Zucchini and Corn Fritters for One

It’s summer, and I’ve got zucchini coming out of my ears! And I’ve got ears of corn! (See what I did there?) After I’ve had my fill of it steamed and raw, it’s time to start playing with my food. Here’s the result of one such happy moment in time.

½ cup plus 2 TBLSP shredded zucchini

1 ½ TBLSP corn kernels (frozen and thawed is fine, fresh is better, canned will do)

2 ¼ TBLSP almond butter, tahini, or peanut butter

2 TBLSP flour (I use all-purpose, but any gluten-free will do just as well)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

Pinch sea salt

Ground black pepper to taste

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Place the zucchini in a strainer and put a couple of paper towels on top. Press down hard, and squeeze out the water. When it seems dry, wrap the zucchini in more paper towels and squeeze some more. You’ll be surprised how much water is in there.
2. Put the dried zucchini in a small bowl. Add the corn and nut butter, stirring to combine.
3. In another small bowl, combine the flour, garlic and onion powders, salt, and pepper, and stir until it’s well mixed.
4. Add the flour mixture to the zucchini and moosh it together until it forms a nicely homogenous glob. The result should be moist and sticky.
5. Divide the resulting glop into three or four balls and flatten them into patties, about ½-inch thick. Place on the prepared baking sheet and set them to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

This is a good time to make the sauce. I’ve used a nice lemon and pepper sauce (recipe below) for this photo, but ranch dressing, pineapple salad dressing, pesto, or just about any savory sauce or salad dressing would be nice.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Bake the patties for 20-25 minutes. Use a spatula (because these little guys are delicate still), and flip them over. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, depending on whether you want them crispy or not. They will be a lovely golden brown color.

Let them cool for a few minutes before serving to increase their sturdiness.

Creamy Lemon Sauce for One

This tangy and creamy sauce goes great with fritters, but try it on noodles or rice, as a dip for crudités, onion rings, or chips, or on a pile of steamed vegetables.

2 TBLSP raw cashews boiled in water for 20 minutes

½ TBLSP fresh lemon juice

1-2 TBLSP water, as needed

Pinch onion powder

Pinch ground black pepper

Pinch sea salt

1. Place the drained cashews in a blender or food processor, add the remaining ingredients, and whirl until it’s a smooth sauce. This will take a couple of minutes, with several pauses to scrape down the sides and such.

This sauce thickens if you put it in the refrigerator. That’s a good thing if you want your sauce thick. If you want it thinner, or to re-thin it after a refrigerator adventure, just add a little water and stir.

Savory Corn Fritters for One

These tasty treats made a satisfying breakfast, but they’d be just as good for lunch or dinner, or even broken up in a salad.

½ cup frozen corn, thawed

1 TBLSP finely chopped shallots (use green onions if you’re out of shallots)

Pinch dried chives

1 clove garlic, diced finely

1 TBLSP coriander or parsley leaves, chopped finely

2 TBLSP flour (I use all-purpose, but brown rice works just fine, too)

2 TBLSP corn meal

2 TBLSP water (more or less)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

1. Combine all ingredients until you have a batter that’s loose, but firm enough to plop in a blob onto a hot skillet. It will be quite chunky.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat and spray it evenly with vegetable oil (or brush it with a thin layer of veggie oil).
3. Drop enough fritter batter into the skillet to make a 3- or 4-inch fritter. It should be fairly thin, almost like a pancake, because you want it to cook through to the middle. Cook until the bottom is a golden brown and firm to the touch.
4. Flip the little darlings over and cook the other side until golden.

Serve with savory sauce. I used left-over pineapple dressing in this image, but chutney, ranch dressing,  fig tapenade, banana ketchup—just about any savory sauce would be yummy.