Whole Wheat Pancakes

Cooking Light, March 2010
Photo: Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

Just finished fueling up on whole wheat pancakes and fruit smoothies while planning our trail run. We're headed up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a 9 mile trail run in prep for our April half-marathon. We'll pack a couple leftover pancakes in our pockets in case we get hungry during or after the run! I changed the recipe to make 4 servings instead of 6 as the recipe was originally written, I also used regular 1% milk instead of the buttermilk.

Many of our online reviewers have called these fluffy, flavorful pancakes the best they've ever tasted. Keep cooked pancakes warm in a 200º oven while preparing remaining pancakes, then serve them with heated maple syrup.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 pancakes, 2 tablespoons syrup, and 1 1/2 teaspoons butter)

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large egg
Cooking spray
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation
1. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and egg white, stirring with a whisk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

2. Heat a nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle. Turn pancakes over when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Serve with syrup and butter.

Seasonal Fruit Smoothie

Runner's World, 9/10/2007
photo: Joseph De Leo

I like to use frozen fruit, so it's really a smoothie without having to add ice. We used frozen pineapples, strawberries, and blackberries. Really good pre or post-run!

An anytime snack that boosts energy and recovery.

You won't ever catch Iron Chef Cat Cora snacking on a sports bar. "Dried apricots and raisins mixed with almonds give me a lot of good energy," she says. Cora always includes lean protein in her snacks, like this seasonal fruit smoothie with its mix of low-fat yogurt, soy milk, and almonds, because it's satisfying and promotes muscle recovery.

1/2 cup seasonal fruit (peaches, berries, and mango work well)
3/4 cup low-fat yogurt
1 cup soy milk
6 almonds
1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Peel the fruit, if appropriate, and cut into small pieces. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and puree them together until smooth. Pour into a chilled glass and serve with a straw. You may want to add ice or use frozen fruit if you want to serve it really cold.

Serves two.

Calories: 170 Fat: 6 g Carbs: 19 g Protein: 12 g

Salted Chocolate Ganache Cake

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2009

Unfortunately I don't have a picture - this is a beautiful cake! It took a little extra effort to get through step 4, but it was worth it. I'll have to run a few extra miles this weekend!

Choose a premium chocolate bar for this simple one-layer cake. Make up to one day ahead, and store in an airtight container.

Cooking spray
2 teaspoons cake flour
5.3 ounces sifted cake flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or fleur de sel

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Coat 1 (9-inch) round cake pan with cooking spray; dust with 2 teaspoons flour.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon 5.3 ounces flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Place 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg; mix well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla.

4. Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until foamy using clean, dry beaters. Gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold half of egg white mixture into flour mixture; fold in remaining egg white mixture. Grate 1/2 ounce chocolate; fold grated chocolate into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

5. Chop the remaining 2 ounces chocolate. Combine chopped chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 15 seconds. Spread chocolate mixture over top of cake; sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cut into 8 wedges.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2009
Photo: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan

I decided to use this recipe for the brussels sprouts leftover from last weekend. We ate this with leftover pork chops from last night. Another good veggie/sweet side dish to go with the pork.

We tested with Fuji apples and love the sweet-tart contrast with the bitter Brussels sprouts. Leave the red skin on for a pretty contrast, or peel the apple, if you prefer.

1/2 cup diced apple
8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
2 tablespoons apple cider
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine apple and Brussels sprouts in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish. Add apple cider, olive oil, minced fresh thyme, salt, and freshly ground black pepper; toss well. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until sprouts are tender.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Paprika Spiced Pork Chops with Spinach Saute

Paprika Spiced Pork Chops With Spinach Saute
Real Simple, March 2010
Photo: Quentin Bacon

Another very easy dinner meal. Don't be shy with the raisins, their sweetness goes really well with the pork and also makes the spinach more flavorful.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 bone-in pork rib chops (about 1 inch thick; 2 pounds total)
1 teaspoon paprika
kosher salt and black pepper
4 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 10-ounce package spinach (about 16 loosely packed cups)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

2. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet and roast in oven until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium heat, add the scallions and raisins, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, tossing, until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in the lemon juice. Serve with the pork.

Homemade Quick Black Bean Burger

Cooking Light, November 2009
Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Sabrina Bone

I always thought veggie burgers would be hard to make, but this was super simple! Perfect for a Monday night dinner. We skipped the tomatoes and spinach, because there's nothing worse than tomatoes out of season. But we did use the avocado, onions, and cheese to top. According to the magazine article, the veggie burger at Ruby Tuesday's has 900 and some calories! What?! That's worse than a Whopper! This homemade version is much healthier and is very satisfying. The original recipe called for one egg and one egg white, but I think it's lame to throw away a protein rich yolk, so I just used two whole eggs. It's also necessary to use tough, crusty buns. Mushy hamburger buns with a mushy black bean burger would be too mushy.

Serve on a bun with a hot sauce-spiked ketchup, spinach leaves, tomato slice, a slice of Monterey Jack cheese, avocado slices, and onion.

1 (2-ounce) hamburger bun, torn into pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1. Place bun in a food processor; process 4 times or until crumbs measure about 1 cup. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and beans in processor; pulse 8 times or until beans make a thick paste. Scrape bean mixture into bowl with breadcrumbs. Stir in rind and remaining ingredients. With moistened hands, divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions (about 1/3 cup mixture per portion), shaping each into a 3-inch patty.

3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; reduce heat to medium, and cook 4 minutes or until bottom edges are browned. Carefully turn patties over; cook 3 minutes or until bottom edges are done.

Yield: 4 patties (serving size: 1 patty)

Butternut Squash Flat Bread

Real Simple, March 2010, by Sara Quessenberry
photo: Quentin Bacon

I made my own pizza dough from a Joy of Cooking recipe and used my pizza stone. I think this is the first time I got the dough right and I think it's because I used the pizza stone correctly for the first time. You really have to let it heat up in the oven for 30-45 minutes before baking the pizza. Then it cooks the bottom of the crust. I didn't have pine nuts, I used dried thyme, and used mozzerella instead of cheddar - mozzerella was good, but I bet it would be really good with cheddar.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen
cornmeal for the pan
1 pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar (6 ounces)
1 bunch arugula, thick stems discarded (about 4 cups)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400° F. Shape the dough into a large oval and place on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet.

2. In a large bowl, toss the squash, onion, pine nuts, thyme, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Scatter over the dough and sprinkle with the cheese.

3. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.

4. Toss the arugula with the remaining tablespoon of oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the flat bread.

Vegetarian Chili

from Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian Cooking, p. 82.

I made this on superbowl Sunday as part of my chili showdown - beef chili vs. veggie chili. I've made the Texas Red Chili (posted just before this one) a few times - it's my favorite chili. I wanted to try a veggie version because I prefer to not eat so much beef these days. I browsed several different vegetarian chili recipes and decided to make this one. I decided to do the chili showdown because I knew some guests that were promised chili would probably prefer the beef version, but I thought the veggie chili was suprisingly flavorful and I would make it again. I used the chipotle in adobe sauce and spicy hot tomato juice - which in combination made it a little too hot. I think it would be just right with regular tomato juice.

8 servings
A delicious "warmer upper."

Heat in a large saucepan over medium heat:
2 tablespoons olive oil

Add:
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced

Cook, stirring, until the onions are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Add:
1 to 2 fresh green chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped, or 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 tablespoon ground ancho chili pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Stir in:
One 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, with juice, coarsely chopped
One 16-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
One 16-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
One 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup tomato juice
Salt to taste

Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, adding more tomato juice or water as needed, about 45 minutes. Season and serve with:
Sour cream
Salsa Fresca
Chopped fresh cilantro

Texas Red Chili

Martha Stewart Living, October 2009

By far the best chili I've ever had. It's fun to use real dried chiles. The first time I made it, I packed it up and took it on a late October camping trip. We heated it up on the camp stove for dinner and it was amazing.

Ingredients
Makes about 8 cups; serves 6 to 8.

8 whole dried chiles (5 ancho and 3 guajillo or all ancho; about 3 ounces)
3 tablespoons safflower oil, plus more as needed
3 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into small pieces (1/2 inch or smaller)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large onions, coarsely chopped (4 cups)
7 to 8 garlic cloves, minced (5 tablespoons)
2 jalapeno or serrano chiles, seeded if desired, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled plum tomatoes, pureed with their juice (3 1/2 cups)
4 cups water, plus more if needed and for soaking
2 to 3 teaspoons white vinegar, to taste

Directions
1. Toast dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant and blistered, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove stem and seeds; discard. Transfer chiles to a large measuring cup or bowl, and cover with hot water. Keep chiles submerged with a small bowl, and let soak for 30 minutes. Remove from water, and puree in a blender with 1/2 cup soaking liquid.

2. Heat a large heavy pot over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Season beef with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Brown beef in batches, adding more oil as needed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add remaining tablespoon oil, the onions, garlic, and minced chiles to pot, and cook over medium-high heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. (If the pan gets too dark, add a little water, and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon to deglaze.) Add cumin and oregano, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

4. Stir in browned beef and chile puree. Add tomato puree, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer gently, partially covered, until meat is very tender and juices are thick, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (Check pot once an hour for excessive evaporation; if chili seems dry, add a little water.) Season chili with salt, and stir in vinegar. Serve immediately (or refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months; reheat in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally).

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Cooking Light Magazine, March 2010
photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

I skipped the steps that tell you to toast the oats and then grind them in the food processor, and the coffee cake still came out great. According to the magazine, this version of coffee cake has like half the calories and fat that regular coffee cake has. Of course, I used a little extra butter for the crumbles on top and ate about 3 pieces the day I made it, so the whole healthy thing goes right out the window. But it sure is tasty.

Mix the dry ingredients with the wet until just combined (don't overstir) for the best result. This is tastiest warm from the oven, but leftovers are also delicious.

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (about 2.5 ounces), divided
Cooking spray
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 ounce whole-wheat flour (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) carton light sour cream (such as Daisy)
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Spread oats in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 6 minutes or until oats are barely fragrant and light brown.

3. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; set aside.

4. Reserve 1/4 cup oats; set aside. Place remaining oats in a food processor; process 4 seconds or until finely ground. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine processed oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk.

5. Place granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/3 cup butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. (Batter will be slightly lumpy because of oats.) Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly.

6. Combine remaining 1/4 cup oats, remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until well blended. Sprinkle top of batter evenly with nut mixture. Bake at 350° for 38 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, top is golden, and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes; remove from pan.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

Spaghetti With Sweet Potatoes and Ricotta

Real Simple Magazine, October 2009
photo: Jose Picayo

This is a great recipe for winter time when sweet potatoes are one of the few veggies in-season. I left out the rosemary (I used to like rosemary, but lately it makes me gag when I feel the little stems hit my throat), and used a couple crushed garlic cloves instead of the shallots. It is super simple to make. This one has become Lew's weekday dinner specialty. It is really good with angel hair pasta.

Serves 4

Ingredients
12 ounces spaghetti (3/4 box)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
2 shallots, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
1/3 cup ricotta

Directions
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1⁄2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes, 3⁄4 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the shallots and rosemary and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Toss the pasta with the potato mixture, Parmesan, and the reserved cooking water. Dollop with the ricotta before serving.

Skillet-Poached Huevos Rancheros

Real Simple Magazine, January 2010
photo: Quentin Bacon

I have a co-worker who gives me "happy eggs" from time to time from the chickens he keeps at home. They are delicious eggs and in my search for good egg entrees, I came across this super simple recipe. Instead of the salsa, I used a can of chopped tomatoes mixed with half a jar of homemade spicy relish from Lew's co-worker Sherry. I also added a minced garlic clove and salt and pepper to my version of the salsa. I can't wait to make this in the summer time with fresh tomatoes and herbs from my garden. We also topped it with a little cheese at the end.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 16-ounce jar salsa (2 cups)
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed
4 large eggs
kosher salt and black pepper
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 small flour tortillas, warmed
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, combine the salsa and beans and bring to a simmer.

2. Make 4 small wells in the bean mixture. One at a time, crack each egg into a small bowl and slide it gently into a well. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat, 3 to 5 minutes for slightly runny yolks.

3. Sprinkle with the scallions and cilantro. Divide among plates and serve with the tortillas and sour cream.

Tip:
This meal is meant to be whipped up at the last minute. Add the eggs to the pan just before everyone sits down to the table or they’ll quickly become overcooked.

Cinnamon-Currant Buttermilk Biscuits

From the back of the Pilsbury Self-Rising Flour package.

When we were preparing for the Asheville Idiotarod, we had our teammates come over to build our carts and get all our costumes, tools, and ammunition ready. Everyone brought over flour to make flour-bombs. Anyway, I had a leftover bag of self-rising flour that sat in the cabinet for months because I hadn't ever used self-rising flour before and didn't know what the deal was with self-rising flour. So, I made this recipe from the back of the package in order to use up the flour. The biscuits were amazing!!

Biscuits
2 cups self rising flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup butter
½ cup raisins
¾-1 cup milk

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla
2-3 teaspoons milk
Cinnamon

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins. Add enough milk until mixture leaves sides of bowl and soft dough forms. Turn dough onto floured surface. Kneed until no longer sticky. Roll out ½ inch thick. Cut with floured 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet with side barely touching. Bake 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool.

Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla. Add enough milk for glaze consistency. Glaze biscuits, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Seared Brussels Sprouts

The New York Times, February 19, 2010, Recipes for Health
by Martha Rose Shulman
photo: Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

For delicious brussels sprouts, cook them in very hot oil. The cut side will sear, as will some of the leaves, resulting in a toasty, charred flavor that is irresistible, especially to children. Don’t use an expensive olive oil for this dish. It should not have a strong flavor.

1 pound brussels sprouts
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Trim the ends off the brussels sprouts, and cut in half lengthwise through the stem end.

2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. When the skillet is just short of smoking, place the brussels sprouts cut side down in the oil. Turn the heat to medium, and sear on one side until nicely browned, about three minutes. Turn the brussels sprouts over and cook on the other side until nicely browned and tender, three to five minutes. Some of the leaves can be charred dark brown or black. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: You can make these an hour or so before serving and reheat, but they're best when served right away.

Greek Zucchini Fritters

The New York Times, February 19, 2010, Recipes for Health
by Martha Rose Shulman
photo: Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

I saw this picture while browsing the New York Times website. I read the recipe and the combination of ingredients zucchini, feta, and dill appealed to me so much that I had to try it. It was Friday night and we weren't planning on going out because we had a big weekend traveling the weekend before, so I decided to make a full meal out of it along with the Seared Brussels Sprouts (posted next) and Lew's Garlic Bread.


These zucchini fritters are based on a recipe I learned from the cookbook author Diane Kochilas. A classic mezze served in Greek taverna, they’re like a Greek version of latkes.

2 pounds large zucchini, trimmed and grated on the wide holes of a grater or food processor
Salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as fennel, dill, mint, parsley (I like to use mostly dill)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 cup fresh or dry breadcrumbs, more as necessary
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup crumbled feta
All-purpose flour as needed and for dredging
Olive oil for frying

1. Salt the zucchini generously and leave to drain in a colander for one hour, tossing and squeezing the zucchini from time to time. Take up handfuls of zucchini, and squeeze out all of the moisture. Alternately, wrap in a clean dish towel, and squeeze out the water by twisting at both ends.

2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the shredded zucchini, herbs, cumin, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste and feta. Mix together well. Take up a small handful of the mixture; if it presses neatly into a patty, it is the right consistency. If it seems wet, add more breadcrumbs or a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour. When the mixture has the right consistency, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or longer.

3. Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large frying pan until rippling, or at about 275 degrees. Meanwhile, take up heaped tablespoons of the zucchini mixture, and form balls or patties. Lightly dredge in flour.

4. When the oil is very hot, add the patties in batches to the pan. Fry until golden brown, turning once with a spider or slotted spoon. Remove from the oil, and drain briefly on a rack. Serve with plain Greek style yogurt if desired.

Yield: Serves six to eight.

Advance preparation: The mixture can be assembled up to a day before you make and fry the fritters.