Mexican Inspired Potato-Zucchini Pancakes

I have more cookbooks than I’ll ever be able to cook my way through.  Some contain dog-eared pages held together with rubber bands – obviously my favorites.  I have a few others, though, that are nearly as pristine as the day I brought them home – or more likely the day they arrived from the Geek-fest Cookbook Club I belong to.  Generally, those that are in great shape are those that, for one reason or another, didn’t quite live up to their promise in the catalog description.  It was in one of the these more pristine books that I came upon a Mediterranean version of this recipe.  The original is from Sara Moulton’s – Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals. 

The original, which contains lemon zest, bread crumbs, dill, and kalamata olives, sounds pretty darn good too; but I was looking for something to accompany my One-Pot-Wonder Chicken  Tortilla Soup leftovers, and I started thinking….

The end result was a resounding success with me and with my daughter, Libby.  The cakes were crunchy and caramelized on the outside and tender on the inside.  The flavors melded perfectly to create a savory, lightly garlicky, fresh bite of yum. We ate them with just a bit of lite sour cream and fresh salsa.

In the spirit of truth in foodie blogging, though…the guys?….not so much.  Alex didn’t care for the ”vegetably texture” and poor Jim was desperately looking for a napkin to rid himself of the first big bite he took.  Oops!  I forgot he doesn’t like cilantro :-S 

I’ve gotta believe more  of you will like these yum-bombs than will show them disdain, so here’s the recipe.  As always, feel free to tweak it to your own tastes and let me know what you think….thumbs up?….or…”where’s my napkin?”

Ingredients

2 six-inch zucchini
2 medium baking potatoes
1 medium onion
kosher salt
2/3 cup queso blanco, crumbled *
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro *
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Serrano pepper, minced
1/2 cup crushed multi-grain corn chips
1 or 2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
Optional – salsa and sour cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200º.
Using a food processor or a box grater, grate together the zucchini, potatoes, and onion.
Stir in 3/4 teaspoon of salt, transfer to a colander placed over a bowl to drain.
Allow vegetables to wilt and drain for about 15 minutes.
Using your hands, squeeze as much moisture out of the vegetable mixture as possible and transfer to a dry bowl.
Stir in cheese, cilantro, garlic and Serrano, mix well.
Stir in crushed corn chips, mix well and let sit for a minute or two to allow any excess moisture to be absorbed.
Add one or both of the lightly beaten eggs.  Use your best judgement.  The egg will moisten the mixture further, but will also act as a binder as the cakes cook.
Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Form the vegetable mixture into approximately eight balls.
Place four veggie balls in the hot pan, pressing down with a spatula to flatten.
Cook until lightly brown, about 4 minutes.
Flip the cakes and cook, uncovered for another 4 minutes, or until brown on the other side and veggies are tender.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm in the oven.
Repeat with the remaining oil and veggie cakes.

* Ricotta may be substituted for queso blanco, and Italian parsley may be substituted for cilantro.

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