Recipe Correction

Robins recipe for Double Chocolate Zucchini bread doesn't have the oven temp.  It should be 350 deg.

I have updated the blog recipe, but here it is again so you can print a corrected one.

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Zucchini Pasta Fantastico

1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium zucchini, cubed
2 roma tomato, cubed
1/2 of a green pepper, chopped
2 garlic clove, minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce (I use 8 oz. of tomato sauce and 1 TBSP. “Shirley J’s” pasta seasoning mix)
1/2 of a 12 oz. box of bowtie pasta
SHREDDED Parmesan cheese (not grated)

Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, sauté onion in oil until tender. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add marinara sauce and heat through. Gently toss in pasta and heat on low till pasta is warm. Place in serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4. We like to serve this with sourdough bread.

Cooked, ground sausage is good in this too and makes it more hearty.

***This has a little kick to it. The pepper could be reduced for a milder flavor.

Recipe: Heather

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Zucchini Provencal

1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 roma tomato, cubed
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

In a small skillet, sauté onion in oil until tender. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Recipe:  Heather

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Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2 cups Flour
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Canola Oil
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 cup Sour Cream
3 cups Zucchini, shredded
3/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
Topping:
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1.      Preheat oven to 305 deg.  This recipe fits in 2 loaf pans. Butter and Flour or spray pans and set aside.
Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

2.       Mix together oil, sugars and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined. Gently stir in the zucchini. Take a spoonful of the flour mixture and stir in with the chocolate chips (that will help keep them evenly distributed.) Stir remaining flour mixture into batter and mix just until combined. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.

3.       Divide the batter between the pans and sprinkle topping over each.
Bake for 50-60 minutes. Set your timer for 45 minutes and then keep checking. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes, then remove from pans.

My healthy revisions (I've made it both ways and with all the chocolate we can't taste any difference and there's not as much guilt.
Use 1/4 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of apple sauce in place of 1/2 cup oil
Use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup bleached flour
Use 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup Splenda Substitute Sugar

***The brown sugar topping is very crumbly and pretty much breaks off as soon as you cut the bread. We have tried making a ganache with melted chocolate chips and milk and butter and spread it on the top. To die for! I also add nuts to the bread and on the top but that's just because our family loves nuts.


Recipe: Robin

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Super Duper Zucchini Muffins

In my search for new recipes to use my mounds of zucchini I found this recipe for zucchini muffins.  We love them!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

 1 cup white sugar
 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/2 cup shortening
 1/4 cup sour milk (1/4 cup milk + 3/4 tsp. vinegar and let sit 5 minutes)
 2 eggs, lightly beaten
 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1/2 cup chopped walnuts *optional
 1/4 cup brown sugar

 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a muffin pan, or use paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center, and pour in milk, eggs, zucchini and vanilla. Fold in walnuts. Fill muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full. Sprinkle tops with brown sugar.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Recipe:  Heather

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Play Dough Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
assorted colors of paste food coloring
24 lollipop sticks

1.In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.

2.In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms. Divide dough into fourths. Tint each with a different food color. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

3.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Working with half of each color, shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and for each cookie place 1 pink, 1 green, 1 blue and 1 orange ball together to make 1 large ball. Shape into a 12 inch long roll (like a snake), starting at one end, coil roll to make a 2 3/4 inch round cookie. Place cookies 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Carefully insert lollipop sticks into bottoms of cookies.

4.Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Recipe:  Paula


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Better than Sex Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix (+ whatever it calls for on the back)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar hot fudge sauce
1-8 oz. container of cool whip
4 Skor Bars, crushed (or Heath Bar)

Make and bake cake according to box directions in a 9x13 in pan. As soon as it comes out of the oven poke holes with the handle of a wooden spoon all over the cake. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the top. Let cool completely. Next spread fudge over the cake, and put in the fridge to set. When it is cool, spread cool whip over the top and then top with crushed score bars. Refrigerate leftovers.

*I like this cake better the next day as the cake gets more moist.

Recipe:  Alison

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Boston Cream Cake

1 box yellow cake mix + ingredients needed to make cake

2 (3.4oz) boxes instant Vanilla or French Vanilla pudding
4 cups milk 
1 recipe ganache

Make cake mix according to directions and bake in a well-greased 9x13 pan.

When cake is finished, while still warm, poke holes all over cake (about 1-inch) intervals using a wooden spoon handle or other similar size object.
                        
In a medium bowl, add milk to pudding mixture and continue to whisk until most of the lumps are removed.  Let pudding mixture sit for about 2 minutes. You want it to thicken just slightly so it isn't overly runny but  not fully thickened into pudding (it should still be pourable).

Pour pudding on top of warm cake.

Take a spoon and spread it out. I like to very gently press down to ensure that pudding goes into the holes and spread it all the way to the sides.

Put cake in fridge and allow to cool completely before adding the ganache

Ganache
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
Place both in sauce pan. Cook until melted and smooth. Allow to cool 15 minutes before putting on cake.

Spread ganache to evenly cover cake. Start in the middle and gently spread to the sides.  Allow to cool on the counter for a few minutes, then put into the fridge to fully cool and set up.

This cake needs to be kept refrigerated.

*This is one of those cakes that I almost think tastes better after it has sat in the fridge overnight.  I think it really helps the pudding to settle in and blend all the flavors.

Recipe:  Angela

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Oreo Dessert Pizza

1 batch of your favorite pizza dough

1 pkg. Oreos, crushed
Softened butter
Carmel topping

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup Heavy cream

Crush Oreo's finely in food processor.  Smear a layer of butter over top of pizza dough.  Sprinkle crushed Oreo's over top of dough.  Bake at 400 degrees. For 15-18 minutes.

Mean while make cream cheese glaze.  Combine butter and cream cheese.  Beat in powdered sugar.  Blend in vanilla and salt.  Add heavy cream and beat until well combined.  Adjust cream and sugar to desired consistency for drizzling.

Remove pizza from oven and cut into wedges.  Then drizzle with Carmel topping and cream cheese glaze.

Serve warm.

*TIPS* best if Oreo crumbs are nice and thick.  Cut pizza first so that the cream cheese glaze doesn’t stick to the cutter and pull the toppings off!

Recipe:  Heather

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Smores Pizza

1 batch of your favorite pizza dough

3/4 cups crushed graham crackers
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. white sugar
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
Flour for dusting
Vegetable oil for drizzling
2 (3 oz.) Hershey bars (milk chocolate chips work just as well and cheaper)
1 cup mini marshmallows

In food processor combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, vanilla and salt.  Process to fine mixture.

Drizzle pizza dough with vegetable oil.  Bake pizza crust for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with half of crumbs, chocolate and marshmallows.  Return pizza to oven and bake for 5 more minutes.

* Bake times may be adjusted to fit the dough recipe you are using.

Recipe: Paula

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