My Perfect Zuchini Patties

For my Vegetarian Freezer Session I want to make a veggie Burger/pattie. I want to use Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Carrots, Green Onion, garlic. This would be a nice alternative to people who eat vegan at a pot luck!

My Perfect Patty/Burger must have:

• Depth of flavor plus I love smokey cumin & smoked paprika
• Chipoltle powder for that background of heat
• LOVE Quinoa-Really like the Quinoa burgers, w/quinoa cooked in flavorful stock and herbs with aromatics (onion, garlic)-might use that or just flour if time is limited
• Love the idea of adding some cheese like Parmesan & Sharp Cheddar &/or perhaps cottage cheese.
• Like the idea of salty soy sauce, might use that one, but wouldn't Feta be Betta for the salty seasoning?? 
• Definitely needs a sprinkle of sugar to balance out the dish and maybe some sumac to brighten the dish and bring an element of acidic?

Might use my bullet to grind garlic and Vidalia onions, rough chop the green onion, like that in there, wish I had cilantro, I like the brightness it brings, but using sumac might help brighten it up? 

This was soooo delicious!!

Here is what I came up with for my Zucchini patties  I nixed the idea of using the bullet/blender and brought out my BIG GUN, my monster Food Processor and knocked those veggies out in like under 3 min flat! Izak had therapy this morning and both kids were not co-operative so I ended up not using the Quinoa, very sad about that. But I am making Black Bean Burger with Quinoa so I will get some YUMMY quinoa for my other veggie burger/patties!

• 2 green onions, including white parts
• 2 1/2  teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2  teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons chipotle pepper
• 2 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-4 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 Vildalia onions, shredded
• 6 cloves garlic, shredded2 carrots, shredded
• 3 small summer squash, shredded
• 6 small zucchini, shredded
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2-1 C Cottage Cheese
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 green onions, including white parts

1. In a food processor shred carrots, zucchinis, yellow squash, Vildaia onions, garlic cloves. 
2. Lay the shredded mixture on a paper towel lined baking sheet and cover with another layer of paper towels and press lightly. Salt lightly and allow to sit on counter top for at least 30 min to draw out the extra moisture. (I will even line a colander with paper towels and allow moisture to draw out for another 30-45 min, I just like to really drain the moisture out as best I can so I don't have to use much binder)
3.  In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, Sugar, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder. 
4. Heat a frying pan then add a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat.  *{Hot pan, cold oil}
5.  Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick. 
6.  Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.  

Makes approx. 40 patties

Reheat them from frozen in toaster oven until crispy or 350 oven for 10-15 min. Can use Sandwich Maker or skillet with scant bit of EVOO, or if you must can use microwave for 20-30 seconds

Can also flash freeze these uncooked and oven bake them 350 for 15-20 min until crispy or on stove top with EVOO.

Notes: 

I have struggled with my low fat foods or sticky batter type foods sticking to my stainless pans here is what I figured out that has helped me TREMENDOUSLY~!!

*(Hot pan cold & cold oil will prevent sticking The reason hot pan/cold oil works is because when you add the oil to a very hot pan, it starts to vaporize – the oil in immediate contact with the pan creates a vapor layer that prevents it from bonding to the pan. 

Obviously, it will burn quickly if no food is added. But cold oil bonds to cold metal, you don’t get this floating oil slick effect – food sticks to the oil, oil sticks to the metal, and in my experience, cold pan, cold oil leads to sticking. Especially with a sticky batter like the zucchini patties, HOT pan COLD oi-try it and see if you get better results!)

**(To help them stay in patty form and not fall apart, I cook them on med-low slowly so they have longer to set-up without burning.  Makes them easier to flip, too.)

I really LOVE these, I know that some are more brown than others and I prefer them more brown, but since I will be reheating these on a grill top or toaster oven I don't want them so brown. The more crispy ones we ate up, these are soo good!

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