Power Packed Corn Cakes with Zucchini and Chick Peas

These little cakes are adorable and delicious. They still need a little work to pass the "kids love them test" but my husband and I  can't get enough of them. They are my new favorite snack in fact. I started with another published recipe and wanted to give them a little more nutrition so I took out some of the wheat flour and added chickpeas instead. I'll be playing with the quantities in the next batches so watch out for a refined version of these coming soon. I had a request for the recipe though, so I wanted to get them out there for you. Frying them in a cast iron skillet will make them especially crispy.

Make the Veggie Base
In a food processor combine:

• 1 zucchini diced
  
• Chick peas - I used 1 cup for this recipe but will reduce this amount next time so not sure how it will affect the texture.
• 1 small shallot cut into chunks for easy processing (or onion and garlic if you prefer)
• 2 - 4 Tbs. water to make the puree smooth but not runny

Mix Your Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl combine:

• 1 cup of cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Make the Batter

• Add 1 beaten egg to the veggie base and mix well
• Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour the veggie base into the dry ingredients
• Add about 3/4 cup corn kernels (1 large or 2 small ears of corn worth if using fresh)
• Combine and add about 2 Tablespoons milk of your choice - any will work. I had buttermilk left over which is notorious for helping to make things a little fluffier and soft. Your mixture should stick together although it will feel just slightly crumbly. The egg will bind it as it cooks.

Make the Cakes

• Heat 1-2 Tbs. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for each new batch
• Use an ice-cream scoop to dollop the batter into the plan
• Gently flatten the scoops and fry until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes each side on my stove)
• Keep the cakes warm in the oven until it's time to serve them

Serving
My favorite way to enjoy these is with my Summer Salsa Verde and a little Green Jalapeno Pepper Sauce, which is by the way, my new favorite condiment. Red salsa is also a good complement.

French Fried Potato and Carrot Pancakes

Don't let the name fool you these little cakes are delicious AND healthy. Like my four-year old, it might take a little practice for your kids to enjoy the form of the food but they taste yummy. My seven year old ate her first one and then said, "These are sooo good - I NEED another one." The inspiration for these came from a recipe I made awhile back from Mark Bittman. He had a recipe for carrot cakes as a suggestion for breakfast. The recipe was little more than grated carrot, eggs, salt, and a dash of cornmeal. After recently falling in love with corn cakes and watching the zucchini grow in the garden, I thought they would combine well. Then my new Vegetarian Times Magazine came in the mail. In a glossy centerfold was a stack of Potato, Carrot, Zucchini Pancakes. I love synchronicity like this. I modified their recipe and decided to use the chick pea flour for protein instead of the cornmeal I had used in my previous carrot cakes and a star was born in these crunchy, savory pancakes. Writing about them now, I feel excited to have not only a yummy dinner option but I think they will be fantastic for brunch and maybe combined into a nice casserole when it comes time for buffet season this fall.

Prepare the Veggies

• Saute 1 large shallot* in a cast iron skillet (any other skillet is fine but the cast iron will give your cakes more crispness) 

In a large bowl grate:

• 1 medium potato (I used an Idaho potato but I think a sweet potato would be great too!)
• 2 large carrots
• 1 small zucchini
• Wrap the veggies in a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can over the sink

Prepare the Batter
In a separate small bowl mix:

• 1/4 cup flour - I used chick pea flour for added protein and to make it gluten-free but any type will work fine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

In the large bowl that once held your veggies (which are now wrapped in a towel in your sink;-)

• Whisk 2 eggs
• Add the sauteed shallot*
• Add the veggies
• Dust with your seasoned flour and mix well - Your batter will look a little like the texture of coleslaw and you might wonder will this work? As the eggs cook around the veggies it will bind the cake.

Making Cake

• Coat your skillet with a thin layer of olive oil for each new batch
• Use an ice-cream scoop to dollop the batter into the pan
• Gently flatten and shape your cakes
• Cook over med-high heat until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes per side)
• Keep the cakes warm in the oven until ready to serve

Serving
I'm going to work on some type of creamy sauce for these the next time. In the meantime, the adults ate them with green jalapeno sauce and the kids used, what else, ketchup! Vegetarian Times served them with a tomato corn relish.


* I prefer shallots but a little chopped onion and garlic work in the same way as the shallot