Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Get Your Chocolate Fix..
and Your Vegetables All In One Bite!

For a final goodbye to Summer, I decided to make my favorite muffin recipe. I made a few revisions to my original recipe and I think they are even better now! I know the combination of chocolate and zucchini sounds a bit suspicious, but trust me, you do not taste the zucchini at all.
The flavor is very chocolatey and the texture is soft and velvety. Very moist as well, due to the zucchini, of course! What more could you ask for in a muffin? Oh, and by the way, they're somewhat low-fat too!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
by Mixed Salad Annie

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup extra light olive oil (or canola oil)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
6 oz. container "SO Delicious" Cultured Coconut Milk
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium, unpeeled, do not squeeze)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375º. Spray non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper cups.

Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in cocoa and heat for another 30 seconds. Set aside to cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together cocoa butter mixture and sugars in mixing bowl until well combined,
using electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in oil; add coconut milk, then blend in eggs and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. If you have extra batter

Decrease oven temperature to 350º. Bake 19 - 24 minutes, turning pan halfway through. Muffins are done when toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.

Fairy Tale Vegetable Casserole

Eat Your Vegetables...And Live Happily Ever After

I finally made it to my local farmers market this year. I know pretty sad, huh. I don't know what took me so long. I actually do love shopping at the local farms, stands and farmers markets for garden fresh produce. It is more of an experience, than a shopping trip. You get to see and smell all the fabulous fruits and vegetables bursting with color at their absolute freshest state!

You also get to learn about produce that you've never had before, like the fairy tale eggplant. These beautiful mini purple and white eggplant caught my eye right away. And what a perfect name for them. They are so fun and whimsical that they could be in a "fairy tale". There were several "regular shoppers" of the farmers market ready to give out their recipes using this little gem. They all sounded great, but the one I liked the sound of, involved steaming the eggplant along with zucchini, summer squash, garden tomatoes, and fresh herbs together and then baking it all in a casserole with cheese. YUM! I came up with my own healthy version and it was fantastic!


Fairy Tale Vegetable Casserole
by Mixed Salad Annie

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 fairy tale eggplant, 1/2 inch thick crosswise slices
1 medium zucchini, 1/2 inch thick crosswise slices
1 small summer squash, 1/2 inch thick crosswise slices
1 large garden tomato, diced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and quartered, Optional
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped and divided
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped and divided
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup pecorino Romano cheese, grated

Place a heavy pan or dutch oven over medium heat; add the oil, shallot and garlic. Stir and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, squash, zucchini, artichokes, tomatoes, 6 tablespoons basil, 3 tablespoons parsley, pepper flakes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir to combine; cover and cook over low heat until vegetables are softened, about 10-13 minutes.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and add the vegetable mixture. Top with the breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Spray the top lightly with cooking spray and place baking dish in oven. Bake for about 10 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Sprinkle the remaining basil and parsley on top and serve.

Zucchini Appetizer

Yummy Appetizer!

A friend of mine had a luau party last weekend and I wanted to bring something everyone would like, but was also easy to make. As luck would have it, a recipe sort of fell into my lap a few days before the luau. I got it from a wonderful farm and country store in Hope, RI, called Confreda Greenhouses and Farms. They grow their own fresh produce and sell it all in their country store front. I got "just picked" corn and zucchini. Yum!

The recipe is simple and very delicious. I adapted it a bit. It is sort of like a quiche, only no crust to worry about and a whole lot tastier.

Zucchini Bites

3 cups thinly sliced zucchini (about 4 small or 1 1/2- 2 medium)
1 cup Biscuit baking mix
1/2 cup chopped vidalia onion
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
3 tbls. fresh Italian parsley, minced
1/4 cup fresh Italian basil, minced
1 tsp. fresh oregano, minced or 1/2 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 eggs beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2 pan with cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spread mixture evenly in pan. Bake for around 22-25 minutes. Turn on broiler and brown the top for about 2 minutes until golden. Cut into
2 x 1 inch pieces. Makes about 4 dozen.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Hate Zucchini?
No problem. Have a piece, I promise
you won't taste it.

This is my favorite kind of recipe. The kind that allows you to "hide" something healthy like vegetables, in this case zucchini, in something seemingly unhealthy like a double chocolate loaf. If just the thought of zucchini with chocolate makes you shiver, fear not, you will absolutely not taste the zucchini. In fact, just forget it's even in there and enjoy a nice piece of double chocolate loaf.

You might remember the Chocolate Zucchini Muffins that I posted a while ago, well this is basically the same recipe with just a few minor changes. Sometimes it's just easier to make a loaf than muffins. By the way, you could even add some walnuts for an added crunch and a boost of omega 3!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
by Mixed Salad Annie

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/3 cup tub margarine or butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
2 cups grated zucchini
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees or 325 degrees for glass pans. Spray loaf pans with cooking spray and dust by sifting a tablespoon of cocoa over the pans. Shake pans to evenly cover.

Melt the margarine or butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and heat until fragrant, stirring constantly about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together cocoa butter mixture and sugars in mixing bowl until light and fluffy,
using electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in oil; add yogurt, then blend in eggs and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes.

What's Grilling?

Eat Your "Grilled" Fruits and Vegetables...

For those of you who do not like fruits or vegetables... You don't know what your missing. I love fresh fruit and veggies and eat both everyday. If you've never tried grilling these natural wonders, there is no better time to get going.

Pick fruits and vegetables that are in season for the freshest tasting experience. Grilling brings out the natural sugars in the fruit as well as in the veggies and gives a great caramelized flavor. Dress them simply so that their natural sweet flavors shine through.

The next two recipes were inspired by Giada DiLaurentiis and they are both delicioius!

Grilled Pineapple with Chocolate-Hazelnut Drizzle and Pistashios
by Mixed Salad Annie adapted from Giada DeLauentiis

1 pineapple, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and core removed or 1 large can of sliced pineapple, drained
1/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
Handful of salted Pistashio nuts

Heat an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill on medium high heat. Grill the pineapple slices 3 minutes per side or until you see golden grill marks on the bottoms.

Heat the chocolate-hazelnut spread in a small bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds until melted; stir to see if it is ready to drizzle. Heat 30 seconds longer if needed.

Place the grilled pineapple slices on a large serving plate and drizzle the chocolate spread over the top. Sprinkle with nuts and serve.

Grilled Zucchini and Vidalia Onions with Balsamic Herb Dressing
by Mixed Salad Annie adapted from Giada DeLauentiis

4 zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/2-inch-thick
4 slices vadalia onion, sliced 1/2-inch-thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Heat an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill on medium high heat. In a large baking dish add olive oil and salt and pepper. Add the zucchini and toss to coat. Place 1/2 of the zucchini on the grill. Add the onions to the dish and carefully toss to coat with oil. Add them to the grill. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side or until the vegetables are tender and show golden grill marks on the bottoms. Grill the remaining zucchini. Arrange the zucchini on a platter and top with onion slices.

In the same baking dish whisk the 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, parsley, basil, and thyme until blended. Drizzle the over the top of the vegetables. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Get Your Chocolate Fix..
and Your Vegetables All In One Bite!

If you have never heard of this combination before...Where have you been? It is pretty popular now, but I remember when it first showed up years ago, everyone thought it was a really strange pairing. That's until they tasted it.

I kind of got a jump start on this recipe. I know by mid-summer there will be zucchini muffins, breads and cakes all over the food blogisphere. I wasn't really trying to beat everyone to the punch, I just had some extra zucchini in the fridge and I somehow thought of these muffins. I have had and made chocolate zucchini muffins in the past but never like these.
This recipe really worked out great. The flavor is very chocolatey and the texture is soft and velvety. Very moist as well, due to the zucchini, of course!

What more could you ask for in a muffin?
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they're somewhat low-fat too!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
by Mixed Salad Annie

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/3 cup tub margarine or butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup natural granulated sugar
1/2 cup natural brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
2 cups grated zucchini
1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray.

Melt the margarine or butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together cocoa butter mixture and sugars in mixing bowl until light and fluffy,
using electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in oil; add yogurt, then blend in eggs and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Stir in zucchini and mini chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake 19- 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.

Vegetable Soup...Good For You, Right???

Not always. But the Mixed Salad Annie version is!

This recipe is another from my favorite TV chef, Giada DiLaurentiis. I was a little disappointed with her this time though, since the sodium content in this soup is through the roof! The original recipe calls for 10 cups of vegetable broth. Assuming she is using canned broth, the sodium content in one cup is around 950 milligrams. Too much for me or anyone who wants to live another 10 minutes.

All is not lost. I revised the recipe by diluting the broth with water and adding in a few more herbs and flavorings. It was still very good. Very tasty. The trick is to make it a day ahead, so that the flavors have a chance to develop and meld.

By the way, this was my first time using LEEKS. The verdict: I'm a big fan. No nasty onion smell in the house and a sweet mellow flavor!! Two thumbs up!

Healthier Italian Vegetable Soup

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 zucchini, peeled leaving stripes and thinly sliced crosswise
2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts packed in water, rinsed & drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cans vegetable broth
6 1/4 cups water
6-7 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4 ounces dried wide egg noodles
Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and artichokes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Saute until the zucchini are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and water. Stir in the thyme and bay leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a simmer. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the flavors develop, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
At this point I stopped the cooking, let the soup cool, refrigerated right in the same pot until ready to use the next day.
Reheat the soup on medium heat until it reaches a slow simmer then increase the heat to medium-high. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.