Zucchini

Many of us have an abundance of zucchini at this time of year. I managed to kill my zucchini plant but thanks to good neighbors I can still enjoy this vegetable. I heard a funny saying once, "If you see someone buying zucchini at the store there's a good chance that they need a friend." Here are my favorite recipes for zucchini bread and zucchini. Both were given to me by neighbors and friends.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 c. oil
3 eggs
2 c. peeled, grated zucchini
3 c. flour
1 t. soda
1 t. baking powder
3/4 t. ground cloves
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 c. raisins (optional)

1. Beat eggs, add sugars, then oil.
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Add dry ingredients alternately with the zucchini.
4. Stir in vanilla, raisins, and nuts.
5. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.
6. Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees.
7. Let stand 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool.

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
4 c. peeled, shredded zucchini
4 c. flour
1 t. salt
3 t. soda
1/2 c. cocoa
4 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1 pkg. chocolate chips

1. Combine sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
   
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Add dry ingredients alternately with zucchini.
4. Spread batter in a sprayed jelly roll pan.
5. Sprinkle raw batter with chocolate chips.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted int he center comes out clean.
   

Texas Sheet Cake

I'm not a big cake fan but when I tasted this I couldn't resist asking for the recipe. It has turned in to one of my favorite choco-holic recipes. It's rich, sweet, and more dense than regular cake. You'll probably find that one piece is more than enough. After all, it contains 3 sticks of butter. Yum! For an Oreo-like flavor I like to use black cocoa powder. For those of you in Utah you can find it at Kitchen Kneads. This dessert takes a little longer to put together than a cake-mix cake but you'll appreciate that effort later.

TEXAS SHEET CAKE

In a saucepan combine:

2 cubes of butter
4 T. cocoa powder
1 c. water

Bring to a boil.

In a bowl combine:

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda

Pour the hot liquid over the flour/sugar mixture and combine well. Then add:

1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then pour the frosting over the top

FROSTING:

Boil the following:

1 cube butter
4 T. cocoa powder
6 T. milk

Add the following to the above mixture:

1 lb. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
nuts (optional)

Combine well and pour over the cake.

Limeade

I love the sweet, tart flavor of limeade. On a hot summer day this is one of my favorites. You'll need 6 or 7 limes to make one cup of lime juice. Roll the limes on the counter, cut them in half, and squeeze through a juicer. If you don't like pulp strain the juice through a fine mesh strainer. Follow the instructions below and freeze into one cup portions to use for later. I hope you enjoy it!

LIMEADE CONCENTRATE

1 c. lime juice (fresh limes please)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. water

1. Heat one cup of water.
2. Stir in sugar and lime juice.
3. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and divide into 1 cup portions. I use Ziploc bags. You should have enough for three bags of concentrate.
   
4. To make into juice combine 1 cup of concentrate with 2 cups of water.
   

Brownies From Scratch

I love brownies but I've never loved the ones that come from a box. The texture is either too dry or too gooey. I think this recipe is perfect. The brownies are dense, and not too "cakey" or too flat and gooey. The best part is, it's a simple recipe; you dump everything in together, pour it in a pan and bake it for 30 min. Let it cool and voila! Perfect made from scratch brownies. I have three different options for topping them off. With all of the potlucks that are just around the corner this is one recipe you'll have to try.

BROWNIES FROM SCRATCH

2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. baking cocoa (I use Dutch or Black Cocoa)
1 t. salt
5 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients. Beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Topping variations:

#1 Sprinkle 1 c. chocolate chips on raw batter BEFORE baking.

#2 Sprinkle 1/2 c. chocolate chips & 1/2 c. white chips on raw batter BEFORE baking.

#3 Mint layer ingredients. Combine the following while brownies are baking/cooling:

Mint Layer:

2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. melted butter
2 T. milk
1/2 t. peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring

Beat until smooth, spread over cooled brownies then...

Glaze:

3/4 c. chocolate chips
3 T. butter

Combine chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals until melted. Be careful so you don't scorch the chocolate. If you burn it, it will not spread well. Let stand 2 minutes. Spread evenly over the mint layer. Refrigerate brownies until ready to serve.

Where have I been?

So, where have I been since there haven't been any new recipes? Well, Papa Murphy's just opened down the street (been there twice,) McD's, Carl's Jr., and Mimi's just to name a few.

Seriously, I've been outside. This is one of my favorite times of year. I love planting my vegetable garden and flowers in the spring. This year I got 7 new trees that I'm looking forward to enjoying and I still have several flats flowers that need to be put in the ground. Spring clean up is not for the weak! This leaves little time for kitchen experiments. I must say, however, that I'm tired of eating out. It takes it's toll on the stomach and the wallet. I will do my best to get new stuff on here soon.

Lack of New Posts

Please forgive the lack of new posts. We've been dealing with the loss of our Grandpa this past week. I hope to be back to posting more yummy recipes next week.

Calzones

Once you make these you'll never want to eat another Hot Pocket. Trust me! I got this dough recipe from a good friend, (thanks SS!) It has just the right amount of herbs and makes a great bread to wrap up whatever yummy ingredients you have on hand. The recipe makes between 6 to 8 meal-sized calzones or you can make them smaller, (like a Hot Pocket, ) and freeze them.

CALZONES

3 c. flour
2 1/2 t. yeast
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil
1 t. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 c. warm water
1 egg white, beaten (for brushing on top of the calzones)
kosher salt or toasted sesame seeds (for sprinkling on top)
pizza sauce or ranch dressing

FILLING COMBINATIONS

Pepperoni, mozzarella, pizza sauce
Ham, Swiss, tomatoes, green onions, ranch dressing
Salami, Swiss or mozzarella, pizza sauce
Hamburger, cheddar, onions, pizza sauce
Chicken, mozzarella, artichokes, ranch dressing

1. Add 2 c. flour, oregano, basil, salt, yeast, and sugar to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add warm water and olive oil.
3. Combine well and then add remaining flour a half cup at a time. It usually takes around 3 - 3 1/4 cups of flour. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Knead for 5 minutes.
4. Let dough rest for 30 minutes.
5. Separate into 6 - 8 balls of dough.
   
6. Roll each piece of dough into a circle. Spread sauce on the whole circle leaving a 1/2-inch bare (so you can seal it.) Add fillings on half of the dough. Just a note, add more cheese than you think you need. When it is melted you'll wish you had more.
   
7. Fold the dough over to create a half circle shape.
   
8. Pinch edges tightly so cheese doesn't leak out. If you need to, lightly wet the edges of the dough so it sticks better and then press with a fork.
   
9. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray and then sprinkle it with corn meal.
   
10. Brush the calzone tops with a beaten egg white and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, or kosher salt (if desired.)
11. Let rise for 30 minutes.
12. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes until lightly browned.