Zucchini Keftedes With Feta And Dill Food

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH FETA AND DILL

Steps:

• Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the shredding disk. Transfer the zucchini to a fine mesh strainer and set over a bowl. Toss the zucchini with the salt and let it sit for 10 minutes. Wring all of the excess liquid out of the zucchini with your hands, then set aside.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the dried zucchini, scallions, dill, feta, garlic and black pepper. Sprinkle the flour (or corn starch) and baking powder over mixture and stir until uniformly incorporated.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Drop 2-tablespoon sized portions into the pan, then use the back of a spoon to gently press the batter into 2-inch-wide fritters. Pan-fry until golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate. Add a bit more oil to the pan if necessary, then repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm or room temperature with lemon wedges.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked fritters can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat them on a cookie sheet in a 200°F oven until heated through.

ZUCCHINI KEFTEDES WITH FETA AND DILL

Steps:

• Grate zucchini on large holes of box grater onto clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt; let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Wrap zucchini in towel; squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place zucchini in medium bowl. Mix in green onions, 3 tablespoons chopped dill, mint, garlic, lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Gently stir in panko and egg, then feta. Using 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture for each, shape mixture into 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter patty; place on baking sheet. Chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
• Pour enough canola oil into heavy large skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch; heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add patties to skillet. Cook until golden and cooked through, adjusting heat if browning too quickly, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using slotted metal spoon, transfer to paper towels.
• Arrange keftedes on platter. Top each with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle each with dill. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH FETA AND DILL

Steps:

• Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a grater onto a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle with the salt and let it rest while you gather and prep the remaining ingredients. Wrap the zucchini in the towel and wring as much liquid out of it as possible, discarding the liquid. In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, feta, dill, mint, garlic, scallion and all but 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest. Stir in the flour and egg and mix until well combined.
• Add the oil to a large shallow pan, about 1/4 inch, or enough so that when all the fritters are in the pan, the oil comes halfway up their sides. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Form fritters by hand or using a 1/4-cup measure, and fry them in the hot oil in batches. Cook until the fritters are golden brown on each side, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Transfer the fritters to a serving platter and garnish each with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a small sprig of dill. Sprinkle the reserved lemon zest and some coarse sea salt over the serving platter. Serve hot or at room temperature.

ZUCCHINI, FETA AND DILL PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C Butter a 22cm square cake tin and line the base and sides with buttered baking paper. Dust the tin with the polenta, tap out the excess, and set tin aside.
• Pile the grated zucchini into a large sieve or colander, sit a plate on top to weigh it down a little and leave zucchini to drain really well.
• Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them together. Add the oil, chives and dill, mint or basil and whisk them inches
• Press down firmly on the plate over the zucchini to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Stir the grated zucchini into the egg mixture. Crumble in most of the feta (reserving a little for the top of the pie) along with the parmesan, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the flour and mix in until it is combined (wearing disposable gloves and mixing by hand is good, as mixture gets quite thick). Spread the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle the reserved feta over the top. Gently press the cherry tomato halves, cut side up, into the surface of the pie.
• Bake pie for 45-50 minutes, or until the top of the pie is springy when pressed. (It's a bit hard to know when it's cooked. Belinda Jeffery's suggests -- Her first attempt seemed ready after 30 minutes but when she took it out and let it cool a little she realised it was still squishy in the centre, so she put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes (thank goodness it's forgiving!). So when you think it's cooked, make sure the top is quite bouncy, and to double-check, insert the tip of a fine knife down into the middle and press the two sides of the cut apart - it should look quite set.
• When it's ready, take the pie out of the oven and cool it in the tin for 10 -15 minutes. If you're feeling game you can just gently grasp the baking paper and lift the pie out of the tin onto a serving plate, then slide the paper out from underneath. Or, put a wire rack on top and invert the pie onto the rack. Peel away the paper, then sit your serving platter on top of the pie and invert it again onto this. Tidy up any straggly bits and brush the tomatoes with a little oil. Scatter some mint leaves or sprigs on top and serve.

ZUCCHINI PATTIES WITH FETA

Steps:

• Plain Greek yogurt PreparationToss zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer to sieve. Press out excess liquid; place zucchini in dry bowl. Mix in egg, yolk, 1/2 cup flour, cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix in parsley, onions, and dill. If batter is very wet, add more flour by spoonfuls.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons corn oil in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into skillet. Fry patties until golden, 5 minutes per side, adding more olive oil and corn oil as needed. Transfer to paper towels. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Place on baking sheet, cover, and chill. Rewarm uncovered in 350°F oven 12 minutes. Serve with yogurt.

ZUCCHINI STUFFED WITH FETA AND DILL

Steps:

• Trim and discard the stem ends from 2 of the zucchini, halve the 2 zucchini lengthwise, and with a melon-ball cutter scoop out the flesh, reserving it and leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Arrange the shells, cut sides up, on a steamer rack set over simmering water and steam them, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are just tender. Invert the shells on paper towels to drain.
• Cut the remaining 2 zucchini crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a non-stick skillet cook the onions in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until they are softened, add the reserved flesh, chopped, and the zucchini slices, and sauté the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring, until it is golden. In a food processor blend the mixture with the Feta until the zucchini slices are chopped coarse and stir in the dill. Divide the filling among the 4 zucchini shells, arrange the stuffed zucchini in an oiled flameproof baking dish, and broil them under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 3 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and deep golden.