Chocolate Zucchini Loaf Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf Cake

2/3 c. all-purpose flour ( I used 1C. GF flour... of course)

1/3. c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon ( I used Penzey’s Vietnamese)

1 1/2 c. shredded raw zucchini

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/4 c. applesauce

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. semi sweet or dark chocolate chips (optional- I used mini chips)

1. preheat oven to 350 and grease a loaf pan. sift together first 7 ingredients. set aside.

2. using a hand mixer, beat the oil, applesauce, sugars, eggs, and vanilla for about 2 min.

3. fold in zucchini, add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. fold in chocolate chips.

4. pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 15 min. then transfer from pan to wire rack and let cool completely. store in fridge when cool.

serve warm with vanilla ice cream. or straight out of the fridge, with fresh strawberries. (Raspberries would be better with this I think.)

* I squeezed some of the water out of the zucchini after I shredded it as it seemed like it would make the cake too moist.

Blue Berry Buckle from Betty Crocker's Cook Book (0ld)

2 C. flour

1/4 C. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 C. shortening or butter

3/4 C. milk

1 egg

2 C. blue berries

Topping:

1/2 C. sugar

1/3 C flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 C. soft butter

Heat oven to 375F

Grease a square 8" pan

Blend all ingredients except the topping, beating vigorously 1/2 minute. Spread in the prepared pan.

Sprinkle with the topping

Bake 25-30 minutes or until it tests done using a tooth pick or strand of spaghetti

Serve warm

Blue Berry Buckle from Betty Crocker

Balsamic Chicken with Caprice Toast

It is summer and I really try not to cook anything in the house that is going to take any length of time to cook. These are something's that cook quickly and are fairly light on the waist line as well as the AC bill.

I can't resist caprice when the sweet basil is ready and so are the home grown tomatoes and I just love most anything done with a flattened chicken breast.

I was at a local grocery here on Sunday and saw a Taste Of Home Italian cookbook and nabbed it for the afternoon's reading. Didn't get to it until sometime yesterday. Knee deep in a Nora Roberts novel.

So, today for lunch I had to try one of the lighter recipes and we love it and thought that you might like it as well. Now remember I told you that I love caprice so that plays in here as well.

The first recipe is from Taste Of Home Italian and called Balsamic Chicken

If you are using an entire chicken breast, you will want it skinless and boneless. Trim the fat and the chin stuff that is where the cartilage area of the breast bone was. Put the two halves on a sheet of plastic wrap and cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap and using the flat side of your meat mallet flatten to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut each half in half again so that you have 4 portions.

In a resealable plastic bag combine:

1/4 C flour

(I added 1/2 tsp of Penzey's Mural of flavor)

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/8 tsp. sea salt

Mix well and coat the chicken portions.

In a large non-stick skillet:

1 Tbsp. canola oil (I chose to use EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) it is just me, I like the taste it imparts)

the chicken breast portions go in next and they are cooked medium heat on each side for about 4-5 minutes (until the juices run clear)

Remove the chicken and keep it warm (now here I deviated again and I sprinkled the hot chicken portions with Parmesan cheese).

In the still hat skillet add:

1 small onion, thinly sliced and cook until tender

(Here I deviated once more. The recipe calls for dried spices (thyme and rosemary) I used fresh rosemary (3 sprigs stripped and 1 spring of Greek oregano stripped)

Add in;

1/4 C. water

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. dried rosemary

2 Tbsp. good Balsamic Vinegar

Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken a bit.

Serve this over the chicken breast.

Caprice toast:

4 thin slices of Italian bread drizzled with garlic infused EVOO (not allot just drizzle it)

cover each slice with slices of "fresh Mottzrella cheese (this is the white ball that you see in the cheese section. Sometimes it's called Buffalo Mottzrella when it is made with Buffalo milk. It might seem like it is packed in liquid.)

Cover each then with Sweet Basil leaves.

Followed by thin slices of fresh tomato

350F until the cheese is melted and tomatoes show some cooking going on.

I had a chicken breast and slice of this on each plate and in Den's words "You are out of the ball park on this one. Great meal!!!"

If you try it, I hope it turns out to be something you like.

God bless,

Linda