Zucchini Muffin recipe

Well, you may remember that we started a garden this year. For me, this is a big deal as I've always described myself as having a brown thumb. The zucchini are really doing well.

I was looking at one the other day and then noticed a really big one growing; it was almost hidden. It reminded me of the time my dad brought in a zucchini to my mom that he picked in our garden (my mom was a great gardener; not me). He was so proud until my mom looked at it and said "Sandy, that's a pumpkin!". Oh well; at least he tried.

The one thing with zucchini is that you don't want them too big. If you are using them in a salad or sauteing them, go for the smaller ones which usually have more flavor. For muffins or bread, a larger one is fine.

I had found a recipe online a few years ago and started playing with it, changing the butter to oil, white sugar to less refined and adding coconut and walnuts for flavor and added nutrition. Remember, unless your child is overweight, kids need fat, especially healthy fats (for example from plants and nuts as opposed to fat from dairy and meats).

If you still have zucchini in your garden and find it at the farmer's market, try this recipe for yourself or your family.

Here are some recommendations for equipment and products I like to use:
Cuisinart food processor
Stainless steel measuring cups
Stainless steel mixing bowls
Silicone scrapers

Zucchini Muffins
Makes 12 or about 32 mini

2 1/8 cups whole wheat pastry flour (this is slightly lighter than wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup sucanat (Sugar Cane Natural; look for it in stores or use an unrefined cane sugar)
1/4 cup organic white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 cups finely shredded unpeeled zucchini-about 2-3 small or 1 medium
2-4 Tbl water

Preparation:
1. Grease and flour 12 muffin cups. Heat oven to 375°.
2. Combine the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium to large bowl.
3. In another mixing bowl, beat the eggs first then add oil, molasses, sugars, vanilla extract and coconut.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring briefly until blended. Fold in the shredded zucchini and nuts. If the mixture is too stiff, add water until it has more of a batter consistency.
5. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Make sure you test with a toothpick at the lower end of the time. If there is still batter on the toothpick, cook in 1-2 minute intervals until done.

Crustless quiche recipe

As some of you may know, this is one of my favorite recipes. It's so easy and so many people like it from children to grown-ups. Last week, I grabbed a zucchini from my garden (yes, my garden!), sliced it up, halved the recipe and about 40 minutes later, had a nice, healthy lunch.

The recipe was originally my maternal grandmother's. We called it Grandma Rosie's Zucchini Pie. It really was closer to a fritatta. She made it with quite a lot of oil so I slimmed it down and used non-fat milk instead. By using a combination of eggs and milk, it creates a lovely custard-like texture. She used to add Jiffy or Bisquick to thicken (basically a pancake mix) and I eventually started using flour. When you use the pancake mix, it does tend to be a bit less wet, especially when using a fresh vegetable like zucchini. When I make the recipe with drier ingredients, it comes out perfect with the flour. And in case you want a gluten free version, click here.

Cooking isn't hard when you have the right ingredients on hand. Try this recipe and serve it any time of the day. It's also good to serve in small pieces as an appetizer. I'm sure Grandma Rosie is happy she was able to contribute to my culinary repertoire! Enjoy.

Crustless Zucchini Quiche (creamy version)

1/2 - 1 cup par-boiled vegetable like cauliflower, broccoli or 2 raw zucchini, sliced thin or 1 box frozen, chopped spinach, drained
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

6 eggs
2 cups of milk or cream
1/2 cup flour or pancake mix (you can also use a gluten-free flour blend to make the dish GF)
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/4 tsp ea nutmeg and dry mustard (or 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard)

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Grease a 13"x9" baking dish with non-stick spray or oil. Place vegetable on bottom and then top with cheese.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, flour or pancake mix, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mustard.
4. Pour egg mixture on top. Place in oven and bake 35-40 minutes or until egg is set and top is golden brown and puffed.
5. Allow quiche to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Crustless Spinach and Feta Quiche (this one has great flavor)


1 small box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and dried
½ c crumbled feta
½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
½ tsp each dried oregano and garlic powder

6 eggs
2 cups of milk or cream
1/2 cup flour or pancake mix (see note above)
1/2 tsp ea salt and pepper
1/4 tsp ea nutmeg and dry mustard (or 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard)
1/2 tsp ea

Follow directions from above except, instead of zucchini, place spinach, feta and tomato halves in bottom of pan. Omit other cheeses (or keep them in for more cheese flavor). Add oregano and garlic powder to egg mixture. Follow mixing and baking instructions.

2 Crustless Quiches I served at the Ferry Building to rave reviews:
Sautéed chard and feta & Broccoli and garlic cheddar cheese

Green Bean, Potato and Pesto Salad recipe

I have to confess. My good friend Alison made this dish at a pot luck. It was delicious! I looked at the ingredients, asked for her permission and created my own twist on it. The combination of flavors is just delicious.

The first time I made it, I didn't have cherry tomatoes; I used sun-dried instead. At the Ferry Building for my demo, we used toasted walnuts both in the salad and in the pesto. If you want to have it for dinner, add some tofu (as seen in the picture), chicken or garbanzo beans. Once the green beans and potatoes are cooked, this dish is a snap to put together. Give it a try! (I'll post the video I made at the Ferry Building at some point; check back!).


Green Bean, Pesto and Potato Salad

Ingredients:

* 1/2-3/4 c pesto sauce
* 1 lb green beans, cut in half and steamed until tender
* 1 lb red or yellow creamer potatoes, cut in 1/4’s and steamed
* 1/2 pt grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or 1/2 c sun dried tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 c pine nuts or chopped walnuts, toasted
* 1/2 c Feta cheese, crumbled
* 3/4 c kalamata olives, halved
* 2 Tbl red wine vinegar
* 4 Tbl olive oil
* Freshly ground pepper
* Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in bowl and serve warm or cold.

Gnocchi Recipe

Homemade Gnocchi

I can still remember my Aunt Vincenzina making gnocchi at our house when she was visiting from Rome. I was only 10 yrs old but can visualize the rolling, cutting and flour, everywhere. I some times forget how much I like them. This weekend, I decided I needed a fix and was motivated. I also realized they are actually pretty easy.

I started the potatoes around 4pm and we were eating at 7pm. Don't be alarmed; it's not 3 hours of work, just an hour to bake, some time to cool, time to make the dough and roll and then let the little "snow snakes" get some air before boiling.

Don't be afraid to get the kids involved in this activity either. I rolled the ropes and they were in charge of cutting. By the time they cut all of the gnocchi, I was half way through rolling them off of the fork. It was fun making this a family affair.

And, in case you are wondering, the ones I made were gluten free. The recipe is here. Since the only difference is really the type of flour, I'm including the traditional one here. Enjoy and mangia bene!

For the gluten-free version, use this recipe.

Gnocchi

2-2 1/2 lb russet potatoes (about 4 large)
2-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt

1. Scrub potatoes and poke 3-4 times with a fork. Bake in a pre-heated 400° oven or 375° convection for about an hour or until soft inside. Baking the potato keeps the moisture down and is better than boiling potatoes for this recipe.
2. When potatoes are soft, remove from oven and cut in half lengthwise. Cool until you are able to handle them. Scoop potatoes out with a spoon and place into a potato ricer. This removes the lumps. If you don't have a potato ricer, mash with a fork until there are no lumps.
3. Cool potatoes slightly. They should not be hot. In a large bowl, add potatoes, butter or oil, eggs and salt. Mix briefly. Add about half of the flour and mix. Continue to add flour until the dough comes together but is no longer sticky. It should almost feel like play dough; tacky but not sticky. You may not need all of the flour. Reserve some flour for your work surface.
4. Roll pieces of the dough on a floured work surface into ropes, about 3/4" thick. Cut pieces about 1" long.
5. Using a fork, roll the gnocchi pieces from the top to the bottom, giving it a ridged look. Once all pieces are rolled, it is recommended to allow gnocchi to sit out for 15-20 minutes to dry out. They can be cooked at that point or frozen (place on a baking sheet or dish, freeze, then place in a freezer bag).
6. Bring a large pot of water filled about 2" from the top, to a boil. Cover the pot to bring the water to a boil quicker. Once boiling, add 1-2 tsp of salt. Gently place gnocchi into the water and stir with a slotted spoon.
7. Cook until all gnocchi are floating on top, stirring occasionally. Cook 1 more minute. Remove with a slotted spoon (draining can cause the gnocchi to stick together).

Healthy Lemonade Recipe

My kids and I made this one day when they asked for lemonade. Making a simple syrup can be time consuming so I opted for the agave nectar. This lemonade is not too sweet and the fresh lemon gives it a nice tart flavor.

We also served this at pre-school. The 3 to 5 yr olds gave it a double thumbs up! Hard to beat considering it has no refined sugar. Agave nectar also has a low glycemic index which means your blood sugar does not shoot up. You can even make individual lemonade right in your glass.

Remember, keeping key ingredients on hand is a great strategy for easy prep and cooking. Happy summer!

Healthy Lemonade

Crushed ice
Water
4 lemons
2-3 Tbl agave nectar

1. In a 2 qt container, place enough crushed ice to fill about 1/4 of the container.
2. Squeeze fresh lemons and place juice in container. Add the agave nectar and then enough water to fill container.
3. Mix and taste. Add more agave if it's not quite sweet enough.

Whole Wheat French Toast Recipe

Whole Wheat French Toast

We have a rotation of breakfast foods and for some reason, we have gotten out of the habit of French Toast, probably when my daughter was eating a gluten free diet. My son asked me to make it at his school, along with our healthy version of lemonade.

As I usually do, I looked at about 3-4 different French Toast recipes and created my own. The one I came up with was fairly low in sugar and high in fiber since I was using a whole wheat bread. This bread from Trader Joe's holds up very well. Instead of butter, I cooked them in a little canola oil. This gave the toast the right crispness without getting burnt.

The recipe may seem simple but you'd be amazed at how delicious it is. When we served it to the group of pre-schoolers, most were asking for seconds before we were done serving everyone. Give it a try.

Whole Wheat French Toast

8-10 pcs Trader Joe's Harvest Whole Wheat Bread*
3 eggs
2/3 c milk
1/4 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
pinch or two of salt

1 Tbl canola oil (butter is tasty but burns too quickly in your pan; try this instead)

*I liked using this bread because it was thick enough to stand up to the batter. With 3 gm of fiber and only 6 ingredients in it, this bread is a winner.

1. If the bread is soft, put slices on a cookie sheet and place in a low oven (250 degrees) for 5 mins to dry it out. If it's too soft, it will absorb too much batter and be mushy.
2. Mix all other ingredients except oil.
3. Heat pan to medium or grill pan to 400 degrees.
4. Based on the size of your pan, only batter the slices of bread that will be able to fit; don't let bread sit in egg-milk mix.
5. Place about 1 1/2 tsp of oil on pan and spread. Dip bread into batter and place in pan. Cook on each side until golden. Repeat with remaining bread. Keep warm in oven until ready to serve, covered with a damp paper or kitchen towel.

Lunch is served-Chard and Quinoa Salad

As I was about to eat lunch, I had to stop and take a picture. Although I might still succumb to my processed cheese craving every once in a while, I couldn't believe this is what I was eating; chard and quinoa salad, gluten free bread with white bean dip and arugula, and organic strawberries. This was largely due to the fact that this was what was in the fridge. However, because of my new gluten free (gf) diet, this is what I had in the fridge.

One of the benefits of my gf lifestyle is that I'm eating more healthy. I created this dish as I was rushing to a pot luck. I cooked the quinoa while I prepped the chard. Once that was cooked with the onion, I added the pine nuts, raisins, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. In about 20 minutes I was out the door with what has now become my favorite salad/side dish/entree. I've added sunflower seeds and now toast both to give them some crunch. Instead of the raisins, you can use cranberries. One time, I even added Indian spices to the onions, like cumin, coriander and cinnamon. That was good, too.

You can make this dish ahead and serve cold or at room temp. So far, everyone has liked it, even those under 4 feet! I hope you'll give it a try, even if you're not eating gluten free. It's going in the cookbook; here's the excerpt:


Using Grains: Chard and Quinoa Salad

Serve this as a salad or side dish. It’s always delicious and super easy. My children even eat it!

About 1 cup cooked quinoa (3/4 cup quinoa to 1.5 cup water)
3 Tbl pine nuts or sunflower seeds (or both)
Olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
Ground pepper
1 head of chard, chopped with stems, placed in a large bowl of water to remove dirt.
1/4 Raisins
1 Tbl good quality olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle of agave nectar or honey

1. Prepare quinoa. See tip below.
2. In a non-stick skillet, toast nuts and/or sunflower seeds until golden brown. Remove from pan. If you don’t have time, add the pine nuts untoasted.
3. Heat large saute pan to medium. Add olive oil and cook onions with some ground pepper.
4. Remove chard from bowl, putting your hands into the water and scooping out the chard. If you pour the water out, the dirt will remain. Cook chard with onion, uncovered until softened.
5. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve room temp or cold.

TIP:
How to Cook Quinoa

Rinse quinoa under water (unless it’s pre-rinsed; this removes the natural soapy residue it has). Place quinoa in a pot with twice as much water, for example, 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups of water. Add a pinch or two of salt. Bring this up to a boil, cover and lower to a simmer for 12-15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

About Quinoa (Keen-wah)

Quinoa has become quite popular in the last few years. Although it’s actually a seed (picture a sunflower), it’s properties are more like a grain which is why it’s referred to as one.

Quinoa comes from South America and has been called a super grain because of the nutritional value it holds. Besides being high in protein, calcium and iron, quinoa also has a good amount of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. Why not give it a try?