zucchini bread

A goal of 2011 was to get back to the basics.  To learn how to cook/bake at the beginning and tackling some of the easy and basic recipes every mom should have in her arsenal.  In almost every cooks kitchen I notice the BHG cookbook.  I think it is one of those cookbooks you get at the beginning of your cooking adventure post college or at the start of your marriage to learn to cook in order to fill the void of your mom, take out, frozen meals or whatever you were living on before you stepped out into your first big girl kitchen. I have had the BHG cookbook for years and have never made a single recipe from it.  I was not interested in cooking at the start of my marriage.  We lived on the handful of things I could make which included black bean soup (from a package), pasta with meat sauce, boboli and crock pot chicken.  Looking back all I can think is GROSS.  Why didn't I try to learn and feed my husband better?  I am not sure when the desire to learn to cook came on but, it is burning in me now and I go to bed thinking about flavors and combinations and techniques.  I am on a quest to learn and tackle my cookbook collection.  My csa box had zucchinis last week so, zucchini bread from BHG seemed like a good starting point.  This is an easy bread with a moist center and slightly crunchy top.  Next time I will double the recipe and freeze a loaf because it was gone in two days.  I should have watched it a bit closer toward the end of the cook time because it finished at the lower end of the suggested time range.

zucchini bread

source: bhg cookbook

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 tsp. lemon zest
• 11/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. chopped walnut or pecan nuts (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray  a 8"x 4" loaf pan.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the sugar, zucchini, and egg. Add oil and lemon zest; mix well.
3. Add the dry ingredients and stir.
4. Fold in the nuts, if using.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a rack.