Ingredients
* 1 cup All-purpose Flour
* 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (can Use All White Flour If You Don't Have This)
* 1-¼ cup Granulated Sugar
* 1/2 Cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut
* 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
* 1 teaspoon Salt
* 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
* Freshly Grated Nutmeg, To Taste (1/4 To 1/2 Tsp?), Optional
* 1 Pinch Ginger (about 1/16 Tsp Or So), Optional
* 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
* 2 whole Large Eggs
* 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
* 2 Cups Grated (unpeeled) Zucchini (*see Note)
* 1 (20 Oz.) Can Crushed Pineapple In Juice, Drained (reserve In Case You Need It For The Cake Batter Or The Frosting)
* FROSTING
* 2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
* 8 Ounces Low-fat Cream Cheese, Softened (can Use Full-fat Cream Cheese)
* 2 Cups Powdered Sugar, Approx.
* 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
* Splash Of Milk Or Pineapple Juice, If Necessary
* Chopped Walnuts Or Pecans (optional)
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.
Combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated zucchini, and pineapple into flour mixture. Batter will be stiff and dry but keep folding it and it will all come together. If it still seems too dry, just add a little splash of the pineapple juice.
Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for about 33-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs and cake is pulling away from sides of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Add a splash of milk or pineapple juice if necessary. Spread frosting over top of cake. You can garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired.
NOTES : If your zucchini are huge, scrape the seeds out of the center before you shred it so it’s not too watery. Also, I spread it all out on layers of paper towel to drain it and dry it off a bit. Then I measure out 2 cups. Not sure if this is critical though. Nuts can also be added to the cake batter if desired. This recipe makes a very generous amount of frosting.
And this recipe can be turned into a Carrot Cake just by substituting shredded carrots for the zucchini.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
healthy chili
* Thick slice of sweet onion chopped
* 2 small to medium bell peppers chopped (I used 1 red and 1 green)
* 1 small can (8.5oz) corn undrained
* 1 can (15oz) kidney beans drained and rinsed
* 2 tsp chili powder
* 1 tsp cumin
* 1 tbsp dried cilantro
* 1-2 tsp hot sauce (to taste)
* 1 tsp lime juice
* 1/2 cup (80g) uncooked bulgur
* 1 cup water
Spray a a medium to large pot with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt and cook until just browning.
Add the peppers, stir i cooking for about a minute. Then add all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then cover and lower to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid!
Uncover, stir, scoop out a cup and top with a bit of shredded cheese and cilantro. I packed up the other 3 servings for lunches. This one will freeze well.
* 2 small to medium bell peppers chopped (I used 1 red and 1 green)
* 1 small can (8.5oz) corn undrained
* 1 can (15oz) kidney beans drained and rinsed
* 2 tsp chili powder
* 1 tsp cumin
* 1 tbsp dried cilantro
* 1-2 tsp hot sauce (to taste)
* 1 tsp lime juice
* 1/2 cup (80g) uncooked bulgur
* 1 cup water
Spray a a medium to large pot with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt and cook until just browning.
Add the peppers, stir i cooking for about a minute. Then add all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then cover and lower to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid!
Uncover, stir, scoop out a cup and top with a bit of shredded cheese and cilantro. I packed up the other 3 servings for lunches. This one will freeze well.
Ricotta and Rosemary Flatbread Pizza
Here’s what I did…Ricotta and Rosemary Flatbread Pizza
* 1 flat bread (I used one of the light Flatout ones but you could use a tortilla if you like)
* 1/4 cup fat free ricotta (62g)
* 1 small tomato cut into thin slices
* a few leaves of baby spinach chopped up
* Sprinkle of garlic powder
* Sprinkle of Onion powder
* Sprinkle of dried Rosemary
* Kosher salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Smear the Flatout bread with the ricotta cheese. Top with the sliced tomato and spinach. Sprinkle with the Kosher salt and spices. I do this by sight but if I was to guess I’d say about 1/8 of a tsp of each.
Bake on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes until the edges just start to brown.
* 1 flat bread (I used one of the light Flatout ones but you could use a tortilla if you like)
* 1/4 cup fat free ricotta (62g)
* 1 small tomato cut into thin slices
* a few leaves of baby spinach chopped up
* Sprinkle of garlic powder
* Sprinkle of Onion powder
* Sprinkle of dried Rosemary
* Kosher salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Smear the Flatout bread with the ricotta cheese. Top with the sliced tomato and spinach. Sprinkle with the Kosher salt and spices. I do this by sight but if I was to guess I’d say about 1/8 of a tsp of each.
Bake on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes until the edges just start to brown.
Thai Peanut Noodles
Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot)
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. Udon or linguine noodles
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts
From Our Best Bites
1/2 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot)
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. Udon or linguine noodles
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts
From Our Best Bites
Korean BBQ Beef
Korean BBQ Beef
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes
1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, cut against the grain into thin (about 1/4") slices
1/2 c. rice wine or pear juice (1 4 oz. bottle of pear juice from the baby food aisle is perfect and cheap)
1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes it taste vaguely like beef jerky)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
Combine wine or pear juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chili sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add sliced steak. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat the grill. While the grill is heating, thread the steak pieces onto bamboo skewers. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, being careful not to let the meat get too cooked. Serve immediately; serves 4-6.
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes
1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, cut against the grain into thin (about 1/4") slices
1/2 c. rice wine or pear juice (1 4 oz. bottle of pear juice from the baby food aisle is perfect and cheap)
1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes it taste vaguely like beef jerky)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
Combine wine or pear juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chili sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add sliced steak. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat the grill. While the grill is heating, thread the steak pieces onto bamboo skewers. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, being careful not to let the meat get too cooked. Serve immediately; serves 4-6.
Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps
*Makes 6 wraps*
1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drianed
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center - it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.
Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.
From My Kitchen Cafe (www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)
1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drianed
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center - it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.
Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.
From My Kitchen Cafe (www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)
Orange Thai Beef Skewers (Not hot)
Orange Thai Beef Skewers
recipe from OurBestBites.com
1 orange
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T honey
1T sesame oil
1 t ground ginger
1 t coriander
4 cloves garlic
2-4 t Sriracha chili sauce*
1 1/2 lb flank steak
*Sriracha is a really great hot chili sauce that can easily be found in most grocery stores in the Asian foods section. It has a rooster on the bottle- you can't miss it! It's also used in one of my most favorite meals ever- Kate's Thai Peanut Noodles. If you have to substitute, you could easily add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or plain ol' hot sauce to the marinade.
Grab a bowl for your marinade. Zest your orange and add all of the zest to the bowl. Then cut the orange in half and add all of the juice as well. You should have at least 1/4 C orange juice and anything more than that is just fine. To the orange mixture, add soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, coriander, and garlic. Then add Sriracha to your liking. I've found that once these are marinaded and cooked, the spice mellows quite a bit. I add 2t Sriracha and it's mild enough that my toddler gobbles them up. It's not even really spicey, just flavorful. So if you like heat, I'd do more like 3-4 teaspoons of Sriracha. Whisk the marinade so everything is combined.
Take the flank steak and slice it across the grain into about 1/4" slices.
When you're ready to get cookin' preheat your grill. Then take your skewers (pre-soaked if you're using wood/bamboo ones) and thread on the strips of meat, just like you're stitching.Place them on the grill. These cook really fast. Overcooked flank steak will be tough and chewy, so don't over do it! They should only take about 3-4 minutes on each side. Flip half way through.
Now these don't only cook fast, they cool fast. So get the rest of your meal all ready, set the table, gather the kids, etc. Grill these up at the last minute so you can serve them hot off the grill, literally.
I usually make this with scallion rice. I cook 1C dry rice in 2C water and when it's done I hit it with a couple pats of butter, a big handful of sliced green onions and a splash of lime juice. With lots of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
recipe from OurBestBites.com
1 orange
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T honey
1T sesame oil
1 t ground ginger
1 t coriander
4 cloves garlic
2-4 t Sriracha chili sauce*
1 1/2 lb flank steak
*Sriracha is a really great hot chili sauce that can easily be found in most grocery stores in the Asian foods section. It has a rooster on the bottle- you can't miss it! It's also used in one of my most favorite meals ever- Kate's Thai Peanut Noodles. If you have to substitute, you could easily add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or plain ol' hot sauce to the marinade.
Grab a bowl for your marinade. Zest your orange and add all of the zest to the bowl. Then cut the orange in half and add all of the juice as well. You should have at least 1/4 C orange juice and anything more than that is just fine. To the orange mixture, add soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, coriander, and garlic. Then add Sriracha to your liking. I've found that once these are marinaded and cooked, the spice mellows quite a bit. I add 2t Sriracha and it's mild enough that my toddler gobbles them up. It's not even really spicey, just flavorful. So if you like heat, I'd do more like 3-4 teaspoons of Sriracha. Whisk the marinade so everything is combined.
Take the flank steak and slice it across the grain into about 1/4" slices.
When you're ready to get cookin' preheat your grill. Then take your skewers (pre-soaked if you're using wood/bamboo ones) and thread on the strips of meat, just like you're stitching.Place them on the grill. These cook really fast. Overcooked flank steak will be tough and chewy, so don't over do it! They should only take about 3-4 minutes on each side. Flip half way through.
Now these don't only cook fast, they cool fast. So get the rest of your meal all ready, set the table, gather the kids, etc. Grill these up at the last minute so you can serve them hot off the grill, literally.
I usually make this with scallion rice. I cook 1C dry rice in 2C water and when it's done I hit it with a couple pats of butter, a big handful of sliced green onions and a splash of lime juice. With lots of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
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