Saturday, August 18, 2018

Zucchini Bread

  • Anyone have Zucchinis galore sitting on your countertop? I like this one because it isn't very sweet. I got it from here, but I wanted to record a few things I changed/substituted. 

  • 2 eggs (or substitute with flax eggs: 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 5 tablespoons water)
  • 2+ cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini (wring out the excess liquid with a towel) 
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or anything sweet. I used brown sugar)
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or part of a ripe banana, or nothing)
  • 1/4 cup melted and cooled coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour (or gluten free or white)
  • plus any extras you want:
  • 1/2 cup toasted raw walnuts or pecans, or 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, or raisins... 
Mix the zucchini in last. I omitted the banana/applesauce bc I didn't have any and it was fine. It is a thick batter. 
Makes 1 loaf. 
Heat oven to 325, cook for 50-55 minutes. 

Friday, August 3, 2018

Chicken Burrito Bowls

If you have an instant pot, this is for you. Super easy, really good, and my kids all loved it. So it's a winner. I honestly can't figure out if I love my instant pot or not. For some things I do --- like this quick, one pot meal and mashed potatoes, but I don't like cooking roasts or plain chicken in it. I just prefer the crock pot/slow cooker for that. But this reminded me that I need to find more recipes like this one to use it. It was soooo easy and quick clean up.



  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks (I used 2 chicken breasts, whole. I didn't even read that I was supposed to cut them into 1 inch chunks, but I wouldn't have anyway. But next time I will cut them in half just so they cook more and fall apart more easily)
  • 1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth, divided
  • 1 (15-ounce) can corn kernels, drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup salsa, homemade or store-bought
  • 1 (4.5-ounce) chopped green chiles
  • 1 cup long-grain rice
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Add chicken, taco seasoning and 1/4 cup chicken broth to a 6-qt Instant Pot® and gently toss to combine. 
  2. Stir in corn, black beans, salsa and green chiles.
  3. Without stirring, add rice and remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth.
  4. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 10 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions. Stir in cheese until melted, about 1 minute. Here's what I did here after it was done cooking:  fluff rice with a fork and let it sit before mixing it all together so it's a better texture. Then I pulled the chicken breasts out, shredded the meat, and served separately ... just cause that's how I wanted it. Then I mixed the corn, beans, and rice together. I also served the cheese on the side, so it didn't make it a big ball of cheese in the fridge. 
  5. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.