How Does Your Garden Grow? Zucchini Bread Recipes

I decided to bake some Zucchini breads tonight after work as I had 5 zucchini sitting around doing nothing all day.  See that big bad boy zucchini on the right - well I baked all these breads below with just that one bad boy

Note: the ones on the right are mini loaf tins

The recipe for the Chocolate Wave Zucchini recipe is found here - I get rave reviews from all who receive a loaf tin : )

The Lemony Zucchini recipe can be found here 

We just tried the lemony zucchini bread and thought it was good - I think it needs a tad more sugar but the chocolate wave zucchini bread still wins hands down.  In my opinion you can never win against anything with chocolate in it.

I picked another zucchini from the garden tonight so I'm back up to 5 more zucchinis so I think I'm going to try my hand at the sweet zucchini relish recipe tommorow

I picked this bad boy beet yesterday - anyone have a good recipe for pickled beet?

Friday, July 08, 2011 | 1 comment | Read More

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Our 4 Zucchini plants just keep on producing these wonderful fruit.  I've given a lot away to friends and for the remaining ones I've been using them to make Chocolate Zuchinni Bread.

I found this recipe online by Lisa Perry

Ingredients

1/3 cup shortening

1 1/3 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

I peeled the skin off one Zucchini, then grated the flesh (no seeds) into a bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 x 5 inch loaf pan (or 2 mini loaf pans)

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar together. Mix in eggs. Add zucchini, water, and vanilla; stir. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt , baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in nuts.

 

This is what happens when you carry too many things from the pantry to the counter (like Rachel Ray does)

 

Divide batter in half, and add cocoa powder and chocolate chips to one of the halves. Pour plain batter into bottom of the loaf pan. Pour chocolate batter on top of plain batter.

 

Bake until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes, and remove from pan. Store in refrigerator (this is the key to having moist Zucchini bread).

Last year I tried all different variations of ingredients to compliment the zucchini e.g. cherry, white chocolate, raisins but I always go back to my old faithful recipe above.

Enjoy : )

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 | No comments | Read More

Easy Peasy Crockpot Pulled Pork

Today I'm hosting the Verizon Fios House party.  I'm making Crock Pot Pulled Pork sandwiches.  I pull this dish out for all my big parties as its so easy to make and cheap too.  No messing around with the grill, sweating and it feeds a lot of people.

Purchase a 5lb Pork Butt, I got mine for $1.99/lb.  I think I've gotten them for $1.69 before.  But when they go on sale buy, stock up and stick in freezer.

My hubby found this pork rub online (Wayne's rub)

2 tbsp Salt

2 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tbsp White Sugar

2 tsp Paprika

2 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp Cayenne (only add if you like it hot)

Mix the rub and then rub on the outside of the pork

Place in crock pot, add 1 20floz of Root Beer to bottom of crock pot

Set Crock pot on slow for 8 hours or high for 6 hours, time permitting. 

Keep a close watch towards end of the cooking time - when the meat falls off the bone, take it out of the crock pot.  Remove the juice and keep it aside in a separate container.  Use a fork to pull the pork apart, place pork back in crockpot and then add some of the crock pot juice until moist.  Set crock pot on keep warm.  Now its ready to serve.

I put out burger buns and bbq sauce so people can add however much sauce they want.  I also make my own coleslaw Sandra lee Style - I buy a bag of premade Coleslaw and then mix it with Marie's or Marzetti coleslaw dressing.  I make it right before serving as the coleslaw is crunchy (I'm not a big fan of store brought coleslaw that ends up being mushy and super sweet).

YUM-O as Rachel Ray likes to say

Sunday, July 11, 2010 | 2 comments | Read More