Zucchini Walnut and Feta Cakes with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

These healthy zucchini cakes were exactly what I was looking for when trying to decide what to make for dinner tonight.  I cooked up a double batch and froze them for a night when I'm too busy to cook.

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1/4 cup chopped walnuts - (I did not use quinoa or walnuts, I used 1 cup Italian Bread Crumbs instead)

4 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup green onion - (I used 1/3 cup grated yellow onion)

1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
3 TBS chopped fresh dill or 1 TBS dried dill weed                           

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided 
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper                            

3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 2/3 cup) 
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (my addition)                              

2 large eggs, lightly beaten                               

2 TBS olive oil, divided

1 (6-ounce) container plain nonfat Greek yogurt 
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 garlic clove, minced

4 cups mixed salad greens (about 2 ounces)
 
Place quinoa in a mini food processor; process 1 minute or until finely ground. Add chopped walnuts to processor; process until smooth.  As stated above, I used Italian Bread Crumbs instead of the quinoa and walnuts.

 

Place zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss well. Let stand 10 minutes, tossing occasion­ally. Press zucchini between paper towels until barely moist. 

 

Combine zucchini, green onions, dill, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cayenne and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheeses, and eggs in a large bowl; stir to combine. Sprinkle quinoa mixture over zucchini mixture; stir well to combine. 

 

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 4 (1/3-cup) zucchini batter mounds to pan; flatten into 3-inch cakes. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and batter to yield 8 cakes total. 

 

Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, yogurt, cucumber, and garlic in a small bowl. Divide greens evenly among 4 plates. Top each serving with 2 cakes and about 1/4 cup cucumber mixture. Serve immediately.

Source:  Cooking Light, May 2014

Eileen