No Waste Zucchini Quickbread
My college years were a time of discovery, not only in terms of education and personal growth, but also in terms of food. One particularly memorable experience came from a chance visit to a friend's home, where I was treated to a warm cup of tea and a slice of something that I initially thought was banana bread. But as I took my first bite, I realized it was something entirely different - moist and soft, with a hint of spice that I couldn't quite place. My friend revealed it to be zucchini bread, and shared the recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook. This cookbook opened my eyes to a world of creative, delicious, and nourishing vegetarian recipes. I've made this special bread many times since, experimenting with different ingredients as my dietary preferences have evolved. But no matter how I make it, it always brings me back to that special moment and the taste of that first bite. Below, I've included the original recipe from Moosewood, along with my own personal substitutions. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup vegetable oil (or 1/3 cup of coconut oil)
1 cup brown sugar (or 1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup)
3 eggs (or 6 tablespoons of aquafaba from making my own chickpeas)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (or 2 teaspoons)
2 cups grated zucchini
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ cups unbleached white flour (didn’t use)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (plus 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, & star anise)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder (didn’t use)
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°
Oil two 5 X 9-inch loaf pans. (Mine makes enough for one loaf pan.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil and brown sugar.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Stir in the vanilla and zucchini.
In a smaller bowl, sift together the flours, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and soda.
Stir the dry ingredients into the oil and egg mixture until just moistened.
Fold in the raisins and walnuts.
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pans.
Bake for about 45 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
