Zucchini Bread Oatmeal

I’ve had “make zucchini-banana protein muffins” on my to-do list, unchecked, for two weeks. Every time I venture into the fridge, I imagine the two requisite oblong squashes looking up at me expectantly, crestfallen when I summarily close the door in their face. I want to make them, I really do. What is it about the start of fall that demands a heavily spiced cucurbita loaf? But my craving are invariably met with a timely excuse. Yesterday I didn’t want to scrub the muffin pan, today I don’t have time to wait for them to cook. If only goodwill and an obstinate appetite could conjure my zucchini bread; no whisk, spatula, or oven required. “I don’t even need the whole thing—just a bite, one taste!” I bargain pleadingly with my fantastical bread, as my courgettes judge my laziness harshly from inside their temperature-controlled bin.

 Alas, I must’ve done something that pleased the craving gods, because lo and behold, I stumbled across Zucchini Bread Oatmeal. Are you familiar with the Food52 List called “Genius Recipes?” This brilliant baking hack belongs at top. Here, all the key elements of a loaf of zucchini bread are added to simple stovetop oats—zucchini, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla—then stirred continuously in sweet, velvety coconut milk (soy milk or almond milk make great alternatives). Chia seeds give the porridge a thick, pudding-esque texture, so you don’t feel like you are eating oatmeal so much as the just-shy-of-cooked-through inside of a muffin. Cue the Pinkberry toppings bar please, because what you spoon on top matters almost as much as the pot's contents. I chose coconut chips, pecans, and chopped dates, which added delightful sweetness and crunch to the gooey porridge. Chocolate shavings, raisins, and a drizzle of honey are other great options. I take collagen peptides, so in went those too; if you are looking for a protein boost, try swirling in a spoonful of pea protein or, at the end so it doesn’t curdle, Greek yogurt.


While I reveled in the luxuriousness of my dessert-for-breakfast, I thought of all the other treats I could hack with this formula. Carrot cake, banana bread, pumpkin loafs—all excellent contenders for the stovetop miracle. A big batch of this 10-minute single bowl whip-up will keep for a few days, just add a splash of milk before heating it in the microwave. Shocking to no one, I ate a double portion in one sitting.

Zucchini Bread Oatmeal (from Oh She Glows)
Makes 2 generous bowls

Ingredients
For the oatmeal:
1 14-oz can light coconut milk (or 1¾ cup almond or soy milk)
2/3 cup rolled oats
1 cup packed finely grated zucchini (1 medium)
2 Tbsp chia seeds
½ to 1 tsp cinnamon, to taste
Dash of ground nutmeg
1½ Tbsp pure maple syrup or 1 large ripe banana, mashed
Small pinch fine sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping suggestions:
Chopped pecans
Raisins or chopped pitted dates
Maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar
Cinnamon
Shaved dark chocolate

Hemp hearts

Coconut flakes

Directions:
1. Add all of the oatmeal ingredients except for the vanilla to a medium pot and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Adjust spices and sweetener to taste, if desired.
3. Divide the oatmeal into bowls and top with your desired toppings. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. To reheat, add the leftovers to a small pot along with a splash of coconut milk. Stir and heat over medium until heated through. 

Purple Plum Torte

In the spirit of a sweet Jewish New Year, I set out to make something sugary and delicious with my excess of farmers market stone fruits, ending up with this absolutely perfect Purple Plum Torte. For the Jewish Holidays, the stakes are always high—not only am I cooking for a crowd, but everyone’s brought their best tried-and-trued Jewish dishes to the table, so my dessert needs to be on par with its foodstuff competition. Which got me thinking a lot about Jewish Tradition.

The beguiling fondness of Jewish food is a simple recipe: equal parts tasty and association. Rather than just eating that brisket here and now, the ritualized dish extends beyond the present, touching on all the years past that its been enjoyed in this time of rebirth, religion, family, and friends. In a sense, horology is truly altered: time stops, remembers, anticipates. We look forward to the food with such pleasure, because the memories of the past are so rich. This is what was on my mind when I set out to create my Rosh Hashanah dessert.  I didn’t want to just make something palatable—I wanted something timeless, the stuff of tradition. That dish that people grow to expect year after year, a muddling of gustation and memory.

Alas, the discovery of this recipe was met with extreme pleasure (or shall I say, much cavort over torte!) as it fulfilled both of my objectives: to create a recipe as timeless as it is tasty. Marian Burro’s Plum Torte was published by the New York Times every single September from 1982 to 1989, after its last print the newspaper received a torrent of nostalgic complaints. The torte had come to be known as the marker of the changing of seasons and new beginnings; as predictable as the transition from August to September. The torte is nothing fancy— it has only 8 ingredients and is laughably easy to make. Yet the recipe is revered with an air of filial piety, a solemn respect to its longevity and endurance by all who make it— and a double underlined mandate to not change. Variations are discouraged here, because the torte has already been perfected. You make the torte, you enjoy immensely, you contribute to the legacy.

At this point, curiosity may have already caused you to glance at the ingredient list, and you’re thinking, this looks pretty basic—why all the hype? I've got a few reasons. It’s because nothing bad ever came of creaming together massive amounts of butter and sugar. It’s because when purple, bubbly plum juice seeps down into the depths of the cake, it creates a texture so moist it literally melts in your mouth. It’s because it eats even better the next day—and the third. Lastly, it’s because it tastes like tradition, like something your family will lick their lips over until the next round of Jewish holidays, associating the tremendous torte with these precious, beloved gatherings as we gear up to start the fresh new year. Which, I’d have to say, is the best taste of all.

Purple Plum Torte (by Marian Burros, originally published in New York Times)

Makes 1 torte

Ingredients:

¾ cup sugar

½ cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter

1 cup unbleached flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 eggs

12 pitted purple Italian plums, halved lengthwise (also called prune plums, the little guys)

Sugar (~2 tsp), lemon juice (~2 tsp), and cinnamon (~1 tsp), for topping—adjust to personal preference

Directions:

1.     Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     Cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.

3.     Spoon the batter into a spring form pan (a regular pan is fine, just don't expect to serve outside the pan) of 8, 9 or 10 inches. You can grease pan with butter first if preferred, but its not required. Place the plum halves, skin side up, on top of the batter concentrically, until entire surface is covered. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon.

4.     Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. (Under bake if you plan on reheating the cake in the oven later.) Allow torte to cook for 10 minutes before serving.

Six Minute Vegan Chocolate Cake

What is not to love about this Six Minute Vegan Chocolate Cake? Just reading the title generates excitement: six minute = quick, vegan = low cholesterol and parve (hello Jewish holidays), and chocolate cake = immediate euphoria and giddiness, duh.



But that's just the icing on the cake. (Ha, ha.) Pantry item predominant, economical for your wallet, a one-pot wonder (can I even say, NO pot wonder? All the ingredients are mixed straight into the pan), and these superlatives don't even cover taste! Yes, this cake tastes as rich, decadent, and elegant as it looks. Dark as the night sky, it is moist and light, vivid and opulent, delicate yet powerful. It is going to become your go-to chocolate cake recipe, receiving ooo's and ahh's by all lucky enough to receive a slice. I'll leave it to you whether or not to reveal that this delectable dessert took less time to whip up than a pot of coffee.

I love the idea of spending all day in the kitchen creating a mastermind dessert that leaves you spent but wonderfully proud. But just like there is a time and place for complicated, multi- step aesthetic baking projects, there is also a time and place for the get-er-done quick fix dessert. This recipe is the latter. Messed up dessert #1 two hours before tonight's housewarming party but still need to bring something? Here is your cake. Made your first from-scratch Rosh Hashanah dinner, but realized you'd need to clone yourself three times to include dessert on the menu? Viva la vegan.

Now, to top the cake. Here is where things get tricky (and where my six minutes turned into over an hour.) The original recipe comes with a chocolate glaze, which I've included below, but the water/chocolate combo didn't work for me—it came out really liquidy and yuck. Next time, I will try adding the water slowly into the chocolate, rather than visa versa, to control the amount of liquid in the glaze.

My backup was a simple chocolate butter frosting (there goes the Vegan and the parve—whoops!) that worked wonders. However, the cake and the frosting were both so rich, that I think next time I'll try to make the glaze again to keep things simple. A simple dusting of confectioners sugar or whipped cream and sliced fruit would be great options, too.


Six Minute Vegan Chocolate Cake (from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts)
Makes 1 Cake

Ingredients:

Cake Ingredients

1 ½ cups unbleached white flour

⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

½ cup vegetable oil (I recommend coconut oil)

1 cup coffee

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Chocolate Glaze

½ pound semi-sweet chocolate

¾ cup hot water

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting

½ pound semi-sweet chocolate

1 stick butter at room temperature

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda, salt, and sugar directly into a 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pan. (You can also do it in a mixing bowl to make sure nothing spills over.)

2. In a measuring cup or small bowl, mix together the oil, coffee, and vanilla.

3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the baking pan and mix the batter with a fork or a small whisk. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls in the batter as the baking soda and vinegar react. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter.

4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and set aside to cool.

5. Make the glaze OR the frosting: To make the glaze, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Stir in the hot water and vanilla into the melted chocolate until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake.
6. To make the frosting, whip the butter until creamy. In a double broiler or microwave, melt the chocolate. Add the chocolate to the butter, and beat until consistency is smooth. Frost the cake with a spatula.

7. Refrigerate the glazed/frosted cake for at least 30 minutes before serving.

DIY Frozen Yogurt

All summer I've kept this essential DIY Frozen Yogurt recipe to myself; requiring no ice cream maker and consuming a paltry 5 minutes of your time. I'm sorry! Do you forgive me? I promise my inability to share this coveted sweet treat stemmed from mere forgetfulness, not a perverse calculation to hog all the frozen yogurt for myself. (Mwahahah.) Now, with open arms, I share with you my one-gadget, two-ingredient ingenious froyo recipe.

Because I am a girl who likes sushi and hummus and kale; by default I must have an insane frozen yogurt addiction that propels me into a morphine withdrawal-like frenzy if I don't have it every week. Check, stereotyped fulfilled. When I misplace my wallet, my primary concern is the possibility of forever losing my Tasti D Lite, Pinkberry and 16 Handles frequent buyer cards.

But here is the truth fellow lets-do-spin-then-grab-sushi-and-froyo-after! friends—froyo really isn't so good for you, even if it's post Sweetgreen. What it lacks in fat it more than makes up for in sugar and chemicals; the antithesis of a wholesome, unprocessed food. And while I myself am guilty on many occasions of justification ("but it only has 150 calories so it really can't be that bad"), we all can admit that the $5.50 per cup minimum charge can really can burn a hole in the frequent consumer's wallet. 

So, what is the froyo addict to do? First, buy an immersion blender such is this Cuisinart Smartstick. (Don't complain that it costs $35. That's 4 post-dinner dessert cups + 1 I'm-just-going-to-get-a-giant-tub-but-eat-it-instead-of-dinner cup.) Next, get yo'self some frozen fruit! I love the Trader Joe's mixes—berry medley, tropical fruit blend—and mango chunks are my favorite if sticking to one variety. While you're at it, grab some non-fat, low-sugar plain yogurt: Fage 0% and Siggi's Icelandic-style Skyr will satisfy the charge.

Combine, blend, and you're done! The consistency is truly uncannily similar to chain-produced frozen yogurt, as well as the taste. What's amazing is that this DIY version has no added sugar (you'd never guess!) and is solely made up of protein-packed yogurt and real fruit—the cleanest froyo you'll ever have. Once you go [immersion] blender, you'll never go back: this little guy can also make soups, sauces, and pestos right in your own mixing bowl; clean up barely required.

My tried and true favorite is mango, greek yogurt, vanilla almond milk, and nutmeg. What combo do you plan on mixing up?

DIY Frozen Yogurt

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 packed cup of frozen fruit (for big chunks like mango and strawberries, cut in half or give a few minutes to defrost)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or Skyr

dash of liquid (water or milk)

dash of spice (Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cardamon)
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a medium to large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix together with a spoon. Insert immersion blender, making sure the mouth is covering the bottom of the bowl at all times, and blend until mixture reaches uniformed consistency. Serve immediately.

Rosemary Orange Zucchini Bread

If it's even possible to get zoodeled out, I have on more option for you to use up the farmers markets' seemingly endless zucchini supply. A loaf for late-summer loafing, try this Rosemary Orange Zucchini Bread: a truly delightful, savory twist on the beloved baked good.

We all know what to expect in a standard dessert bread—eggs, sugar, flour, and butter or oil lay the foundation for the added shredded veggie of choice; an appurtenance of nuts and/or chocolate chips are always well-received. As if to counteract the presence of produce, these breads are generally cloyingly sweet—a firm reminder that despite the presence of nutrition, this bread is meant to serve your sweet tooth.

All that changes with this recipe.  After halving the sugar, adding wholesome nutty flax seed and whole wheat flour, and using heart-healthy olive oil and yogurt to ensure proper moistness, I was left with a perfectly versatile bread: sumptuous enough for dessert, yet also hearty enough for breakfast or snack without going into a sugar coma—or the associated guilt.  Food 52 (are you familiar with this site? If not, check it out—it's my go-to cooking blog for likeminded kitchen enthusiasts; and the community is fantastic) describes it the best: "a rosemary and orange-scented loaf cake that feels both indulgent and virtuous."

Oh, it does. The rosemary, pointedly sophisticated outside of its usual Thanksgiving milieu, balances the earthy zucchini wonderfully; a pleasing savory opposition against sunny orange juice and zest. You can hardly taste the olive oil, but the barely there hint of grassiness is just right. This loaf is truly best describes as the sum of its parts; individually, the ingredients are slightly curious. But it works, ebulliently hearty and delicious—and freezes well too!

Rosemary Orange Zucchini Bread (adapted from Food52)

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

2 large eggs + 1 flaxseed egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal stirred with 3 tbsp water)

1/2 cup of plain yogurt (preferably low-fat)

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 cup of sugar*

2 cups of zucchini; shredded

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary; finely minced

Zest of one orange (preferably Valencia)

Juice from 3/4 of the orange 

3 cups of flour (I used 2/3 whole wheat; 1/3 white)

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of toasted pecans; chopped

*I eliminated 3/4 cup of additional sugar from the original recipe. This cut may be drastic for some, so if you are sugar-inclined, add 1/4 cup more (you can taste the batter as you go.)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans and set them aside.

2. In a large bowl beat the eggs (plus flaxseed egg). Mix in the yogurt, oil, and sugar. Then mix in the shredded zucchini, rosemary, orange zest, and orange juice. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add toasted nuts.

5. Once the batter is well combined divide it evenly between the two loaf pans.

6. Bake the loaves for 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Start testing if the loaves are done at 45 minutes, and every 5 minutes after that until a tester, such as a knife, comes out clean.)

7. Remove the loaves from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes inside the loaf pan before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve plain, or with your favorite jam.