 minutes. Each fritter will take about 4-5 minutes to cook. They are finished when golden on both sides.
Place the fritters on a large paper-towel lined platter. Do not stack until cooled or ready to eat. Top with remaining parsley and enjoy hot. Optional toppings: tzatziki, Greek yogurt, or finishing salt.
