Banana Zucchini Bread

As the end of summer approaches, there seems to be an abundance of zucchini around. We unfortunately did not grow any this year, but people are always bringing in their extras to work that I snatch up. I am a sucker for banana bread and zucchini bread separately, so why not combine the two?? The result?, this delicious recipe.  It is a combination of a couple of different recipes I have tried, with an attempt to make it a little healthier. The result is delicious and the loaf does not last long between Chris and myself.

Yields: 2 loaves, Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

2 bananas

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup pecans or walnuts

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two bread pans and set aside. In a bowl mix together dry ingredients and set aside. 

Using a standing mixer whisk eggs. Add sugars and oil, whisking until smooth. Add bananas. Then add dry mixture until just combined. Fold in zucchini and walnuts.

Divide batter between bread pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until tester comes out clean. Let cool on drying rack for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

S'mores Cheesecake

Summer is OVER. I cannot believe it. My kids have started school and the pool is closing this weekend.  Why doesn't February ever fly by like this?

I have been a horrible blogger, and a horrible baker/cook etc all summer, so in a ditch effort to redeem myself for months of nothing, I whipped up this S'mores Cheesecake.

The recipe is easy, but you have to make sure you start it a day ahead of when you want to serve it.  If you are a s'mores fan, pin this *&$%.  It is creamy, chocolaty and delish.

S'mores Cheesecake - Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS:
CRUST
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (made from 9 whole crackers finely ground in processor; 1 packet)
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
9 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (I used half milk choco and half dark choco), chopped
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 large eggs

TOPPING
1 cup sugar
2 large egg whites
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 large marshmallows, cut into quarters with wet kitchen scissors
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

RECIPE

FOR CRUST
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Mix crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir until mixture is evenly moistened. Press onto bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake until set, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven; cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

FOR FILLING
Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water and cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.
Combine cream cheese, sugar, and salt in processor and blend until smooth. With motor running, add whipping cream through feed tube and process just until blended. With motor running, add melted chocolate, then add eggs 1 at a time, blending and scraping down sides after each addition until mixture is smooth. Pour batter over crust in pan.
Bake cake until outer edge is slightly puffed and cake is barely set in center (center will look shiny and move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 55 minutes. Transfer cake to rack. Run small sharp knife around cake to loosen. Chill uncovered until cold, 8 hours or overnight. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

FOR TOPPING
Whisk sugar, egg whites, 3 tablespoons water, cream of tartar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to blend in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens and is hot to touch, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over water and stir in marshmallows (keep water simmering in saucepan). Let stand until marshmallows soften, about 3 minutes. Set bowl with mixture over simmering water; using handheld electric mixer, beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
Scrape topping onto cheesecake. Using offset metal spatula, spread topping to edges of cake, swirling decoratively. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes.
Using kitchen torch, lightly brown topping in spots. (Or preheat broiler; place cake at least 4 inches from heat source and broil just until topping is lightly browned in spots, watching closely to avoid burning, about 2 minutes.) Chill cake until cold. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep chilled. Remove pan sides. Place cake on platter.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I love when I take the time to plan ahead to make a homemade pizza crust for our favorite pizzas.  At the frequency we eat pizza, you would think I would be smart enough to always have one in the freezer, but unfortunately I am not. However a homemade crust can be one of the best parts. This recipe makes two pizza crusts, is not too time intensive and is delicious. Prep time: 20 minutes, Total time: 2 hours.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp quick-rise yeast (1 package)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water (110F), + as needed
2 tbsp olive oil


Using a food processor, combine flours, yeast, salt and sugar. Pulse to mix ingredients. With the motor running, in a steady stream add the water and olive oil. Pulse until dough comes together in a rough mass, approximately 15 seconds. If dough does not form into a ball, add more water a tablespoon at a time, until a rough ass forms.  Let rest for 10 minutes. Pulse again for 30 seconds. Dough should be tacky to the touch but not sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a small ball. Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Once the dough has doubled in bulk and is spongy, punch out the dough on a floured work surface and kneed into a smooth cylinder. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shaping each into smooth ball. If dough becomes sticky, dust with flour. Cover the each dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes before making your pizza. If you are freezing one of the doughs, place in a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to two months. When ready to use, let thaw for 3-4 hours at room temperature. I have also found that if you make this the day before, you can place in the refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature a hour before using.

For some great homemade pizza recipes, check out these great recipes: Shaved Asparagus Pizza, Barbecue Chicken Pizza, Butternut Squash & Pesto Pizza and the Fig and prosciutto pizza.

Low Fat Blueberry Banana Muffins

We had a family wedding outside of San Francisco last weekend, which was incredibly fun!  We spent the 2 days leading up to the big event, enjoying all that San Fran has to offer. Not surprisingly,  my tour of the city focused on visiting different bakeries, restaurants, and watering holes.  I had more pastries in a 48 hour period than I usually eat in a month, and every single one of them was delicious and totally worth it.  Unfortunately for me this type of indulgence cannot be continued back in Wi, unless I want to pull out the maternity pants, so when my body went through withdrawal from not eating flaky chocolate filled croissants, I decided to give these low fat muffins a try.  The recipe does not call for any butter or oil, and they still taste delicious.   We blew through a dozen in 2 days!




Low Fat Blueberry Banana Muffins - Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction
2 and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or mix of whole wheat and all-purpose)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed (or dark brown sugar)
1 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 2 large very ripe bananas)
1/4 cup nonfat vanilla greek yogurt (or any yogurt)
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 and 1/4 cup fresh or unthawed frozen blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Spray 15 muffin tins with nonstick spray.* Set aside.
In a large bowl, gently toss the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together until combined. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the honey and brown sugar together - it will be thick and lumpy. Try to get out as many lumps as you can - a fork works well to break it up. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, and beaten egg. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently begin to fold it all together. It will be very thick. Add the milk slowly and continue to gently mix the ingredients together. The milk will thin everything out, but the batter will still remain thick. Gently fold in the blueberries. Do not overmix the batter, which will lend tough, dry muffins.

Divide the batter between 12 muffin tins. Fill all the way to the top.  Bake for 17-18 minutes until very lightly browned on the edges. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow the muffins to cool completely.

Each muffin is 131 calories each based on using nonfat vanilla greek yogurt and unsweetened almond milk. Muffins taste best the next day, like most banana bread recipes. Muffins remain fresh and moist stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. Muffins freeze well, up to 3 months.

Evidence that I could not control myself at Tartine!

strawberry rhubarb hand-pies

Hand pies are the perfect picnic dessert, especially for the upcoming holiday weekend!  They are easy to transport, they require zero utensils (or plates for that matter), you just grab and enjoy.  I combined a few different recipes to make these strawberry rhubarb cuties, and they were delicious!

Crust
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small cubes
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk 

Rhubarb Filling
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

1 cup finely chopped fresh rhubarb

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

To assemble
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
Coarse sugar


Make pie dough: Whisk together flour, zest, sugar and salt in the bottom of a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the biggest pieces of butter are the size of tiny peas.  Gently stir in 3/4 cup buttermilk with a rubber spatula, mixing it until a craggy mass forms. Get your hands in the bowl and knead it just two or three times to form a ball. If it doesn’t come together, add remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does, then gently knead again. Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten a bit, like a disc. Chill in fridge for at least an hour or up to two days.

Make rhubarb filling: Place rhubarb , strawberries, cornstarch, orange peel and sugar in a small-to-medium saucepan with sugar and stir to combine. Cover and cook at medium-low heat for 15 minutes, no need to stir. Increase the heat to medium, remove the lid and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until rhubarb is broken down and ideally thick enough that if you run a spoon across the bottom of the pot, you can see a trench quickly form and disappear.  Spread mixture on a large plate in the fridge or freezer to cool quickly, then scrape into a bowl. Keep cold until needed; it will be thicker and easier to “scoop” onto the pie bases.

Assemble pies: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line two to three baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat your remaining egg and 1 tablespoon water and keep aside with a pastry brush.

Flour your counter and start rolling your dough by pressing down lightly with the pin and moving it from the center out. Roll it a few times in one direction, lift it up and rotate it a quarter-turn. Continue to do, roll a couple times, lifting the dough and rotating it until the dough is just shy of 1/8-inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or glass, cut dough into circles. 

Brush half the circles very, very lightly with the egg wash; these will be your bases. Cut a small vent in the other half of the circles; these will be your lids. In the center of each egg washed square, put a small dollop (2TBS) rhubarb filling. Top each filled base with a vented circle. Press outer edge of top and bottom all around to seal with your fingertips; a fork will work as well. Transfer pie to a baking sheet, spacing 1-inch apart. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Repeat with remaining dough, including second half from fridge, and fillings.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden, and even more brown at edges. Transfer to cooling racks and cool to room temperature before serving.

Blueberry Syrup

ahhhh summer, here at last!

My refrigerator is bursting with produce and the girls and I are loving it, except for some reason my lovlies are boycotting blueberries this week. Why? No idea, but I am pretty positive that they will be back in good standing sometime in the near future.

In the meantime, I had to come up with a plan for my 3+ pints of blueberries and I decided on making a blueberry syrup.  You can add the syrup to anything - pancakes, waffles, ice cream, oatmeal (i had it this morning), the possibilities are endless and the blueberry flavor makes everything sing summer.  


blueberry syrup:

Ingredients
1 1/2 pints fresh blueberries, rinsed
1 cup vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions
Combine the blueberries and vanilla sugar in a large heavy saucepan. Add 1 cup water and the lemon juice and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken.

Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate.

chicken, corn, zucchini, and black bean enchiladas

Enchiladas are one of my favorite meals to make, because they are simple, quick and delicious. I found this recipe in the True Food cookbook, and have made it several times, tweaking it a little differently each time depending what I have in my fridge. These are delicious and I don't feel as guilty about eating them, since they are filled with fresh, seasonal vegetables that I can usually find at the farmers market.  

Ingredients

2  cups corn kernels 

    (from 2 ears of corn)

1 1/2 cup diced roasted 

    chicken

1  red pepper

1  poblano chile, roasted, 

   seeded and diced

1  small zucchini, diced

1/3 cup cooked black beans

3  ounces Manchego 

   cheese, diced

1/4  teaspoon chili powder

    salt and pepper

6  corn tortillas

1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese

1  Jar tomatillos salsa

6  tablespoons Greek-style yogurt

2  teaspoons chopped cilantro

6  lime wedges

1. Start by roasting the Poblano. If you have a gas stove, the easiest way to do this is turn on a burner and place the Poblano directly about the fire. Rotate the Poblano, allowing the outer skin to blacken. Once the majority of the pepper has blackened, remove it from flame and put it in a bowl, covering it with plastic wrap. Once the pepper has cooled, peal off the skin, seed and chop. If you don't have a gas stove, you can roast the pepper in the oven by broiling it, using the same technique, rotating until blackened. 

2. Meanwhile, place the corn kernels and red pepper in a large skilled over medium heat, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. 

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine chicken, zucchini, black beans diced Manchego, corn, red pepper, diced poblano, and chili powder. Mix well, adding salt and pepper to taste. 

4. Ladle 1/4 cup of the Tomatillo salsa into a shallow, oven dish (9x9).  Taking a tortilla spoon the filling into the center of the tortilla, rolling it and placing it seam down in the baking dish. Fill remainder of tortillas. (If you have extra filling, place in dish at the ends of the tortilla.)  

5. Top with the remainder 3/4 cup of the tomatillos salsa and shredded Manchego. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve with greek yogurt, cilantro and lime.  

I have recently been obsessed with a new tortilla shells called La Tortilla Factory. There are many varieties, but my personal favorite the green chile tortillas. :)

I have been slacking on posting because I have been busy making some of my favorites from the blog. Make sure to check out the S'more Bars, Rhubarb muffins, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Strawberry Bruschetta.