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Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

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Quick Post: This bread is so moist and rich and no one would ever know that there is zucchini in it unless you told them 😉 Sneaky, right? My kids love it, too. M on the other hand wont touch it because he knows there is zucchini…oh well, more for me! The original recipe calls for this to be baked in a 9×5 inch pan, but I wanted to make a taller loaf, so I baked it in a smaller 8×4 inch loaf pan. That’s why mine doesn’t have a dome on top – it baked completely flat because it couldn’t rise higher than the loaf pan. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread – adapted from Inspired Taste

  • 1 1/2 cup shredded raw zucchini
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (45 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules (*I used espresso powder)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup  light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions –

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a loaf pan (8×4 or 9×5) with nonstick cooking oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer beat the oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract and coffee granules for about 2 minutes.

Add the shredded zucchini to the dry ingredients and then in batches add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; use a spatula to incorporate everything until just mixed.  Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for 55 – 65 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the bread and then be removed clean.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Chicken Enchiladas – His Fave…

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Out of all the dinners I can think of, this has to be his most requested. I don’t understand why, I mean – they are really good – but it’s chicken. Not beef…weird. He doesn’t even want to try any other kind of enchilada – which bums me out because I love variety and trying out new recipes. Like, I would love to make cheese enchiladas…I haven’t had those in years! Anyway, these are more work than my average dinner, but they are so good. This time I’ve roasted my chicken instead of picking up a rotisserie chicken at Sam’s. I figured I could use the practice because Fall is around the corner and I love roasted chicken.

See the extra toasty bits on the tortillas? That is my favorite part – for some reason it’s sweeter there, and the salty/sweet combo is my fave! These turned out to be a little spicier than I remember – but I didn’t remove any of the seeds or ribs from the jalapenos I used. I used 10 medium sized flour tortillas,  so this could easily serve 6 to 8 people. I suppose you could halve the recipe, but he leftovers are just as good especially if you warm them up in the oven. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa – adapted from Food Network

Tomatillo Salsa:
  • 1 pound tomatillos, husked
  • 1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 jalapenos
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
Enchiladas:
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup AP flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock, store bought
  • Chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 large flour tortillas
  • 1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas:

Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized – this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn’t burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dishand smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Warm up the tortillas in the microwave. Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it then place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish with cilantro and tomato.

Oatmeal Wheat Bread

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Mmm…these smell wonderful while baking – but don’t all breads? That smell will never get old to me – it’s always so comforting. Anyway, this is another brand new recipe for us to try; and I spent a lot of time finding it so hopefully it tastes as good as it looks. This makes two 8×4 inch loaves, so once they’re completely cool I’ll wrap and freeze one. I have found that freezing and thawing bread doesn’t affect the taste or texture at all – I love that.

Verdict: This loaf is so good. Not too wheaty and not at all bitter from the wheat flour. It has a nice texture and chew and it’s my favorite mostly whole wheat loaf I have made so far. I love the dark crust of this bread and the texture of the toasted oats on top. I hope my family enjoys it as much as I do because I’m always looking for more ways to give them foods with more nutrition and fiber. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Oatmeal Wheat Bread – adapted from Epicurious

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking) plus additional for topping
  • 1/2 cup warm water (105-115°F)
  • 2 tablespoons active dry yeast (from 3 packages)
  • 1/2 cup mild honey
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 cups white whole-wheat flour
  • About 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • Vegetable oil for oiling bowl and loaf pans
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Heat milk in a 4-cup measuring cup and stir in oats. Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add water, melted butter and honey – stir to combine. Set aside to cool to about 105 degrees before adding to the flour mixture.

Stir together whole-wheat flour, unbleached flour, yeast, salt  in a standing mixer bowl. Add oat mixture, stirring with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Using your dough hook, knead adding more  flour a tablespoon at a time (if needed – I used 5 more TBSP) to keep from sticking, until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic – about 5 to 7 minutes (dough will be slightly sticky). Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Lightly grease loaf pans. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a loaf, then place 1 loaf in each pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit. Cover loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush tops of loaves with some of egg wash and sprinkle with oats, then bake until bread is golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. (Remove 1 loaf from pan to test for doneness. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen.)

Remove bread from pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

Sub Rolls

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I have been on the lookout for a recipe like this for some time. This dough was not easy to work with at all because it was so sticky, and these rolls wont win any beauty contests, but hopefully it was worth the mess. While handling it try to have some olive oil or flour on your hands and work surface to make things a little less sticky. This dough did come together quickly and the rise time wasn’t too long either, so from start to finish it should take less than three hours, and most of that is just your rise and bake time.

Verdict: These came out light colored, but they did bake through all the way. It’s hard for me to resist leaving loaves in longer than the recommended amount of time when this happens. There is hardly any fat in this recipe – only 2 teaspoons of olive oil, so they probably aren’t meant to be any darker than this. The interior was nice and light with big bubbles and a thin, crisp crust and they held up well to our sandwich filling. Overall, I’m happy with how these turned out but I’m sure I’ll find an excuse to try a new recipe soon. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Long Loaves – adapted from Cookistry

  •  2 cups lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup semolina flour
  • 4 cups (18 ounces) bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions –
1. In a bowl of a standing mixer, combine all dry ingredients and pour the wet over top. Mix until a rough dough is formed, then knead with the dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes. Dump the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temp for 50-60 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
2. Lightly flour your work surface.  Turn out the dough and divide it into 4 roughly equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 12 inches long. Place 2 logs on each baking sheet. They’re look a little narrow, but they will grow impressively.
3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 20 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap. If it seems to be sticking, flour the surface a bit – rice flour is nice for this but regular flour is fine. Slash the loaves as desired, and cover them with plastic wrap again. Let rise for another 10 minutes. They should be doubled in size – maybe a little more.
4. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 25 minutes, rotating the pans about halfway through the baking time. Let the loaves cool completely on a rack.

Cheesy Orzo

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Quick Post: I really enjoyed this and I seem to have a thing for orzo pasta side dishes when I need something to go along with fish. I modified this more than I usually do for a first attempt with the addition of peas and lemon zest. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Cheesy Orzo – adapted from Food Network

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 box of vegetable stock
  • 2 cups orzo pasta
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • the zest of half a lemon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Direction:

Preheat a 8 inch pot with a tight fitting cover over moderate heat. Add butter, onion and garlic and saute for 2 or 3 minutes. Add broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and return broth to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until liquid is absorbed and pasta tender. Remove lid and stir in frozen peas and cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon zest. You favorite fresh herbs may also be stirred into the orzo or rice to strengthen the flavor even more.

Salmon Baked in Foil

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Sockeye salmon was on sale at Publix this week. My family loves it and it’s definitely considered a treat so I wanted to find a recipe that was simple and had flavors that we could all enjoy. I have used this method of cooking salmon several times before. It’s so versatile and I usually season the fish with kosher salt, pepper, butter and lemon slices – it’ as easy as that.

Verdict: Yum – this was quick, easy and so flavorful. Baking salmon in foil is one of my favorite ways to cook fish, and the cleanup couldn’t be easier. Adjust the baking time based on the size of your fish because it’s really easy to over cook the fillets. Even though mine were a little over done (18 minutes for mine) they still tasted great. Tomorrow I’ll share the cheesy orzo we enjoyed with this, thanks for reading, enjoy!

Salmon Baked in Foil – adapted from Food Network

  • 4 (4 ounces each) salmon fillets
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2 chopped shallots
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Directions –

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle salmon with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Place a salmon fillet, oiled side down, atop a sheet of foil. Wrap the ends of the foil to form a spiral shape. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely; seal the packets closed. Place the foil packet on a heavy large baking sheet. Repeat until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Classic Sandwich Bread

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I have been using the same sandwich bread recipe for a year now, and I decided it’s time to try out a new one. Not that anything is wrong with the old one, it’s just that I want to experiment. It’s a basic white bread recipe that is easily veganized (if that is a concern of yours) by substituting your preferred unsweetened milk substitute (ie. almond milk). For this I’ll use a combination of half and half and 1% milk – why not? I’m debating if I should use AP flour as the recipe suggests or a combination of bread flour and white whole wheat like I use in my other recipe.
I decided to go with my usual combination of bread/white wheat flour for this, because my conscience gets the best of me. I might as well sneak in extra fiber where possible for my family. The great thing about this combination is that it’s never too “wheaty” for us – if that makes sense.
Verdict: Yum! This has a mild and subtle flavor, slightly sweet with a nice crumb, and its soft, but not too soft – perfect!  I will double the recipe next time for sure and I will continue to try new recipes for basic sandwich breads cause I’m a food geek and it’s fun for me! 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Classic Sandwich Bread – adapted from King Arthur Flour
  • 3 cups AP Flour (*I used 2 cups bread and 1 cup white whole wheat flour)
  • 1/2 cup milk (*all half and half here)
  • 1/2 hot water
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast

Directions –

Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine set to the dough or manual cycle). Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8″ log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 60 minutes, until it’s domed about 1″ above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until it’s light golden brown. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or by measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf.

Pizza Bites

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This recipe has been on my list for a long time now. Today was a great day to try it because I had all of the ingredients sitting in the fridge – bits of mozzarella, already opened pepperoni and only one 18 ounce ball of dough (left over from calzone night). M was away golfing, so I decided to treat the kids and I to a fun dinner. How cute are these? And they’re so easy to put together. I divided my dough ball into 18 equal pieces, cut up cubes of mozzarella and cut my giant slices of pepperoni into thirds. These little bites would also make a perfect party appetizer.

Verdict: These were so yummy – the kids loved them too. The only problem is that 18 isn’t enough for the four of us, but lucky for them I wasn’t super hungry. Next time I’d double the amount, or make sure we eat a salad along with this. These will be in our rotation for sure, and I know that these would be well received at any party.

Pizza Bites – adapted from Annie’s Eats

  • 1 -18 ounce ball of dough, divided into 1 ounce pieces
  • 4 ounces mozzarella, cubed into 18 pieces
  • 6 large slices of pepperoni, cut into thirds
Topping –
  • Parmesan, Pecorino Romano
  • Pizza seasoning or oregano
  • olive oil
Directions –
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a pie dish with olive oil. For easy clean-up I use plastic wrap to cover my work surface 🙂
Flatten a piece of dough with the palm of your hand, place a slice of pepperoni and a cube of mozzarella cheese on top of the dough. Pull the dough around the filling and pinch closed. Place the ball seam-side down into the pie dish. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
2. Lightly brush the tops with olive oil, sprinkle with pizza seasoning and cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with pizza or marinara sauce if desired.

Fudge Brownies

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Oooh…are these ever good…and super rich! If you’re watching your calories, stay away from these. There are two sticks of butter and nearly a pound of sugar in them. And, because they’re so rich I recommend eating these with a scoop of vanilla ice cream – it’s a must! You can always go for a really long run the morning after;o) Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Fudge Brownie ingredients – adapted from King Arthur Flour

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions –

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

2. In a medium saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat briefly, just until it’s hot, but not bubbling; it’ll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

3. While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

4. Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

5. Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

6. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

7. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.