Easy light dinners are the name of the game this summer. I found a great Better Homes and Gardens special edition magazine that is all about garden vegetables and how to cook them in amazing recipes. Hubby and I are basically cooking through this whole book this summer. We just have so much stuff coming from our yard, and we want to enjoy every bite that we work so hard to grow.
These zucchini fritters combined with shredded potatoes and a hit of lemon zest were some of the recipes I adapted this week. The lemon caper mayo inspired me to make a simple lemon caper main dish to go with it. But I was tired of chicken and didn’t feel like veal-so I opted for some lovely turkey cutlets, just to change things up.
As with much of our protein lately, we are taking the time to brine. It’s worth the extra effort and all you need to do is to remember to do it a few hours before cooking. It makes a huge difference, especially if you are grilling. But it improves protein even in the oven or on the stove.
One last note, I made these gluten-free by just using gluten-free flour. Make sure your mayo is gluten-free if you are going completely gluten-free. You can also just use regular flour, too, for conventional cooking. The result should be the same.
Gluten-Free Lemon Caper Turkey Cutlets with Zucchini Potato Fritters Topped with Caper Mayo
Ingredients
Lemon Caper Turkey Cutlets
1 lb. turkey cutlets
¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup salt dissolved in a large bowl of cold water
1/3 cup gluten-free flour (or regular)
½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter
¾ cup prosecco, champagne, or white wine
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 ½ Tbsp. small capers, rinsed
¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup salt dissolved in a large bowl of cold water
1/3 cup gluten-free flour (or regular)
½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter
¾ cup prosecco, champagne, or white wine
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 ½ Tbsp. small capers, rinsed
Zucchini Potato Fritters
8 oz. zucchini, shredded
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
½ tsp. garlic powder
8 oz. russet potatoes, peeled and shredded (do not shred these until ready to use-they will darken)
1/3 cup gluten-free flour (or regular)
½ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
½ tsp. garlic powder
8 oz. russet potatoes, peeled and shredded (do not shred these until ready to use-they will darken)
1/3 cup gluten-free flour (or regular)
½ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 egg lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. olive oil (I have a spray can too that as I cook these and need a little more in the pan, I spray it lightly as I go.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Caper Mayo
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. capers, drained,
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. capers, drained,
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
Directions
Turkey cutlets
Brine the turkey cutlets in a large bowl of cold water that has ¼ cup of salt and a ¼ cup sugar dissolved in it. Let the cutlets sit in the cold water for a couple of hours in the fridge.
When ready, rinse the culets and pat dry. In a bowl, mix the salt and pepper into the flour. Dredge turkey with flour. Heat a large sauté pan and add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, and get things hot. Working in batches, and cook the cutlets in the pan until golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes each side (depending on the heat of your pan). Drain cutlets on paper towels. Deglaze the pan over medium high heat with the lemon juice and prosecco, scraping up the brown bits as you go. Bring it up to a sizzle and simmer, and add the crushed garlic. Cook until soft and add 2 Tbsp. butter. As the butter melts and heats through, add the capers and parsley. Swirl the sauce in the pan around, and adjust the seasoning. Add the cutlets back in the pan, and turn them to coat with the sauce, and heat through. Serve hot.
Caper Mayo
In a small bowl whisk the mayo with the lemon juice. Add the capers, lemon thyme and black pepper. Give it a couple more whips with the whisk, cover and chill until serving time.
Zucchini Potato Fritters
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Spread the shredded zucchini evenly over the paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Cover the zucchini with another layer of paper towels and let sit for 15-20 minutes, pressing down on the zucchini every once in a while to draw out the water.
In a smaller bowl, mix the flour with the lemon peel, baking powder, cayenne flour and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl. Shred your potatoes and add it to the shredded zucchini. Add the egg and mix well, then add the dry ingredients. Add the cheese and mix well.
Preheat oven to 325˚
Heat a large sauté pan with the olive oil over a medium high heat. Layer a baking sheet with paper towels. Drop the zucchini batter by the well-rounded tablespoon in the oil, and flatten with the back of a spoon or spatula. Cook on both sides until golden brown, and transfer to the paper-lined baking sheet to drain.
Transfer the fritters to a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes while you finish the turkey. This allows the fritters to cook through in the middle and be kept warm while you finish up the turkey.
Flora is an award-winning creative director in Chicago turned food and lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. She is also author to the popular BEE NATIVE! gardening book series and various children's books that celebrate the wonder and hard work of bees and butterflies. Her blog and social spaces inspire thousands to create, learn, cook, grow, and craft, making their world lovelier one pixel/petal/seed/bite/stitch/brushstroke at a time. Follow her on all the social spaces, YouTube, and Amazon, and get creative!
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