Lemon Zucchini Bread

It's that time again....abundance of zucchini. I never liked zucchini as a kid but now as an adult I love it. Bread, sauteed, baked...it doesn't matter, I'm a fan! This was another recipe I found on Pinterest and it's a winner. We all loved the subtle hint of lemon and it was so moist. It's definitely a keeper recipe and I'll be baking more of this bread throughout the summer and early fall. It would be delicious with blueberries....hmmm...maybe next time :)

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup of grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, flaxseed, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs then add the oil and sugar. Mix until all ingredients are combined. Add in the buttermilk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Fold in the zucchini and stir until it's mixed throughout the batter. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Take care not to overmix.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan and then remove and place bread on a wire rack to cool completely.

Slightly adapted: NancyCreative

Need some other recipes to use up your zucchini bounty - try these:

Zucchini Muffins - Madeline loves these are requested them for her birthday treat at daycare!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Baked Zucchini Squares

Chickpea and Tomato Salad

We're all big fans of chickpeas so I knew when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I had to make it. My daughter gobbled it up! It was a nice refreshing salad especially during this crazy heat we've been in having in the northeast. I can't wait for more of our fresh cherry tomatoes to ripen and make this again. I know we'll be eating this salad a couple more times this year!

15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
bunch of basil, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
drizzle of honey
salt

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, vinegars, oil, honey and salt. Add in the chickpeas and tomatoes and stir to coat with dressing. Sprinkle with basil and stir. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

Source: Green Lite Bites

The Secret Recipe Club: Beet & Orzo Salad

I'm excited to be back participating in this month's Secret Recipe Club! I took off last month in anticipation of the birth of my son, Cooper.

This month I was assigned Corina's blog, Searching for Spice! Corina and I have a lot things in common - new babies (she had a little girl in April), trying new recipes and using our blogs as a way to record those new recipes. After searching through her recipes, I found one that looked and sounded delicious - Couscous, Beetroot and Feta Salad. My husband was a little skeptical of the salad, but since it was totally different and something I never would have thought to try on my own, we gave it a shot....and I'm so glad I picked this recipe. The salad was so refreshing, especially during one of the many heatwaves of the summer. I changed up the recipe slightly - using orzo instead of couscous and I used pickled beets instead of just cooked beets.

Orzo, cooked according to package (I made 1/3 box for 4 servings)
pickled red beets
1/2 cup reduced fat feta cheese
fresh basil, roughly chopped
roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
fresh ground pepper
olive oil

Divide the orzo between 4 bowls. Top with pickled red beets, feta, basil and sunflower seeds. Season with fresh ground pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Want to be part of the Secret Recipe Club? Join here!

Beef & Bleu Cheese Tart

My husband and I are both big fans of bleu cheese so I knew when I saw this recipe, I had to make it. My daughter was so-so on it, but I still made her eat it. This would be a great appetizer to make for a dinner party but we ended up eating it as dinner with a green salad on the side.

1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tube refrigerated pizza crust
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese

In a saute pan, cook the beef, mushrooms and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and then drain the fat. Stir in salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the crust into a 15x12 inch rectangle. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, italian seasoning and garlic powder. Spread over the pizza crust leaving a 2 inch margin around the edges. Spoon the beef mixture over the top. Fold up the edges of the crust over the filling, leaving the center uncovered.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Using the parchment paper, slide the tart onto a wire rack. Sprinkle with bleu cheese and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Source: Taste of Home Magazine

Blueberry Walnut Oatmeal Muffins

Once again this year we had the opportunity to pick blueberries at my husband's grandfather's house. Store bought blueberries don't even come close to how delicious these one taste. We ended up picking about 12 quarts of blueberries. I froze half of them and we've been eating the other half on yogurt and just snacking on them.

As you know, I love muffins and figured it would be a great time to make muffins with our fresh blueberries. I've made blueberry muffins before, but wanted to try to make them healthier using whole wheat flour. These muffins turned out perfect. I love the texture the whole wheat flour and the oats add and they're super moist.

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 oz vanilla greek yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine the egg, yogurt, and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Fold in the blueberries and walnuts. The batter will be very thick.

Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full with the batter. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and then continue cooling on a wire rack.

Here's some of my other blueberry muffin recipes!

Lemony Blueberry Muffins

Nutmeg Blueberry Muffins