Welcome to this month’s low-carb recipe offering! Ever since the pandemic started, I’ve done my best to try to limit my grocery shopping to once weekly (quick trips for restocking necessities excepted). Once vaccinated, I got a little more lax about that, and up until a few weeks ago had gradually gotten to where I wasn’t thinking much about how often I went. And then gas prices began rising just as the frequency of my son’s soccer practices increased (and so did the distance to said practices). Suddenly, I realized the need to cut back, plan wisely, and not allow the fresh produce I buy to go to waste.
Enter the zucchini I’d purchased. I bought a lot of it with a family favorite dinner in mind and I blame the aforementioned soccer with its disruption of dinnertime for delaying my plans. My elderly zucchini no longer looked firm and appetizing as future zoodles (zucchini noodles), so I went looking for easy dishes that reheated well and used shredded zucchini.
So, let me share with you the two dishes I did make, plus the one that has to wait til my next zucchini purchase! All are low-carb, easy to make and the first two definitely offer a “cook once, have food for days” appeal! For those who’ve read my other food posts, you will not be surprised to find all three original recipes at my favorite low-carb food site, All Day I Dream About Food.
Zucchini Fritters
One of the foods I miss now that the ketogenic way of eating I follow to control Type II diabetes dictates my food choices is potato pancakes. This dish reminds me of them not because of the ingredients but the texture, and of how good they taste topped with sour cream! The original recipe contains two options but I’m partial to this one… if you prefer feta over cheddar cheese, please check out the link! Also, I’m giving the single recipe amounts, but we like this enough to make a double batch; they reheat really well.
1. Prepare your zucchini. Shred/grate enough to get about 2 cups packed (about 1 medium zucchini). Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt, mix, and let drain for at least an hour. Wrap it in a clean towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. No, harder than that. Really. You want that squash dry!!!
2. In a large bowl mix together 0.5cup crushed pork rinds (you can buy them this way or do what I do, grind them in a blender or food processor until they look like breadcrumbs), 3Tbs coconut flour, 0.5tsp garlic powder, 0.5tsp cumin (I double both of those), one finely minced jalapeno (I use two) and 4oz shredded cheddar cheese.
3. To the dry ingredients add the drained zucchini and two eggs, and mix until you get a slightly sticky batter/dough. Form into six patties.
4. Add enough oil to coat a skillet (or use a nonstick griddle like I do!) and cook until golden brown, 4-5 minutes, then carefully flip and repeat on other side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate then serve with sour cream, yogurt, or your favorite hot sauce!
Nutritional analysis per fritter (make sure to calculate yourself if you adapt ingredients): 203 calories; 15g fat; 11g protein; 5g total carbs; 2g fiber
Zucchini Muffins
Two of the criteria for me of a good muffin recipe is ease of preparation, and how good those muffins are two days later. This recipe meets and exceeds both of those criteria because they even freeze well! They’re delicious plain, or with a little butter and work both for breakfast or an anytime snack. Lastly, it has only one ingredient that you may not already have on your shelves, but if you bake low-carb/gluten-free you should pick up a bag of unflavored whey protein powder because it adds the protein structure that gluten usually provides. This is a staple recipe here at Casa Brillig- and I’ve served them to non-keto friends who enjoyed them every bit as much as I do! Here’s how to make them:
1. Prepare 2 cups shredded zucchini like we did for the Fritters… grate, salt, drain for at least an hour, then squeeze it until you can’t get any more liquid out.
2. Preheat your oven to 350F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment or silicone liners. I have a silicone muffin pan that I place on a cookie sheet for ease of moving.
3. In a large bowl mix together 2/3 cup coconut flour (71g if you measure by weight, given how finicky coconut flour is if you use too much), 0.5 cup sweetener (I use erythritol-based Swerve so can’t speak to other options; I do know I often use less because these don’t need to be very sweet), 0.25c unflavored whey protein powder (egg white protein also works), 0.25tsp salt and 2tsp baking powder.
4. Add your spices. The original recipe calls for 1tsp cinnamon, 0.5 tsp ginger and 1/8tsp ground cloves. We like them spicier so use generously measured all of those plus 0.25 tsp nutmeg. Mix the dry ingredients well so there aren’t any clumps.
5. Add the prepared zucchini and mix so that there aren’t big clumps of shredded zucchini. Then add 6 eggs, 4Tbs melted butter or coconut oil, and 4Tbs water. Mix well to combine, let sit a minute to hydrate the coconut flour, then add in 0.5cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
6. Divide into the 12 muffin cups and bake about 25 minutes. The tops will be lightly browned, and firm to the touch. Let cool. I find that in silicone molds they can be a little oily but if I take them out when they’re mostly cool and let them sit for a bit, the outer texture is much better.
Nutritional info per muffin: 141 cal; 8.7g fat; 6.5g protein; 5.2g total carbs; 2.8g fiber
Korean-Inspired Beef
Lastly, that dish I was going to make but didn’t because my zucchini were aging? It’s a fantastic beef dish served over zucchini noodles that I first made the day after Mr. Brillig and I got our first covid vaccines. It’s a very simple recipe to prepare and our thoughts were “if we feel terrible post vaccine this will be EASY” and then of course neither of us had any side effects!
Recipe creator Carolyn Ketchum says “with all the modifications I made to this, I won’t even pretend that it’s remotely authentic. But it does capture the spirit and flavors of the original”. We loved this, and K2’s comments were “this is really good” and “it would be better if there were more zucchini noodles” — I think this makes it a miracle dish.
It has a few ingredients that you may not routinely stock… they’re staples in our pantry but please read through the recipe and see the original site for why various ingredients are used. OK, let’s make four servings of beefy goodness:
1. Use a spiralizer on a large setting to transform 1.5lb zucchini into zoodles, then chop so you have strands maybe 6” long (makes it easier to eat!). Or buy them if your store sells them fresh. I have an inexpensive handheld one that works great, so you don’t need to have a fancy motorized one!
2. Sprinkle with 0.25tsp salt and let sit in a colander for one hour. Unlike the prior recipes, do NOT squeeze them dry! Lay them on a clean towel, cover with another, and pat them to remove excess moisture without destroying their zoodly goodness!
3. Make your sauce by whisking together 0.25 cup tamari (like soy sauce but gluten-free and much lower in carbs), 3Tbs brown sugar substitute (Swerve Brown is available in many stores and online), 2Tbs Allulose, Xylitol or Bocha Sweet (gives it a syrupy consistency), 1Tbs sesame oil, 1tsp ground ginger (original recipe calls for 2tsp fresh grated ginger which we never have around!), 2tsp sriracha, 2 cloves minced garlic and 0.25tsp red pepper flakes
4. Fry 1 1/3 lbs ground beef in 2Tbs coconut oil until fully cooked, breaking up clumps. (I can also vouch for making this with both shaved steak and thin slices of beef, it takes more work but is also delicious!)
5. Stir in the sauce, and 1 sliced scallion. Cook several minutes until sauce is reduced a bit and thickened. Then add your zucchini noodles, combine to coat with sauce, and cook just until heated through. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.
Nutritional info: 453 calories; 29g protein; 29g fat; 7g total carbs; 2g fiber
What do YOU do with zucchini? Share in the comments!