zucchini bread

my aunt gave us a couple of her huge zucchinis from her garden so i thought i'd try some zucchini bread for the first time. i found a healthy option that touts itself as the "best zucchini bread ever." i don't really know because i think i've had zucchini bread one other time in my life, but this was definitely good enough to eat. although, i doubt one can ever go wrong with throwing extra dark chocolate in anything (i used 72% cacao).

i found it here.

Dry ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (or all-purpose)
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground cinnamon (or 1 Tablespoon pre-ground)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:

• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup canola oil (or peanut)
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a splash of vinegar)
• 1 cup organic Turbinado sugar (or brown sugar, firmly packed)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups finely grated zucchini
• 4 oz dark chocolate, chunked

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil a 9×4 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with papers OR oil a mini loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy; beat in eggs, yogurt, buttermilk, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Combine well. Stir in grated zucchini and chopped chocolate.
4. Fold flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Spoon batter into 6 muffin cups (or mini loaf pan) and pour the rest into the 9×4 loaf pan. Bake for approximately 50 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes in the pan. Loosen the sides and remove from pan. Cool loaf completely before cutting.

hot cider syrup

i tried a pumpkin pancake recipe that i didn't love, but i did love the syrup. i'll keep looking for a good pumpkin pancake recipe but until then i'll enjoy this syrup on all my other pancakes. i found it at allrecipes but reduced the brown sugar and corn syrup slightly--this reflects my changes.

• 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until slightly thickened.

german chocolate cake

it was my uncle's birthday so i thought i'd try my hand at his favorite kind of cake. after doing a lot of research, i settled on this recipe from allrecipes.com and made a couple of changes per the suggestions given in the comments. one and a half the frosting recipe. also, i used a rectangular cake pan so i reduced the heat to 325 and baked it for 40ish minutes.

• 1/2 cup water
• 5 (1 ounce) squares German sweet chocolate
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour--or all-purpose minus 3T and sifted
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg whites

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut, toasted
  
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 - 9 inch round pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat water and 4 ounces chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 egg yolks one at a time. Blend in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated.
3. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
4. Pour into 3 - 9 inch pans Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto wire rack.
5. To make the Filling: In a saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter, and 3 egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened--just before you can tell it's about to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool until thick enough to spread.

my uncle also LOVES motorcycles (although he loves hondas and not harleys), so inspired by the above picture, i tried my hand at fondant for the first time. after consulting with a couple friends and watching a bunch of youtube videos, here's what the final product ended up looking like:

considering my lack of experience and general artistry, i was pretty pleased with the result. happy birthday, uncle kevin!

caramelized onion, tomato and pepita flat bread

because of my recent obsession with caramelized onions, this recipe caught my eye. the original recipe from eatingwell.com calls for making a white bean paste to spread on the flat bread before adding the toppings. after trying the white bean paste, i think i'd prefer to just spread my favorite hummus on it instead. also, next time i make it, i'll put some steamed spinach on top, too.

p.s. the pepitas and the smoked gouda make this recipe.


ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 20 ounces prepared whole-wheat pizza dough, (see Note), thawed if frozen
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 hummus recipe
  
• 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup finely shredded smoked Gouda, or Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons pepitas

directions

1. Place oven rack in the lowest position; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large noninsulated baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine oil, onion and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, 5 to 8 minutes more. Stir oregano and pepper into the onion.
3. Meanwhile, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to the size of the baking sheet. Transfer to the baking sheet and stick it with a fork in a few places. Bake until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Spread the hummus over the flat bread. Top with the onion, tomatoes, cheese, pepitas, and spinach, if using. Bake on the bottom rack until the crust is crispy and golden and the cheese is melted, 11 to 13 minutes. Slice and serve.

skillet gnocchi with chard and white beans

this was so fabulous! ready under 30 minutes, healthy and tasty--my idea of a perfect friday night dinner! from eatingwell.com.

p.s. i used mini gnocchi and i don't think i'll ever go back to the regular-sized if i can help it. they were perfect. also, i loved the pan-fried texture. i'll definitely opt to prepare gnocchi in this way rather than boil them like i have in the past.

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi, (see Tip)
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

salade nicoise

as often as i can i attend a cooking club that meets once a month. last month's theme was ethnic foods. a friend brought this delicious french salad. i was in heaven...or at least back in paris! there were several yummy recipes from that night. i always like to try them first to make sure i can replicate them before i post so stay tuned...

vinaigrette ingredients

1/2 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium shallot, minced

1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves

2 Tbsp minced fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

salad ingredients

2 grilled or otherwise cooked tuna steaks* (8 oz each) or 2-3 cans of tuna

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and either halved or quartered

10 small new red potatoes (each about 2 inches in diameter, about 1 1/4 pounds total), each potato scrubbed and quartered

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium heads Boston lettuce or butter lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces

3 small ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths

1 small red onion, sliced very thin

8 ounces green beans, stem ends trimmed and each bean halved crosswise

1/4 cup niçoise olives

2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and/or several anchovies (optional)

directions

Marinate tuna steaks in a little olive oil for an hour. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, or place on a hot grill. Cook the steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.

1. Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon (do not discard boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with 1/4 cup vinaigrette; set aside.

3. While potatoes are cooking, toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl until coated. Arrange bed of lettuce on a serving platter (I used two serving platters, shown in the photos). Cut tuna into 1/2-inch thick slices or drain cans, coat with vinaigrette. Mound tuna in center of lettuce. Toss tomatoes, red onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in bowl; arrange tomato-onion mixture on the lettuce bed. Arrange reserved potatoes in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.

4. Return water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and green beans. Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, transfer to reserved ice water, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well. Toss beans, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste; arrange in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.

5. Arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) in mounds on the lettuce bed. Drizzle eggs with remaining 2 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using), and serve immediately.

banana pudding pops

i always love it when i find recipes that use ingredients i regularly have on hand and that are fast, easy and tasty. this was one of those. my kids were disappointed there weren't more leftovers (next time i'll double the batch). i got the recipe from eatingwell.com.

ingredients

• 1/3-1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups low-fat milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups diced bananas, (about 2 large)

directions

1. Whisk sugar to taste, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Add milk and whisk until combined. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
2. Put about half the pudding in a food processor or blender and add bananas. Process until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir the mixture back into the remaining pudding.
3. Divide the mixture among freezer-pop molds. Insert the sticks and freeze until completely firm, about 6 hours. Dip the molds briefly in hot water before unmolding.