I recently returned from a botanical camping trip feeling completely reinvigorated, both in my energy and also in my desire to cook with even more fresh and healing herbs and plants. This recipe is chock-full of delicious parsley and dill and takes advantage of an abundant summer staple: zucchini.
Zucchini Herb Fritters are a great option for a PFF breakfast: the trifecta of Protein, Fat, and Fiber that makes a perfect hormone balancing breakfast. PFF meals help sustain blood sugar levels throughout the day and give us the building blocks for our hormones (amino acids).
Ingredients
Food is the majority of what we put in our bodies every day, and this is why I believe in a “food first” approach to hormonal balance. Just take a look at the many incredible benefits from this simple ingredient list:
- Parsley is incredibly rich in vitamins K, A, and C, which promote healthy aging by supporting bone health (1), eye health (2), and immune system health (3), and may lower the risk of certain cancers. (4) (5) (6)
- Dill is another great source of vitamins A and C, and also manganese — an important mineral in the production of thyroxine, a hormone essential for optimal thyroid function. (7) Dill may also help lower blood sugar levels, which in turn can reduce hot flashes. (8)
- Zucchini is practically bursting with water and fiber, contributing to healthy digestion and various gut functions, like regulating the circulation of estrogen. (9)
- Lemon is what I consider an estrogen balancing superfood. It contains d-limonene, which is a potent liver detoxifier, highly alkalizing, and stimulates stomach acid production. (10)
- Chickpeas are rich in protein and fiber, as well as phytoestrogens — plant-based estrogens that can be included in a hormone-balancing diet in normal dietary amounts. They may even help boost declining estrogen levels. (11)
And that’s just scratching the surface. Try this hormone balancing, egg-free breakfast and pay attention to how full, energized, and good you feel the rest of the day.
Want more hormone-balancing breakfast ideas? Download my free 15 breakfasts recipe eBook here.
Tips
- There are many delicious, fresh summer herbs: basil, thyme, chives, oregano, tarragon, and chervil, to name a few. Harvest what’s growing in your own herb garden for an endless variety of flavors.
- Add lemon zest to the Dill Yogurt Sauce to really take advantage of the powerful properties of d-limonene.
- For non-dairy yogurt, try Forager’s Plain Cashewmik Yogurt, Kite Hill’s Plain Unsweetened Almond Milk Yogurt, or GT’s CocoYo Pure (if you include coconut in your diet).
- ½ cup dairy free yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 3 cups grated zucchini
- ⅓ cup chickpea flour
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup minced white onion
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking
- Stir together dairy free yogurt, lemon juice, chopped fresh dill, sea salt and cracked black pepper for dill yogurt sauce in a small bowl. Refrigerate until serving.
- Place grated zucchini on a clean kitchen towel and squeeze over sink to remove excess moisture. Add to a medium mixing bowl with remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow chickpea flour to absorb moisture. Mixture should stick together when squeezed.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a skillet for 1 minute. Scoop ¼ cup amounts of mixture onto hot skillet and use a spatula to shape into a round fritter. Leave enough space between fritters for flipping. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side adding remaining oil as needed.
- Serve fritters hot with dill yogurt sauce. Store leftover fritters in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Find more hormone-balancing recipes in Overcoming Estrogen Dominance
In Overcoming Estrogen Dominance, my goal is to empower and give you the tools to take control of your hormones and health.
More than 70% of women experience estrogen dominance. The symptoms range from lumpy and fibrocystic breasts to thyroid nodules, hot flashes, fibroids, uterine polyps, painful, heavy, or irregular periods to infertility and miscarriages, from mood swings to insomnia, weight gain to fatigue.
In Overcoming Estrogen Dominance, I give women a roadmap to reverse estrogen dominance using food, herbs, supplements and natural protocols to rebalance hormones. You’ll also find easy, hormone-balancing recipes that are free of gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, and nightshades. These recipes are highly anti-inflammatory, low in sugar, and made with powerful medicinal ingredients to help heal your body naturally.
To get your copy of Overcoming Estrogen Dominance, go here.
Resources
- Simes, Dina C et al. “Vitamin K as a Diet Supplement with Impact in Human Health: Current Evidence in Age-Related Diseases.” Nutrients vol. 12,1 138. 3 Jan. 2020
- Wu, Juan et al. “Intakes of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Other Carotenoids and Age-Related Macular Degeneration During 2 Decades of Prospective Follow-up.” JAMA ophthalmology vol. 133,12 (2015): 1415-24.
- Maggini, Silvia et al. “Immune Function and Micronutrient Requirements Change over the Life Course.” Nutrients vol. 10,10 1531.
- Ngo, Bryan et al. “Targeting cancer vulnerabilities with high-dose vitamin C.” Nature reviews. Cancer vol. 19,5 (2019): 271-282.
- Fusaro, Maria et al. “Vitamin K effects in human health: new insights beyond bone and cardiovascular health.” Journal of nephrology vol. 33,2 (2020): 239-249.
- Kummet, T et al. “Vitamin A: evidence for its preventive role in human cancer.” Nutrition and cancer vol. 5,2 (1983): 96-106.
- Soldin, O P, and M Aschner. “Effects of manganese on thyroid hormone homeostasis: potential links.” Neurotoxicology vol. 28,5 (2007): 951-6. doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2007.05.003
- Li, Longman, and Xiaobo Yang. “The Essential Element Manganese, Oxidative Stress, and Metabolic Diseases: Links and Interactions.” Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity vol. 2018 7580707. 5 Apr. 2018, doi:10.1155/2018/7580707
- Baker, James M et al. “Estrogen-gut microbiome axis: Physiological and clinical implications.” Maturitas vol. 103 (2017): 45-53.
- Anandakumar, Pandi et al. “D-limonene: A multifunctional compound with potent therapeutic effects.” Journal of food biochemistry vol. 45,1 (2021)
- Graves, D. S. “Effects of Phytoestrogens on Women’s Health When Substituted for HRT.” American Botanical Council. (2003)