My sister is in town for the week so I’m taking advantage and spending as much time with her as I can. Tuesday we spent all day together and even made a yummy dinner to enjoy with Shawn. We made Greek-Style Tomato-Zucchini Fritters and Mediterranean-Style Cashew-Cucumber Dip. These are recipes from my favorite vegan cookbook: Veganomicon. Note, this is a delicious meal and takes about an hour to make.

The fritters are delicate and oh, so irresistible! The 3 of us could not stop eating them:)

And the cashew-cucumber dip is insanely good! I would even serve this as a dip for veggies or chips. 
You can serve fritters with green salad to round out the meal, or serve the fritters as appetizers. They are even good the next day. Simply warm in pan, on stove-top and enjoy

Greek-Style Tomato-Zucchini Fritters with Fresh Herbs
Serves 4-6
1 (1 lb) package firm tofu, squeezed to remove extra water
1/4 c. ground walnuts (I used whole walnuts because my Vitamix blender is so powerful)
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
Generous pinch of ground black pepper
1/2 c. bread crumbs, plus an additional 1/3 c. for coating
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1/2 lb zucchini, grated and squeezed to remove excess water (about 1 c.)
1 lb seeded, finely chopped tomatoes (about 1 heaping c.), drained to remove excess liquid
Olive oil for frying

Have ready layers of paper towels for absorbing the oil after frying. (I layered fritters with paper towels in a casserole dish and served them up that way.)

In food processor (or high-powered blender like Vitamix), blend together the tofu, ground walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper until almost smooth (some small lumps are okay). Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Scrape the tofu mixture into a large bowl, and mix in breadcrumbs, dill, and mint. Your mixture should have the consistency of a thick cookie dough; if it’s too moist, add more bread crumbs by the tablespoon. Gently fold in the grated zucchini and chopped tomatoes.

Heat a 1/4-inch layer of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. To test the oil, sprinkle a pinch of bread crumbs in the pan. If bubbles form rapidly around them, then the oil is ready.

Using 2 heaping tablespoons of mixture per fritter, drop each fritter into the bread crumbs and roll gently to coat. Flatten to about 1 inch thick. Fry the tomato fritters for 4 – 6 minutes on each side until golden brown, turning very carefully using thin spatula. Drain on paper towels and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Serve sprinkled with more fresh dill and Cashew-Cucumber Dip.

(Pictured: Roll fritters into balls)

(Pictured: once fritters are in balls, roll in bread crumbs and have ready to fry)

(Pictured: cook fritters until golden brown on each side, turning carefully)

Mediterranean-Style Cashew-Cucumber Dip

1 lb seedless cucumber, peeled and grated (about 1 2/3 c., loosely packed)
1 c. raw cashews (5 oz)
2 large cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of ground white pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
A few kalamata olives, for garnish

Squeeze handfuls of grated cucumber over a medium-size bowl to remove as much juice as possible. I scooped cucumber into thin cloth napkin (you can use cheesecloth) and squeezed excess liquid out. Set aside the juice and place the squeezed cucumber in a large bowl.

Combine the cashews, lemon juice, half the grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until creamy, scraping the sides of the processor bowl frequently. Add 1 to 3 tablespoons of reserved cucumber juice to the sauce. The final consistency should resemble a not-too-thick humus. Scrape into a medium-size bowl and stir in the remaining grated cucumber and chopped dill. Cover and chill until ready to use. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a few kalamata olives, if desired.