Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

These cupcakes are hugely popular with all our friends and family. The hint of cinnamon, the richness of cocoa and the bits of chocolate make every bite delicious. The zucchini adds moisture and putting a vegetable boost into dessert is good for a mother’s heart.

They are so yummy, they don’t really need frosting. But I’ve made them so many times over the years, I’ve served them differently pending on what I had in the refrigerator: a cream cheese icing (blend cream cheese sweetened to taste with honey, real whipped cream with a tablespoon of cocoa folded in and sweetened to taste with powdered sugar or a chocolate butter cream icing.

For a super duper chocolate treat on a special occasion with a chocolate glaze (melt equal parts semi-sweet chocolate and butter or coconut milk). For these, I bake the cupcakes in a mini-muffin tin.

In general I do not use cupcake liners, they just go straight to the landfill.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
Print Recipe
Servings
8 cupcakes
Servings
8 cupcakes
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
Print Recipe
Servings
8 cupcakes
Servings
8 cupcakes
Ingredients
Adjust servings: cupcakes
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Grease muffin tin with butter or coconut oil.
  2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Beat together sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.
  5. Pour into muffin tin and bake until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 25 - 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes

Source

Epicurious: Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

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Coconut Red Lentil Curry

Red lentils are made from whole yellow lentils that are peeled and split in half, exposing the red color under their outer seed coat which makes them cook quickly.

This dish comes together easily and leaves bellies full and happy.
If cooking for children or those who don’t enjoy spicy food, leave the Serrano/jalapeño peppers out of the pot; serve them on the side so people can add them as desired.

I serve it over brown rice; start cooking the rice first as it takes longer than the curry.

Variations:

  • Use green or brown lentils instead of red; add 10 minutes cooking time
  • Replace cauliflower with broccoli, zucchini with butternut squash, or bell peppers
  • Use parsley instead of cilantro
Coconut Red Lentil Curry
Print Recipe
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Coconut Red Lentil Curry
Print Recipe
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until edges are golden, about 6 minutes. Add carrot, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, and chile and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  2. Stir in water, lentils, and coconut milk, then simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini and cauliflower and simmer, covered, until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
  3. Serve with cilantro scattered on top.
Recipe Notes

Modified from Epicurious: Coconut Red Lentil Curry

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Sweet Potato and Zucchini Bread

This is quite popular in our house—either as muffins or a loaf of bread. I make a double recipe to freeze some for week days. Before freezing the bread loaf, I slice it and place pieces of parchment paper between the slices; making it easy to pull out a frozen slice and pop into the toaster.

Sweet potatoes pack a powerful nutritional punch. They have over 400% of your daily needs for vitamin A in one medium spud, as well as loads of fiber and potassium. More about sweet potatoes here.

I also like the high fiber content in these muffins (slices); high fiber breakfasts help promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract.

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Bread
Print Recipe
To make muffins instead of a loaf,  brush the muffin tin with softened butter, coconut oil or expeller-pressed canola oil. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Sweet Potato and Zucchini Bread
Print Recipe
To make muffins instead of a loaf,  brush the muffin tin with softened butter, coconut oil or expeller-pressed canola oil. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Ingredients
Adjust servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Butter and flour 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
  3. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl.
  4. Beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in another, larger, bowl until blended. Mix in zucchini and sweet potato.
  5. Add dry ingredients and walnuts and stir well.
  6. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
  7. Cool bread in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around bread to loosen. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.
Recipe Notes

Adapted from Epicurious: Sweet Potato and Zucchini Bread

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