To me, it still seems like an impossible dream that any diet could allow the luxury of any kind of fried food and still be legal.  I’ve always joked that Atkins low carb diet was the one that allowed you to eat all the toppings — sour cream, butter, bacon and cheese — that go on a baked potato, but the not potato itself.  What irony.

Well, potatoes might not be on the menu, but there are other substitutes that are totally palate pleasing as well as low carb’d.  One of these is the Zucchini Fritter.  My version is loaded with fresh zucchini, onions, bell pepper and bacon pieces.  Usually, the recipes start with grating the zucchini, then draining it, adding salt to remove the liquid and squeezing as much water out as possible so that it’s very dry.  I skip that step.  You can shred the zucchini or take my approach and let the food processor chop it into small pieces.  I don’t squeeze the liquid out, but just use it as is and let the flour absorb the liquid.  Serve this with a dill sauce, a low carb Ranch dressing or heat up a little pasta sauce.

Zucchini, Onions and Peppers Fritters

1 cup Zucchini, shredded or chopped
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/4 cup Bell Peppers, chopped
2 large Eggs
1/2 cup  low carb Flour *
2 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 tablespoons Bacon pieces
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
4 to 6 tablespoons Olive Oil

* If you use Coconut Flour, reduce to 3 tablespoons.  The flour will absorb the liquid very well.

Finely chop the zucchini, onion and bell peppers in a food processor and mix together in a bowl. Add eggs, low carb flour, cheese, bacon pieces and seasoning salt. Stir together until the mixture is completely blended with the vegetables and all the flour is mixed in. The liquid from the vegetables and the eggs will provide enough moisture to make a pancake consistency batter.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When hot, add a big tablespoon of the zucchini mixture to the pan and smooth it into a small pancake. Repeat with a second tablespoon on the other side of the pan.  Cover with a lid and cook for about two minutes until golden brown. Turn over and cook another two minutes. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Add more olive oil if needed.  Repeat, making two at a time, with the remainder of the batter.

Serve warm with a dill dressing or a low carb dressing. Delicious.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Info per fritter
Calories: 109 Fat:9.8 g Net Carbs: 2.0 Protein: 3.5 g