Zucchini Scallion Pancakes with Chili Yogurt
Zucchini Scallion Pancakes with Chili Yogurt
Zucchini & almond flour fritters inspired by Chinese scallion pancakes!
Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’re somehow reading this and aren’t yet subscribed, be sure to do so below. You can expect recipes in your inbox every Tuesday, and paid subscribers get even more!
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In case you missed it: Last Thursday, paid subscribers received a recipe for Roasted Carrots over Saffron Yogurt! I also included some substitutes for saffron, since I know it can be expensive (tip: I get mine at Trader Joe’s).
Coming this week for paid subscribers: I’m so excited for this week’s piece: “How To Start Eating For Your Mood.” This will be an introduction to the intersection of diet and mental health, including how food affects our mood, what nutrients to incorporate, and recipes that utilize mood-boosting foods!
Recipe I’m Loving: I’ve made these Black Bean and Butternut Squash Enchiladas a few times now, and they are divine. I made a big batch of them last week, and I ran out of both cheddar cheese and black beans, so we made some with kidney beans and havarti. Kind of random, and sounds maybe gross, but it actually worked really well!
Life updates: I’ve started a veggie garden in my parents’ backyard, and so far it’s thriving! I’ve got some zucchini, kale, radishes, and some tomato and pepper seedlings going. I’m finally caught up on work after our road trip back, and I’m going to get back into doing the things I love like hiking and writing my book!
RECIPE!
Zucchini pancakes are an underrated fave of mine. I’ve made them quite a few times now, but typically I’ve made them cheesy, usually with Parmesan. I found a big bundle of green onion in my parent’s refrigerator, and I immediately knew I wanted to make a riff on scallion pancakes using zucchini.
The scallion pancake, also known as cong you bing, is a Chinese dish that has been around for a long time. It’s an unleavened flatbread made with — you guessed it — scallions! They’re chewy and delicious, and if you haven’t eaten one, I suggest you try it!
This zucchini pancake is in no way prepared like a traditional scallion pancake, but it is inspired by the flavors of the Chinese dish. I made this one with almond flour, zucchini, and egg, so it has a very different texture than a traditional scallion pancake. You could really say it’s more like a fritter with a lot of scallions.
For the chili onion crunch on top, I used my jar from Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, you can use any type of chili crisp/chili oil, like Lao Gan Ma!
As always, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@kalememaybe) if you make this dish!
Zucchini Scallion Pancakes with Chili Crunch Yogurt
Ingredients (makes about 8 pancakes)
2 large zucchini
2 cups chopped scallion (about 6 stalks), plus 1 extra stalk chopped, to top
3 eggs
1 cup almond flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil, plus more as needed (I used avocado but you can also use olive)
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp chili onion crunch or other chili oil
1. Grate your zucchini, and then use a cheesecloth or nut milk bag to remove all the excess liquid. Squeeze the water out until you can’t get any more drops out!
2. Add the zucchini to a large bowl along with the eggs, 2 cups chopped scallion, almond flour, minced garlic, onion powder, black pepper, and salt. Heat up some oil in a pan (I started with 2 tablespoons, and then added more for each batch), and use your hands to form the zucchini mixture into a patty, slightly flattening with your palm.
3. Once the oil is hot, fry the pancake on each side for about 2-4 minutes until golden brown and cooked throughout. You’ll probably have to do two batches since you don’t want to crowd the pancakes in the pan. Top each patty with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a little bit of chili onion crunch, and the remaining scallions. Serve warm.
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