Zucchini Crisp

Whenever the zucchini start to get a little overwhelming, we like to have this dessert. It uses up a good amount of zucchini in one shot. 8 cups to be exact! It also really does taste quite like apple crisp -- and who doesn't love a good apple crisp!

8 cups peeled chopped zucchini*
1/2 cup granulated sugar or xylitol
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tsp all spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar or sucanat
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup margarine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Mix zucchini, white sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Pour mixture into baking dish.

Combine brown sugar, oats, and flour in another bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle over zucchini.

Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and zucchini is tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

* I remove the seeds, but I do keep the peel on when feeding just my family. If you're feeding some less than trusting zucchini haters, I recommend making them look as much like apple chunks as possible and then not saying a word.

Quinoameal Raisin Cookies

These are from the Vegetarian's Complete Quinoa Cookbook. We are all enjoying the recipes in this book, but alas I don't own it, I just have it on loan from the library. These cookies are addictive! There from a recipe in the book that just so happens to be the daughter of our neighbour. Small world? Yup!

1 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used xylitol)
1 cup brown sugar, packed (can use succanat, but I didn't have)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups quinoa flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups quinoa flakes
1 cup sultana raisins

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large wooden bowl, combine the quinoa flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the margarine mixture until fully combined.

Stir in the quinoa flakes and raisins.

Drop large spoonfuls of dough (just under the size of a golf ball) onto the prepared sheet. You should be able to fit a dozen on a sheet.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. For a chewy cookie, bake just until the tops turn light brown. For a crispier cookie, bake until the tops are a darker brown. Remover from oven and let cool on baking sheer for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer from baking sheet and let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

I am a tad addicted to these right now!

Cabbage

Cabbage is one of those vegetables that does not conjure up oodles delicious meals for me. We eat it approximately two ways and neither one is any less time consuming than the other. We either have cabbage rolls or coleslaw. Today's head of cabbage was made into a giant coleslaw which will likely take us days to eat and give many of us cramps, gas, or both. Gross, but true.

I've resorted to using yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar or agave nectar, and lemon juice to make my dressing. I combine and adjust them to my taste. To the chopped cabbage, I add onions, carrots for colour, and raisins for a little flavour kick.

Cranberries or pineapple are other tasty options/additions. To say that I love this dish would be a lie, but I don't mind it. It's far more palatable than some of the cabbage salads that I've made/eaten over the years.

That being said, I think it's time to hunt up some new cabbage recipes. I do want to make saurkraut. Time for some research :o).

Baked French Toast

 My family does not like to eat the ends of the bread in their lunches. I can't say I blame them. I also don't want to throw them out to the birds because inevitably, Maverick (our black Lab) will find and eat them long before the birds do, so I freeze them. When I have enough, I make this recipe, and now I also make this. The three youngest eat it simply because it has maple syrup on it, but the older four think it just as good as French toast. I like it because it uses up all the excess crusts in one simple recipe.

Here is how I made it:

Bread crusts of your choice
6 eggs,
4 cups milk
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Cinnamon to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Tear bread crusts into bite sized pieces and place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Break eggs into deep bowl and beat. Add milk and remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over bread. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until centre is no longer moist and top is nicely brown. Remove from oven cut into nice sized servings. Pour on some maple syrup and eat up! It also refrigerates well to be reheated later.

*I'm thinking it would also be good with strawberries and cream or any of those other fun arrangements you can find at pancake houses :o).