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quinoa and zucchini griddle cake with tzatziki

(1 rating)
Recipe by
evelyn m

Uniquely Greek-style griddle cake using quinoa – a superfood! I have accompanied it with refreshing tzatziki. With a big, green salad, you have a complete meal on your hands! I like Dib’s recipe for toasting quinoa, and I have provided a link for it here. The first time I ever tried quinoa, I didn’t know to toast it, and did find it quite bitter. Dib’s recipe did the trick for me, toasting this superfood to a nutty goodness, and I haven’t looked back since!

(1 rating)
yield 4 serving(s)
prep time 2 Hr 25 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Pan Fry

Ingredients For quinoa and zucchini griddle cake with tzatziki

  • FOR TZATZIKI:
  • 1/2
    english cucumber, grated coarse
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • 200 g
    greek yoghurt (7 1/2 ounces)
  • 1
    garlic clove, mashed
  • 1 Tbsp
    red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • FOR QUINOA ZUCCHINI GRIDDLE CAKE:
  • 1/2 c
    toasted quinoa (to toast quinoa, see http://www.food.com/recipe/quinoa-toasted-16399 by dib’s)
  • 1 c
    water
  • 250 g
    zucchini, grated coarse (1/2 lb)
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • 1 sm
    red onion, minced fine
  • 1
    garlic clove, minced very fine
  • 1/4 c
    fresh dill, minced
  • 1/4 c
    fresh parsley, minced
  • 1/2 c
    dry bread crumbs or gluten-free bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp
    flour or gluten-free flour
  • 100 g
    feta cheese, crumbled (3 1/2 ounces)
  • 2 lg
    eggs, beaten to blend
  • 1/4 tsp
    pepper
  • 1/2 tsp
    dry spearmint (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • GARNISH:
  • finely minced fresh dill

How To Make quinoa and zucchini griddle cake with tzatziki

  • 1
    To make tzatziki: Toss grated cucumber with ½ tsp salt and place in a sieve to drain for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, try to squeeze out as much water as you can by pressing on the grated cucumber between your hands. Put into a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients, stirring to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to blend flavours. (tzatziki can be made up to 2 days ahead)
  • 2
    To make quinoa zucchini griddle cake: In a small saucepan, combine the toasted quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring to the boil; reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. The water should be completely absorbed. Fluff with a fork. (quinoa can be made up to 2 days ahead to this point)
  • 3
    Toss grated zucchini with ½ tsp salt and place in a sieve to drain for half an hour. Press between hands after half an hour to squeeze out excess water. Place in bowl. Blitz onion, garlic, bread crumbs, dill and parsley in mini-processor to mince fine and stir into zucchini along with quinoa and all remaining ingredients, incorporating everything well; rest mixture for 15 minutes to allow the bread crumbs to absorb some of the excess moisture. (mixture can be made up to 1 day ahead, placed in a sealed container, and refrigerated to this point)
  • 4
    Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into bottom of large non-stick skillet and heat over medium. When hot, empty in the quinoa mixture and smooth out with a spatula to spread evenly to the sides of the skillet. Fry for 10 minutes; put a large plate over skillet and reverse skillet onto plate, bringing cooked side of griddle cake up; slide uncooked side back into the skillet (do not add more oil), turn heat down to medium-low, and cook a further 8-9 minutes. Flip onto serving plate.
  • 5
    Cut griddle cake into quarters and dollop with tzatziki. Sprinkle decoratively with minced, fresh dill.
  • 6
    I prefer English cucumbers as a rule because they contain far fewer seeds and, therefore, less water. If your cucumber appears to have a lot of seeds, scrape them out with a teaspoon before proceeding with recipe.
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