Zucchini and feta fritters

I made this up today, inspired by my recent success with amazingly simple and delicious zucchini and haloumi fritters. These are low in sugar and carbs and are of course low GI as well.

The texture of these is lovely, light and slightly crisp; somewhere between a pikelet, an omelette and a fritter. I recommend serving simply with a squeeze of lemon, or some crispy bacon and tomato chutney for something more substantial.

• 2 zucchini, grated, squeezed and drained (the more moisture you can remove, the better – ideally leave to drain for a few hours in a colander)
• 100g Danish-style feta, crumbled
• 2 eggs
• pepper
• chopped fresh parsley, dill or mint
• 2 tablespoons plain flour to help bind (you can substitute with corn flour or almond meal if preferred)

Mix everything together, then fry in small spoonfuls until golden and browed on the edges – they’ll still be quite light and fluffy inside. Voila!

The Hub House Diner, Dulwich Hill

The Hub House Diner, next to Moon’s Fresh Sushi on New Canterbury Rd, has been eagerly awaited by Dulwich Hill locals since the signage went up just before Christmas. They were absolutely packed on their first – and second – day of opening. I suspect they weren’t quite prepared for how busy they’d be, which resulted in the longer than ideal wait time as mentioned by some on Urbanspoon. I did appreciate that the owner (or floor manager?) indicated to us before we sat down that there would be a bit of a wait. I’m not going to slag them off for it – I mean, it’s their first weekend open people, give them a break!

Jack and the Beanstalk Cafe, Dulwich Hill

This cute new cafe has just opened up on Marrickville Road where Fernandes Patisserie used to be, right near our other old favourite Minh Vietnamese Restaurant. (Fernandes is now round the corner on New Canterbury Rd.) We’ve been there twice and have been really impressed. The coffee is excellent, the staff are delightful, and – the food is good too! Trifecta!

Two Peas Café and Restaurant, Glebe

Two Peas is a delightful new eatery in Glebe/Forest Lodge, with food by chefs Nick Johnson and Tom Stoneham, and a lovely man named Pete at front of house. They are committed to the ethical, organic, local and seasonal is produce and in products, from biodegradable coffee cup lids to sustainable line-caught fish (hurrah!).

Great Aunty Three Vietnamese Eatery, Enmore

I had been looking forward to trying Great Aunty Three, and yesterday, with howling wind and rain outside and Mr Black sleeping off a big night, I took myself off for a little treat.

Revolver Cafe, Annandale

For an excellent coffee you can always count on Revolver Cafe in Annandale. Tucked away in a lovely spot, just a few streets behind Johnston St, it exudes neighbourhood charm.

Trainspotting Cafe, Lewisham

Trainspotting Cafe is a small cafe right near Lewisham train station. It’s quirky without being pretentious and instantly won me over with its friendly staff, simple but appealing menu, and good value. 

Strawberry Fields Cafe and Patisserie, Dulwich Hill

While the lovely and talented Janice at Coffee 1st makes my ultimate favourite best ever coffee, and I love the gluten-free brownies she sells, I have a new favourite local for sweet indulgences… Strawberry Fields Patisserie.

Hartsyard, Newtown

The space which was once The Gourmet Viking has been transformed into the most exciting restaurant Enmore Road has seen for a long time. Husband and wife team Gregory Llewellyn (chef) and Naomi Hart (front of house) have worked hard to create their ‘seed and feed’ style eatery, complete with greenhouse for herbs and flowers, benches made from rescued extinct Tasmanian timber, and carbonated water on tap.

Clover is a cute local cafe in Annandale which prides itself on customer satisfaction and community involvement. Happily, the food is as good as their intentions, and the menu caters to so many moods, tastes and diets.