• 1 zucchini
  • 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup of finely shredded coconut
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 3 stems of chives
  • 10 leaves of Italian parsley
  • dash of sea salt to taste

In a carb rut? Craving carbs, and bored with the typical potato and rice choices?  Then these easy, de-lish cakes will have you excited and your inner “Carbo Queen” will be content to wear her crown of starches later or maybe never!

My nickname used to be “Carbo Queen”.  I have her under control most of the time, but sometimes she makes an appearance at that special time of the month (if you know what I mean my girlie friends).

Zucchini 1

Let us just say I NEEDED some carbs!  After 2 attempts, yes, the first batch hit the trash because I over did the garlic powder  (I omitted it in the end)… Carbo Queen was finally happy!  I wanted to create a cake that was grain-free and egg-free, and with cakes that can be a challenge.  I was ecstatic that the pumpkin seeds and chia seeds worked so beautifully!

Now the carbohydrates are in check with the amount of protein that are in these cakes!!! I did indulge in grass-fed sour cream , too (learn more).  I loved the flavors of  all the ingredients so much that I ate my fair share while taking the pictures.

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Careful not to overcook these they can dry out. If your oven tends to cook fast adding an extra tablespoon of olive oil or cheese (if dairy is ok) can keep these moist. See below Tips.

When I plated our dinner,  Tom asked why I was not eating any zucchini cakes?  They were so good, I almost ate his share also.  I needed Tom’s take on the flavors to make sure the recipe was a go.  Lucky for him is all I have to say.

Ingredients

1 zucchini
1 cup “soaked” raw pumpkin seeds *I had an epiphany read tips (learn more read soaking nuts post)
1/2 cup finely shredded coconut (learn more)
2 tablespoons chia seeds (learn more)
2 tablespoons coconut oil (learn more)
3 stems of chives
10 leaves of Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon sea salt to taste
3 tablespoons water
*if you are ok with dairy (not for FreeDiet™):
1/4 cup shredded pecorino romano (see below tips)

Directions

1.Using a Vitamix or food processor grind pumpkin seeds (doesn’t have to be fine).

2. Shred zucchini and add water.  Add  pumpkin seeds into the bowl.

3. Wash and  chop chives and Italian parsley.

3.  Blend all the other ingredients in the bowl and add shredded zucchini.

4. Form about 3 tablespoons into 6-7 small patties and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden on edges.

Tips: Let the ingredients sit for a few minutes after you blend them.  This will give time for the chia seeds to absorb and gel together everything (this is my new egg replacement).  Take note if you cook in a convection oven verses regular bake this cooks the cakes differently.  When using regular bake adding a tablespoon of olive oil will help keep them moist *(soaking pumpkin seeds makes all the difference).  If you are ok with dairy, shredding 1/4 cup of pecorino romano tastes yummy and keeps them moist too! Careful with using the 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt with the cheese.  Taste mixture after the cheese is added.  I think doubling the batch makes sense so you can freeze these cakes for the Carbo Queen occasional visits. **Here is my epiphany since I first posted– So I have made these many times and I happen to use soaked pumpkin seeds yesterday instead and this really made a difference in moistness.

With a Spoonful of Health, Your Carbo Queen Friend,

Dawn