There hasn’t been an awful lot of cooking going on here lately. When Ollie got sick, it was all we could manage to either defrost something for our dinner or just make toast (I had vegemite toast for dinner three nights in one week! – one time not even toasted – fyi they don’t give pregnant mummas food in Emergency, luckily I thought to throw in the loaf of bread that was on the bench and some Vegemite).

Having a sick baby in hospital is nothing at all like a holiday but for some reason, I had that same feeling when I got home of wanting to get into the kitchen (after I slept for a few days).

I happened to make these before we all went downhill though. Some weeks I’m totally organised, meal plan, know what I want in our fruit and vege box – other weeks I am all over the shop and end up ordering three of the same thing. There may have been an oversupply of zucchinis one week. They’re nearly out of season here so I guess I could just say I’m making the most of the while they’re still around.

Zucchini fritters are nothing new, they’ve been around for ages but for some reason I’d never tried them. I will admit that the extra step of draining grated zucchini often puts me off zucchini recipes (yes I’m lazy like that) but since I’ve discovered popping it in a tea-towel and wringing it out, I’m way more tolerant of the extra work.

I’m also always on the hunt for quick, easy and healthy lunch recipe for me and Ollie and something that can be frozen is even more of a winner which these are. This version is gluten-free but you could easily use regular or wholemeal flour if that’s all you have.

ps yes I’m aware they really look like zucchini pikelets more than fritters. I think the more finely you grate the zucchini the more pikelet-like they become.

They’re actually quite delicious on their own but for a real flavour boost I urge you to try my yoghurt and avo dressing. I know, yoghurt and avocado sounds like a pretty weird combination but with a few drops of lemon juice it makes such a creamy, rich topping that goes perfectly with the fritters. They’d also be pretty yummy with a spread of cream cheese.

I will admit that Ollie took one look at them and put the plate up on the table and pushed it away (better than throwing them at me I guess). My sister who was visiting at the time told him she’s be thrilled if someone served her the same thing for lunch but that didn’t convince him. Wish me luck next time.Enjoy!

Zucchini fritters (with avocado yoghurt sauce)

Yield: 20 small fritters

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini or 2 small, grated and drained
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh oregano or 1 tbsp dried
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 2 free-range eggs
• ¼ cup gluten free flour (I used quinoa flour)
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp pepper or to taste
• 2 tbps coconut oil

Dip Ingredients

• 3 tbsp avocado
• 1 tbsp natural yoghurt
• A little bit of lemon juice to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the zucchini, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon, eggs, flour, onion powder, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the batter, 1 tbsp per fritter for a few minutes on each side.
3. Transfer cooked fritters to a plate then repeat with the remaining batter.