Chocolate Zucchini Bread / Muffins

Chocolate chips should be on the top of every loaf of bread

This year, I found a 6-pack of zucchini starter plants for the same price as one plant. At the same time, the house-flippers next door took down a large portion of fence, creating a new extra-sunny, south-facing patch of garden that we didn't have before. The result is wayyyy too much zucchini for a family of 3.

I worked from this recipe. I like it because it does use a lot of zucchini, it's delicious, and it's definitely healthy-ish. If I were going to make it often, I'd experiment with making it healthier; I think it could be good substituting most of the oil with flax seeds and applesauce, and the applesauce would allow it to have less sugar. And oats. Always oats.

But as is, it's very good. The only change I made was that I inadvertently used less cocoa powder than the original recipe called for, because I tripled the recipe (TOO MUCH ZUCCHINI) and ran out. But it was plenty chocolatey, and I like that it still tasted like zucchini bread, so I kept this change.

The Recipe (from wyldflower.com):

2 eggs

1/4 c canola oil

1/4 c plain yogurt

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c flour

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder (original recipe called for 1/2 c)

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c chocolate chips, plus more for topping

1 1/2 c shredded zucchini

Drain excess water out of zucchini by letting it sit in a colander for a few minutes
Mix eggs, oil, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla extract
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
Fold in chocolate chips and zucchini
Pour into prepared loaf pan or muffin pan
Top with extra chocolate chips
Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes for a loaf, or 20-30 minutes for muffins

The Verdict:

Overall grade: B+

Overall reason: Delicious, could be healthier

Time to prepare: 15 minutes, plus baking time

Husband quote: "I like zucchini bread."

Comments

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.

Adzuki Beans with Black Rice

I hope I don't turn any readers away by featuring cilantro in my first photo. My current food obsession is black rice. I was first introduced to it at Sushi Pure . It's purple when cooked, and I was completely smitten when purple sushi arrived at our table. I mean, purple sushi! It was like my birthday or something. Actually, it might have been my birthday, because I pretty much always have sushi on my birthday, but anyway. It's kind of sweet and has this great chewy texture. When I learned how healthy it is , my crush evolved to full-out love. Sushi Pure's Spicy Tuna Roll (photo from FoodSpotting.com) In my ongoing research for ingredients that are low in calories but high in nutrition, adzuki (also spelled azuki) beans came up. I learned that these are the sweet red beans used in Japanese desserts, including red bean ice cream, which I've been obsessed with since I was a kid. But since turning them into ice cream probably negates the health benef...

Spicy Tomato Jam

Little pot of bubbling goodness seeks lentil patties, sweet potato fries, or pretty much anything else. I recently made this recipe from Crumb Blog for lentil patties with tomato jam. The lentil patties were pretty good, but the tomato jam was really something to write home about. It's one of those foods that makes you feel warm, even when it's cold. It has just the right balance of sweetness, acidity, and spice. The mustard seeds are a must (haha, must ard seeds). Their crunch, and the little burst of toasty peppery flavor that follows, are amazing in contrast to the rest of the flavors. The next time you're tempted to put ketchup on something, consider this instead. I have a little bit of this gold left over in the freezer. I'm thinking I may thin it out with vegetable broth and use it as a sauce for a stir-fry. Stay tuned for the results. The only change I made to this recipe was upping the amount of mustard seeds. I think 1 tsp is the perfect a...

Adventures of a healthy-ish pseudo-foodie

Search This Blog