I made these for the vegetarians on Christmas Day. They made perfect summer fare and were a good compliment to the array of other Christmas foods. Served here with asparagus [pre-biotic], yoghurt [probiotic], Asian cabbage [sulfuraphane] and a squeeze of lime.
*If you prefer a video, check out the instagram post: 7th Jan. @_thenaturalspace_
...Served a week later, again for vegetarians at our New Year's Day BBQ, they were put down on the table first and were gone in a flash! The non-meat eaters had to be quick!
Zucchinis are plentiful around here at the moment, so it makes sense to explore ways to use them!
I've put notes with the photos, the full recipe is below and a nutrition overview is at the end.
1. Select Fresh greens - I ran out of spinach for this batch, I used nasturtium leaves, basil and parsley, since there's plenty in the kitchen garden.
Add around 1 cup of finely chopped fresh greens to the mixing bowl.
These fritters nutrient rich and delicious. They are tasty on their own, with a whole meal, or with a variety of other flavours.
2. Grate 3 medium zucchinis, add around 2 teaspoons of salt to draw out the moisture. Mix through and leave for around 30 mins.
*NOTE on SALT: It is a good idea to vary the amount and types of salt you use in your diet, to ensure balance of minerals, hydration and uptake of iodine. If you have a salty meal one day, have less the next day.
3. Add 1/3 cup pine nuts to the mixing bowl with the greens
4. Add 1/2 cup almond meal (non GMO) Australian grown is good
5. Add 200 g crumbled feta - grass fed animals
6. 3 x finely chopped shallots/green onions
7. Crack 3 eggs into a small bowl, add generous black pepper and some turmeric - (no extra salt needed, there's plenty in the feta and the salted zucchini)
8. Squeeze out the moisture and add the zucchini to a mixing bowl.
9. Add the eggs and mix well.
10. place spoonfuls onto an oven tray and bake at 180 degrees for around 20-25 mins
NOTE: The shallots, and the peppery flavour of the nasturtium or rocket (arugula) give this recipe good flavour and texture.
We enjoyed these the next day too, with left over sweet potato, a simple orange, avocado, mint and hemp salad and some sautéed leek, mushroom & spinach.
This meal will:
Feed the gut bacteria in your gut microbiome
Provide a balanced, healthy vegetarian meal, with protein, fats & carbs & micronutrients.
The mix of raw and cooked foods provide different nutrients.
RECIPE
Ingredients:
3 medium zucchinis
3 eggs (pasture-raised)
1/3 cup almond meal (non GMO)
1 cup packed, finely chopped greens: rocket, spinach and or nasturtiums & basil
1/2 cup pine nuts
180 g (approx) crumbled feta) - pasture raised
cracked pepper - several grinds
turmeric - around 1-2 teaspoons
No extra salt needed- there's enough in the feta and the salted grated zucchini.
What to do:
Grate the zucchini and add around 2 teaspoons salt. Stir through and leave for around 1/2 hour
Pre-heat oven to 180C (355F)
Squeeze out the moisture over a sieve. I just squeeze it with my hands.
Crack 3 eggs into a small bowl. Add cracked pepper and turmeric.
Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl, mixing the dryer ingredients first: almond meal, pine nuts, chopped or crumbled feta, the chopped leaves, zucchini, pepper & turmeric.
Spoon onto an oven tray. Shape into rounds.
Bake for approx 20-25 mins at 180 degree C.
Makes around 15
Nutrition:
Protein sources: feta, eggs, pine nuts & almond meal
Micronutrient vitamin K, in the greens, is fat soluble, so will be absorbed with the fats in this meal.
Spinach, rocket, basil and parsley are highly beneficial to good health. NOTE: It's important to rotate and vary these leafy greens throughout your week, to enable your body uptake minerals in the right amounts and ensure a healthy of balance of minerals are stored or excreted from the body. EG: Some spinach is healthy, but don't have it everyday.
Vitamins B2, B3 & B6 in the greens are water soluble.
Eggs are an excellent source of nutrients: including choline, healthy fats: Long chain Omega 3 fatty acid & Vitamins A, D & E.
Pasture-raised eggs contain a healthy balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6. The opposite is true in factory raised eggs, so the nutrient value of an egg can vary greatly depending on the well-being of the hen who laid it.
Add a side of avocado, orange and mint salad. This will increase nutrients, digestion and healthy fats.
The vitamin C in the orange will help absorb iron from the leafy greens in the meal.
Eggs, nuts and feta each contain differering fats, so it is good to include a variety of sources of fats in our diet.
Turmeric has anti-inflammatory benefits, which are increase when consumed with black pepper, which helps to absorb the cur cumin.
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