Zucchini - Chocolate Chip solution

The addition of zucchini to cakes and breads is a great way to use this mild tasting vegetable. It makes the recipe more moist. Notice, in this recipe that there is no added water or milk. This particular type of zucchini seems to grow quickly but not to the point of becoming the size of a weapon!



Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cake

Makes one 3 quart Bundt Cake

2.5 C flour plus additional for dusting
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks butter (not me, I used 1/2 smart balance margarine spread and 1 6oz container plain greek yogurt)
1 C Brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
2 C grated zucchini
1 C chocolate chips
1/2 C walnuts

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bundt pan and dust with some flour, tapping out the excess.

Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt unto a bowl. Then add butter, brown sugar and eggs. Mix at high speed about 2 minutes. Will be creamy.

Add zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts. Batter will be thick.

Spoon batter into bundt pan, smoothing top. Bake in middle of oven. Bake until side begins to pull away from pan and a tester comes out clean, 45-50 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then invert rack over serving plate. Cool completely.

Italian Bread Salad

I found this recipe in a magazine in our paper. As always, the rule is there are no rules. This recipe called for meat, but I think the real Italian recipe has no meat. The vegetables, as well, can be varied for interest or availability. I will give you the recipe verbatem. Also, the recipe is large, you can make half the amount and still have some left for tomorrow.

1 lb flank steak (I see this as an option)
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 red onion (or scallion or shallot)
1 garlic clove
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
5 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1-2 green, yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped,
1 cuke (!) peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 Nicoise or Kalamata Pitted Olives, halved
12 basil leaves, shredded
1 large round loaf peasant bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups, see what I mean, 1/2 that will be good!)
1. Prepare grill
2. Sprinkle steak with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Grill 10 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness.
3. Combine onion , garlic, lemon rind, vinegar, remaining salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add oil in a stream, whisking constantly until well combined. Add tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, olives and basil.
4. Cut steak into thin slices. Add to tomato mixture.
5. Add bread cubes 30-45 minutes before serving, tossing to coat. Let stand at room temperature. (Really? If you put meat in it you need to serve it sooner than room temperature) Serves 8

Pizza Dough

This recipe is what I used in the previous recipe. It is actually a Focaccia Bread. I made it in my bread machine, but heck, it's just flour and water, you can use the mixer.

1 Cup water
1/3 cup Olive Oil
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
3 cups flour (I used half whole wheat, half white flour)
1.5 tsp yeast

Measure all ingredients into mixing bowl.
Beat until the bread has a smooth, elastic texture.
Let rise, covered, 20-30 minutes.
Punch down and roll into a circle (or shape of your pan)
Continue with previous recipe for topping.

Garden Pizza

This is inspired to use veggies from your garden.
Ingredients: 1/3 Olive Oil
Summer Squash/Zuchinni
1 small Onion or scallions
garlic (optional)
8 oz. tomato sauce
Black Olives
Turkey Pepperoni
4oz + grated cheeses for Pizza: Mozzarella, Provalone, and Parmesan
Pizza dough for one pizza

You can use any veggies you have. I also added Black Olives and turkey pepperoni
Make pizza dough. While it is rising, slice veggies thin. Heat Oil in hot skillet and cook onions, garlic and add other veggies when onion is soft and translucent.
Roll out dough and spread 4 oz of tomato sauce over the dough. Sprinkle on fresh herbs, like basil or oregano, then spread veggies over the sauce. Add olives and pepperoni, then cheeses to cover pizza.
Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

You can make this easier by using boli bread or some kind of prepared flat bread. You might need to shorten cooking time if a prepared bread is used.

Talapia and Black Bean Salad

The idea for this recipe is that I had cooked a couple extra fillets the last time I cooked fish. So this is a cold salad that uses precooked fish.

Cooked fish
3/4 c Artichoke hearts
1/2 c Roasted Red peppers
1/2 c Black Olives
2-3 Green onions
1 15oz can Black Beans (I wish they made smaller cans of beans, I would prefer about half a can)
1 Avocado, halved

1. Rinse black beans. Put in large bowl.
2. Cut artichoke hearts, peppers, olives, green onions, and add to black beans.
3. Break fish into small pieces.
4. Mix ingredients well.
5. Add Oil and Vinegar Dressing.

Italian Rice and Artichoke Salad

This recipe caught my eye because I have a very large jar of artichoke hearts, and try to use them every chance I can!

2/3 cup cooked long grain rice
Marinated Artichoke hearts
1 cup Tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup Roasted red peppers, cut in strips
1 cup Black Olives
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 TBSP snipped fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 avocado

This recipe is fast, the longest thin is to cook the rice. While it cooks, I cut up the vegetables. The artichokes have a dressing on them already, so that adds flavor to the rice. It was good to add a little Oil and Vinegar dressing on your serving, and there will be more flavor if you can let the salad cool in the fridge for a couple hours.

Sprinkle with Parmesan. I also added avocado on the side. Wow! That is what the recipe was missing!

This is a side dish, but you could add some pre-cooked fish or chicken to make it more complete.

Roasted Red Peppers

How to Roast peppers:
1. Line a cookie sheet or flat pan with foil. Spray with olive oil, and place washed peppers on tray.
2. Put into preheated oven set on broil setting. Let peppers get blackened, turn them every few minutes until every side is black.

3. When peppers are blackened and hot, wrap the foil around them. Let them cool completely.

4. Open the foil, and remove the skin from each pepper.


5. Cut the peppers, removing all the stems and seeds. Cut the peppers into strips, if desired.

6. Store the peppers in small ziplock baggies in the freezer. Cook more than one so you have them on hand. You can also buy a large bottle of Roasted red peppers at Costco!