Zucchini is my favorite vegetable to cook with: in cakes and ragout, soups and omelets. It is a very popular vegetable in Russian culture since it is easy to grow. There are many dishes with zucchinis; there’s even zucchini caviar! I was never a fan of it mostly because of texture; I prefer them crunchy not mushy. One year, when I visiting my friends in Moscow, my mom harvested so much that she basically gave them away to people in the street. For me, it was a great gift to bring since I would cook it as well. Here are 2 versions: an easy recipe and an intricate one.
Easy zucchini cakes
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized zucchini (about 400 grams)
- 1 egg
- 1/3-½ cup of flour
- ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 clove of garlic, pressed
- ½ teaspoon of salt
Directions
In a medium bowl grate the zucchini over a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and let it sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the juice and discard the paper towel. Add egg, flour, mozzarella cheese, and salt. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Move the zucchini mixture to the skillet in heaping tablespoonfuls, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden. Serve with sour cream, of course.
Intricate zucchini cakes
These cakes have more vegetables and get baked in the oven which makes them even healthier. I usually make a double batch since everybody likes them in my family.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium-sized zucchini
- 1 medium-sized carrot
- 1 small onion
- 1 egg
- 2-3 tablespoons of flour
- 4 oz of feta, crumbled
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 3 strings of dill
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Grate zucchini over a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle with salt. Wait 10 minutes and then squeeze well to remove the excess water.
While you’re waiting for the salt to soak up moisture from the zucchini, grate a carrot and dice an onion. Chop dill. Now mix all the vegetables in a big bowl and add 1 lightly beaten egg. The batter shouldn’t be runny. Add more flour if needed. Stir in crumbled feta (last time I used goat feta and it was delicious).
Place a parchment paper over the baking sheet and spray with olive oil. Use a tablespoon to drop the zucchini mixture onto the baking sheet. Flatten them slightly with the back side of spatula, leaving a little space in between each cake. Bake 20-25 minutes until lightly golden.
In a small bowl make a sauce by mixing together the plain yogurt and garlic pasted with salt. Enjoy!