Rainy days are made for doing in-house chores, watching movies, reading a good book, or getting creative in the kitchen.  You know what my choice is and my goodness did I make the best out of this dull, wet day.

First I put together a cucumber salad which had red bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, a green onion, sautéed sweet onion with edamame, and of course cucumber.  Made up a balsamic Dijon dressing with mandarin orange infused olive oil.

Next, I cut the corn off 5 ears of corn.  Sauteed sweet onion with the corn.  Peeled and cut up a large eggplant.  Chopped about 4 cups of tomatoes.  Boiled yellow split peas for an hour then drained all the water out. Spread them in a thin layer on a baking sheet and cooked for 30 minutes at 400 F until dry.   To put that all together, I oiled the bottom of a large lasagna pan. Added ½ the tomatoes with juices. Added ½ the eggplant and sprinkled with garlic, salt and other spices.  Topped with the corn-onion mixture, sprinkled ½ the dried yellow split peas (this came out like bread crumbs but no bread added) then layered again.  Finished the layering with the crumbled split peas and topped with shredded mozzarella with a sprinkle of parmesan Reggiano.  Baked covered for 1 hour at 375. Removed cover and finished at 425 F for 12 minutes.   This was another dish to die for!

For the grand finale, a dark chocolate chunk zucchini bread.  I’m stuffed just writing this down!

Double rich chocolate

Get ready to sink your teeth into a tender, light zucchini bread that knocks all others out of the playing field.  This one is tops!

In a nut shell, yet there are no nuts, mix the dry ingredients, whip the wet ingredients, mix together then add zucchini and chocolate chunks.  See? Easy!

Delicate and light and ooh so much chocolate

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup 2 % milk

½ cup + 1 TBS canola oil

Dark Chocolate Chunk Zucchini Bread
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Joanne
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Rich, dark and deccadent. A zucchini bread that’s all about the chocolate and not so much about the 2 cups of zucchini. Really easy to make. Enjoy!
Ingredients
  • Ingredients:
  • 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup 2 % milk
  • ½ cup + 1 TBS canola oil
  • 1 medium zucchini shredded (wash zucchini, trim ends and shred) *Do not squeeze dry.
  • ¾ c dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
  1. Directions:
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 5 (large) loaf pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, sugars and cocoa powder.
  4. In a large electric mixer bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, milk, oil.  Add the flour mix and combine.
  5. Add the zucchini and chunks.  Mix just to blend.
  6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or up to 1 hour 20 minutes, until a knife comes clean when inserted in the middle.

1 medium zucchini shredded (wash zucchini, trim ends and shred) *Do not squeeze dry.

¾ c dark chocolate chunks

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 5 (large) loaf pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, sugars and cocoa powder.

In a large electric mixer bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, milk, oil.  Add the flour mix and combine.

Add the zucchini and chunks.  Mix just to blend.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or up to 1 hour 20 minutes, until a knife comes clean when inserted in the middle.

Care to share your all time favorite zucchini bread recipe?  There are so many out there, how can we stop at just one?!

Joanne

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