Quick Superfood Recipe: 4 Ingredient Zucchini Tater Tots

What ingredients come to mind when someone says, “tater tots”? Taters, of course. How about zucchini? No? Well, that’s about to change. This vegan recipe is healthy, gluten-free, and tastes amazing. It only takes four ingredients and you probably have them in your kitchen right now. Zucchini tater tots are healthier and taste way better than those processed, frozen tots they served in your school lunchroom. Make some for your kids and, while you’re at it, you better make a few for yourself too. Otherwise, you may find yourself sneaking them off your child’s plate! There are a couple versions of this recipe making the rounds on the internet. This variation is based on the recipe posted by Izzy at She Likes Food. Thanks, Izzy!

4 Ingredient Zucchini Tater Tot Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Total time: 30 minutes
• Makes: 40 tater tots

Equipment

• Large pot
• Box grater
• Large bowl
• Cookie sheet with parchment paper
• Clean dishtowel or paper towels

Ingredients

• 3 large, organic russet potatoes, peeled
• 2 organic zucchinis (medium-sized)
• 1 ½ teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt, plus a little extra for later
• Organic olive oil

Directions

1. Place organic potatoes in a large pot.
2. Fill pot with cold water until potatoes are completely submerged.
3. Bring water to a boil. Cook potatoes until you can easily pierce them with a fork.
4. Drain water. Let potatoes cool until you can safely handle them. They should still be warm.
5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Grate potatoes and place into a large bowl.
7. Grate zucchini. Zucchini retains a lot of moisture which could make your tots too sloppy so you’ll need to squeeze the liquid out of the grated zucchini with your hands and a clean dishtowel or paper towels. Discard the liquid.
8. Place the squeezed, grated zucchini into the bowl with the potatoes. Add 1½ teaspoons Himalayan salt. Mix everything together with your hands.
9. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. By hand, form small (tater-tot sized) cylinders from the zucchini-potato mixture. Approximately 1 tablespoon per tot. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes. This helps the tots become firm.
10. Remove from freezer. Brush each tot with a small amount of organic olive oil and sprinkle with Himalayan salt. Bake tots until brown and crispy, about 30 minutes. Flip the tots 15 minutes through. Serve with organic ketchup, if desired.

Quick Facts about Zucchini

These zucchini tater tots are a great snack, and they’re healthy.

• Zucchini is low in calories, so don’t feel too guilty for indulging (within reason).
• Eating half of one zucchini can help you meet your daily recommended nutritional allowance for vitamin A 6%, vitamin C 30%, calcium 2%, and iron 2%.^[1]
• Zucchini is a good source of antioxidants.
• Zucchini provides zinc, sodium, potassium and magnesium.^[2]
• Zucchini is one of several vegetables that help support normal cholesterol levels.^[3]

How do you like to enjoy zucchini? Leave a message below and share your thoughts!

References

1. Christensen, Darlene. Preserve the Harvest: Zucchini. N.p.: Utah State University, Mar. 2010. PDF.
2. “National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 28 – Basic Report: 11477, Squash, Summer, Zucchini, Includes Skin, Raw.” USDA – Agricultural Research Service. United States Department of Agriculture, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
3. “4 Ways to Eat Your Way to Lower Cholesterol.” Harvard Health. Harvard Medical School, 31 Mar. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.