Zucchini up the Wazoo

Last week I shared a recipe for Sautéed Squash as one way to use some of the zucchini that is so plentiful this time of year. I used up my zucchini and yellow summer squash, and as if by magic, it was replaced from a friend’s garden the very next day.

Before I could use up those squash, we were given more zucchini from another friend’s first garden crop. So thoughtful – so much squash. I took it as a sign that folks might want more recipe options, so this will be the second installment in the Zucchini Trilogy.

While picking up zucchini from the first friend, we talked about zucchini bread. She had made it for her family and her daughter asked about adding chocolate chips. This is a great variation, but I had also seen recipes for chocolate zucchini bread. This had my curiosity piqued.

I set out to look for a chocolate zucchini bread recipe to try. While mulling this over, I walked into my kitchen and found bananas rapidly aging. Was it possible to combine zucchini and banana AND chocolate into one delicious bread??

It is possible, and the combination makes a delectable, moist, dense quick bread that is far closer to a dessert than anything. However, calling it chocolate zucchini banana bread is a mouthful, so I have dubbed it Zucnana Bread. The recipe I tried uses only a total of 1 cup of sugar, and with the combination of zucchini and bananas, you can say it’s even healthy.

The recipe I used came from www.ifyougiveablondeakitchen.com. It is easy, but admittedly, it uses up quite a few bowls. I would say it’s well worth the mess, though.

As far as zucchini size goes, you will get more flavor and moisture from smaller zucchini. However, this bread recipe is a great place to use up the larger zucchini that may have gotten away from you, hiding in the garden but you hate to waste them all together.

If you use bigger-sized zucchini, just be sure to remove any larger seeds. Either cut them out or scoop them out with a spoon. Then cut the zucchini into quarters lengthwise and shred. It is a lot easier to use a food processor with a shredding attachment, but you can shred them by hand also. Set that aside, then mash the bananas and set them aside.

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the sugar, granulated and brown, with the vegetable oil and vanilla. Into that same bowl, add the shredded zucchini and mashed banana and eggs and mix until blended.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined, then fold in a cup of chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and sprinkle some more chocolate chips on top of the wet batter.

Pop the loaf pan into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the bread is set and a tooth pick plunged into the center comes out crumby, not wet.

Sometimes I find that baking in loaf pans can be a bit tricky. The center may not be completely done but the edges are getting too done. My favorite solution for this dilemma is to turn off the heat but keep the pan in the oven for 5-10 more minutes.

If you do not have a loaf pan or just prefer muffins, go ahead and bake in a muffin pan. Simply shorten the baking time to 12-14 minutes or until done.

I promise the end result is a delicious way to use up more zucchini and it is so well hidden, even the most discerning critic will not be able to identify vegetables in the bread. In fact, my 16 year old who loudly declared her loathing of squash last week with the sauté loves this bread. She said, “Wow, Mom, you managed to make zucchini not suck.” So eloquent….

So, if you find you have too many zucchini and your bananas are getting away from you, combine the two for this yummy, produce-saving sweet treat. And stay tuned next week for the final installment of the Zucchini Triolgy.

*Recipe adapted from www.ifyougiveablondeakitchen.com