Zucchini Cakes

I made these last night and they were soooo delicious, even hubby said they were awesome, which is saying something for the meat loving carnivore he is! ^_^

1 whole Large zucchini

1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup (to 3/4 cup) breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded cheese (your choice)
2 whole eggs
Salt (to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)
Olive oil

Directions:

1. Wash zucchini and chop off the stem end. Shred it using the large holes of a cheese grater. Squeeze the shredded zucchini inside a large clean towel until you've removed as much liquid as possible.
2. Place shredded zucchini in a medium sized bowl. Add garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir with a fork until well mixed.
3. Heat oil oil to medium heat, when oil is hot drop a spoonful of zucchini mixture into skill and flatten it a bit with spoon. 
4. After about 2 minutes, turn the cakes over (should be golden brown) and cook on other side for another 2 minutes.
5. Serve with dipping sauce of your choice or top with a little more shredded cheese.

(I did not use minced garlic as I had seasoned breadcrumbs, so if you use seasoned breadcrumbs you can omit minced garlic and they're just as tasty!)

Cold Weather Chowder

As we find ourselves turning up the heat and breaking out the fuzzy pajama pants; I recently decided to make potato soup, only to find that I had only 2 big potatoes left. So I improvised on some of the ingredients and ended up creating this delicious meat-free chowder.

2 medium sized potatoes (2 cups) diced

1 cup diced carrots
2 cups (1 can) sweet corn
3 medium sized mushrooms sliced
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Cornstarch

Directions:

1. In medium saucepan cover and simmer potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper and water for 15 minutes.
2. Add corn & mushrooms and simmer for another 10 minutes.
3. Add milk, stirring until heated. DO NOT BOIL!
4. Stir in cornstarch a little at a time until you reach desired thickness.
5. Serve hot with your favorite bread or crackers.