Zucchini Feta Bake
Edward Bottone is a food and lifestyle journalist, a former chef and restaurateur, TV and radio presenter, and culinary educator.
Zucchini and feta baked in a cast iron skillet.
Recently, feta cheese, a traditional Greek brine-cured sheep’s milk cheese, gained fame on TikTok. Funny, easy recipes appeared; feta flew off supermarket shelves. Feta is white, salty, and sharp tasting and has a consistency that ranges from creamy to crumbly and dry. Real feta has a minimum of 70% sheep’s milk (though it can include goat’s milk), and is produced in Greece and other countries, including France, Denmark, Bulgaria, Israel, and the United States. This cheese is fresh curd, cured 4-6 weeks in brine, formed into blocks and cut into rectangles. One-dimensional but versatile, feta, like vodka and water, is now sold in a panoply of flavors ranging from low-fat and peppered, to herb-infused and flecked with sun-dried tomato-flecked options.
- Servings For 6, as a side dish
Ingredients
- Olive oil, as needed
- 3 medium zucchini, cut into 1.25 cm (1/2-inch) cubes
- 1 large sweet white onion, chopped
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) dried oregano
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 large eggs
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- 118 ml (½ cup) plain yogurt
- 60 grams (½ cup) all-purpose flour
- 227 grams (8 ounces) slab feta cheese, cubed
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) minced fresh parsley
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) paprika
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 177°C (350°). Lightly oil an 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch) baking dish and set aside*. In a cast iron (or other oven-safe) skillet, heat 15 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil until shimmering. Add zucchini and onions, and stir until zucchini is crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and season with oregano and salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and baking powder; whisk until blended. Add yogurt and flour, and whisk just until blended. Stir in feta, parsley and the zucchini mixture. Transfer to the baking dish and sprinkle with paprika.
3. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and set, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.
*You may skip this step if you wish to bake and serve in the skillet.
Edward Bottone
Edward Bottone is a food and lifestyle journalist based in Philadelphia, whose works have appeared in Philadelphia Magazine, The Bermudian, London Times Express, Islands Magazine, and the online magazine Table Matters where he was also Editor. He has also published academic papers on Tourism and Taste.
He is a former chef and restaurateur with establishments in Philadelphia and Bermuda, a TV and Radio presenter, and Assistant Professor teaching a range of courses, including Gastronomy and Culture, at Drexel University and Delaware Valley University. Reach him at curiouscook77@gmail.com
Courtesy photo
