Moist Zucchini Carrot Bread

 

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie."

- Jim Davis

 

 

Isn't this a great time of year? Harvest time! I've got carrots and zucchini fresh from the ground, raspberries and blackberries ready for picking, and lots of ripe apples on my trees.

 

Carrots from my garden

 

I'm not the best gardener in the world, and I've only kept a garden for maybe 5 years, but I'm always amazed that I'm able to actually grown something! Every single time I harvest something from my garden it feels like a complete miracle to me.

 

 

Zucchini from the garden

 

Carrots, zucchini, and green beans are vegetables I grown every year. (I usually grown pumpkins too, but not this year.) I grow zucchini really just to make quick breads from it. And also because it's so darn easy to grow, I'm so proud of myself when I see those torpedo sized zucchinis! I practically jump for joy, as if to say, "I did it again!" "Yes!" When in truth as long as I water them regularly, (or if I get lucky and it rains) it has very little to do with me. That plant wants to grow. It's alive. It has an agenda. To live, to thrive! Zucchini plants just so happen to have a stronger will than some other more finicky plants.

 

 

Raspberries ready for picking - (Don't mind the chicken in the background.)

 

I know, I know, you're not supposed to let them get that big, but when I'm really just growing them for bread, and for other shredding purposes, like fritters, I don't think it matters. But I don't let them all get that big, I do harvest some when they are small, for slicing and cooking simply, in olive oil and fresh rosemary. And I admit, I don't always mean to let them get that big, sometimes it's an accident. It seems they get that huge overnight.

If using huge over sized zucchini like I did, remove the seeds by slicing the zucchini down the middle lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. If using small zucchinis from the grocery store, there is no need to remove the seeds.

 

Since I like baking with zucchini, I wanted to create another quick bread recipe to utilize the vegetable. (See also my Triple Chocolate Zucchini bread) Since I had fresh carrots on hand, I decided to add those as well. The result is a moist, nicely spiced, carrot cake like, bread.  

 

At times like this, I am very grateful to have a food processor to shred stuff for me.

This bread is so darned versatile, I love it. I added raisins, but you don't have to. You can add any other dried fruit instead, like dates or dried chopped apricots, or omit them altogether. I added walnuts, and I sort of do think they are needed, but if you have someone who's allergic, or you absolutely hate nuts, leave them out, I'll understand.

Carrots from my garden

These can even be made into muffins! Or small loaves! Or any shape your little heart desires. (I don't really think your heart is little, it's just an expression.)

This recipe is super easy, really you just mix up dry ingredients, then wet, then add the carrots and zucchini.

 

This bread is super easy too. You really just stir it all together. You only need a few bowls, a whisk and a spoon. No mixer needed.

 

I like to soak raisins before using to plump them up

This bread has a special little treat. A sprinkle of cinnamon sugar is added to the top, to give a not too sweet bread, a little something special.

Add the drained raisins and nuts and it's ready for the pans

If you have zucchini haters in your family, no worries. They will hardly be able to tell that it's there. You can't taste it at all. Just make sure they don't look at it too closely, they may detect the little green specs of color and run the other way.

I made one large loaf, 2 small loaves and 2 small rounds. For the large loaf I used a parchment paper sling to easily remove the loaf from the pan. I don't think it's necessary for the smaller ones. I added more nuts to the top, as well as a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.

Happy fall! Soon I will be decorating for Halloween and stopping by Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte (and my obligatory birthday cake pop, I can't seem leave Starbucks without one.) It's the little things in life that bring me joy, you know?

 

Right out of the oven

If you have lots of zucchini like I do, Try my Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread, it's excellent! Seriously, it's amazing, you won't be disappointed.

Chantilly Green Indiana Glass Cake Stand available at House of Lucien.

 

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Chantilly Green Indiana Glass Cake Stand, Price Kensington Teapot, Tuscan Cream and Sugar with Daisies, Sheffield Silver Butler Tray, Foley Green Teacup, Royal Standard Green Teacup with Pansies, Antique Johnson Bros. Rolland Plates, and Noritake Temptation Small Plates, available at my Vintage Etsy Shop, House of Lucien.

 

 

Moist Zucchini Carrot Bread

 

An original recipe by me, Melissa aka The Alchemist

 

Makes 2 regular sized loaves, or about 6 small loaves, or 24 standard sized muffins

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 1/4 cup (250 g.) brown sugar, packed

 

1 cup (200 g.) white sugar

 

3 eggs

 

3 cups (420 g.) all purpose flour

 

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

 

1 1/4 cup (296 ml.) vegetable oil

 

2 heaping cups (13 oz.) (373 g.) shredded zucchini

 

1 1/2 cups  (6 1/2 oz.) (183 g.) shredded carrots

 

3/4 tsp. salt

 

2 tsp. baking soda

 

2 tsp. baking powder

 

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

 

3/4 tsp. allspice

 

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

 

1/4 tsp. cloves, optional, if you don't like cloves, leave it out

 

1 cup (110 g.) chopped walnuts

 

3/4 cup (90 g.) raisins or dates, or another dried fruit OR go in a whole nother direction and add chocolate chips (if you add chocolate chips the only spice I personally would add in cinnamon - optional 

 

more walnuts for topping - optional

 

cinnamon sugar for topping - optional

 

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 4.

 

If using raisins, place them in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let sit to plump while you get the other ingredients together, 10 minutes or so.

 

Combine the dry ingredients, (flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt baking soda, baking powder, and spices) into a large bowl and whisk together, making sure you break up the brown sugar and that it is combined well with the other ingredients.

 

In another large bowl add the eggs and whisk to beat them a bit. Add the oil and vanilla extract and whisk again. Put the whisk down and get a large or wooden spoon. Stir in the dry ingredients to thoroughly combine it with the wet ingredients. Stir in the shredded zucchini and carrots until combined. Now stir in the nuts and strained raisins (if using) or other dried fruit or chocolate chips (if using.)

 

Prepare pans for using. If using small loaf pans or making muffins, grease the pans (or muffin tins) well. If using large loaf pans grease pans, then make a sling by placing a piece of parchment paper one way so it hangs over the sides, then the other way, also hanging over the sides, to create a sling to easily lift the bread out when done. (Also pictured above.) Grease the parchment paper as well. Pour the batter into prepared pans, 3/4 of the way full.

 

Sprinkle more chopped walnuts (if desired)  on top of loaves or muffins and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the nuts (if desired.)

 

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Times listed below.

 

 - For standard sized muffins about 24 minutes

 

 Bake large loaves for 50 - 70 minutes depending on size of loaf, if a tall loaf it will take longer, while shorter loaves will take the lesser time.

 

Bake small loaves for about 28-32 minutes

 

 

 

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Fresh Rosemary Bread

"With a piece of bread in your hand you’ll find paradise under a pine tree."

 

– Russian Proverb

I made this rosemary bread to eat at a BBQ I hosted. Bread may seem strange to serve at a BBQ, homemade bread even stranger perhaps. Here's the way I see it. When guests come over to my house, I want them to eat well. Of course you want them to eat well, you say! What that means to me is to serve food you don't normally get. Special food.  What that means from one person to the next is subjective. For these particular guests, I know they like bread, for example. I also know that one of them loves dessert and goes on and on about fresh whipped cream.

I used fresh rosemary from my very mature rosemary bush. I've added different amounts in the recipe for mature rosemary such as mine, or rosemary from the grocery store since mature homegrown rosemary is stronger in taste than what you would get from the grocery store.

So for dessert I served a homemade pound cake (recipe coming soon) topped with fresh peaches and lots of really spectacular homemade whipped cream. What made it so special is I used the best cream available to me, Twinbrook Creamery cream. Almost raw, and from Jersey cows, so it's even higher in fat content. I mean this stuff is ridiculous.

My bread rising it's first rise

Bread isn't really special in and of itself, but homemade bread is quite special. The smell that wafts through your house while it bakes is hypnotizing. I mean how often do you get homemade bread?

My dough rounds about to rise for the second time

Since I'm in the kitchen most of the day when guests come, making bread is easy. Most of the time spent is in the rising. I used a Kitchen aid mixer to knead my dough, but even if you knead it by hand, that only takes 10 minutes or so. Definitely worth it. Heck, if you have a bread machine, you could make the dough on the dough setting and just bake off the rounds in the oven.

After the second rise, ready for the oven

This bread in particular is crazy cheap too. I mean it's only flour, yeast, a bit of sugar, some rosemary, (My rosemary came from my garden so I didn't have to pay for it) and a little olive oil.

After baking shortly you brush the bread with oil and top with more rosemary and some coarse salt

This bread is well worth the little effort it takes. The recipe is adapted from Food Network's, Almost Famous Rosemary Bread. It has lots of great reviews with good reason. It's soft and tender, and fragrant with fresh rosemary. I love the crunchy bits of salt that top the bread. It can be dipped into olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or simply spread with soft butter.

Right out of the oven!

We ate our bread with a Caprese salad with buratta cheese and heirloom tomatoes. We drank watermelon mojitos made with fresh mint from my garden. Our dinner was kebabs on the BBQ, with 3 different homemade dipping sauces: fresh pineapple teriyaki, chimichurri, and a tzatziki sauce. It was a fun and relaxing warm summer night, filled with laughter, great friends and great food.

Here is the BBQ where I served this bread. The salad is a Caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and Burrata. It was delicious!

 

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Fresh Rosemary Bread



This recipe is adapted from Almost Famous Rosemary Bread from Foodnetwork.com

This recipe makes 4 small rounds

The bread is best eaten the same day it's made

Ingredients

1 1/4 oz. packet (or 2 1/2 tsp.) of active dry yeast

2 tsp. sugar

2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing

2 1/2 cups (312 g.) all purpose flour plus more for dusting

4 Tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped finely (if you have your own rosemary bush and it's pretty mature, use 3 - 3 1/2 Tablespoons) If you are buying it from the store, use the 4 Tablespoons. OR if using dried rosemary, use 1 Tablespoon

1 tsp. fine salt


For Topping Bread

Kosher salt or another type of coarse salt

1/2 Tablespoon fresh, finely chopped Rosemary - or if using dried also use 1/2 Tablespoon

Directions

Stir the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup of warm water (105°–115° Fahrenheit, (41°–46° Celsius) 
in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer.) Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the flour, the rosemary, the fine salt and 3/4 cup warm water; stir with a wooden spoon (or with the dough hook if using a mixer) until a dough forms. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or knead with the dough hook on medium-high speed, adding a little flour if the dough sticks to the bowl, about 8 minutes.) I used a mixer with the dough hook and I needed to add a little more flour. If it feels too wet when done kneading, add more flour until it feels like dough and is not wet or sticky.

Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Generously flour a work surface; turn the dough out onto the flour and divide into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour on the dough, then fold the top and bottom portions into the middle. Fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners under to form a ball. Place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, putting 2 balls on each baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, until more than doubled, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, 200 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 6.

Bake the loaves 10 minutes; brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher or coarse salt and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.


I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Gingerbread Loaf

 "Before you go out into the world, wash your face in the clear crystal of praise. Bury each yesterday in the fine linen and spices of thankfulness."

- Charles Spurgeon
 

I love ginger. Some of my favorite recipes are full of the stuff. This time of the year it's just fitting. When the weather outside is cool, ginger just warms me from the inside. It's definitely fall around here. The leaves are falling from the trees, the air is crisp, the seasons are changing.
 
 

This gingerbread loaf is one of those great recipes I turn to over and over again. It's full of delicious warm spice that gives you a big hug from the inside. Moist and full of ginger, it also gets some great flavor from the molasses and brown sugar.

Lots of ginger in this recipe, fresh and dried, the fresh ginger I grated on the microplane to get very fine. Freezing the ginger first assures the ginger gets grated finely and doesn't just turn to mush.

 

 

This recipe makes one loaf. You can easily double it to make 2, give one to a friend or freeze a loaf to remove from the freezer when you want something yummy on the fly. Quick bread such as this freezes very well. Just make sure you wrap it good. Meaning wrap it 3 times with plastic wrap then place it in a gallon size zip top plastic bag. Wrapped super awesome like that, it will last for at least 6 months.

 

Cinnamon, allspice and cloves gather together with the ginger to provide lots of warm spice

Thanksgiving is almost here! Can you believe it? November is the month of being thankful. My sisters are posting something they are grateful for everyday on facebook. What a nice tradition to focus on it for a whole month instead of just one day. I've started writing everyday in my gratitude journal. Something I had put aside and forgotten about. I am really grateful for having this blog to express my creativity. I am SUPER grateful for all of you readers, I really do appreciate you being here. A heartfelt thank you from me to you.

The batter

 

More Ginger Goodness

 

Ginger Molasses Skillet Cake - This cake is amazing!

 

Triple Ginger Cookies - These chewy cookies are spicy and full of 3 kinds of ginger.

 

Rhubarb Ginger Bars - These buttery bars are divine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vintage Arnold Wiggs Mint Green Dish, Tablecloth with Leaves, and Hand Embroidered Napkins, available at my Etsy Shop, House of Lucien.

 

 

Speaking of House of Lucien, I'm having a November sale! Take 15 % off your entire purchase through November! Enter coupon code, NOV2012. Coupon will expire Dec. 1st.

I ship worldwide and offer free gift wrapping, for any occasion.

 

House of Lucien now has a Facebook Page where everyday I share a quote and highlight an item

from my shop, called Today's Treasure. I'd love to see you there!

  

 

Gingerbread Loaf

Adapted from Chow

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (225 g.) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger on a microplane (peel the ginger first) (freeze the ginger first to make it easier) or very finely chopped

1/2 cup (118 ml) well-shaken buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 tablespoons butter (114 g.) (1 stick), at room temperature

1 cup packed (200 g.) dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (118 ml) molasses

2 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 4.

 

 Grease a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter, dust with flour, and tap out excess.

Combine flour, dried ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and cloves in a large bowl. Whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside. In a separate medium bowl, stir together buttermilk, vanilla, and freshly grated ginger until combined.

Combine butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in molasses until well combined then add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated.

Stop mixer and scrape bowl and paddle (mixture may look separated and curdled). Add one third flour mixture beating on low speed just until flour is incorporated. Add half buttermilk mixture and once batter is smooth add another third flour mixture. Add remaining buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Add remaining flour mixture, and beat until incorporated and smooth.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and cake is pulling away from sides of pan, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread

"I believe that the energy of humans who touched those beans goes into the beans as well. They become vibrant because of the handling. This vibrancy is something that a machine or harvester doesn't have. From my standpoint ... I believe that if food is grown and prepared with love ... infused with love ... well, it can be the humblest of food, but because it's prepared with love, it's special."

- Valerie Phipps, Pescadero, California

It's been awhile since I've been here. Since July 6th to be exact. I remember it well. I had just found out that my beloved dog, Romeo's kidneys were failing. Just a few days later, on the advice of our vet who informed us that he was suffering, we put him down. It was one of the hardest things I've ever been through. Not the putting him down part, of course I didn't want him to suffer, just the realization that he won't be a part of our lives anymore. He was my first dog. I guess our family had a dog growing up, but Romeo was my dog. That dog went with me everywhere. He made up 1/3 of our family for goodness sake. We never had children, but we had him.

Romeo- In Loving Memory 1998-2011

So I guess I've been in mourning. I didn't intend to stop blogging for this long, or at all, I just felt like I couldn't. I took pictures of food, but I couldn't get myself to download the pictures. Maybe because I'd have to look at the last pictures I took of him. Today is the first time I've downloaded pictures in 2 + months. And there it is. The last photo of that sweet face. It's hard to look at. Loss and grieving is a difficult process and my heart goes out to you if you've gone through it.

My husband built me a windmill for our garden

Life goes on. I have a garden that's full of it, life that is. I grow stuff I like to eat as long as it's easy to grow. Zucchini's might be my favorite, it seems like you turn your back and they've grown the length of a football. Gotta love a plant that makes food for you in such an easy, nonchalant manner, it's like the plant is saying, "Oh this? This is nothing. I've got 10 more where that came from." And it does. Pumpkins are another favorite. Mine are just starting to turn orange.

The door to the garden

Zucchini is so versatile too, and I've been eating my share. One of my favorite breakfasts that I've been eating almost everyday has been a scramble made of diced zucchini, red bell peppers, onions, fresh basil and scrambled eggs. Sometimes I use fresh rosemary instead of fresh basil. It's delicious, I highly recommend it.

Zucchini Terrific! Like Bunnies, Prolific!
-Author Unknown

Zucchini, especially those big ones, are so perfect for breads. This happens to be my favorite zucchini bread of all time, I've been making it for years. Mid way through this post I realized I had blogged about this bread before, back in 2009. Oh well. This is so good, it deserves another go. Since then I've actually improved it, so it's not the same recipe exactly. I developed this bread (actually more of a cake) as a delicious, moist, and decadent vehicle to hold my home grown zucchini. You should trust me on this. I am famous for my fabulous quick breads. It features 3 types of chocolate, hence the name. Unsweetened squares, cocoa powder and chocolate chips. I believe this gives it a multi dimension of rich chocolate flavor.

If you are using a huge, homegrown torpedo sized zucchini, you need to scoop out the big seeds inside.

Using a parchment paper sling allows you to remove the bread from the pan easily. Sometimes chocolate chips fall to the bottom of this bread and stick to the bottom of the pan no matter how well you grease it.  the sling makes lifting the bread from the pan a cinch, and sticking to the bottom a non issue. So you get a perfectly intact loaf every time.

If you have a zucchini hater in your family they won't even know the zucchini is there. You can't see it and you can't taste it. But it does add moisture, fiber and nutrition. Just tell them it's their lucky day and you've made them a rich and decadent chocolate cake.

More incredible quick breads

Melissa's Famous Banana Bread

Rhubarb Nut Bread

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread

created by Melissa aka The Alchemist

This recipe makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate (3- one ounce squares)
3 eggs
2 cups (400 g.) white sugar
1 cup (240 ml.) neutral oil (I used grape seed oil, use whatever neutral oil you wish)
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream or yogurt (full fat is best, but use what you wish)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups (380 g.) grated zucchini, lightly packed
2 cups (300 g.) flour
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (163 g.) semi sweet or dark chocolate chips, plus a small handful more for topping (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius, or Gas Mark 4.

Prepare 2 loaf pans. You need to grease the pan and use parchment paper to make a "sling" to lift the loaf out when finished. Grease the parchment too. (Some of the chocolate chips may sink to the bottom, and if they do, it's almost impossible to get the loaf out in perfect shape without the sling, trust me.)

Melt the squares of unsweetened chocolate in a small saucepan on medium high heat, or place in a microwave safe bowl and cook on 50% power for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until melted, set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the oil and the warm melted chocolate and whisk together. Now add the sour cream and whisk. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla and whisk well, (or if using an electric mixer, use that and beat well.)

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Measure out the one cup of chocolate chips and place in another bowl. Take a few Tablespoons of the flour/cocoa mixture and mix it in the chocolate chips (this prevents them from falling to the bottom of the pan.) Take the bowl off the stand mixer (if using) and mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by hand (not literally with your hand, with a spoon, not a mixer.) Now add the zucchini breaking up any large chunks if there are any, and mix. Once that is all incorporated dump the chocolate chips and the little bit of flour mixture into the bowl. Mix them in till they are incorporated, but only until then (don't over mix.)

Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for about 50-60 minutes. Half way through cooking time (after 30 minutes of baking), sprinkle the extra handful of chocolate chips (if using) on top of loaves, and rotate the loaves in the oven from front to back. Loaves will be done when they pass a toothpick test.

Cool on wire racks for 30 minutes in pan, then remove sling from pan and let it sit on the parchment paper until cool. Wrap in plastic or place in an airtight container when totally cooled. Loaves will stay fresh for 3-4 days or so. If you want them to last longer, they freeze extraordinarily well. Just double (or triple) (the secret to them staying fresh in the freezer is to be totally air tight.) wrap them in plastic wrap and place in a large Ziploc bag. They will keep in the freezer for 6 months, easy. If wrapped really well, they will keep for a year.