Glazed Chocolate Zucchini Cake Donuts

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I picked my third zucchini from the garden this weekend and I made donuts!

First of all, the glaze on these donuts is a MUST.  The donut on it's own isn't anything special, but the glaze, whether chocolate or almond make these very very tasty.

These are baked, not fried, so they are a little different than the cake donut you might be used to.

They are dense and cakey and there is a good chance you will want a glass of milk while you are eating one.

I can't decide which glaze I like better?  I take a bite of one and think I like it better until I take a bite of the other one.  Both are delicious.  

I only have one complaint.  Since these bake for such a short period of time, the zucchini doesn't have time to dissolve into the donut like it would if you were baking a loaf of zucchini bread for 45 minutes.  

So, occasionally, as you bite into the donut, you might get a "string" of zucchini.  

I would recommend shredding your zucchini as finely as possible.  I shredded mine thicker than I should have.  By shredding the zucchini finer, you will hopefully avoid the zucchini bits throughout.  

You might also like:
Chocolate Donuts with Vanilla Peanut Butter Glaze
Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Lion House Zucchini Bread

Glazed Chocolate Zucchini Cake Donuts
adapted from:  Sweet Peas and Saffron
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

2 c. cake flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. zucchini, shredded 
3/4 c. buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Glaze (Enough for 12 donuts)
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 Tbl. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. meringue powder, opt. (helps the icing harden more)
2 tsp. vanilla
2-3 Tbl. milk

Almond Glaze (Enough for 12 donuts)
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. meringue powder, opt. (helps the icing harden more)
1/2 - 3/4 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 Tbl. milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  Squeeze excess water from shredded zucchini and add to flour mixture.  Toss to evenly coat zucchini with dry mixture.  Add the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.  Stir until just combined.  Batter will be very thick and you might think it won't come together, but it will.

Grease donut pan with cooking spray.  Spoon batter into donut pan, filling almost full.  Bake for 8 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Transfer donuts to a wire rack and cool completely.  Dip the bottom half of the donut (which will now be the top) into the glaze and top with sprinkles, if desired.  Place on a wire rack and allow icing to harden.  Makes 12-13 donuts.      

For the Chocolate Glaze: This makes enough for all of the donuts, so if you want to also make the Almond Glaze, cut this in half.  Combine powdered sugar, cocoa and meringue powder.  Add the vanilla and 1 Tablespoon of milk.  Stir together until combined.  Add a little more milk, as needed, to reach desired glaze consistency.  Dip donuts immediately. 

For the Almond Glaze: This makes enough for all of the donuts, so if you want to also make the Chocolate Glaze, then cut this in half.  Combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder.  Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, vanilla extract and 1 Tablespoon of milk.  Stir together until combined.  Add a little more milk, as needed, to reach desired glaze consistency.  Taste and add up to another 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract, if desired.  Dip donuts immediately.      

Linked up at Time to Sparkle!

Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

And it begins . . .

My first zucchini recipe of the season.

I picked two zucchini this weekend and I have three recipes to try out this week, all using zucchini.

My goal this year is to pick the zucchini before they become ginormous, which seems to happen in a matter of days.  We'll see how that goes.

I am loving these bars.  They are light and tender and the flavor is so fresh.  You can taste the honey and it pairs beautifully with the spices and frosting.  Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting really is the perfect match for these bars.  It has such a bright refreshing flavor.  I omitted the nuts from the recipe and added them to the top of half the bars, that way the nut lovers and non-nut lovers can all be happy.

Do you have any new zucchini recipes you can't wait to try this year?

Carrot and Zucchini Bars

adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens

(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 c. shredded carrot (about 3 med.)

1 c. shredded zucchini 

3/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. canola oil

1/4 c. honey

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped walnuts, opt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.  In another large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; add to dry ingredients and stir together until just combined.  Do not over mix.  Pour batter into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake for 24-25 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely.  Frost with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

4 Tbl. unsalted butter, room temperature

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

grated zest of 1 lemon

pinch of salt

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. lemon extract, opt.

Cream together butter, cream cheese, lemon zest and salt.  Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating until smooth and creamy.  Mix in lemon extract, if desired.  If your frosting is too thick, you can add some lemon juice or milk.  I did not need to add any liquid.  Spread over cooled cake. 

Jenn's Notes:  The zucchini I used was more watery than usual and I ended up squeezing out the excess water before adding it to the batter.     

Linked up at Time to Sparkle!

Hash Brown Beef Pie

This reminded me of a "cheater" version of shepherd's pie.  Instead of using creamy mashed potatoes on top, you use frozen hash browns.  I thought it turned out really good and it was so much easier than dicing, boiling and mashing potatoes.  

 The awesome thing about this dish is it's so easy to customize.  Throw in some mushrooms, olives, bell peppers, broccoli or Feta or use ground turkey or chicken and switch up the type of cheese.

I thought it was yummy.

Hash Brown Beef Pie
adapted from: Taste of Home
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1/2 Lb. lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. zucchini, diced (un-peeled)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
1 tsp. Italian seasoning, or to taste
3/4 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. frozen veggies (corn, carrots, peas)

Topping
3 c. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed & drained
1 c. Cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and zucchini and saute a few minutes or until tender.  Stir in the tomatoes, chili powder, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper and frozen veggies.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  

Divide meat mixture evenly between four ramekins (or a small-medium casserole dish).  Combine all of the topping ingredients and stir until combined.  Spoon evenly over meat mixture.  Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until hash browns are lightly toasted and brown.  Serves: 4   

Jenn's Notes: The topping gets pretty firm after baking, so I like to use my spoon and break it up a bit.  That way it is easier to eat.  

Linked up at Nifty Thrifty Sunday! and Inspiration Monday!

Zucchini Oat Bread

It's the last day of August and what better way to end the month than with zucchini bread.

This is my last zucchini recipe for 2013.  At least as of right now.  

I made a lot of zucchini dishes this year and I loved them all.  I got a little sick of it and was ready to move onto pumpkin pumpkin and more pumpkin until I saw this recipe for zucchini oat bread.

I called my mom up and asked her for some more zucchini from the garden and she said "I thought you were SO OVER IT" :)  Okay . . . so, I did say that . . . but hey, I'm a foodie.  I get instant cravings at any moment and just have to make something immediately.

This bread turned out great.  The oats give it a really hearty texture and my house smelled like a bakery/donut shop while it baked.  

Zucchini Oat Bread

adapted from: What's Cooking with Ruthie
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 1/2 c. sugar 
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sat
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs
1 c. applesauce
2 Tbl. butter, melted (or 2 Tbl. coconut oil)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. zucchini, unpeeled and shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.  In a small bowl combine 1 Tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon; set aside.  In a large mixing bowl combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, flour, oats, baking powder, salt and baking soda; set aside.  In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs until thick and yellow.  Add remaining sugar, applesauce, melted butter and vanilla; mix well.  Stir in the shredded zucchini.  Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir together until combined.  Do not overmix.  Pour into prepared loaf pan (depending on how tall your loaf pan is, you might not be able to fit all of the batter - you can make a few muffins with any extra).  Sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Bake for 1 hour- 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely.    

Jenn's Notes: I used melted coconut oil in place of the butter.  I also added around a teaspoon of brown sugar to my cinnamon and sugar topping.  

Zucchini Spice Yellow Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

I've been trying to make as many zucchini recipes as I can, because once September hits, my mind is all about Pumpkin.  I can't wait for Fall. 

The spices in this zucchini cake remind me of Fall and it is such a comforting feeling :)

It is a dense, lightly spiced, yellow cake full of zucchini and topped with my favorite cream cheese glaze.  Like most bread and cake recipes, you really can't tell there is zucchini in it.  During the long baking process, the zucchini dissolves into the cake and creates a super moist cake.  

There is only 1/4 cup of oil in the entire cake and since it is loaded with Greek yogurt, I'm thinking it would make a great breakfast cake too?  You could even go all out and use sugar-free cake mix and pudding mix if you want.  Just saying.

P.S.  It tastes amazing cold, straight out of the fridge.

You might also like:
Banana Streusel Bundt Cake

Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Paula Deen's Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream

Zucchini Spice Yellow Cake
(Printable Recipe) and (Printable with Picture)

1 yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 oz.) box vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c. non-fat plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
4 eggs
2 c. grated zucchini

Cream Cheese Glaze
4 oz. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
milk, enough to reach desired consistency

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a bundt pan; set aside.  In a large bowl combine all of the cake ingredients, except the zucchini.  Using a hand-mixer, beat until smooth and creamy; about 2 minutes.  Fold in the grated zucchini.  Spread batter evenly into the greased bundt pan and bake for 60 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.  Cool in pan 15-20 minutes, then invert to a wire rack and cool completely.  When cooled, top with glaze.  

For the glaze:  Place cream cheese in a medium glass bowl and microwave 20-30 seconds or until very soft.  Stir until smooth.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 Tablespoon of milk.  Stir together until creamy.  Add a little more milk, if needed, to reach desired glaze consistency.  Drizzle over cooled cake.  

Cake adapted from: The Cake Mix Doctor and Glaze from: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

Linked up at Link Party Palooza! and Inspiration Monday! and Weekend Potluck!

Cream Cheese Swirled Zucchini Muffins

HOLY COW . . . these are so good!  One of my favorite zucchini recipes are my ZUCCHINI CAKE COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING, so I know how well cream cheese goes with zucchini.  

Plus, I know how well lemon goes with cinnamon and zucchini because of my BEST EVER ZUCCHINI MUFFINS.

It is a super bonus that these are somewhat HEALTHY.  At least healthier than your average muffin.  They have some whole wheat flour, hardly any oil, Greek yogurt and lots of zucchini.

The flavor is awesome, the texture is soft and light and the cream cheese filling takes these from an every-day zucchini muffin to a gotta-eat-these-now zucchini muffin.

Cream Cheese Swirled Zucchini Muffins

adapted from: I Heart Eating
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 c. plain non-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 c. vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1/2 c. light brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

zest of 1 lemon, opt.

2 c. zucchini, grated

Cream Cheese Filling:

6 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, room temp.

1/4 c. sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For the cream cheese filling:  In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.  It might be runny, but that is okay; set aside.  For the muffins:  In a large bowl, combine the wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, vegetable oil and eggs and beat until smooth.  Add the brown sugar, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest and beat until combined.  Last, stir in the grated zucchini.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  Do not overmix.  

Spoon some of the muffin batter into a well-greased muffin tin, filling each cup around 1/2 full.  Top each with a heaping spoonful of the cream cheese filling (about 1 1/2 Tablespoons each).  Then, top each with more muffin batter.  Muffin cups will be full.  Bake for 20-23 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.  Yield: 12-15 muffins. 

Jenn's Notes:  The lemon zest is optional, but I love the flavor of cinnamon and lemon with zucchini.  I made these exactly as I typed above.    

Orange Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread with Orange Glaze

Two of my favorite quick-breads are this Almond Poppy Seed Bread with Orange Glaze and this Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze.  I decided to marry the two together and come up with another amazing Zucchini Bread.

I am loving experimenting with other flavors of zucchini bread than the usual cinnamon based version and I am finding there are so many possibilities for my overabundance of zucchini.

My Orange Poppy Seed Zucchini version is DIVINE.  Just like I said lemon was meant to be baked with zucchini, well . . . so was orange!   

It is soft and moist and has the perfect texture.  It is loaded with zucchini, Greek yogurt for protein and orange juice for vitamin C.  The glaze takes this bread OVER-THE-TOP.

I even like it better the 2nd day.

On a little side note:  If you peel your zucchini, you will have NO CLUE it's even in there. 

Orange Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbl. poppy seeds
2 large eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. fresh orange juice (1 large juicy orange)
zest of 1/2 an orange
1/3 c. non-fat plain Greek yogurt*
1 c. grated zucchini (peeled or un-peeled)

*1/2 cup of buttermilk can be substituted for the Greek yogurt and reduce the orange juice to 2 Tablespoons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds; set aside.  In a separate medium bowl whisk the eggs until thick and lemon colored.  Add the vegetable oil and sugar and whisk to combine.  Whisk in the orange juice, orange zest and yogurt.  Last, whisk in the grated zucchini. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together just until combined.  Do not overmix.  Pour into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert to a wire rack and cool completely.

Orange Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
zest of 1/2 an orange
orange juice or milk, to reach desired consistency
1/2 tsp. meringue powder, opt.
1/4 tsp. orange bakery emulsion, opt.

Whisk together all ingredients.  Start off with a small amount of orange juice, then add a little as you go until it is smooth and creamy and desired glaze consistency is reached.  Drizzle over cooled bread.  Allow to harden.  Slice and serve.    

Jenn's Notes: I add meringue powder to the glaze to help it harden better and I add orange bakery emulsion for an extra boost of orange flavor.  Both are completely optional and you will still get an amazing glaze without them.

Roasted Ranch Veggies

Never has a roasted vegetable tasted as good as these.  Ever since I discovered my local grocery store has generic ranch dressing mix packets for 50 cents as opposed to the name brand that is over $1, I have been adding it to all kinds of things.  I really need to figure out how to make my own dressing mix.  Anyone have a good recipe?

Have you ever added that ranch mix to sour cream and dipped Wavy Lays Potato Chips in it.  OH MY GOSH.  Talk about one of the most addicting snacks.  I cannot keep potato chips in my house, because it is guaranteed I would make ranch dip and eat the entire bag of chips by myself.  

So . . . the next best thing . . . roasted ranch potatoes.  

But, I didn't stop there, I also added some baby carrots, zucchini from the garden, onions, garlic and tomatoes.  If you slice the zucchini really thin, it gets nice and brown and crispy like a potato chip, but only a few of my slices were thin enough to brown like that.  I topped it all off with a little olive oil, ranch dressing mix and Parmesan cheese.  

Both "The Mr." and I couldn't get enough of these veggies and I am already planning to make them again next week.

Serve alongside:
Cheesy Stuffed Zucchini Chicken
24 Hour Chicken Marinade
Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Baked Ham and Cheese Croissants

Roasted Ranch Veggies

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner 
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

4 red potatoes, diced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
2 c. baby carrots
3 whole garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/3 c. onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbl. ranch dressing mix powder
1-2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbl. freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Add all vegetables to a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with ranch dressing mix.  Fold together until everything is evenly coated.  Spread out onto a cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Remove from oven and top with grated Parmesan.  Serves 4-6.  

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

It's zucchini time!! Are you all as excited as I am?

I made this bread for the first time last year towards the end of zucchini season, waited an entire year and it was the 1st thing I made this year with my zucchini.  I wanted to share it with you guys early, so you can make it a million times this season.  

It is so soft and delicate and fresh tasting with a light lemon flavor.  It has become one of my favorite zucchini breads.  Lemon and zucchini were meant to be baked together.   

Since there isn't any cinnamon in it, it ends up being a pretty light yellow loaf, instead of a brown loaf.    

"The Mr." says there is something about it that he can't get enough of!

Just to give you an idea . . . the two of us finished off an entire loaf in a day and a half :)  Oops . . . guess I better make it again.  

I was reading about tricks professionals use to make perfect donuts.  One of the tricks was adding a little meringue powder to the icing and that will make it harden better.  I tried it with my icing for this bread and it worked perfect.  My icing completely hardened just like I wanted.  I will be using that trick from now on, especially if I am making something that would need to be stacked on top of each other for storing.   

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

adapted from: Nancy Creative
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. canola or vegetable oil
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tbl.)
zest of 1 lemon
1 c. grated zucchini (peeled or un-peeled)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan (I lined mine with parchment and greased); set aside.  In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.  In a medium bowl beat 2 eggs, then add the oil and sugar and mix well.  Add the buttermilk, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix well. Stir in the zucchini.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined; do not overmix.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (mine took 50 minutes).  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.  While the loaf is cooling, you can make the glaze.

Lemon Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tbl.)

or 
1 c. powdered sugar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. imitation lemon extract, to taste
milk, as needed to reach desired consistency
1/2 tsp. meringue powder, opt.

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy and desired consistency is reached.  Pour over cooled loaf.  Allow to harden, slice and serve.

Jenn's Notes:  This bread is absolutely perfect "as is".  For the glaze: I use the 2nd option, which calls for lemon extract, because I love the flavor of imitation lemon extract (not pure - too much alcohol flavor).  The meringue powder helps the icing harden.  This time, I also added a little orange zest and juice, because I had leftover from my favorite Carnitas recipe.   

Cheesy Zucchini Stuffed Chicken

I know you guys are probably zucchinied-out this year and are ready to move onto other things (like pumpkin and there will be plenty of pumpkin recipes to come), but this chicken was really good and I had to share it with you. 

It is stuffed with cheesy goodness. You can't even tell there is zucchini in it. I decided to peel my zucchini and I made sure to squeeze out the excess water to ensure the filling wouldn't be watery and with a touch of Italian seasoning it was yummy.

I decided cutting chicken breasts into cutlets is the way to go vs. pounding out the chicken.  Whenever I pound out chicken, I move everything on the counter to another counter and even though I cover the chicken with wax paper while I pound it, I imagine chicken juice splattering everywhere and I end up bleaching the entire kitchen when I am done - walls and everything!  I am kind of a clean freak like that.  Slicing a chicken breast in half is a much easier solution.  This recipe might look long, but it is really easy to throw together.  

Cheesy Zucchini Stuffed Chicken

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 tsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 c. zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
  (measure it before you squeeze out the excess liquid)

1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. Parmesan cheese, grated

3/4 c. Monterey cheese, shredded

salt and pepper

Italian seasoning

4 chicken cutlets
  (2 large chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally)
1 egg, beaten

1 pkg. Low-Fat Ritz crackers, crushed

   or you can use any kind of bread crumbs

cooking spray

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Add the grated zucchini and saute about two or three more minutes, stirring occasionally, so the garlic doesn't burn.  Add 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan along with 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, to taste.  Remove from heat and stir in the shredded Monterey cheese; set aside to cool slightly while you slice the chicken into cutlets.  Season each cutlet with a little salt (remember the crackers have salt on them), pepper and a little Italian seasoning.  Add beaten egg to a bowl and add the crushed crackers and remaining 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese to another bowl.  Divide the zucchini filling evenly between the four cutlets.  Spread out evenly.  

Loosely roll up chicken and dip in beaten egg, then press cracker crumbs into chicken, including the ends.  (Pressing crumbs into the ends will help keep the filling from oozing out while it bakes).  When chicken is completely coated, place seam-side down in a small, lightly greased, casserole dish.  Repeat with remaining cutlets.  When finished, lightly spray tops with cooking spray.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.  Serves 4 (Served with a side of rice and broccoli, I thought one chicken roll was plenty)

Jenn's Notes: I peeled my zucchini and grated it on the small side of the cheese grater.  You don't have to peel the zucchini if you don't want.  I made sure to squeeze out all that excess liquid so the filling would be nice and creamy rather than watery.  

Idea adapted from: Skinny Taste

Lion House Zucchini Bread

 For as many different zucchini bread recipes I try each year, I always have that one go-to recipe to fall back on.  I have a go-to muffin recipe and this one is my go-to bread recipe!

It comes from none other than the trusted Lion House.  Which is a well known place here in Utah.  

One batch makes two loaves, which in any other case, I would cut the recipe in half, because we wouldn't finish off two loaves before it would go bad.  When I make this recipe, I make the entire batch and we have no problem finishing off both loaves!  It is perfectly spiced, has the best texture and as long as I don't cover it too tight overnight, the top doesn't get sticky.  Most people love that sticky top, but not me, I hate it.

Lion House Zucchini Bread

adapted from: The Lion House
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 c. vegetable oil

2 c. sugar

3 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla

2 c. shredded raw zucchini (you don't need to peel it)

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. chopped nuts, opt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine oil, sugar and eggs in a large bowl; mix well.  Blend in the vanilla and zucchini.  Combine the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and baking powder and add to the wet ingredients.  Stir until just combined.  Stir in the nuts.  Divide batter evenly between two well-greased loaf pans.  Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Jenn's Notes: Sometimes I combine some cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the loaves before I bake them and it will create a crispy top! So good.    

Soft Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Friday!!  We did it, we made it through the long week.  It's time to sit back, relax and eat some cookies!
I found these cookies over at Posed Perfection and she has been making this recipe for 13 YEARS.  Dang, they must be good, right?

As long as you don't overbake them, they will be yummy.  They are soft yet slightly chewy on the bottom.  I think the chocolate chips are a must.  Without them, the cookies aren't super flavorful.  I usually don't peel my zucchini when I make zucchini bread or zucchini cookies, but I recommend peeling the zucchini first with this recipe.  For some reason, the peel kept getting stuck in my teeth.  Also, I think these taste best THE DAY THEY ARE MADE.  The next day, they just aren't as good.  I wonder how I could make these stay fresh longer, because they are really good the day they are made.  Maybe another egg?  I'll have to experiment and see what I can come up with.  

Soft Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from: Posed Perfection
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 egg

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. zucchini, finely grated (I recommend peeling it)

1 c. chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and mix well.  Add the flour, soda, cinnamon and salt and add to creamed mixture and mix well (mixture will be dry until you add the zucchini).  Add the zucchini and mix until evenly distributed (dough will be sticky).  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Drop dough by Tablespoons onto a well-greased baking sheet.  Bake about 14-17 minutes or until lightly golden around the bottom.  Do Not Overbake.  Yield: around 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Jenn's Notes: I baked my first batch for 17 minutes and they overdone.  My 2nd batch I baked for 15 minutes and they were WAY better, I probably could have even went with 14 minutes. So, listen to the recipe and DO NOT OVERBAKE.  These cookies are best the day they are made.