Zucchini Carrot Bread

I had never baked a sweet recipe with a vegetable before. I've never made zucchini bread or carrot cake, or whatever other recipes rely on vegetables as opposed to the sweetness of fruits.

I was skeptical about how this bread was going to turn out. I mean, I know what carrots taste like and I know what zucchinis taste like, but in a quick bread? I just had no idea what I was getting myself into.

And really, what I was getting myself into was delicious. With this loaf sitting in my kitchen, I had a hard time not picking at it when I was walking through the kitchen. It lasted through about 3 days of breakfasts before it was no more.

This is definitely not a recipe I would throw away. I will make this again and again.

Zucchini Carrot Bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup sugar

6 tbsp egg substitute

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup shredded zucchini

1/4 cup shredded carrot

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

pinch cardamom

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup chopped pecans (or other nut - or just leave it out)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a loaf pan by spraying it with Pam.

2. Beat the egg substitute until frothy. Combine the oil and sugar with the egg substitute and mix well. Mix in the vanilla, zucchini, and carrots, and then set aside.

3. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Slowly add the zucchini mixture until blended. Fold in the nuts.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spoon. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

* makes 1 loaf - 8 slices per loaf

* 326 calories per slice

Citrus Shrimp with Vegetable Slaw

One of my MFP friends asked me to make a dish that included both grilled protein and vegetables. Upon some recipe explorations I found this recipe, a shrimp dish that included a cold vegetable slaw.

Here's the thing. I really really am not fond of raw vegetables. I hate the crunch so much. I initially was going to just eat the slaw cold and try to change my taste buds into loving the raw veggies, but when I was standing there cutting up the onion and the squash I couldn't bear to think that my teeth were going to be tearing into the hard flesh of the raw vegetables. So I changed it up a little and put the vegetables over heat long enough to soften a bit.

And then it didn't gross me out anymore.

Citrus Shrimp with Vegetable Slaw

Ingredients

1/4 cup lemon juice + 1/2 tbsp

1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp sugar
1 sprig of rosemary
a pinch of cinnamon
1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 carrot, cut into circles
1/2 yellow squash, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp ground black pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup uncooked rice

Directions
1. In a rice cooker combine the rice and 2 cups of water. Cook.

2. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of lime juice, the orange juice, pineapple juice, sugar, rosemary, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir to combine and then toss the shrimp in the liquid. Set in the refrigerator.

3. In another small bowl combine the olive oil and cilantro. Mix with the vegetables.

4. In a small skillet cook the vegetables until they begin to soften. Place in a bowl and set aside.

5. Remove the shrimp from the marinade. Pour the marinade in the skillet and cook until it is reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 8 minutes. Let boil briefly. Pour into a clean bowl.

6. In the same skillet cook the shrimp 3 minutes on each side. Put the shrimp into the cooked marinade and toss well.

7. Fill the bottom of a bowl with rice. Top with shrimp and then with the veggies.

CALORIES: 355 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 204 milligrams
FAT: 6 grams
SODIUM: 275 milligrams

Vegetable Biryani

Indian is my favorite cuisine. I always try to make it myself and unfortunately, regardless of how yummy the dishes I make are they never quite compare with true Indian food.

I am sure this has to do with the subpar quality of my spices. Or my lack of the ingredients available in India. Yeah, I've been to India and the food there is better than India food in the US. That seems like a given though.

This has been linked up with Midnight Maniac's Meatless Mondays.

Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients
1 tbsp Brummel&Brown
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 tsp cumin seed
1 cinnamon stick
4 peppercorns
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
1/2 tomato, diced
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup carrots
1/4 cup diced potato
1/4 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp red chile pepper
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/8 ground turmeric
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked basmati rice

Directions

1. Melt the Brummel&Brown over medium-heat in a deep pot. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in cumin seed, cinnamon stick, and peppercorns, cooking until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas, carrots, and potatoes. Season with bouillon, salt, red chile, black pepper, garam masala, and turmeric. Stir well. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Pour in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in rice and reduce to medium heat. Cover and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes more.

* serves 2

CALORIES: 411 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 0 milligrams
FAT: 3 grams
SODIUM: 834 milligrams