MMmmmm..Zucchini Bread

I combined two friends' recipes last week to make a great zucchini bread. One friend has a great banana bread recipe I have posted before. The other makes the zucchini bread without the banana but with applesauce and uses egg replacer of some kind. Here is what I made and it was delicious. It did flatten so I'll have to work on that. But it was very very moist and wonderful.

Ingredients:

2 cups (more or less) grated zucchini

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 large ripe banana smashed

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups gluten free flour mix (I used Trader Joe's pancake mix)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I use incredible cinnamon from The Spice House.)

1/2 tsp nutmeg (I have a whole nutmeg and grate a bit into the mix.)

Combine sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla and banana until well combined. Add zucchini. Mix remainder of dry in separate bowl and mix gently into the wet ingredients.

Oil and flour 2 loaf pans. Bake at 325 F for 30-45 minutes (or until done.)

Yummy Granola

I made a batch of granola today. I love the recipe in one of Kathleen Daeleman's books but decided to wing it and just go off on my own. Here is my step by step....

Put 4 cups oatmeal (not instant) in a large bowl.
Crush 1/2-1 cup nuts of your choice and add to oatmeal. (I used walnuts.)
Add slightly more than 1/4 cup each agave and honey. (You could easily just use one or the other.) add 1-2 tsp salt in with the honey before mixing with the oatmeal.
Add 1/3 cup unflavored oil* (I used canola.)

Mix above together. At that point I needed more liquid. I added about 1/4 cup water and a squirt more honey. The next time I make it I will measure differently/better and re-post but you don't want it dry or gummy when you put it in the oven. That said, one time I added (by mistake) double the liquid, and just cooked it longer. It was fine.

Andrew also said at that point wanted to taste a cinnamon stick I had bought last night and I said ..'Ah Ha! cinnamon!' so I added a sprinkle on top. I am also going to add vanilla next time. (As Emeril would say.."It ain't rocket science!)

Put in a thin layer on a large greased cookie sheet (or 2.) I used a large glass 9X13 pan.

Put in approximately a 200F oven and keep stirring every 20-30 minutes for about 90-120 minutes. Many recipes use a higher temperature but I like 200F because you don't have to 'babysit' it as much. You can do this in the dehydrator I am told but have not tried.

I have some pears and plums in the dehydrator and plan on adding those as well. Coconut is also a good addition to granola and can be added toward the end of the baking.

* note on the oil. The store bought brands have quite a bit of oil. The no fat brands have none. I like a bit of oil. I think it helps the oatmeal not to burn.