Deliciously Vegan Zucchini Croquettes

Croquettes are a wonderful side dish to add to almost anything you're making, such as rice, mashed potatoes, baked yams, boiled sweet potatoes, etc. The beauty of these is that they are so tasty, they are almost like finger food, and you can also slice them into pasta or into a tortilla wrap or a quick pita sandwich.
The cream that seasons these croquettes also make a wonderful salad dressing and topping for pita sandwiches!

1 zucchini (large) washed and cut into very small pieces
For Seasoning Cream (which make a delicious dressing also):
1 cup tofu
1/2 cup sweet red pepper (we used Bell cut into pieces and seeded)
1/2 cup almonds (raw)
Salt to taste
1 cup soy milk (plain or unflavored)
1 Tbsp, cornstarch
1/2 tsp. sweet basil (dried)
1/4 tsp. dill (dried)
3/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika powder
1 cup water

Additional ingredients for croquettes:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

To make the cream:
Drain tofu and cut into small pieces. In a saucepan, boil the tofu with 1 Tbsp, cornstarch in 1 cup water for 5 minutes. Dump the tofu into a blender or food processor and add the rest of the ingredients for the cream or dressing, process till creamy. (By the way, this is a delicious dressing for potato salad, a great spread for sandwiches, a wonderful topping for pitas full of veggies, for baked yams, etc.)

Preparing the croquettes:
In a bowl, chop the zucchini really small, if you haven't done it already. Add the 2 additional Tbsp. of cornstarch and the flour, wet the contents with the cream until you have the consistency of a soft dough that will not fall apart on you.  Form the croquettes of any size you prefer.

How to cook your croquettes:
There are three methods:
1- You can "paint" a skillet (barely) with olive or rice bran oil (rice bran oil has higher smoke point —482 degrees Fahrenheit verses 360 degrees for Olive Oil, and it will not alter the flavor of your food) or grapeseed oil, if you like. And you will just drop the croquettes into the skillet and cook one side until set and then flip over and continue cooking until golden brown.
2- You can bake them at 350º F (watching them closely) and flipping them once until golden brown on both sides.
3- You can cook them in a cured cast iron skillet with no oil but making sure you keep flipping them fast so that they will not burn on you.

Yield is according to the size you choose to make them! If you choose to make them a medium size, the yield will be 8.

Enjoy!

Real Hope. . .