Shred it up!

I've had a huge bag of zucchini sitting in the fridge for the past week. Normally, I'd have no problem using this up, but I just haven't been in the mood for my usual grilled zucchini. These were a delightful alternative. If you have a food processor, fit it with its shredding blade and it will make quick work of the veggies.

New Mexican Zucchini Fritters



Makes about 15 fritters.

5- 6 cups shredded zucchini (about 3 medium zucchini)
1/2 large onion, shredded
4 oz. shredded maple smoked cheddar
1 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp hickory smoked salt
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients (except for butter and oil) in a mixing bowl and mix well by hand. Let sit while you preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil in it. This waiting time allows the cornmeal to soak up some of the moisture and keeps it from being gritty.

Once the pan has reheated, form flat patties with your hands and transfer them to the skillet (about 3 should fit at a time - make them about 3 inches in diameter). Pan fry until golden, then flip and press down with a spatula t flatten them and maximize your crispy surface area. When second side is brown, transfer to a cookie sheet and keep warm in an oven set at 250 degrees. Add 1/2 Tbsp butter and 1/2 Tbsp oil between each batch. Repeat until all of the batter has been used.

Serve with roasted potatoes and a dipping sauce of maple syrup and "red hot" sauce in a 3:1 ratio.



Simple Roasted Potatoes

2 lbs. small waxy potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut potatoes into small chunks. Toss with olive oil. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until crispy on the outside, soft in the middle. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.