Tag: zucchini

October 4, 2015

Sweet-Hot Zucchini Relish

This is a great option if you find one of those forgotten, and grossly over-sized, zucchinis when cleaning out the garden in the fall. Zucchini is a blank slate summer squash that can take the character of whatever you pair with it in a recipe. Here we substituted our usual go to relish ingredient (cucumber) for zucchini. Enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 8c finely chopped zucchini
  • 3 medium(2 large) sized onions finely chopped
  • 2-3 colored sweet peppers(or mix in a hot pepper or 2)
  • 3Tbsp pickling salt
  • 1 1/2c sugar
  • 1c cider vinegar
  • 2tsp celery seed
  • 1tsp ground mustard
  • 1tsp hot pepper flakes(just a guideline)
  • 1tso tumeric

Directions

  1.  After chopping zucchini, onion, and peppers, combine in a saucepan.
  2. Add pickling salt and mix well. Then let stand for 1 hr.
  3. Thoroughly drain the veggies and then rinse and drain again.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients to your drained veggies and mix well.
  5. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
  6. Ladle into sterile canning jars to within 1/2 inch of the rim and seal. This recipe makes about 2 1/2 to 3 pints of relish depending on how much you eat before canning it.
  7. If you wish, place jars into a boiling canner and boil half pint jars for 10 minutes or pint jars for 15 minutes

Note: I have found that your relish is hot enough when you place it in the jars, they will self-seal as they cool without time spent in the canner, but that is completely up to you.

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September 4, 2015

Pineapple Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

In our eternal search for finding enough recipes to keep from throwing out a single zucchini from our garden due to spoilage, we came up with this nice cake because of the overwhelmingly positive response to our Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread recipe. It again uses fruit to bring add favor and character to the mundane, but nutritionally abundant, zucchini.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1c white flour
  • 1/2c whole wheat wlour
  • 1 1/4c sugar
  • 2tsp baking soda
  • 1tsp salt
  • 2tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8tsp ginger
  • 3Tbsp oil
  • 2 eggs(lightly beaten)
  • 1tsp vanilla
  • 2c grated zucchini
  • 2 1/2c drained crushed pineapple(or a 20oz can)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Mix all dry ingredients(flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger) and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl mix together the oil, eggs, vanilla, zucchini and pineapple. Mix well.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix thoroughly.
  5. Pour contents of bowl into a greased 9×13 cake pan.
  6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is a nicely medium brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

We used some of the reserved pineapple juice from crushing to put in the frosting. It continues the flavor throughout the frosting that you get from the cake. If there’s no juice left(because someone over zealously drank it) then substitute milk.

  • 2Tbsp softened butter
  • 8oz package of cream cheese
  • 2c powdered sugar
  • about 1Tbsp pineapple juice(be careful not to overdue it or your frosting will be runny)

Simply mix the ingredients together until even texture and it has a thickness you are comfortable with. Then spread on your COMPLETELY COOLED cake. It should be completely cooled or your frosting will become a runny mess. You may also like to sprinkle crushed nuts or your choice over the top.

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August 24, 2015

Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread

A favorite of late summer in our house is this lemony treat. It’s lighter and fluffier than the traditional zucchini breads we usually bake and the lemon gives it a citrus freshness complimented by the sweetness that pervades the bread and glazing. This is a perfect snack bread to enjoy with a cup of coffee and a friendly conversation.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups white flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs(beaten)
  • 1/2c oil
  • 1 1/3c sugar
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2c buttermilk
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • 1c grated zucchini

DIRECTION:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Mix dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder) and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl put your eggs, oil, and sugar together. Mix well.
  4. Add the lemon juice, buttermilk, and lemon zest to the liquid  blow and blend evenly.
  5. Combine the wet and dry together and mix well.
  6. Add the zucchini to the mixture, folding until it’s thoroughly mixed.
  7. Split the batter between the two plans evenly and back for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean at the center.

The Glaze:

The glaze is a simple powdered sugar glazing with lemon added.

  • 1c powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp milk

Mix the ingredients and drizzle over your COOLED lemon zucchini bread. You may want to use the back side of a rubber scraper or spoon to spread the glaze more evenly over the top of the bread.

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January 4, 2015

Comfort Food: Zucchini Bread

There is something special about zucchini bread in our household. The kids regularly ask to make it when it’s their time to bake with daddy. Warm, soft, and sweet. Add a little butter and it is a great go-to breakfast sweet bread. People often ask for the recipe. Well…here it is.

Ingredient:

  • 3c flour (I use 50% white, 50% whole wheat)
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1tsp baking soda
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 3tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 eggs
  • 1c oil
  • 2 1/4c sugar
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2c grated zucchini

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°
  2. Grease/spray and flour 2 8×4 loaf pans.
  3. Sift the dry ingredients(flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon) together in a bowl and set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla.
  5. Combine the wet and dry together and mix well. (The batter will be stiffer at this point.)
  6. Add the zucchini to the batter and mix well.(You will noticed with the addition of the zucchini the batter will thin out nicely.)
  7. Split the batter between the two plans evenly and back for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean at the center.
  8. Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes or so.
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