(Chocolate) Zucchini Bread

So I've been making this zucchini bread recipe for YEARS (I believe my catering aunt gave it to me) and at the bottom of the recipe card is a note saying "To make Chocolate Zucchini bread---add ½ cup cocoa!" but I never did-----until today when I decided that this was the recipe that I was going to make for the Master Baker's 1st challenge!!! OMG what a different taste---in a good way! It still has the traditional taste of the zucchini bread that its infamous for---cinnamon & nutmeg but with a non-overpowering hint of chocolate. Ooh and still moist...yum!! I got so excited about adding the chocolate I forgot to add nuts this round!!!! Oh well, still good and will still be gone!!! And if you couldn't tell, if you want to make it the 'regular' way just leave out the cocoa!!

Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 cup zucchini, shredded
2½ cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon & nutmeg
½ tsp baking powder

Beat eggs, oil, sugar & vanilla. Stir in zucchini. Combine dry ingredients; add to zucchini mixture and mix well. Pour into 2 greased 8x4x2 loaf pans. Bake at 350F degrees for 1 hour.

To make Chocolate Zucchini bread---add ½ cup cocoa!

Turkey Meatloaf

I made this on Thursday evening after chatting with my friend on IM. We were both starving and you know how your mind can wonder...she wanted meatloaf and didn't have any meat, I had turkey meat but quite honestely had never made meatloaf. So we conspired together our lunch for the the next day...I would make/bring turkey meatloaf and she would go to Houston's restaurant and order their grilled brussel sprouts & some of that spinach/artichoke dip for an appetizer. A lunch match made in heaven no? Well, long story short, I took at half day off from work (you know the saying when the boss is away the 'mice' will play?...) so we didn't have our 'lunch' but boy it sure did sound good!! Well I made the meatloaf and it was really good. Next time I would chop the onions much more fine, but other than that, this recipe is a keeper. I have made a bunch of recipes now from Ellie Krieger and I'm convinced to buy her new cookbook. EVERY SINGLE RECIPE I've made from her has been nothing but EXCELLENT! She truly ROCKS!!!

Turkey Meatloaf
Adapted from Ellen Krieger

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1 medium onion, peeled
2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Preheat the oven to 350*F.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160*F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to15 minutes before slicing.

Chunky Red Dal Soup

So my mom can over to spend the weekend with me and so that means I'll be making soup! So that's what I did! I was browsing CL's message board and came across this recipe and decided to give it a try! It didn't take long to make and the smell of the soup cooking was flavorful. I didn't have any Harissa spice and didn't want to buy a whole bottle for fear that I would only use it for this recipe so I just used the recommended substitute chile paste and it seemed to work fine.

Chunky Red Dal Soup
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
3/4 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cups water
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp harissa or chile paste
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 6 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in ginger, paprika, salt, cumin, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add 3 cups water, lentils, chickpeas, and tomatoes; bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and harissa. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Couscous Salad

This is a very good simple but ooh-so-flavorful salad. Its a great summer salad but I find myself making it even in the winter months (to remind myself of summer!). I've made this recipe a million times and everyone I make it for (especially BF) LOVES it and always want more. I don't change a thing from the original recipe. Its too good to mess up a good thing! Ooh and the longer the salad sits (especially overnight) the more flavorful the salad becomes! Way to go Wolfgang!!

Couscous Salad

Adapted from Wolfgang Puck

2 cups chicken stock
10 ounces instant couscous
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 small red onion, peeled, diced
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
1 bunch green onions, minced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

In a saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Place the couscous in a large, heatproof bowl. Stir in the salt and the cinnamon. Pour the boiling stock over the couscous mixture, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove cover, fluff couscous and allow to cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice and zest, red onion, cucumber, bell pepper, and green onions. Add the cooled couscous and toss until well blended. Stir in the cilantro leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Blackened Tilapia

So Super Bowl Sunday finds me away from the TV and in the kitchen (of course). I didn't want to make the 'standard' Super Bowl food (chicken wings, finger foods, etc) so I decided to make some fish! Talk about a 180degree flip! But my my my!! Talk about yum! I saw Paula Deen make it awhile back and made it for BF and he LOVED it and quite frankly...so did I. I'm not a fish fan and this whole tilapia thing is new to me (about 3+yrs now) but I have to admit that it was really REALLY good. I did make a few changes from Paula's original recipe (decreased ground thyme & added cayenne pepper instead of red pepper). This recipe is sooo flavorful. And it cooks up in MINUTES.

I accompanied it with a coucous salad that I make all the time during the summer but thought it would go good with this...and I was right. Definitely a keeper for even a weekday meal. YUM-O!

Blackened Tilapia

Adapted from Paula Deen

1/4 cup sweet paprika
1 Tbsp ground thyme
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
4 (10-ounce) tilapia fillets

In a shallow dish, combine first 6 ingredients.

Pour melted butter into another shallow dish. Dip fish fillets in melted butter and coat with seasoning mixture.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook prepared fish, in batches if necessary, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Potato Cheese Soup

Well, Marie has done it again. Marie Calendar's (the restaurant) gave out their daily special soup-potato cheese some years ago and I grabbed it and ran with it!!!! I used to make the soup with her cornbread but then I discovered this foccocia-like cheese bread that is just to-die-for so I accompany the soup with that now. Seeing that its been raining all week and still this weekend, it felt like a soup weekend. I even tried to make a fire in the fireplace only to be shut down when I had no 'starters'!!! You think I'm starting a fire from scratch? You've got to be kidding!!!


Potato Cheese Soup
Adapted from Marie Calendars

4 cups potatoes, cubed (approx. 4 med.- cook 20 min. or until tender and drain)
½ c celery, chopped (microwave with a dab of butter for 5 min or til tender)
¾ cup water
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 c milk or ½&½
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1½ tsp salt

In a blender, add ¾ cup of water and 1½ c cooked potatoes and blend until smooth. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour. Add milk all at once. Cook, stirring until slightly thickened and bubbly, then cook one minute more. Add cubed potatoes, pureed potatoes, celery, cheese, and salt. Heath through. This soup is supposed to be very thick but may be thinned with more water.

NOTE: chicken broth may be substituted for the water. In which case, be sure to cut back on the salt.

Beef Stroganoff

Well sorry I've been a little silent lately. Its just that I've been a little busy and work and ... well life!!!!! But I'm back (for now) giving you my review of the worlds most delicious beef stroganoff known to man!! Hail to the crockpot!!! And boy its fall-apart-meat-tender!!! It was so easy and most of the ingredients you already have in your pantry!! Just dust off the crockpot and fire away. I got my new crockpot for xmas so too it for its maiden-voyage on this recipe and was not disappointed. (I had the old one where it was all one unit and a B#&*CH to clean!)

This recipe is just enough for 2 servings--SERIOUSLY! Its perfect. I set the crockpot for 8hrs and when I got home it was done and waiting. I made it for my BF and he loved it (remember he's the picky eater). I served it over no-yolk noodles.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff (Cooking for 2)
Adapted from Betty Crocker

Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish: 8 hr 10 min
Makes:2 servings

1 lb beef stew meat
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of golden mushroom soup
1 jar (2 1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups hot cooked noodles or rice

1. In 2 1/2- to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker, mix beef, onion, soup, mushrooms and pepper.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until beef is very tender.
3. Stir sour cream into beef mixture. Serve over noodles.