April 26, 2024

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

September 25, 2015 by

choc zucchini muffins

Happy Fall, everyone!  Time to harvest – clean out your garden, gather all your herbs, and start prepping for the cold.  If you have any zucchini left on your vines, pick them and make this!  Ready?  Go!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups flour (I used half regular flour, half whole wheat)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 stick butter, melted 
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 zucchini, grated
  • 1/2 bag chocolate chips (about 6 oz. or 2/3 cup)
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease muffin tin or use paper liners.  (I just use Pam.)
  2. In a bowl, combine first six ingredients (all the dry ones).  
  3. In a larger bowl, whisk vanilla and melted butter into eggs, then mash the banana and add that to the mixture.  Whisk in sugar and stir in grated zucchini.  Stir in the chocolate chips.
  4. A little at a time, stir the dry ingredients into the wet.  Pour into muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes.  
This recipe made 18 muffins for me.  We ate a bunch and froze the rest.  To thaw, microwave for 30 seconds, but be careful, the chocolate chips get all hot and melty again!
Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet

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Summer Vegetable Curry

August 1, 2014 by

Summer Vegetable Curry resize

If you think about it, there is a lot of overlap between summer produce here in the United States, and what shows up on Indian food menus.  That’s because what grows where it’s hot there is also what grows in the summer here.  Lots of Indian dishes feature zucchini (also called courgettes), onions, eggplants, and tomatoes – all things coming into season now!  Why not try this Summer Vegetable Curry?

You really can’t mess this up or go wrong.  Don’t like garbanzo beans?  Use another bean, or switch them out for green peas or bite-sized green beans.  Like it spicy?  Add some chopped jalapeños or another chili of your choice.  Use whatever curry powder you have.  Out of coconut milk?  Use water or broth instead.  I didn’t have any cilantro, or I would have chopped up a few tablespoons to stir in right before serving.  See?  There is no wrong way.

For a vegetarian meal, double the amount of beans and serve over basmati rice.  Paleo?  Skip the beans altogether and serve this curry as a side dish to your favorite protein.  Ready?  Let’s go!

Summer Vegetable Curry

Ingredients:

  • 1 large onion
  • 2 tablespoons ghee, butter, or oil
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder (or more, to taste)
  • 1/2  can coconut milk
  • 2 skinny eggplants
  • 3 zucchinis
  • 1 can garbanzo beans or 1 cup of rehydrated and cooked dried garbanzos
  • cilantro, raw tomato, and rice (optional)  for serving

Directions:

  1. In a very large pot, heat the ghee or butter.  Chop the onion and add to the pot, along with the mustard and cumin seeds.  Fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent.  Then add the curry powder and coconut milk and reduce heat.
  2. Cut the eggplants and zucchinis into thin half-moons.  Add to the pot, stir to mix, and cover.  Cook over low heat for about 25 minutes until the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
  3. Taste for seasoning – add salt or more curry powder if you like.  Stir in the garbanzos and heat through.
  4. Serve with chopped tomato and minced cilantro.  Serve over rice if you like.

This is definitely one of those recipes that is even better the next day, and it’s easy to reheat.  Have some for dinner tonight and save some for lunch tomorrow!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipes, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Zucchini Lasagna

September 6, 2013 by

Zucchini Lasagna Resize

 

This recipe came about, as many do, in my house:  I start with an ingredient and brainstorm what in the world I’m going to do with it.  I had a bag of summer squash from the farmer’s market – it was so inexpensive, I couldn’t pass it up.  But aside from making zucchini bread, I couldn’t think of how to use it.  That was when I stumbled upon a recipe for Homemade Ricotta, and it came to me:  Zucchini Lasagna!

The zucchini stands in for traditional noodles in this recipe, so if you are following a low-carb diet, or if you are avoiding gluten, you’re in luck!  If you are making ricotta, drain and squeeze it to keep any extra liquid out of the casserole.  Nobody likes a soggy lasagna!  Feel free to saute and add other veggies or herbs to the lasagna, too – baby spinach, bell peppers, black olives, or fresh basil would all be lovely!

This is a small casserole, so we ate it with a big salad for dinner.  You can easily double or quadruple this recipe to serve more people.  Hope you like it!

Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients:

  • 1 or 2 zucchinis or other summer squash, about 3/4 pound
  • cooking spray
  • 1/2 pound sausage
  • 1/2 small onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained (I used fire-roasted canned tomatoes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs, or oregano
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup Homemade Ricotta, or store-bought
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400*F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Chop the zucchini into thin coins – about 1/8″-thick.  Lay out on the baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes.  They don’t need to be cooked through at all – you just want to dry them out a little bit.  Remember, no one likes a soggy lasagna!
  2. While the zucchini is drying out, dice the onion, and mince the clove of garlic.  In a large pan, brown the sausage with the onion and garlic.  Drain any fat that accumulates.  Add in the drained tomatoes, oregano, and salt and pepper, and heat through.
  3. In a casserole dish, spray a little cooking spray so nothing sticks.  Layer half the zucchini slices to cover the bottom of the casserole dish.  Spread half the ricotta over the zucchini, then spread half the sausage mixture over the ricotta.  Repeat with the rest of the zucchini, then ricotta, then sausage.  Cover with the shredded mozzarella.
  4. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove lid and bake for another ten minutes, until the cheese is golden and melty.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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At Home with GCH: Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins

May 13, 2013 by

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes.  Today’s recipe fits into this category being it is low in fat (uses greek yogurt and a small amount of coconut oil or butter), is gluten-free (uses no grains) and is full of really good for you ingredients.

Have you ever used crystallized ginger?  If not, I would like to introduce you to it!  I just love crystallized ginger, and always have some stored in a sealed container in the freezer.  It is a great ingredient in many spicy foods.  We especially enjoy it in Thai food!  Try adding a bit to any baked goodies that have cinnamon, or nutmeg, in them.  I buy mine in the grocery store; look for it either in the Asian food aisle, or the baking goods aisle.  Below I have posted a couple of links for you so that you can check it out!  Enjoy!

2013-05-10 12.11.00

Zucchini Muffins (Gluten Free)    – makes one dozen

Topping Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1 tablespoon sugar (I use coconut sugar)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons almond flour
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into little cubes 2013-05-10 11.09.39

Muffin Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar (I use coconut sugar)
3 eggs
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup softened coconut oil
1+1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 cube crystallized ginger*, grated fine
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1+1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

  • Heat oven to 325
  • Place muffin cup papers in muffin tin
  • Make topping first: mix all dry components of topping together; then drop in the cold butter and quickly use your fingers to incorporate the butter ’til crumbly.  Set aside.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together first 4 muffin ingredients until sugar is dissolved
  • Add shredded zucchini (and crystallized ginger, if using) to the wet ingredients; stir well
  • In a large bowl, mix together the flours, spices, and baking soda
  • Add wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until incorporated
  • Divide batter into muffin cups evenly
  • Sprinkle on almond topping
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes ’til toothpick comes out clean

*Here is where you can buy crystallized ginger .  I have bought this brand before; it is a very nice product.  NOTE: the price listed is for a “12 pack.”  When you buy them individually at WalMart, they run approximately $1.89 or so.  And the grocery store price runs just about the same.

Here is Alton Brown’s recipe to make your own!  I am going to use this recipe this week!

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen concerning this blogpost, you may email her at: Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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