Monday, July 12, 2010

Manic Monday Munchies: Zucchini Bread

I had a couple of my favorite recipes come up in conversation recently, including one in which Cheryl over at chasingamiracle.com asked me for the recipe. During this whole infertility, pregnancy, and miscarriage journey, food has become an important part of my journey. Not knowing the cause of my Wacky Wicketeer's sperm challenges, or our miscarriages, has led me to much research of what we should and shouldn't be eating that might be harming or helping our reproductive health. I have even gone so far as to shift my time away from work and spend more time cooking from scratch and packing the Wicketeer's lunches for him to take to work.

All that to explain why I am starting a new regular posting called Manic Monday Munchies! Sometimes it will be a recipe, and other times just a discussion about food.

We eat very little in the way of sweets, despite us each having a sweet tooth. This recipe for zucchini bread is one of the few I consider to be not only a side dish or breakfast item, but also a possible dessert, that I still make with regularity. My stepmom gave me this recipe, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Shelley's Zucchini Bread
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups grated zucchini
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ½ cup chopped nuts
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups sifted flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp soda
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • ½ tsp cloves
Mix all ingredients together until smooth using electric mixer. Bake in 2 greased loaf pans at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes.

Makes 2 loaves.

A few notes:
  • Make sure to use a vegetable oil and a pan-greaser (butter or vegetable shortening) with zero trans-fats.
  • I have considered trying apple sauce in place of the vegetable oil in the recipe, but haven't done so yet. Let me know how it works out if you are brave enough to try it that way!
  • I have tried substituting about half the flour with whole wheat flour to increase the amount of fiber, but the result can really vary as far as texture and such. Again, let me know what your ratio and results are if you try this substitution.

7 comments:

  1. Yum I love zucchini bread. My mom has a great zucchini muffin recipe, but I haven't made it in ages. I should.

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  2. I just made zucchini bread a couple days ago. Yum.

    I gave it to the kids for breakfast this morning and I called it "breakfast bread" because I knew the word zucchini would be a deal-breaker :)

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  3. OMG i am so excited to make this! i am going to give it a try on sunday!! Maybe i can make it for my work lunches - can you freeze and toast?

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  4. I think it's too moist and soft for a regular toaster, but would work in a toaster oven. I wouldn't do the whole wheat flour substitution and toast though, because I think the crust would be too...crusty. I haven't frozen it, but I think I remember my stepmom freezing it back when I was a teenager. When I take it to go, I just stick the slices in a ziploc bag. If I store the loaf in the fridge in plastic wrap and only cut as needed, it has lasted up to a week.

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  5. Oh, by the way, let me know how the freezing and toasting goes if you try it!

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  6. It's fascinating to me how much nutrition and what we eat impacts our health. I have been exploring nutrition's effects on my PMS/PMDD/perimenopause symptoms with some success. I look forward to your Monday comments.

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  7. Oh! I made this with natural applesauce replacing the vegetable oil the other night, and it worked like a charm!

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