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chocolate pecan coconut zucchini loaf

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When I planted my garden this past Spring, I didn’t really think anything would grow. It was a little experiment that I didn’t have a lot of confidence in. It was exciting when things started to grow, and we have enjoyed watching the garden blossom.

When I checked the garden yesterday, I was thrilled that there were zucchini! I was so excited, I picked one out and decided to do some baking after everyone had gone to sleep. My favourite use of zucchini is a chocolate loaf. I wanted this to be filled with all the things so loaded up this loaf with chocolate chips, pecans and coconut.

This zucchini loaf is made with yogurt and is chocolately and super moist. Definitely one to try!

Chocolate Pecan Coconut Zucchini Loaf

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup yogurt
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add in the nuts, chips and coconut and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients along with the egg and sugar. Stir into the zucchini. Pour this mixture into the dry mixture, and stir until combined.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

bbq’d naan

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I think the perfect accompaniment to any bbq is some fresh naan made right on the grill. It’s pairs so well with chicken and beef and satisfies any carb lover. The best is when it’s piping hot and covered in butter. Yes please.

We have tried many naan recipes over the years. Ones with yeast, ones without. Ones with yogurt and eggs. I think we have finally found a winner. I have made this version a few times and they turn out every time.

You don’t even need a tandoor to get soft and chewy naan. A bbq is all you need! They don’t take long, just put them on the grill for a couple minutes a side.

I’m using this recipe from Food.com but changed up the instructions a bit. I always use a mixer to knead the dough – why do more work than you need to? I also liked the results better when the dough had a few hours to rise. If you have less than an hour though, you will still get great tasting naan.

BBQ’d Naan
From Food.com

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 TB sugar
2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
butter

Combine the water, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.  Add salt and flour and turn the mixer on until the dough comes together into a ball. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Place the dough in a warm place and let rise for a minimum of 45 minutes. More than a couple hours is ideal.

After the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into 8 balls. Place on a parchment lined sheet and cover again with a damp towel. When ready to barbecue, roll the balls out and put them on the grill for a couple of minutes per side.  Remove from the heat and spread butter on the hot naan.

panzanella salad

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When I went grocery shopping last week, tomatoes were not on the list since I had so many at home. But when I saw the container of coloured ones, I just couldn’t resist. Red, orange, green, purple – they were just so pretty!

I immediately thought of a Panzanella salad – tomatoes and bread, the perfect combination. I bought a loaf of French bread which got polished off way before I had time to make a salad. Did I mention we love bread around here? I went and bought another loaf on the weekend, determined that it would make it into the salad this time.

Saturday was a hot day so we pulled a few marinated items from the freezer (so handy!) and enjoyed them with this salad. It was bright and refreshing and we polished off the bowl.

Panzanella Salad

1/2 loaf French bread, cubed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red pepper, cubed
1/2 red onion, sliced
10 basil leaves, chopped

Dressing:
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 TB white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
vinegar

Place the cubed bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees until toasted.

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing. In a bowl, combine the vegetables, add the toasted bread and drizzle with the dressing. Let sit for a little while for the bread to soak up the dressing.

naan

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When we purchased a tandoor a couple years ago, one thing we wanted to work on was a good naan recipe. It needed to be fast, it needed to be tasty and it needed to stick well to the side of the clay oven.

It’s been fun trying out various versions of naan in the tandoor. Doughs with eggs that were nice and smooth were finicky in the tandoor. Doughs that I thought for sure wouldn’t work well were the ones that worked the best. After a lot of trial and error, we discovered the best recipe.

This naan recipe is very simple and doesn’t need a lot of rising time. Perfect when you want to make a batch at the last minute. Don’t worry, you don’t need a tandoor to enjoy these. We tried these on the grill over the weekend and they turned out great!

Naan
(for the tandoor or the bbq)

1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 TB oil
1/4 cup yogurt
2 cups flour
butter

In a mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water along with some sugar. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it’s frothy. Add the remaining ingredients and knead the dough using the kneading hook. Place the dough in a warm place for about 20 minutes covered with a moist cloth.

Divide the dough into eight balls and roll them out. They can be done either on the tandoor or the bbq. They should only take a few minutes a side. Remove and butter the naan.

lemon ricotta crostini with crispy lentils

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It’s Oscar Sunday! Although I haven’t seen a lot of the nominated movies, it’s a great excuse to have a party. If you’re looking for an appetizer, here’s a tasty one!

Toasted baguette rubbed with garlic topped with a refreshing ricotta spread that’s brightened with lemon and basil – yum!. This crostini is complete with a topping of crispy lentils. The ricotta makes it nice and light while the lentils add some crunchy substance.  It was hard not to eat them all myself!

I became a fan of crispy lentils after trying it on a pasta dish at the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference. They are so easy to make, just tossing some cooked lentils in the oven with a little bit of olive oil. It took about 25 minutes and a couple shakes throughout the process. The crisped up lentils are great on their own but perfect as a topping.

What are you serving at your Oscar party?

Lemon Ricotta Crostini with Crispy Lentils

1 baguette
300 grams ricotta cheese
1/2 large lemon, juice and zest
2 TB chopped basil
1 cup cooked lentils
olive oil
salt
pepper

Spread the lentils on a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, zest of half a lemon, juice of half a lemon and the basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the baguette into slices, drizzle with olive oil and toast.

Add a spoonful of the mixture on the toasted bread and top with the crunchy lentils. Enjoy!

christmas morning breakfast ideas

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With Christmas only 2 days away, you may be thinking of what to feed the family after the presents have been opened and the stockings have been emptied. Here are some ideas, both sweet and savoury, to fill up hungry bellies.

Egg Boats
Eggs and veggies baked into crusty bread.

Baked French Toast Boat
This make ahead dish is perfect for a relaxing morning.

Cinnamon Buns
These buns are one of Q’s favourites and will have the house smelling oh so good!

Eggs Benedict
With a hollandaise that comes together quickly in the blender, it’s easy to make everyone’s favourite bennies.

Baked Eggs in Potatoes
Eggs and potatoes in every bite, here’s another baked egg dish for everyone to enjoy.

Sour Cream Cake
Cake for breakfast? Yes please! Use your favourite fruit to stud the top of the cake.

the great cream challenge and a french toast boat

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I’m excited to participate once again in the Great Cream Challenge. This month, I’m up against two awesome food bloggers and the theme is The Family Brunch Challenge.

I chose to make this Baked French Toast Boat.  It’s a make ahead dish perfect for a relaxing brunch at home. Head on over to Anyday Magic for the recipe and while you’re there, I’d love your vote! You can vote once per email address and you could win yourself a stainless-steel cookware set!

Thanks for your support!

chocolate zucchini bread

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We were lucky to get some home grown zucchini from hubby’s co-worker this year. The possibilities of things to make with them were endless – bread, fritters, pasta…What I really wanted though was chocolate zucchini bread.  I searched for a recipe but most called for canola oil, which we had totally run out of.  I was happy when I found a recipe from Tara from seven spoons.  I loved that the recipe called for so much zucchini – what a great vehicle for eating your veggies!  Q has become a little nut monster lately so he got to pick what we used.  His nut of choice for the bread – pecans.  This bread was so good, it didn’t last long at all.  It was amazing with a tall glass of milk. Q loved it and I was happy for him to have seconds because of all the greens that were baked in. The last batch of the zucchini went into two more loaves today.  So good!  Thanks T for the zucchini and thanks Tara for the great recipe.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread
adapted from seven spoons

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups shredded zucchini

Preheat an oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two loaf pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the nuts and chocolate. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil and buttermilk. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Stir in the zucchini.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stir until combined, taking care not over mix. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake, rotating once, until a cake tester inserted into the loaf comes out almost clean, which should be around 50 minutes. Cool loaves in their pans on a rack for 20 minutes.

no-knead bread

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This no-knead bread is the easiest way to make homemade bread with very little effort.

No-Knead Bread

There is nothing better than freshly baked bread with melting butter and home made jam.  Last summer, I had made loads of jam and was itching to make some bread at home to accompany it.  I had asked my friend and fellow blogger Cheryl (Backseat Gourmet) to recommend something easy and she suggested a no-knead recipe posted on Julie’s website (Dinner with Julie).  This is the easiest recipe ever and it makes the most delicious bread.  All you need to do is mix it and forget about it – for 24 hours anyway.  I have made this so many times, and it is one of those no-fail recipes.  Try it – your friends will think you’re a star!

No-Knead Bread
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups + 2TB water

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl stir together the flour, yeast and salt.
  2. Add 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons water, and stir until blended. The dough will be sticky.
  3. Cover the bowl and let it rest on the counter for 18-24 hours at room temperature.
  4. Flour a surface and place the dough on it. Sprinkle it with flour and fold it a couple of times before shaping it into a ball.
  5. Place the dough on a piece of parchment and cover it with a towel and let it sit for another 1-2 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 450°. Put a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats.
  7. When the dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven.
  8. Place the dough with parchment into the pot.
  9. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake another 10-15 minutes, until it’s nice and golden. 
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