I love baking bread. Not "real" bread with yeast, but easy flavorful quick breads. Mix it up in a bowl, pour it in a pan, and voila. You've got bread! I had zucchini on-hand this week, so I wanted to give this recipe a try. It had lots of good-for-you-things in it: zucchini, applesauce, walnuts and raisins. I'm going to have to limit myself to one piece per day! This bread is so moist and delicious. I the crunch of the walnuts. Yummy Yummy Yummy!
1-1/2 cups sugar
2-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats (I used quick cooking, but would be best with regular)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini, unpeeled
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (I used walnuts)
3/4 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9X5X3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon; set aside.
Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, baking soda and remaining cinnamon; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until foamy. Add remaining sugar, the applesauce, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in zucchini, nuts and raisins. Spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on rack. Wrap and store several hours before slicing. Makes 16 slices. (This makes a BIG loaf of bread. I would almost rather divide it into 2 smaller loaves).
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
After last night's flop of a salad (it was good last night, not for lunch today) I was very excited when this turned out as great as it did! The feta cheese was great. My husband ate it too...he didn't know it had feta cheese in it :) It wasn't his favorite, but he picked out the zucchini and ate some. That's progress, right?!? I bought the chicken sausage from Sam's. I buy the big pack and freeze them in two's or three's. The sausage is fully cooked, so I just sliced it in half-moons and browned in the skillet. By changing the flavors of sausage, you could really change up the dish. To be honest, I don't remember what kind mine was. It had a slightly sweet background to it. I pulled it out of the freezer tonight and thawed it in the sink in cold water. This is a refreshing change on the noodle casserole dish! I've got some already packed for lunch tomorrow. Oh, and Rusty...you're getting a container too!
2-1/2 cups uncooked ziti (I used whole wheat rotini)
8 ounces chicken sausage (I used 4 links)
5 cups zucchini, thinly sliced (I used 4 medium)
2 cups vertically sliced onion (didn't have this)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) feta cheese (I used the whole 4-oz. container)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (you could use 1/2 cup)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
Slice sausage in half-moons. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage to pan; cook until browned. Remove from pan. Wipe out skillet.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan. Add zucchini, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes or until veggies are tender and zucchini begins to brown, stirring occasionally.
Combine broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan with the veggies; cook 1 minute. Combine zucchini mixture, pasta, sausage and feta cheese in a large bowl or the pasta pot; toss well. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 X 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and light browned.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Cooking Light)
Zucchini and yellow squash are probably some of my favorite vegetables. And some that I don't eat enough of! So, when I find them on sale, I try to use them so they don't go to waste just sitting in my fridge. I have been holding on to this recipe for a LONG time! I can remember clipping it from the Cooking Light magazine way back when. I knew it looked like a great lunch salad recipe. This would be perfect served with some grilled fish or chicken. Really light. Perfect for bathing suit season! I left out the onions and herbs because 1) I don't like raw onions and 2) I didn't want to spend the extra money on the herbs for this. I figured it would taste just fine without it. If you grow your own, you're way better than me. I kill anything green in my house. I actually have had a plant for over one year now in my kitchen. And I'm proud to say it is alive and well. Maybe I'll get the herb garden one day. But for now, I kept this salad herb-less. This salad holds well, so it is a great salad to bring to a cookout or pack in a lunch. I think some pretty halved grape tomatoes would probably be good in this too. And the color would be great! All-in-all this was a great salad. It could have used a little more flavor...probably from the herbs :)
Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (can get from 1 orange)
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (can get from 1 lime)
2-1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salad:
1-1/2 cups zucchini, julienned (I used 2 medium)
1-1/2 cups yellow squash, julienned (I used 3)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (I used canned, but fresh would be best)
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion (I omitted this)
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
To prepare vinaigrette, combine the first 7 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.
To prepare salad, combine zucchini and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette; toss well. Cover and chill.
*To julienne the squash cut into 1/4-inch slices, then into "sticks". Cut the sticks into 1-inch pieces.
**UPDATE: I packed this for lunch today and was less than thrilled. It tasted better fresh and crunchy last night when I made it. The veggies lost too much of their moisture overnight and watered down the dressing. I also should have used fresh corn. Read some of the reviews from the original link below.
Enjoy!
(adpated from Cooking Light)
Lindsay, a reader, sent me an e-mail today asking for this recipe. It was on the menu a couple of weeks ago and I never got around to making it. I almost just e-mailed her the recipe, but it really sounded good! So, I decided to make it tonight. It was so fresh and delicious and exactly what I wanted. Thanks Lindsay! I know its going to get better in the fridge, so I'm really looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow. The weather has turned cold once again, so this warm soup hit the spot. Most ingredients in the recipe are pantry staples or past sale items at Publix. I did call my husband and get him to grab and onion and zucchini at Publix on his way home. He's really good about doing stuff like that for me! Make this great soup as a farewell to winter!
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 32-oz. carton chicken broth
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
1 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
1 19-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 19-oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 9-oz container fresh cheese tortellini
*optional- 1/2 lb diced cooked sausage
diced cheese, for garnish
parmesan cheese, for garnish
**I also have recently started adding diced conecuh sauage to this soup. I chop 1/2 of a 1-lb package and saute it in a separate pan. You can either sprinkle the sausage on top of each bowl, or stir it directly into the pot once its ready.
**I added tortellini at a later date after posting this recipe years ago. This soup is one of our family favorites and it gets made often!
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat, then add onion and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil. Add tortellini and zucchini and cook according to package directions. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered, until zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes.
Serve with diced monterrey jack cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Parents.com)
Tonight we had my brother and his girlfriend over for dinner. I wasn't sure what was on the Menu when I told them they could come for dinner, but we picked a good one! This turned out better than I expected. The sausage and parmesan cheese gave it so much flavor. I used a mixture of brown and white rice, but you could use what you have on hand. The original recipe called for regular long grain rice, but I had instant so that's what I used and how I wrote the recipe. When you find sausage on sale for a good price stock up and keep it in the freezer. I defrosted mine in cold water in the sink tonight. This made enough for us all to have a bowl, plus I have lunch for tomorrow and Chaz was able to take some home with him. If you have these ingredients give this one a whirl.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
1 cup instant brown rice
1/2 cup instant white rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 lb. mild Italian sausage, casings removed
2 zucchini, cut into cubes
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
In a medium saucepan, cook onion and garlic over medium heat in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the rice and 3 cup chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer over low for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave covered an additional 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, breaking it up, over medium heat until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Remove and drain on a plate covered with paper towels. Add the zucchini to the skillet and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet, adding the remaining 1 cup chicken broth (1 cup) and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the rice along with 3/4 cup parmesan cheese. Top with extra parmesan cheese and chopped pecans.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
This is another one of those recipes that I was holding onto just waiting on cannellini beans to go on sale! I added the zucchini because I love it and I thought the green would be pretty. The beans make it very filling. I love all of the fresh colors. This isn't a favorite of my husband's. He doesn't like zucchini or tomatoes. So...I knew he wouldn't like this dish. But, I can't cook Man Food all the time. If he doesn't like it, I have PLENTY of cereal! Publix had the big Italian sale this week with the Progresso beans and broth B1G1. I got some of the produce from my local farmers market. Serve this with a salad if you'd like. I like the one-bowl ease of this though. Its easy to curl up in my chair, bowl in hand, and enjoy dinner.
8 oz. rotini, ditaloni or other short tube pasta (I used 1/2 box elbows)
1 15-19 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chicken broth (plus more if needed)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
2 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
salt and pepper
In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions; drain well and set aside.
In a blender or food processor, combine 3/4 cup of the beans and the chicken broth. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Place bean puree back in the pot used for cooking the pasta. Bring to a slight boil and pour the pasta back in with the bean mixture.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook garlic and zucchini in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir frequently to keep the garlic from scorching (If it does scorch start over. You will never get that bitter taste out of the dish). Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add the remaining beans, shredded chicken, salt and pepper. Heat through. (Tip: Cut the tomatoes in half and gently squeeze over a bowl to get out the excess seeds and juice. Then chop and add to the skillet.)
Add the tomato mixture to the hot pasta and toss to coat. If you need to add more broth to give it a better consistency add it now. I maybe added 1/4 cup while mixing. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
