Orange Brandy Zucchini Bread

You know, when I stared my little garden I had visions of big veggies and luscious herbs just bounding out of the ground. When the two zucchini plants started I was so giddy. They where so strong.

Then, they started taking over. I lovingly refer to them as the "Rebel Alliance". I was out of the loop for a few minutes and suddenly everyone has delusions of grandeur. I have two plants the size of a small rhino filling the upper half of the garden. They are producing elite lovely squash.

Every now and then some of them get cocky. I'm happy to report that the rebel base has been discovered and the mutants dealt with.

The head squadron leader who flew the Millennium Falcon has been to the carbon freezing chamber and is now beautifully displayed in my kitchen hutch.

Drizzled with orange brandy honey glaze.

What pray tell, am I talking about? It's zucchini bread my friends. It's the perfect way to store extra zucchini. Make a few loaves and put them in your freezer. They hold really well for 4-6 months if you wrap them in foil and then place them in gallon size freezer bags. This recipe uses about half the sugar of most zucchini bread recipes. You can use Splenda or Xylitol in place of the sugar or granulated fructose if you are wanting a sugar free bread. I prefer the flavor of whole wheat cake flour (I mill my own :Flour making day...flour power.) , but you can use regular all purpose flour. I'm not checking your cupboards. I'm just sharing how I do it.

Tess Orange Brandy Zucchini bread

yeild 1 large 9 by 5 inch loaf or 3 small loaves

3/4 cup melted butter (or  Lucero Crushed Mandarin Orange Certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
3/4 cup granulated fructose or sugar
1 tsp double strength vanilla Or 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/4 tsp  Brandy oil
1tsp orange zest
3 eggs (or 3/4 cup water with 1 packet unflavored gelatine dissolved...about 5 minutes)

2 cups shredded fresh zucchini

2 cups whole wheat cake flour (all purpose works)
1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon (I use Wise Woman of The East Spice Blend)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts (optional)

1/4 cup dark honey

1/2 tsp brandy flavor or 2T real brandy (if you prefer)

Directions:

Combine the melted butter, sugar, and eggs, vanilla, zest and flavored oil whisking well until the sugar seems dissolved. I use the flavored oil. It lends a nice complex flavor to the loaf.

Once the butter and egg mixture is smooth, add the zucchini and cinnamon.

I was out of eggs today. Did you know you can use unflavored gelatine in place of eggs in baking recipes? One packet equals 3 eggs if dissolved in 3/4 cup luke warm water for 5 minutes stirring well.

Less calories than eggs, and no cholesterol.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients well. Pour them into the wet ingredients.

Mix the wet and the dry until combined, about 1 minute.
If you use cake flour it is easy to keep the right texture for the batter. All purpose flour, be careful not to over mix.

I use a stoneware loaf pan, but regular loaf pans work just fine. Remember on stoneware to add about 5 minutes to the baking time. Make sure to grease the pan well with nonstick cooking spray. The ones with flour added are especially nice for baking. Or you can line you pan with parchment paper.

The sun was rather accommodating today, so I used the solar oven.

Bake at 350 degrees 9 by 5 loaf pan 67-75 minutes.

It will look dry on the top of the loaf. Check to see if it is done by inserting a toothpick into the bread. If you pull it out and it isn't covered in slime, but clean, it's done.

Cool in the pan at least 5 minutes.

Invert pan onto a serving tray or cooling rack if you don't plan to honey glaze it.

Combine honey with brandy or brandy extract.

Drizzle over the warm loaf. Try not to drool.

I sprinkle the glazed loaf with more cinnamon (okay it's really my Wise Woman of The East Spice Blend ) and serve it warm.

The honey seeps into the bread in a most pleasing fashion.

"Where are your rebel friends now?" Evil grin.

There you go.

Solar cooked Dinner from the Garden (Mom's Zucchini Casserole)

This pile of potato plants hit the compost pile yesterday and left a hole in my garden floor...

If you look really close you can see the sweet potatoes in the background there, still growing strong. I planted potatoes on a whim really. I didn't know how well they would do in Arizona, but I wanted to say I had the sense of adventure to at least give them a hearty whirl. Well, whirl they did. Of the six sizable plants, we ended up with 9 lb of potatoes. I had no idea we'd be so blessed with such lovely red 'taters. What is it about gleaning something from the dirt that makes me feel all rustic and earthy? Oh...and sweaty. Yeah, even bare foot while digging. That's about as domestic as I care to admit I can be. Earth squishing between my toes, rustling up some dinner. Where's my sun bonnet?

The tomatoes are coming on strong. Thanks to last year's experience supervising the Organic Tomato Farm with Jim in his amazing greenhouse. I think I finally am getting the hang of it. Now, if you don't have a garden, you can of course still cook this dinner. The problem a few folks may have is connecting fresh food with an actual meal they can make. Right? So I thought it would be cool to share some ideas.

Apparently the zucchini are still plotting world domination under those giant leaves. I missed picking one the other day and it went crazy steroid gorgeous on me. At just under 2lb for the large one and the two smaller ones, we had enough o make my mother's zucchini casserole. She made this a lot for us when we where kids using zucchini from my family garden. Bless her heart. I love this stuff.

Zucchini Casserole
adapted from the recipe By Geneve Wanberg

1 – lb zucchini, cubed, steamed 3-5 minutes until tender
1/2 lb red potatoes, cubed and steamed (about 7 minutes)
1/4 cup milk (I use buttermilk)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I use Chef Tess All Purpose Seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
3 Tablespoons pancake mix ( I make mine: baking mix)
3 eggs or 3/4 cup "egg beaters" (beaten with fork)
1/2 cup diced red, yellow, and orange bell peppers
1/2 – lb low fat jack cheese or cheddar/jack cheese, cut in cubes
2T garlic infused olive oil
4 green chilies roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped OR 1 – 4 oz can of green chilies
1/2 cup fried onions, crumbled (optional)

Directions: Be sure to drain all liquid from steamed potatoes and zucchini. This will effect the texture of the casserole.

Combine the seasoning and sprinkle over the vegetables. Potatoes and zucchini need to be seasoned well. I may use a generous hand, but it adds a lot of flavor to the finished dish.

Combine the egg and pancake mix. This is my whole grain homemade pancake mix, but you can use Bisquick from the store. I'm not checking your cupboard.

Combine the veggies, and cheese in a casserole that has been oiled with the garlic infused oil. Adding flavor wherever you can is smart. Even in the oil.

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetable cheese mixture.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.

There are several different options for cooking this dish:

Cooking directions:
Casserole can be baked in the oven at 375 degrees for about 45 or until set. This recipe can easily be doubled.

Make it a freezer meal!

Simple. Follow the directions up to the point of mixing with the egg mixture but instead of putting in a baker, put in a freezer safe casserole pan. Label and date with the date and these cooking instructions:
From frozen, microwave 20 -25 minutes. Cover and remove to counter. Let sit 5-10 minutes and top with fried onions. Serve!
Defrosted, microwave 15 minutes. cover and set 5-10 minutes. Top with fried onions. Serve hot.

Solar oven bake: 2 hours at 350 degrees from frozen or 1 hour and 15 minutes fresh.

Microwave safe dish: Cook casserole at full power setting for 15 minutes (turn a quarter of they way if you don’t have a turntable in your microwave). Casserole should be slightly runny in center. Gently draw outside of casserole to center. Replace cover and let casserole stand on counter for another 5 to 10 minutes. Just before serving sprinkle fried onions over top.

I opted for solar cooked yesterday. I did double the recipe and it took 1 1/2 hours to bake at 350 degrees.

It looks as good as it tastes!

So, after it bakes, I let it sit covered about ten minutes so it can cool a little and set. While it cools I make this tomato avocado salad. Yes, we did grow the tomatoes. No...the avocado tree isn't mine. Those I bought from the store. Sorry. It's a simple salad with a balsamic herb vinaigrette. Just tomatoes and avocado. Next time I think we may make it more like a relish.

Shameless product plug here. I just discovered this salt that I adore. Adore! Thank you Troy from Preparing Wisely for suggesting it! Wonderful flavor. Oh..and thank you to the folks in Redmond, Utah for going through the effort of mining it for me. Yes...I know they don't do it just for me, but it is really good stuff. Click here to view all of Real Salt's fine products

So, I don't think it can get any better than this as far as healthy fresh food. We planted it, grew it, harvested it and cooked it. Solar cooked no less. The best part...eating it.

Cussing Granny says the potatoes remind her of the ones her daddy grew on their potato farm in Colorado. See...that's what gardening is all about, connecting us to our memories. Okay...and eating well. That too.

There you go.

Make a Difference - Play For Payten - Charity Golf Tournament

Make a Difference - Play For Payten - Charity Golf Tournament
Please take a minute and read about a family I love dearly...

Kim & Joseph have 3 beautiful children Zachary, Makenna, and Payten.
Peyton was born October 16, 2008. Despite having no complications during pregnancy or delivery, Payten began her life with complications that become greater than her parents ever imagined.

Payten was born having water in her lungs and trouble breathing. After spending some time in the Observation Nursery in the NICU, she seemed to catch on to feeding and breathing quickly, so she was sent home. In Payten's mother's words, "We were so ecstatic words cannot express the joy we felt, we believed our troubles and worries were over, but as Payten’s Mother I could not dismiss that feeling deep down that told me something was wrong with my child, I just didn’t know what it was or how bad."

Payten was re-admitted to the NICU a week later with Failure to Thrive and Hypotonia. After an extensive work-up of tests, several diseases were ruled out, but no definitive answers were given. After being in the NICU for 3 weeks, it was discovered a valve in Payten's heart never closed and that she aspirated while swallowing. Since then, she has had several major surgeries and has spent 190 days in the hospital.

Current status from Payten's parents:
"We know now after months of waiting, that Payten suffers from a rare deficiency called Cerebral Foliate Deficiency. It is treatable with a Foliate Supplement. Now can it reverse the damage that this deficiency has caused? No one knows. Do we know if Payten will get better? No. Could she not and become worse? Possibly. It is a wait and see diagnosis. Research on this is kind of discouraging. We just have faith that whatever happens is meant to happen."


This family has endured so much over the past 20 months of caring for their sweet Payten. In addition to the emotional strain of watching their sick child struggle through every complication, they have been financially strained by the astronomical costs of medical care. Any family who has had major medical issues knows that having medical insurance is unfortunately, not enough.
The Merrill Family is organizing an awesome charity golf tournament called, "Play for Payten" to be held on Monday, July 12th. You (or someone you know) can golf in the tournament or you can pledge money to fund Payten's care.

Click here to visit Payten's website for all the info!

You can also read all about the event here !
Please forward this onto your friends and family, re post this on your blog or Face book, Tweet about this - get the word out there for this sweet family! I will re post about this as we get closer to the event and I will put a link up in the my right side bar to access the event info. Payten's mom has said that, "Payten will thank you someday, maybe not in this life, but you will receive a thank you."

Love to all & Thanks for reading. Click here to visit Payten's website for all the info!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

It's amazing that whenever I make Taco Shells or taco salad I want taco seasoning. I know that here in America there are taco mixes on sale at the grocery store. I know a lot of gals and guys who can't make tacos without the packet. You know who you are. That's okay...but what if you could save a good chunk of change by making it at home?

Mix Monday again and I wanted to share something crazy cool. It's my equivalent to the packets of taco seasoning people buy in the store. It can be added to a pound of cooked hamburger or ground turkey as most taco mix is, or it can be added to a pound of cooked beans to make a nice light chili. The great thing, is that it doesn't have any added chemicals, just the natural herbs and spices. It's great, inexpensive alternative to the pre-packaged stuff. I don't add salt to my mix, but if you prefer it with salt, add 1/2 tsp salt. So far my family's favorite on a hot day is having this taco mix combined with beans, corn and avocado, served cold on taco salads or with tortilla chips as an appetizer.

Chef Tess Taco Seasoning

For one packet (I usually store in a snack size zipper bag):
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground black pepper (and 1/2 tsp salt optional)
2 tsp ground oregano
2tsp onion powder
2tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp coriander (ground)


Combine and mix with 1 lb cooked ground beef with 1/4 c water for taco meat.

My favorite bean avocado salsa:

1 packet taco mix

2 cans drained beans (any kind)

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

juice of one lime

1 cup prepared salsa

2 large avocados, peeled and chopped

Combine all and serve with tortilla chips.

There you go.

Pizza Stuffed Zucchini

First of all, I have to say that we don't normally grow our zucchini to the magnitude of just over two pounds a piece. I like them small and delicate for my fritters and casseroles. I'm weird that way. I'm not the one who prides myself on large puffy zucchini that's horribly tough and inedible. Nor do I leave them in bags on my neighbor's front porches late at night...on fire. You know who you are...evil zucchini vandals.

This monster zucchini-guy just happened to hide under a fat leaf and bulk up on carbs when I wasn't looking. I'm actually kind of glad he did, because I was thinking to myself, " self...I need to collect some seeds from these open pollinated grown from seed zucchini plants so I can see if they will really follow through and grow again next year from seed." I think that way in real life. I do. Scary isn't it? Yes, I actually address myself as "self" when I talk to myself. That is also perfectly normal...for a kooky chick. What is not normal...is allowing zucchini to get so large. They get seeds that are, what I refer to as "honkin' huge". I hate to break down and use slang. However, the seeds do get large when the zucchini is allowed to mature. At this point the bad boy squash is good for one of two things (in my mind anyway) zucchini bread or stuffed for dinner with the seeds removed.


We opted for the stuffed version. Call it Pizza Stuffed and guess what? The kids go baaa-zonkers! Bonus points if I can make it double as a freezer meal. True? Okay so here's the beast.

Here's how I do it.
You will need:

2lb large zucchini

16 oz lean turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled

2 slices whole wheat bread, cubed

1 medium onion, minced

1 small bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup shredded carrot

3 eggs (or 3/4 cup egg replacement)
1T Italian Seasoning

1 tsp ground oregano

1 clove pressed garlic

6 oz tomato paste

2 T fresh minced Italian Parsley

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions: Combine sausage and bread. Set aside.

Slice the zucchini into 6 pieces, about 2 inches long.

Pull the guts out with a spoon. Now seriously, what is the technical name for the guts? I know it's "pulp" or something neat. Technical smart stuff...leave about 1/2 inch at the bottom so the zucchini wedge is like a squash bowl. Doesn't that look righteous?

If any seed are there just staring at you...rip them out. I mean, tenderly remove them. Let's not be totally barbaric with the zucchini on steroids. After all, squash are the good guys. They just shouldn't lurk under large leaves and plan a revolt. It's just mutiny. Now, make an example of this freak, by mangling the innards and removing the vital organs. Oh dear...I don't know where that violent talk came from, but perhaps it's good I take it out on a vegetable. Right? Actually, I am referring to the fact that it is good to remove the large seeds and chop the pulp before you cook it. Now doesn't that sound more feminine and refined.

Take those seeds at the bottom out as well. Place zucchini in a microwave safe dish and heat on high setting 5 minutes while you cook the stuffing.

Saute the onion, bell pepper, carrots, pressed garlic and zucchini pulp until tender, about five minutes.

Allow to cool until under 140 degrees (so it won't cook the egg), about ten minutes. Add the bread, sausage, Italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, and eggs. Stir well.

Spoon mixture into zucchini shells, mounding if desired. I desire. Yes I do. Now here's the secret. You might miss it, so I'll type very slowly. Bake the zucchini in the oven, covered, for 15 minutes at 375 degrees OR microwave uncovered 5-7 minutes until stuffing is cooked through. No...I didn't add the cheese yet.

Once filling is cooked, top with cheese. If you use this as a freezer meal, cool at this point and place in freezer safe Ziploc bags. Remove as much air as possible. Did I mention these make great single servings to reheat later for lunches? Just thought I'd throw that in there. Now, if you decide you want to go ahead and have it for dinner tonight, place back in the microwave and heat about 3 minutes more, until cheese is melted.

You can bake it uncovered for another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Note: Don't heat the seeds if you are going to plant them though. We don't want to kill any enzymes. I let them air dry for 3-4 days and then bag them in a freezer bag. Seal tightly and place in a jar in the freezer.

We eat the rest of the Pizza stuffed zucchini for dinner. It's a romantic way to die if you're a zucchini...I suppose.

To serve freezer meal: Place individual portion of zucchini on a microwave safe dish and heat 3-4 minutes until heated through.

There you go.

Carrots!

Remember the books Anne of Green Gables and the cute boy Gilbert who called Anne "Carrots!" He called her that because of her red hair, and the nickname stuck for years. Well, I can't eat one without thinking off Anne Shirley cracking Gilbert over the head with her slate. Girl meets boy...boy meets carrots. Similarly, today was a little epic in the life of my budding garden geeks. It was the day to finally pick the carrots they had planted.

It took me a while to convince them that there was actually something under the ground they would love to see. In fact I had spent the last couple of weeks telling them that we really did have carrots in the garden. I guess they where not convinced since it seems that everything else we planted was above the ground (even the potatoes they had a metal grip on the idea of them being in the ground) I don't know what the carrot hang up was.

I rarely add video to my spots, but this is just a few seconds...and it makes me smile to see Face pulling that first root out of the ground. Epic...for us.

Yes, we have gained a huge appreciation for little carrots. Now they're walking around the house with half chewed carrots in their mouths saying, "what's up doc?"

That's all I have to say about that.