zucchini

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread – Cake

September 30, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

A fun potluck party idea is to have a zucchini fest. People can be so creative; you’ll discover zucchini dishes you never dreamed of. I’ll never forget going to one several years ago and someone had thought ahead and brought a gluten free chocolate zucchini bread. Too many times, we forget the many who don’t eat gluten (wheat products).

My busy gluten free neighbor Vanessa shares this recipe – gluten free chocolate zucchini bread. It is so yummy and rich, it can be treated as cake. This is a proven winner recipe; it won’t last long in the pan! Enjoy the zucchini season while it lasts…and lasts…..and lasts!

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread/Cake

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut milk plus 1 tbsp white vinegar (this makes a dairy free buttermilk version)
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup oat flour
1 Tsp xanthum gum
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp cacao
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with non stick spray
In a large bowl cream together the applesauce, coconut oil and sugar. Then add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown rice and pat flours, cocoa powder, cacao, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix, then add the coconut milk (with the vinegar) mix, and add the remaining flour mixture. Mix until well combined.
This is a good time to teach patience to little ones while the batter mixes. Good things come to those who wait!
Stir in the shredded zucchini.
With supervision and a little help, young children can take pride in helping make this delicious zucchini treat!
Pour the batter in the pan.
Be sure to smell it as you examine your batter.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. In my convection oven it takes about 34 minutes.

This can be served with whipped topping or your favorite ice cream or ice cream alternative.

If you have already pulled up your garden, don’t worry. I’m sure someone has excess in their garden. Just put out the word that you will make some gluten free chocolate zucchini bread for them if they will give you some of their zucchinis. If you find this too late, make plans for various zucchini plants next spring. There are many varieties to choose from at your local garden center.

Try out some other ZUCCHINI RECIPES:

Baked Zucchini Fries

Banana Zucchini Bread w/Chocolate Chips

Zucchini Chips

Delicious Roasted Zucchini

Oven Fried Zucchini

Prepare for April 25th – National Zucchini Bread Day

Prepare for August 8th – Sneak Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day

National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day

August 5, 2017 by Jenn Crookston

Hello! I’m Jenn from Housewives of Riverton and am so excited to be here with you today. Did you know that August 8th is National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day? I am absolutely loving these different national days and have so much fun coming up with ways to celebrate them.
The funny thing about National Sneak Some Zucchini onto your Neighbor’s Porch Day is, what person (who has a garden) isn’t going to be over the moon excited to celebrate this day. I mean, if you were to start putting some of your zucchini abundance onto all your neighbor’s porches on just a random Tuesday people might think you were weird BUT make it a national day that you can include on a fun note and it’s perfectly acceptable to share the zucchini love!As I was thinking of different ways to celebrate this fun holiday I started thinking of some of my favorite zucchini recipes. I think zucchini bread has to top the list, I like to pretend it’s completely healthy because it has quite a bit of zucchini in it, perfect for those days when I’m dieting. I don’t want to make National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day a chore for you so I am not suggesting that you make zucchini bread for all your neighbors but you could include a recipe for zucchini bread (or cookies, cupcakes, brownies…there are so many delicious zucchini recipes) along with the needed amount (or more) of zucchini. You may just introduce them to a new favorite recipe.

To help make this day and the giving easier for you, I’ve created this fun free printable for you to include with your bounty. CLICK HERE to print it off! I think that cute smiling zucchini would make anyone’s day brighter, he just seems to scream “Hey you, I was thinking about you today!” and everyone loves to be thought of.
I say plan ahead, don’t let this fun new holiday sneak up on you, collect your zucchini abundance, print out a few of our free printable and maybe a recipe or two and hit the neighborhood on August 8th and bring a smile to the faces of your neighbors!

If you’re looking for a fun new way to eat your zucchini you’ve got to try our Zucchini Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting or our Applesauce Zucchini Bread both are serious crowd pleasers and are sure to have your friends and family asking for more zucchini from your garden! Check out our National Zucchini Bread Day recipe as well.

Banana Zucchini Bread Recipe w/Chocolate Chips

April 20, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

WELCOME Zucchini Chefs, Here is a yummy recipe to try!

Here is a family favorite zucchini bread recipe for your celebration of National Zucchini Bread Day on April 25th. On the 24th, pull out your leftover frozen grated zucchini from last year’s harvest or load up the kids and let them each choose a fresh zuc from the local produce store. Have all your recipe ingredients ready for the next day’s celebrations! On the 25th, mix, bake and eat some bread, load up the kids and go buy new quality zucchini seeds from Western Gardens or any local independent garden center, and start the seeds indoors. The kids will love seeing these easy and fast seeds sprout and seedlings grow. If you live in the Salt Lake area, you’ll be safe to plant them outside in your garden after Mother’s Day in May!

Photo by Meal Makeover Moms with a Flickr CC0 license

Bookmark or pin this recipe for summer deliciousness and for next April’s National Zucchini Bread Day!

Banana Zucchini Bread Recipe by Amy Christensen / Cahoon Cook Book

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

1 cup zucchini, grated

1 cup banana, mashed

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, mini preferred

Combine first 6 ingredients together mixing well. Add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix in chocolate chips.

Bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour.

Makes 3 small loaves.

Happy National Zucchini Bread Day everybody!

National Zucchini Bread Day

April 20, 2017 by Heather Leister

Welcome Zucchini Lovers. Celebrate with us!

You are just in time for National Zucchini Bread Day! If you included zucchini in last summer’s garden then there’s a good chance that your freezer is well stocked with leftovers from last year’s harvest. This easy to grow squash is notorious for producing more crop than gardeners know what to do with. If you still have a ziplock bag, or two, of frozen zucchini hanging around then you’re in luck! Now is the perfect time to defrost your zucchini leftovers because April 25th is National Zucchini Bread Day.

sliced zucchini bread for national food holiday

Photo Credit: Flickr Commons

Who doesn’t love an excuse to celebrate a national food day? With zucchini bread you have a way to satisfy your craving for warm carbohydrates while also getting in a serving of vegetables. Not to mention fiber! It’s always a plus when your fiber comes in the form of delicious bread. As an added bonus you’ll be able to either use up freezer leftovers or have an excellent excuse for finally starting your garden.

zucchini for national zucchini bread day

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

If you don’t already have zucchini in your freezer, don’t panic. Pick up the produce at your local store and use fresh zucchini in your bread recipe. Then head to the garden center for seeds and celebrate National Zucchini Bread Day by planting something that you will enjoy both in a few months time and at next year’s celebration!

several varieties of zucchini seed packets

Quality seeds for a successful crop! Choose varieties that will thrive in your area.

Mid May happens to be an excellent time to plant zucchini seeds because the ground has begun to warm up. You can also begin your seeds indoors, but if you want to direct-seed and avoid transplanting then it’s best to wait until the soil temperature measures around 60-degrees. Check with your local independent garden center to know when it is ideal for planting your seeds. In Utah along the Wasatch Front, gardeners remember Mother’s Day as the time when the rest of the garden can be planted. Cold crops can be planted as early as March. Zucchini is definitely not a cold crop.

grate and freeze fresh zucchini for national zucchini bread day in april

Photo Credit: Flickr

In the fall, if your plants have done well, you will most likely find yourself giving away zucchini. To friends, neighbors, coworkers, maybe even strangers. Even after all that generosity you should still have plenty of zucchini left to freeze for the following year. Preserving the squash is easily done. Wash the zucchini in cold water, pat it dry, then cut off both ends. Use a cheese grater to grate the plant and then store the grated zucchini in a well-labeled ziplock bag in the freezer. The vegetable should keep in the freezer for approximately eight months. Which means you’ll be prepared and ready to bake when National Zucchini Bread Day comes around again!

Click next for a simple delicious Banana Zucchini Chocolate Chip bread recipe. It will please everyone!

Baked Zucchini Fries

June 25, 2014 by Becky

Baked zucchini fries are not only fast and easy to make, but it’s a great way to use all that zucchini in your garden when your plants are giving you more than you can use (and give away!). This makes a great summer side, and it’s a great alternative for zucchini when you’re tired of zucchini bread, brownies & cake!

These baked zucchini fries can be prepped in less than 5 minutes, then just toss them in the oven while you worry about the rest of your meal. They are crispy and delicious and they go great with just about any main dish! Whether you’re grilling burgers or broiling chicken, these will be a great addition to your meal.

Ingredients

https://westerngardens.com/baked-zucchini-fries/

Zucchini Chips

May 13, 2014 by Becky

Zucchini chips are a healthy, delicious snack, and a simple way to use up some of that end of season zucchini when you have used what you can and your plants are still giving! It takes only a few minutes to prepare, and then has some hands-off time in the oven. Doesn’t get much simpler!

Wash and dry your zucchini, then slice thinly, about 1/8 ” thick. Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment and lightly spray with olive oil. Place zucchini slices close together (but not touching) and lightly spray with olive oil.

Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. The zucchini will shrink as it dehydrates and the flavor will intensify, so don’t over-season your rounds. If you under-season them, you can always add more when they are done.

DIY Tabletop Terra Cotta Fire Pit

Ingredients

Terra Cotta Pot (visit Western Gardens for the largest selection of sizes and designs)
Aluminum Foil
Charcoal
Charcoal Lighter Fluid
Lighter

Instructions

Line terra cotta pot with aluminum foil.
Fill pot with charcoal.
Drizzle lighter fluid on top of charcoal.
Stand to the side and light charcoal.
When charcoal begins to turn white, start roasting!
If you have a chimney-style charcoal starter, you can use that to start your briquettes. Transfer to your terra cotta fire pit when they begin to turn white.

https://westerngardens.com/zucchini-chips/