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Poor Man’s Zucchini “Crab” Cakes

zuchini crab cakes 1_blog

Every Wednesday afternoon, my mom, my girls and I get in the car and head down to our local farmer’s market. It’s something we look forward to every week. We have fun choosing from all the great produce the local farmers have to offer, and we have an even better time deciding what to do with it all!

A few weeks ago, while scanning the summer squash section at one of the market tables, I came across some nice looking zucchini. Now, I have to admit, I don’t normally go crazy over zucchini, but this particular bunch was so green and fresh, I had to grab a few. As I was paying, one of the girls from the farm asked me if I had ever made Poor Man’s Crab Cakes. I admitted I had never heard of them before. She told me to google it, so I did.  I was so intrigued by the description of these zucchini “crab” cakes that I started grating the zucchini and created a recipe for them that same afternoon.

If you’re a fan of crab cakes, I have to warn you: you’ll love this zucchini version.  Made with greek yogurt, crushed crackers, and plenty of Old Bay, even crab cake lovers will want to dip these “crab” cakes in some tartar sauce!

Zucchini “Crab” Cakes

makes 10-12 crab cakes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups grated zucchini
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons greek yogurt
  • 1 cup crushed crackers (or breadcrumbs)
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Instructions:

  • In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Combine all the “crab” cake ingredients in a large bowl, mixing with a spoon until all the ingredients are combined.
  • Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop a few crab cakes into the skillet at a time, pressing down slightly on each crab cake.
  • Cook until golden brown on each side (about 3-4 minutes on each side).
  • Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels.
  • Continue frying the “crab” cakes until all the batter is used.
  • Serve with homemade tartar sauce (recipe below) and enjoy!

Tartar Sauce

makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Few dashes hot sauce (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons dill relish
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  • Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and mix with a spoon until combined.
  • Taste, and adjust seasoning accordingly.
  • Serve with warm zucchini “crab” cakes, and enjoy!

Original recipe by La Casa de Sweets

{If you’re in Maryland, make sure to check out these awesome local farms: TLVLove Dove FarmsLewis Orchards!}

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Comments (7)

  • kayennat 11 years ago Reply

    They look yummy! Will make them, and let you know 🙂

  • Yvonne @ bitterbaker 11 years ago Reply

    What a great recipe! It never stops to amaze me what tasty dishes you can make with zucchini – this looks delicious!

  • […] Poor Man’s Zucchini Crab Cake […]

  • Rebecca C 11 years ago Reply

    I pinned this a while ago in anticipation of summer squash. I didn’t have zucchini but had a lot of yellow squash to use up and it worked just fine. I also added sweet corn from a leftover cob and finely chopped kale instead of parsley. I used panko breadcrumbs. Not only was this delicious, it was also great to throw in extra leftover veggies into, just added some more crumbs to compensate for the extra moistness of them. Great recipe, it make me like Old Bay seasoning, which I didn’t much like before! My husband liked them too and he doesn’t like squash generally.

    lacasadesweets 11 years ago Reply

    Thanks!

  • RK 11 years ago Reply

    I buy zucchini corn cakes at Whole Foods so I will have to try these….maybe even adding a little fresh corn!

  • Marcia 11 years ago Reply

    Brilliant! I can’t wait to make these!

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