Zucchini Banana Flaxseed Muffins
Hey! Guess what? As of last week, I have a preschooler. That's right! A PRESCHOOLER! Dang! Where does the time go? In preparation for this monumental event, I let Cooper pick out his very own lunchbox and backpack. He went with a nice robot theme and I'm glad for that because the construction themed set was not my favorite color. I know it's not MY lunchbox, but I'm the one who has to keep tabs on it, clean it out & fill it up every other day. I'm also left with the task of having to figure out what to put in said lunchbox and I need to get him excited about lunch time at school! It's a tall order.
At the beginning of the week, I made these Zucchini Banana Flaxseed Muffins with the idea of putting one in his lunch box as a treat for all three days of preschool. Little did I know they would disappear in less than two days. Cooper loved them so much that I actually caught him standing on a chair at the kitchen counter reaching into the container of muffins I put aside for the week! And just when I thought my new hiding place was legit, I walked downstairs to see him eating another muffin behind the couch. SNEAKY kid! If these muffins were loaded with sugar, butter or oil, I'd be upset. But the fact that there's both zucchini and banana mixed in with a little flaxseed makes his sneaky behavior totally OK. I can't really blame him; they taste great! They're moist, tender, full of flavor and the flaxseed gives the muffins a nutty flavor without nuts. You would never really know that there's no oil in this recipe. I have now welcomed these healthy muffins into his lunchbox rotation. Victory!
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Blueberry Zucchini Bread
During the car ride home from my parent's house yesterday, I listed all the recipes I need to post on this here website to Casey and he had no recollection of me making Blueberry Zucchini Bread! When I described it as "that tasty/moist/lemony bread studded with juicy blueberries...you know the one you ate a LOT of?" the memory of eating the bread finally came back. Apparently he was just thrown off by the word zucchini because he had no idea there was zucchini in that bread! Cooper had no clue too. I'm guilty of vegetable hiding.
Blueberries & Zucchini! They're both in season right now, so why not combine the two and make a scrumptious bread? This recipe makes TWO loaves. If you're scared that you'll eat BOTH loaves (which is easy to do and I don't blame you), wrap one up and give it to your neighbor/friend/coworker and earn brownie points. If you're feeling greedy, wrap up the second loaf and stash it in your freezer. Blueberry zucchini bread will be a great start to your week, next week!
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Hearty Black Bean & Sweet Potato Soup
Welcome to another addition of CLEAN OUT YOUR FRIDGE, SOUP!
I threw together this Mexican Inspired Vegetable Soup at the beginning of the week and am quite fond of the results! There's over 6 different kinds of vegetables up in there! I have a bunch of leftovers in the freezer and am currently devouring a bowl for lunch. I roasted a corn tortilla over an open flame on my stove and crumbled bits of it into the soup! It's absolutely scrumptious with avocado chunks and hot sauce on top!
Yum.
I should note that this recipe is vegan! I know I have some vegan readers out there, so this one's for you! My husband who is definitely not vegan really enjoyed it. I got an instant message from him at work yesterday that said:
"Really good soup, honey."
Hooray! I'm happy that he got his daily requirement of vegetables at lunch. This pleases me.
A huge dose of fiber and an insane amount of hearty vegetables in one bowl?
AUTUMN?!? BRING IT ON!
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Scrambled Egg Turnovers
Dearest Organic Free Range Eggs,
I'm sorry I failed you. You totally needed a win; especially with all this bad press about eggs giving people salmonella. This turnover recipe made me think that you needed to be *set* before I tucked you into a pocket of puff pastry and let you slumber in my hot oven. Little did I know that you would turn out overdone! I'm now know that I should have followed the 1 minute the recipe suggested rather than the 3 minutes I insisted on. Would that have meant you would have been super runny on the puff pastry? Hmmm...
Thank god the zucchini, puff pastry & melted cheddar made up for your shortcomings. I heard that my Mom's green salad was delighted to join you on the plate for lunch! You two make such an excellent couple! I took a picture of you two! I think it turned out pretty nice!
I hope that you accept my sincere apology. Maybe next time I'll include some bacon with the zucchini & cheese mixture? Sound good?
I look forward to seeing you soon! Maybe in tomorrow's breakfast? You free?
Forever yours,
Tracy
Spaghetti with Zucchini Walnuts & Raisins
I'm normally not a fan of pastas like this. There isn't a sauce that saturates all the noodles so you really have to work at creating the perfect bite with all the ingredients. It's also a bear to mix together because all of the fun stuff just wants to hang out at the bottom of the pot. It was hard for me to judge how much I liked the pasta until half of the spaghetti on my plate was eaten. Verdict? YUM!
All of the leftover zucchini, raisins & nuts on my plate tasted wonderful! We got a little fancy and topped our pasta mounds with some white truffle oil. It brought out the earthy flavors of the nuts & Parmesan cheese. Good call, Casey. If you're a walnut & raisin fan like Cooper, you're in for a real treat! He was begging for more plump golden raisins & toasted walnuts. Two out out two boys in this household approve. Which makes the only mom/wife/cook in this household thrilled.
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Summer Squash with Goat Cheese
Another bucket of summer squash was set outside our front door a few days ago!! My neighbor is going crazy with this summer squash business! After making the risotto the other night, I needed to make something simple and uncomplicated (aka-I just got home from work and don't feel like cooking!) So here's what happened: I sauteed zucchini & summer squash in a pan with onions & thyme. I browned them a bit and added garlic at the very end (so it wouldn't burn). It all went on a lovely plate and was topped with crumbles of goat cheese. We made a main course out of it with some yummy toasted french bread. The goat cheese crumbles melted on top of the squash; adding a scrumptious creamy/tangy element to the dish!
Feel free to substitute the goat cheese for feta or Parmesan. I've been on a great goat cheese binge lately, haven't I? Sorry! If you aren't into cheese, the squash is fine without it!! It would make any vegan happy. Thank you Ann for the best summer squash I've tasted! I'll will let you know when we've had enough! At this rate, it could be soon!
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Zucchini & Summer Squash Risotto
Executing this recipe the other night reiterated two things:
1. Making risotto is not hard. It just requires a bit of attention. A drawing pad, crayons & a high chair made this possible!
2. I should never take for granted having neighbors who drop off buckets of homegrown vegetables at my door. NEVER.
My friend Lana seduced me with her batch of pattypan risotto last week. Her son Alden is a week older than Cooper, so we commiserate in the battle of getting veggies into our carb loving sons! If you need to hide some veggies in a dish for your children, this is a good one to try! If you have a significant other who LOVES risotto, this will not disappoint! Casey ate A LOT!
This risotto is very light & creamy. The zucchini & summer squash melt right into the risotto; adding a bit of sweetness. The Parmesan & lemon juice additions at the end are key! They jazz up the risotto perfectly! It's OK to go heavy handed on them! Thank you Lana & Helen for the inspiration. This will definitively be in our rotation!
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Jen’s Zucchini Bread
This morning, Cooper and I shared some lovely Zucchini Bread. The recipe came from Jen Altman!! Her pictures make me daydream and I get especially excited when I see a food recipe! There's something so Alice-In-Wonderland about her food photos. I imagine eating a slice at a Mad Hatter's Tea Party :) Will it make me big? Will it make me small?
Anyways- It's a perfect way to get a dose of vegetables in a child. And he didn't know the difference. It was especially nice after I BATTLED last night feeding him veggies. Apparently Cooper thinks he's on a carbs-only diet.....
It's also a great way to fuel a sleepy adult in the morning...or a pick-me-up afternoon treat.
Thanks Jen! We enjoyed it so!
