Zucchini Fritters with Herb-Garlic Aioli

This post is sponsored by Hampton Creek.

Last call for zucchini!  Have you had your fill yet? Let me just answer that for you: no way, no how. Summer may have one foot out the door, but I’m hanging onto summer produce so long’s it’s at the grocery store. In the words of Johnny Cash, you’ve got to know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em. No one’s folding zucchini quite yet, folks. Not here.

I was in a savory pancake sort of mood, so I grated up some zucchini and cooked these fritters in the cast iron skillet. They come out with a nice crispy outside, and a softer pancake-y inside.

Almond meal and gluten free all-purpose flour are what bind these fritters together. The fritter batter is wet and sticky, but when  placed in hot cast iron, it holds together nicely. Most importantly, they taste reaaaaal good.

I had half a mind to slap a thick slice of ham and cheddar cheese between two of the fritters and make a fritter sandwich out of them, but they lasted all of 3.2 seconds, so the sandwiches will have to wait until the next batch.

Don’t you just want to grab these fritters with your face? Who could blame you?

The way I see it, every fritter MUST come with a dipping sauce, just like every breakfast pancake must include some sort of topping or syrup. Which brings me to my next point: mayo.

Have you guys tried Hampton Creek‘s Just Mayo yet? Here’s the gist: it’s eggless, sustainably produced, is healthier for you than regular mayonnaise, and yes, it tastes better than regular mayonnaise. I have much to say about it. Follow me.

Historically, I have been the opposite of a mayonnaise fan. So when Hampton Creek asked if I wanted to try their mayo, I was a liiiiiittle (read: very) hesitant until I sufficiently stalked them through articles and YouTube videos. Guys. check. them. out.

The company is absolutely fascinating from a business and ethical standpoint. Both my inner business nerd and my outer granola cruncher went berserk while I was studying up on them, so I decided to give the mayo a whirl. And was very pleasantly surprised. Just Mayo has a thick, creamy, jiggle-free texture with a great tang, making it ideal to use as a spread or add to dipping sauces. It comes in a regular version, Garlic, Chipotle, and Sriracha – fun flavors for everyone!

I can’t not tell you more. So I’m going to tell you more.

Cue the science-speak. The skinny on Hampton Creek is they have indexed the molecular properties of hundreds of thousands of plants worldwide in order to determine whether they can be used as replacements for less sustainably-grown ingredients.  The company has identified 13 plants that can be used to create healthier, more affordable, and sustainable foods, one being the Canadian yellow pea. The yellow pea protein takes the place of eggs in Hampton Creek mayo, and it’s more cost-effective to produce than eggs.

The company continues to develop new products (next up for release is their Just Cookies) using efficiently-produced plants, and holds strong to quality and environmentally-friendly practices. PLUS (more business-speak), Bill Gates is one of the investors in the company, Oprah endorses them, and they’re the number one best-selling mayo in Whole Foods. Everyone go Hampton Creek, cuh-ray-zee!

Although I was tempted to simply dip the fritters in the Sriracha Just Mayo, I decided to throw together some ingredients to make a zesty herb aioli. I added parsley, sage, and lemon juice to the Garlic Just Mayo, which was a fabulous dipper. You can use any of your favorite herbs, like basil or cilantro for the recipe, so go herb-wild.

You can connect with Hampton Creek on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest and stay tuned for the release of their upcoming products.

Grab these fritters with your face.

Zucchini Fritters with Herb-Garlic Aioli

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8 to 10 fritters

Author: Julia

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Ingredients

For the Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters:

• 1-1/4 pounds zucchini squash grated (2 medium)
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/3 cup almond meal/flour
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 3 tablespoons gluten free all-purpose flour
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons to 3 grapeseed oil for cooking

For the Herb-Garlic Aioli

• ½ cup Hampton Creek Garlic Mayo
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage finely chopped

Instructions

Prepare the Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters

1. Rinse, trim, and grate the zucchini using a box grater.
2. Place the shreds in a colander and sprinkle salt over the shreds.
3. Place the colander over the sink and allow zucchini to drain for 1 hour in order to remove any water.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the almond meal, flax seed, all-purpose flour, and parmesan cheese.
5. Add the shredded zucchini to a different bowl and whisk in the lightly-beaten egg. Pour the dry flour mixture into the bowl with the zucchini and stir to combine. Allow fritter mixture to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of grapeseed oil (or high-temp oil of choice) over medium heat in a cast iron skillet (or medium-high in a regular skillet), enough to generously coat the surface.
7. Using your hands, form patties that are roughly ¼ cup each. Gently place them on the hot cast iron and allow them to cook until the sides begin to firm up, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip to the other side and cook an additional 3 minutes, or until fritters are cooked through.

Prepare the Herb-Garlic Aioli:

1. Combine all ingredients for the aioli in a small bowl and stir together well. Add salt or additional lemon juice to taste.
2. Serve the fritters fresh from the skillet with herb-garlic aioli.