More zucchini! Zucchini banana bread this time.

                                                                           

If you follow my blog, or know me well, you know that I rarely make a recipe exactly as it's written. I always have to mess with it.  Leave something out, add something.  Sometimes I don't even use a recipe, I just throw things together using instinct.  However, the one thing I usually never mess with is baking.  I usually follow the directions exactly, especially when it comes to things like leavening, and liquid amounts.  Today I threw caution to the wind.  I found this very large zucchini lurking under a leaf in my garden.  It was approaching baseball bat size.  The only thing zucchini that big are good for is zucchini bread.  I cut it up, took out the seeds, grated it and still ended up with seven cups of zucchini.  So now, while I'm fussing around in the kitchen, I also find a banana that is past its prime.  Hey, why not combine the zucchini and  banana? How bad can this be?  But as I look up my recipe, I realize that the banana will add lots more moisture to the mix, so I start experimenting.  Here is what I came up with.

2 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs
1 ripe banana mashed
2  cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup oil ( I used coconut, but vegetable oil is fine)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon alspice
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9" by 5" loaf pan.  I spray the pan with cooking spray, then layer with parchment that hangs over the edge.  I then spray the parchment.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Since I used my food processor to grate the zucchini, I used it to combine my wet ingredients.  I transferred the grated zucchini to another bowl and added the egg, banana, oil and sugars to the food processor.  After a few pulses, I added this mixture to the dry ingredients and folded them together.  I then added the zucchini and nuts and mixed thoroughly.

Pour into loaf pan and bang on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.  Bake in the center of the oven for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.  Then continue to cool before slicing or it will crumble when you slice it.  Enjoy!  Everyone loved this and I'm sure you will too!

Please feel free to share this recipe, and the whole blog for that matter, with your friends.  Leave questions and comments in the comment section below the post.

Happy Cooking!
Carol

a.k.a.
Nonnie

What to do with all that zucchini! Part 1

Every spring I plant a small vegetable garden around the outside of my condo. I'm lucky I live in a corner unit and have lots of space to plant. I do raised beds all around the foundation of the condo on the side and back.  Every year I plant zucchini and every year I am disappointed because the cabbage moths take over and lay their eggs on the leaves, then the larvae get inside the stems and leaves and eat everything.  Hence, no zucchini. When I lived in New Hampshire I always had more zucchini than I knew what to do with.  I even wrote an article for our wive's club newspaper with a bunch of zucchini recipes. Sadly, I no longer have the paper or the recipes. Well this year is different!  I have zucchini!  Lots of it!  So today I am playing with my zucchini and seeing how many recipes I can come up with.

I'm starting off with zucchini pancakes.


1 large zucchini about 4 cups grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 small onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3 cloves garlic run through a garlic press
3 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves finely chopped
1.2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Bisquick
2 eggs beaten
3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Scrub zucchini to get off any prickly things and trim off the ends.  I grate mine in the food processor, but you can certainly use a box grater.  You will need about 4  cups.  Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the zucchini and mix well.  Put the zucchini in a strainer over a bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes.

While zucchini is draining, chop the onion, basil and run garlic through a garlic press.  Now take the zucchini and place in a clean dish towel.  Wrap the towel tightly around the zucchini and squeeze.  I got almost a cup of liquid from mine.  The drier you can get your zucchini, the better your pancakes will be.

Put zucchini, onion, garlic, pepper and basil in a bowl and mix well.  Add eggs, Bisquick, and cheese and mix well.  In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add large rounded tablespoon fulls of the zucchini mixture to the oil and pat down.  Cook for about 2 - 3 minutes.  Turn and cook on the remaining side for the same amount of time.  I found it easier to cook them in small batches rather than put too many in the pan and run the risk of the oil dropping in temperature.

These can be made ahead and reheated in the oven for a few minutes.  I ate mine for lunch, but they would make a great side dish.  Enjoy!

Please share this recipe and blog with friends and family and please leave questions and comments in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

Happy Cooking!
Carol

a.k.a.
Nonnie