A creamy, crustless zucchini pie makes great use of summer's zucchini bounty. Or try delicious zucchini fritters. Easy recipes for both are included.
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It happened again.
We got attacked by the Zucchini Monster. Somehow, when I wasn't looking - he struck . . . dumped a whole pile of assorted zucchinis onto my poor unsuspecting plants.
I thought we could avoid him this year, but I must confess to being partly responsible. Somehow (yes, I know better), I happened to allow five (gulp, FIVE!) zucchini plants into my garden. The seeds looked so harmless, and the packets looked so interesting I needed to have some of the yellow ones, and some of the crookneck ones, and maybe a couple of the green ones, in case they - you know - maybe didn't produce well this year (jeesh - what was I thinking?). Luckily I couldn't find the seeds for the striped variety I planted last year as well, pretty as they were.
So now I have to deal with the ongoing aftermath of the nightly Zucchini Monster attacks. It is all-out war. Sometimes I almost think I am winning, as long as I pick them when they are cute and small, but then sometimes those @#%&*}!s get the worst of me, and the Z.M. slips in one of those massive baseball-bat-sized ones that I didn't see coming. The battle is lost again!
We've been grilling a lot of the zucchini spoils, and sautéing them, and making ratatouille, and salads, and this great zucchini pie and these yummy zucchini fritters.It’s a bit like a crustless quiche, and wonderful as a meatless supper or lunch, served with a green salad.
Take that, you Zucchini Monster!
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How to Make a Crustless Zucchini Pie
Shred your zucchini on a cheese grater. (If your zucchini is really large, cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out and discard the seeds before shredding it.) Finely chop or grate some onion, too.
Break 4 eggs into a bowl.
Whisk together the eggs, some oil, salt, and pepper. Add flour and baking powder and stir just until moistened to make a thin batter.
Now stir in grated zucchini, onion and grated cheese and spread it into the prepared pan.
Bake it and the pie is done! Now isn't that easy peasy?
The hardest part is letting it cool a bit before slicing it.
Kitchen Frau Note: The crustless zucchini pie is another great recipe from my friend Elsa (an excellent cook), and I made it for years with regular flour. Now that I make it gluten-free, it still turns out great. I like to use brown rice flour because it is a whole grain, but white rice flour works, too.
Crustless Zucchini Pie
Margaret Bose Johnson
A creamy, crustless zucchini pie makes great use of summer's zucchini bounty. It's like a quiche without a crust and loaded with vegetables! An easy dinner. (and also delicious as a gluten-free version)
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 55 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Canadian
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup (120ml) oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup (140gms) flour for gluten-free, use ⅔ cup brown rice flour plus ⅓ cup potato starch or cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups (400gms) grated zucchini
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 cup (100gms) grated cheddar use extra-old for the best flavour
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 10-inch (25cm) deep-dish pie pan or baking dish.
In a large bowl whisk together eggs, oil salt and pepper. Add the flour and baking powder and stir just until moistened.
Stir in the zucchini, onion, and grated cheese.
Spread into the prepared pan.
Bake for 40 to 55 minutes, until starting to get golden brown at the edges and the center is fully puffed up. Insert a knife into the center and if it comes out clean, the pie is done.
*The gluten-free version needs a longer baking time - an extra 10 minutes. Make sure the center is fully puffed up and feels firm to the touch. It will settle down as it cools.
Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Serves 6.
Notes
If your zucchini is really large, cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out and discard the seeds before shredding it on a cheese grater or in the food processor.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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These fritters are yummy served with leftover spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce to dip them into, as well as ranch dressing, or tzatziki, or serve them with a dollop of salsa or sour cream. Try varying the herbs in them - parsley or dill or cilantro - instead of the oregano and basil. Anything goes.
Zucchini Fritters
- 4 cups (1 litre) shredded zucchini
- 2 eggs
- ½onion, finely minced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
- 1 cup (140gms) flour (or ¾cup brown or white rice flour plus ¼cup potato starch or cornstarch)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- oil for frying
- spaghetti sauce for serving (homemade or bottled)
Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. (Mixture will get moister as it sits. That is okay - it will fry up just fine.)
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, drop heaping tablespoons of the zucchini mixture into the pan and sauté til the underside is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side until golden brown, too.
Lay on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any extra oil, then serve hot with the spaghetti sauce to dip them into.
Makes 16 to 20 quickly-devoured fritters.
Guten Appetit!
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