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Six low-carb, keto-friendly ways with summer zucchini

Grant Schofield, Caryn Zinn and Craig Rodger

Low-carb zucchini slice.
Low-carb zucchini slice.Todd Eyre Photography

Just as cauliflower is the low-carber's rice, so zucchini is the low-carber's noodle or spaghetti. In fact they're way better than noodles – more versatile, quicker to cook, a better taste and packed with nutrients. You simply can't go wrong with zucchini.

Tasty zucchini slice

This is a totally versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a main meal or a mini meal. It can be made ahead of time and used as an on-the-run meal if need be. For a main meal, add a side salad.

What the Fat? Recipes by Grant Schofield, Caryn Zinn and Craig Rodger.
What the Fat? Recipes by Grant Schofield, Caryn Zinn and Craig Rodger.The Real Food Publishing Company
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INGREDIENTS

  • 12 eggs
  • 1 cup cream
  • 4 large zucchini
  • 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
  • 250g bacon
  • 2 onions
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar or feta work great)

Vegetarian option (to replace the bacon)

  • ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

METHOD

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  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (180C fan). Line a baking dish (about 15cm x 20cm) with non-stick baking paper.
  2. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until well mixed. Pour in the cream and whisk through the eggs. Grate the zucchini into the bowl and stir in.
  3. Heat the butter or oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the bacon and onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until the onion has softened.
  4. Add the onion and bacon to the zucchini and eggs, along with some salt and pepper and stir to mix. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake for 20–30 minutes, until the mixture has set all the way through.
  5. While the slice cooks make up your side salad ready to serve with the slice.

Vegetarian option: Add the olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the zucchini and eggs in place of the bacon for a beautiful Mediterranean flavour.

Serves 6–8

Zucchini fritters (bacon optional).
Zucchini fritters (bacon optional).Todd Eyre Photography

Cheesy zucchini fritters

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Traditionally, fritters are served with tomato salsa. But if you don't have any on hand, these fritters are still beautiful on their own, or with a dollop of sour cream or natural yoghurt.

INGREDIENTS

For the fritters

  • 3–4 zucchinis (about 500g)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup grated mozzarella
  • ⅓ cup LSA* or LSC*
  • small handful of chopped parsley (optional)
  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the toppings

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  • 4 rashers streaky bacon (optional)
  • 100g haloumi (about six 1cm slices)
  • ½ punnet (125 g) cherry tomatoes, halved

To serve

  • ¼ cup tomato salsa, or sour cream or plain unsweetened Greek-style yoghurt
  • small handful chopped parsley

METHOD

  1. Grate the zucchinis into a bowl, add the salt and mix well. Squeeze handfuls of zucchini to remove the water, placing the squeezed handfuls into another bowl as you go.
  2. Add the mozzarella, LSA or LSC, parsley (if using) and eggs to the zucchini. Add some more seasoning (salt and pepper) and mix well for 30 seconds to combine. Set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. Place the bacon and haloumi in the pan and cook for a few minutes, turning when golden brown, until the bacon is crispy and the haloumi is golden brown. Remove from the pan and cover with a clean tea towel to keep warm.
  4. Using the same pan, add a bit of oil and reduce the heat to medium. Add ¼-cup amounts of the fritter mix to the pan, flattening out with a spatula to 1–2 cm thick. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, until crispy on the outside and golden brown. Continue to use up all the mix.
  5. To serve, place the zucchini fritters on your plates. Break the bacon into shards and share between the fritters. Top with the haloumi and tomatoes, and some tomato salsa or sour cream or yoghurt, and sprinkle over the parsley.
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Vegetarian option: Just leave out the bacon.

*Note: LSA is ground linseed, sunflower seed and almond; LSC is ground linseed, sunflower seed and chia.

Serves 3-4

Creamy zucchetti carbonara.
Creamy zucchetti carbonara.Todd Eyre Photography

Zucchetti carbonara

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Did you think creamy pasta was a thing of the past? Not with this tasty dish! It's a really quick, easy and delicious dish starring the versatile zucchini, and the more herbs you add, the better. A note about the egg yolks: as well as adding some top-quality protein, they're there to thicken up the sauce. Just be careful not to let them cook for too long, otherwise you'll end up with scrambled egg carbonara.

INGREDIENTS

For the zucchetti

  • 4 zucchinis
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the carbonara sauce

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  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 4-5 rashers smoked bacon (streaky works best), thinly sliced (optional)
  • 1 punnet (250g) mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup cream
  • ¼ cup white wine or chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 egg yolks
  • small bunch of chives, parsley or tarragon, roughly chopped

To serve

  • parmesan shavings
  • extra virgin olive oil

Vegetarian option: ½ cup grated cheese, to replace the bacon

METHOD

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  1. Cut the zucchini with a vegetable peeler or with a spiralizer into noodles. Set aside.
  2. Start making the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion with a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften but not colour. Add the garlic, bacon and mushrooms, and continue to cook for about 3 minutes until everything has softened. Stir in the cream and the wine or stock. Turn the heat down to low.
  3. Grab another medium to large frying pan (or a large saucepan), place it over a high heat and quickly fry the zucchetti in the olive oil for 1 minute. Set aside in the pan to keep warm.
  4. Bring the carbonara sauce just up to the boil, remove from the heat and immediately stir through the egg yolks. Continue stirring continuously until the yolks are thoroughly mixed through the sauce. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir through the chopped herbs.
  5. To serve, make a small mound of zucchetti in wide serving bowls. Spoon over the carbonara sauce, then top with Parmesan shavings, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some cracked black pepper.

Vegetarian option: Cook the vegetables without the bacon until softened, then stir in the cream, wine or stock, and grated cheese. Cook the zucchetti, then bring the sauce just up to the boil, stirring constantly to ensure that the cheese has melted, then remove from the heat and add the egg yolks.

Serves 4

Broccoli zucchini fry-up.
Broccoli zucchini fry-up.Todd Eyre Photography

Broccoli and zucchini fry

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This is a simple, versatile, whip-together option that goes perfectly with a range of dinner mains.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 head broccoli
  • 3 zucchini
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, to serve

METHOD

  1. Finely chop the garlic, cut the broccoli into small florets and peel the zucchini into ribbons using a vegetable peeler or a spiralizer with a suitable blade.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan to a moderate-high heat, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until golden. Add the broccoli and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add the zucchini ribbons. Cook for 1 more minute, and you're done.
  3. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.

Serves 4

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Zucchini cheesy chips

Photo: Todd Eyre Photography

Transform zucchini into delicious cheesy chips. Not quite as convenient as packet crisps, but tastier and much healthier. These are great on their own as a nibble, or serve them with fish or steak.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3-4 zucchini, cut into 2-3cm long sticks (batons)
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • drizzle of olive oil
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METHOD

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (180C fan). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
  2. Place the zucchini, garlic and parmesan on the tray, drizzle with oil and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast for 15-18 minutes, until tender and the parmesan is beginning to turn golden – you can switch the oven to grill for the last 3 minutes of cooking to really crisp up the parmesan. Serve straight away.

Serves 3-4

Swap pasta for zucchini pappardelle.
Swap pasta for zucchini pappardelle. Todd Eyre Photography

Zucchini pappardelle

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This simple dish is extremely versatile and easy to make. Use it to replace pasta, or toss cooked sliced chicken through it for a quick lunchtime salad.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3-4 zucchini
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

  1. Bring a full kettle of water to the boil.
  2. Peel the zucchini into pappardelle ribbons using a vegetable peeler or a spiralizer with a pappardelle blade and place in a large, heat-proof bowl. Pour over the boiling water and leave to stand for about 20 seconds. Drain, rinse under cold water and leave in a colander to drain thoroughly.
  3. Dress the zucchini with some peppery extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 3-4

This is an edited extract from What the Fat? Recipes by Grant Schofield, Caryn Zinn and Craig Rodger, ©The Real Food Publishing Company, RRP $35.00, out now; Images ©Todd Eyre Photography.

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