Zucchini Bread

Well, I've picked the last zucchini from our garden--it's done now.  Can you believe that I have NOT made zucchini bread this summer?  Especially since there was such an abundance of this vegetable.  Therefore, it was time, time for zucchini bread.

I've searched a lot of recipes and most of them call for a huge amount of oil, up to three cups in some recipes.  Then, I found the perfect recipe--only 1/2 cup of oil.  So how can it be so moist?  Well, there is also 1/2 cup of applesauce.  I think that's the secret.

So here's my version of the recipe from AFamilyFeast.com.  I reduced the amount of sugar and also the amount of vanilla.  For the flour, I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half unbleached flour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two 8" x 4" loaf pans with parchment paper (spray the pans with coconut oil or PAM then line with the parchment).

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups zucchini grated (can use as little as 2 cups and as much as 4 cups)
3 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup oil (I used light olive oil)
3 cups flour (I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half unbleached white flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar

Mix together in separate bowls, the wet ingredients, and the dry ingredients.  Then add the wet to the dry mixing just until combined, don't over mix.  Fold in the zucchini.

Pour half the batter into each of the loaf pans.  Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

After the bread is completely cool, slice and serve with softened butter, real butter!

Enjoy Friends!

Torta Tex-Icana

We like, like, like Tex-Mex food! So for brunch today, I made this layered casserole.  

The recipe comes from one of my very favorite cookbooks,

"The Border Cookbook, Authentic Home Cooking of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico."

Get all of the ingredients ready.  Roasted green chiles, sweet red peppers, zucchini, onion, green onion, garlic, cheddar cheese, eggs, milk, and whole wheat tortillas.

Here's the exact recipe and a photo of all the ingredients prepped.  

By prepping everything in advance, the torta comes together in a snap.

3/4 C chopped roasted green chile.  (We grow, roast, and freeze our own Anaheim peppers.)
2 or 3 small sweet red bell peppers
1 C grated zucchini (No need to peel it.)
1/4 C chopped onion
3 or 4 green onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 eggs beaten with 1/4 C milk
1 to 2 tsp. ground cumin
3 to 4 Tbl grated cheddar cheese
sea salt and ground pepper
whole wheat tortilla

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Warm a tablespoon of light olive oil in a saute' pan.  

Add the onion, garlic, and red bell peppers.  Saute for about 5 minutes.

Next add the grated zucchini.

Add the peeled, seeded, and chopped green chiles.  

You could substitute canned chopped green chiles.

Mix it all up and saute' for another 5 minutes until veggies are soft and the liquid has been absorbed.  

Line a casserole dish with foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray, 

place a whole wheat tortilla in the bottom of the dish.

Top the tortilla with the vegetable mixture, and spread it around evenly.

Beat together the eggs, milk, cumin, salt, and pepper and pour over the veg mixture.

Bake the casserole at 350 F. for 20-30 minutes until puffed, golden brown, and lightly set in the center.  Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.  

Eat it hot or warm.  Serve with salsa and guacamole.

Here's the cookbook I mentioned earlier.

Enjoy friends!  This is yum, Yum, YUM.

With only one whole wheat tortilla in the entire dish,

this is quite a low-carb treat.

Zucchini Fritters

These have been a family favorite for years.  Especially when the garden starts producing more zucchini than you know what to do with.

Grate a small to medium zucchini, peel and all, into a bowl.

The rest of the ingredients:  

1 egg, onion, red pepper flakes, bread crumbs, salt & pepper.

Crack the egg into the bowl, add some red pepper flakes, 

thin onion slices, and salt & pepper.

Next, sprinkle in some bread crumbs.

Mix it all up.  Have a skillet brushed with oil, hot and ready to go.  

This mixture can't sit, you have to make the fritters right away otherwise, 

the whole mix gets runny.  Not good!

Drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil.

When the fritters are nice and brown, flip 'em over and brown the other side.  

Turn down the heat for the flip side.

When the fritters are done, drain on paper towel, sprinkle a little more salt on top. yum, Yum, YUM!

I could seriously eat these every day.  Enjoy friends!