Paula Deen's Lean: Squash and Zucchini Cakes

I am fortunate to live, and have been raised in, the beautiful historic town of Winchester, Virginia. The charm and character of the downtown area is one that you must experience yourself to truly understand. Along the Loudoun Street walking mall, you will find a handful of fabulous restaurants that offer cuisine ranging from onion rings to fillet Mignon-type things. There is a place that is pleasing to every palate. It is wonderful!
One of our personal favorites in Winchester is a restaurant called The Village Square. When we want to "go out", this is where we go. The food, the atmosphere...it is just the perfect dining experience. Without a sitter for our anniversary, my husband and I decided to recreate one of our favorite meals from our favorite places. We had really set ourselves up for a challenge! The fillet was up to Rudy and the sides were up to me. The last time we dined at Village Square, they served these wonderful yellow squash cakes. The taste was unbelievable and it was my mission to create a Paula Deen comp...and make it lean. Was I up for the challenge?...Bring it on!!


SQUASH AND ZUCCHINI CAKES
Serves 6


INGREDIENTS:
3 medium zucchini
3 medium yellow squash
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup minced Vidalia onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Olive Oil Spray


DIRECTIONS:
Grate zucchini and squash with a fine grater. Press between paper towels to remove excess moisture.


In a medium bowl, combine grated zucchini and squash and next 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 2 inch patties, pressing together firmly.


Heat a large skillet over medium heat and coat with olive oil cooking spray. Cook squash and zucchini cakes 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned.Repeat spray with each batch.

RESULTS:
They were really good! Minus the bread crumbs found in the original recipe, I kept the dish carb-conscious and still maintained the flavor and form of the cake. Squash and Zucchini Cakes are a nice substitute for potatoes if you are trying to go easy on the carbohydrates. They are an excellent compliment to a nice fillet or any other type steak. For not being professional chefs, I think the folks over at Village Square would be quite happy with what we were able to do; southern gourmet...in a lean way.

Another trimming-trick to this dish was to cook the cakes in olive oil spray instead of butter. At 11 grams of fat per serving, butter can add a lot of unnecessary fat. Spray can do the same job and comes in at a whopping 0 grams of fat per serving! I think that sums it up. ENJOY!!

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving): 160 calories;  8.5g fat;  9g carbohydrate;  12.75g protein;  3.2g fiber

* Want to cut 5g fat from this recipe? Use 1/4 cup Egg Beaters in place of 1 egg, beaten!