Too Much Zucchini Bread

I hope everyone on the East Coast made it alright thru Hurricane Irene this past weekend and that you and your house are still standing strong. We had water in the basement, lots of trees down and a big mess, but we are alive and ok to complain about it.

Thank you for all of the emails about our well being!

If you are reading this, then hopefully your power has been restored by now too.

You must be so tired of clicking in and seeing zucchini or tomato recipes, with an eggplant thrown in here and there.

By the end of summer you are either giving away your tomatoes, cukes and squash or trying to be creative with them!

I thought I was helping you with ideas on how to use your excess bounty.
At least I don't talk about corn everyday.

I am not a huge fan of zucchini bread, it is always too greasy because it uses a whole cup of vegetable oil. Yuck.

Why not substitute some whole grain flour and healthy olive oil and make a nice icing for your regular loaf? The original recipe calls for neutral canola oil, so if you like, you can use that, but I prefer olive oil in my cakes.

This recipe has redeemed the evil zucchini bread for me.

Make 2 loaves, one for you, and one for me.



Really Good, not Greasy, Zucchini Bread: adapted from Smitten Kitchen (makes 2 big loaves)

3 eggs
1 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used 2 cups white flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour)
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips

I like to line my loaf pans with parchment paper for easy lift-out and I don't have to grease the pans at all.

Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Beat the eggs with the sugar, vanilla and oil. Add the grated zucchini to the wet ingredients and gradually add the flour mixture. I added the raisins and walnuts last.

Divide the mixture between 2 regular size loaf pans and bake in a 350F oven for 55-60 minutes. Let cool in the pan before icing.

Lemon icing:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tbsp whole milk
juice of half a lemon

whisk ingredients together with a fork and drizzle over the warm cakes. The icing will harden quickly.



Enjoy!

PS: Just a warning, tomorrow I am posting another zucchini recipe! Sorry!

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