Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins

Remember that bag of leftover zucchini I had from making stuffed zucchini last week........

Well it was time to use it today! I took it out of the freezer yesterday and let it thaw out in the fridge so I could make some muffins today.

I already had my food processor out so I decided to throw it all in there today but this works perfectly well by hand also. Toss in one egg and a teaspoon of vanilla and beat together or give it a whirl in the food processor.

This is what I use to sweeten these muffins so add 1/3 cup applesauce and 1/2 - 3/4 cup Stevia. If you use 1/2 a cup you may want to add a little agave or honey as well. Stevia can sometimes have a bit of an aftertaste so if that really bothers you then mix it with a bit of regular sugar. Toss them in your bowl with the egg.

I drained the excess water from the zucchini and then added it to the processor.

Since I was just dumping things in today I went ahead and added these dry ingredients to the wet and mixed them in. If you are mixing by hand you can mix all the dry ingredients together and then add to the wet.

Then add 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour. I have done a lot of experimenting with different types of wheat flour and I prefer this recipe to just be straight whole wheat flour, not pastry or white whole wheat. Toss this in and mix but be careful to not over mix if you are using the food processor.

If your batter seems a bit thick you may have drained off too much of the excess water from the zucchini so just add a bit of milk. I actually didn't have quite enough zucchini, making my batter a bit thick, so I added a bit of almond milk this time. If you are making these with the pecans or walnuts then stir them in at this point.

I decided to make these mini today for two reasons. The first is always the same and that is that people just like mini things better. If I made this a loaf I would bet a hundred dollars that I would end up throwing away the last 3 pieces. The second reason is that they cook much faster. Only 15 minute to deliciousness!

They puff up so nicely! I drizzled a bit of agave over the top of half of these before I cooked them just to see what would happen. It doesn't really make a difference though so drizzle some on afterwards while they are warm and right out of the oven.

Mmmmm...... and look the sun was shining through the window so my picture wasn't so dark and I could shoot in manual mode.

Now I am all ready for those munchkins when they come home from school and say, "Can I have a snack????" Well maybe I will be ready......that is if I don't eat them all before then. Two muffins down the hatch already and I am about to eat two more. I guess that is the one downside of making these mini. It is hard to stop eating them.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins with Pecans

1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup Stevia plus 1/4 cup Agave nectar or 3/4 cup Stevia
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (squeezed, then packed into measuring cup)
1/3 cup applesauce
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Grate zucchini by hand or using a food processor, then gently squeeze grated zucchini to remove some of the water. Measure 1 1/2 cups (packed) zucchini for this recipe, and if you have extra, freeze it for another time.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg, then add vanilla, Stevia and Agave and mix to combine. Stir in the grated zucchini, then the applesauce. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the top of this and mix.

In a smaller bowl, combine whole wheat flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture, then fold in chopped pecans.

Spray muffin pan or loaf pan with non-stick spray, then divide batter evenly among cups to make 24 mini muffins or pour into loaf pan. Bake for 15 minutes for mini muffins and -30 minutes or longer for a loaf pan or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool then remove from muffin pan or slice loaf.

Stuffed Zucchini

It felt good to be back in the kitchen today. I ended up with an extra day off this week due to all the sickness around here and so I actually had time to plan some meals and go grocery shopping on Friday thankfully!!!! So on the menu tonight was one of my favorite meals actually, stuffed zucchini.

Now I am aware that it isn't really zucchini season but that is why this recipe is perfect. It is a wonderful warm dish that I don't really crave as much in the summer when the weather starts to get warm. So baking it up in the winter time is perfect. Start with about 5 smaller zucchini and wash them off because you will be keeping their peel. Then cut off the tops leaving a nice clean edge.

Cut the zucchini in half and scoop out most of the insides of them. I have found this melon baller to be the best tool to get the job done. It is small enough to go right down the middle without ruining the sides too much plus the sharp edges make a perfect scraper. You can use a spoon or the end of a vegetable peeler too.

After you have scraped out all the insides, saving the flesh of course for another recipe, heat a little olive oil in a pan and place the halves face down to brown the edges a little. I would say this takes about 3-4 minutes and you only do this one side. This photo also helps you see how much of the inside I actually scrape out.

Line the zucchini boats up in a large baking dish. This one is actually bigger than a

9 x 13 but if that is all you have just try to squeeze them in or do a couple less. You do want a snug fit so they help each other keep their filling.

Cook up 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey until all the moisture is absorbed and then add one chopped medium onion and cook until the onions are soft. You will then add 1 tsp. Greek seasoning and a bit of sea salt and mix it in well.

While your meat is cooking chop up 1/2 cup parsley and mince 5 garlic cloves. When the meat is finished remove it from the heat and add in the parsley and garlic.

Spoon the mixture into the boats and press it down firmly so it doesn't float out when you pour the sauce over it. Some will come out but you don't want it to all float out.

I like to use this tomato sauce because it has only 1 gram of sugar but you can use your favorite sauce or even a spaghetti sauce works great. Sometimes when I make changes to recipes I forget to write them down and it gets me in trouble!!! The recipe actually calls for 4 cups of tomato sauce mixed with 1 to 2 cups of water. That is ENTIRELY TOO MUCH! I did use the whole can of sauce and only a tiny bit of water mixed in to keep a nice flavor but it made everything a bit soupy tonight.

As you can see my sauce was making my meat jump out of their skins! It all turned out just fine and really didn't change the flavor of the dish but it did cause a bit of problem with the cheese that goes on top. The change I have made but neglected to write down is that I need to forget the water and just pour the can over the zucchini or use a smaller can of spaghetti sauce with a little water. Cover this with aluminum foil and put it in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes remove the foil and top with a little mozzarella and/or Parmesan. I used both but see how it was really floating on top and not settling onto the individual pieces?? I really should pay attention more when I am cooking! I'm blaming it on my kids tonight, just because they are always sucking my brain cells right out of my head. Put this back into the oven uncovered for 10 minutes or until the cheese golden.

Tonight I served this with a bag of these Italian green beans which we loved! Pictsweet is really my favorite brand of frozen veggies. They have a great variety. I do not mean a variety of broccoli with all kinds of different sauces I don't want on my veggies! That drives me nuts! Right now in my freezer I have their black eyed peas, baby limas, and their seasoning blend recipe helper that has onions, celery, green and red peppers, and parsley flakes in it. Check them out next time you are at the store.

We also had a fruit cocktail as Miles called it. That happens when I have several small bags of leftover fruit and I mix them all together.

Stuffed zucchini thank you for making my belly happy tonight. I have missed you and will make you again soon! You were divine!

I have good news to report. The slow child who is always the last one at the table ate almost every bit of her dinner and commented that she really liked the zucchini. "I mean a lot!" she said. The only thing that remained on her plate was a bit of potato. Moral of the story is that if Faith likes it then just about anyone will. So make it for your picky husband or kids this week! I promise you will all love it very much.

Now.................

You didn't think I would let all that zucchini flesh go to waste did you? I guess I will be making something with this tomorrow!

I am off to go lay down in front of a TV and be lazy for the rest of the night. Hope you enjoy your evening as well!

STUFFED ZUCCHINI (changes made!)

4-5 small zucchini, halved and flesh removed

1-1   ½ lbs. ground turkey

½ tsp. sea salt

1 medium onion finely chopped

2 tsp. Greek seasoning  (such as Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning)

5 cloves garlic

½ cup chopped parsley

3-3 ½  cups tomato sauce (or low sugar spaghetti sauce)

½ cup  water

1 cup Mozzarella and/or Parmesan Cheese (more if necessary to cover the tops)

Olive oil

Wash zucchini then cut each one in half and scoop out the inside. Heat oil in a pan with a lid. Place a few of the casings in the oil flesh side down and brown lightly using the lid to prevent the oil from splattering. Remove the first batch then follow the same for the rest of the casings.

Drain excess oil then add ground turkey and cook until all liquid evaporates. Add onion, salt, and Greek seasoning. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the onions are soft. Remove from heat and add the garlic and parsley.

Fill the casings with the stuffing and arrange in a large heatproof dish as close together as possible. Mix the water and tomato sauce together and pour over zucchini. Cover and bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. Uncover , top with cheese, and cook for 10 more minutes. Serve with rice if desired.