Zucchini Crunchies- Falafel Art

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you´re all having a good start of 2017. We celebrated the countdown
here in Andalucia quietly. Our New Year´s eve had been really very peaceful. There were not much fireworks in the area where we live and probably that´s because municipalities in Southern Spain have cut public spending. 

Today, I have a recipe that has been proven very delish at home and it´s so easy to make.
This recipe is similar to the arabic dish Falafel, though the main difference is that this is 

made of  grated zucchinis instead of the usual ground beans or chicpeas.

I sure hope that this would make you want to eat more. I have two methods of
making this dish as follows....

1. by deep frying... you have to fry the balls under a medium heat for about 7 minutes 

2. and if you choose to bake,  preheat the oven and bake at 190°C for about 25 minutes 

    turning sides to get that golden brown color. In this recipe, I chose to bake them.

Zucchini Crunchies - Falafel Art

4 med zucchini, grated

1 medium onion, very finely chopped

1 cups bread crumbs

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese  or gouda cheese 

2 eggs

1 tsp ground cummin (optional) 

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

2 tsps salt 

Instructions: Preheat the oven at 190°C

1.  In a bowl, grate the zucchini, add salt, carefully combined with your hands 

    and let it stand for about 20 minutes. The salt will help release the liquid 

    from the zucchini.

2.  Place a clean cloth in another bowl and pour zucchini wringing out its liquid until 

     all water is squeezed-out, discard the liquid.

3. Place zucchini in a bowl, add the onions, breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, eggs, 

   garlic powder, ground cummins (optional) and pepper. Mix well until the 

   ingredients are well blended.

5. Using a table spoon, scoop the mixture onto your hands and shaping it into a ball. 

6. Place all shaped balls in a baking pan lined with baking paper… bake fore 

   25 minutes turning sides of each piece until lightly brown in color.  

   Serve hot or cold, as snack or side dish...

YOGURT DIP (optional)

A Yogurt Dip is a good addition to this dish if you want a bit of the 

mediterranean flavor. Below are the ingredients, you just have 

to combine them  thoroughly and refrigerate until further use.

Ingredents:

150 ml plain greek yogurt, choose the lighter one with less fat

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove crushed garlic

1 dash of dried dill 

salt and pepper, according to your taste

   

Have a good start of your week!