Zucchini Bread

Recipe excerpt from:
The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World
by Vasudha Viswanath

Serves: 10

This low-carb, gluten-free, protein-rich bread has a mild savory flavor and gorgeous moist texture from the zucchini. It is endlessly versatile—useit for everything from grilled cheese to pav bhaji to croutons and even breadcrumbs! It took me dozens of tries to perfect this recipe, but now it gets rave reviews, every time. I recommend you keep a loaf on standby in the freezer because it features in several recipes in this book, such as the Avocado Toast, Pav Bhaji, Eggs Florentine and French Onion Soup.

This bread is dense and filling, so you will find that you cannot eat as much as you would of regular white or whole-wheat bread. Note that the vegan version will not rise as much as the original, but it tastes just as delicious and works better for croutons and breadcrumbs.

  • 1 medium zucchini (7 oz./200g)
  • 1⁄2 tsp. + 1 pinch salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup / 120g chickpea flour
  • 1 scant cup / 100g blanched almond flour
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
  • 2 eggs

Vegan Version

  • 1 medium zucchini (7 oz./200g)
  • 1⁄2 tsp. + 1 pinch salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 heaping cup / 140g chickpea flour
  • 1 heaping cup / 120g blanched almond flour
  • 1 1⁄2 Tbsp. baking powder 2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
  • 6 Tbsp. aquafaba (soaking liquid from a can of chickpeas)

Directions

Step 1: Grate zucchini using the smaller holes of a box grater. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over zucchini and let sit for 10–15 minutes to draw out moisture.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Lightly grease an 81/2-x-41/2-x-21/2- inch / 201/2-x-11-x-51/2-cm loaf pan.

Step 3: Combine chickpea flour, almond flour, baking powder, flaxseed, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix well. Beat eggs lightly in a separate bowl (skip for vegan version).

Step 4: Place zucchini in a thin towel, paper towel, or a nut-milk bag and squeeze over a bowl to get as much moisture out as possible (I usually get at least 1/4 cup zucchini water). Reserve the water for the next step.

Step 5: When oven temp reaches 350°F / 180°C, add 1/4 cup zucchini water, beaten egg or aquafaba, and grated zucchini to dry ingredients and stir well with a large spoon or whisk, breaking up any lumps. If the batter is too thick to combine, add a bit more zucchini water 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 4 tablespoons, supplementing with regular water if needed. The batter should be thick, like a lump of wet sand.

Step 6: Transfer batter to prepared pan and tap gently on the counter to settle. Bake for 35–45 minutes (45–55 minutes for the vegan version), or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 7: Let cool 15–20 minutes. Loosen around the edges of the pan with a butter knife if necessary. Transfer to a flat surface to slice, and serve just as you would any other bread!

Pav Bjaji

Recipe excerpt from:
The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World
by Vasudha Viswanath

Serves: 3

Originally from the streets of Mumbai, pav bhaji is a crowd-pleaser that consists of a one-pot spicy vegetable mash (bhaji) served with soft dinner rolls (pav), garnished with a squeeze of lemon, chopped onions, cilantro, and often, dollops of butter! In my version, yellow moong dal works wonderfully as a substitute for starchy potato, lending the bhaji a nutty but creamy flavor. Served with toasted zucchini bread, this makes a hearty and delicious meal with no compromises! I often serve the bhaji over bread like a sloppy joe, so you get it all in one dreamy bite.

To Veganize: Sub any neutral-flavored oil for the butter and use Vegan Zucchini Bread

Bhaji

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 cup / 150g diced red onion
  • 1 medium plum or Roma tomato (4 oz/110g), diced
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp ground coriander seed
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1⁄4 tsp cayenne
  • 2 cups / 200g roughly chopped cauliflower
  • 3⁄4 cup / 120g frozen green peas
  • 1 small red bell pepper / capsicum (4 oz/110g), diced
  • 1⁄4 cup / 30g yellow moong dal (or split red lentils), soaked for 30 minutes and rinsed
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2⁄3 cup / 160ml water, plus more as needed
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 6 slices Zucchini Bread (approximately 2 oz/55g each; page 14)
  • 2 tsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro / fresh coriander, for garnish
  • 4 lemon wedges, for garnish

Step 1: Heat the butter in a large saucepan (for which you have a lid) over medium-high heat. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the diced onion for garnish and add the rest to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, coriander, paprika, cumin, and cayenne. Mix well and cook until well incorporated and the tomatoes break down and start oozing, 3–4 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water to deglaze the pan if necessary.

Step 2: Add the cauliflower, peas, bell pepper, moong dal, salt, and water, and mix. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, adding more water if needed, until the lentils are done, 20–30 minutes.

Step 3: Mash the vegetables and lentils together using a potato masher or pulse a few times with an immersion blender (the bhaji should still have some texture). Add the lemon juice and mix.

Step 4: Toast the bread in a skillet at medium heat using 1/2 teaspoon butter per slice. Serve the bread with bhaji. Garnish with cilantro and serve with the reserved chopped onion and lemon wedges.

Zucchini And Corn Pancakes with Cilantro Crema

Zucchini And Corn Pancakes by Jonathan Bardzik

Recipe excerpt from:
Simple Summer: a recipe for joy and connection (Second Edition)
by Jonathan Bardzik

Serves 6

Zucchini and corn pancakes – think latkes – are sweet and savory, crisp on the outside and creamy inside with the corn kernels popping as you bite into them. The refreshing cilantro crema perfectly balances the warm, summery flavors of the pancakes.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups grated zucchini, about 2 medium
  • 2 ears corn, kernels removed
  • 1 egg, lightly whisked
  • 2 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1/4 tsp Spanish paprika*
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 3-4 tbs olive oil
  • Cream

*Spanish paprika has a wonderful smoky flavor. You can substitute Hungarian paprika.

Cilantro Crema:

  • 1 cup créme fraîche
  • 2 tbs cream or buttermilk
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

Prepare zucchini: Place grated zucchini in colander, sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and leave for 15-20 minutes to drain. Wrap zucchini in a tea towel and squeeze out as much water as you can.

Make pancake batter: Place zucchini in large bowl with corn, egg, basil, garlic, parmesan, paprika, pepper and potato starch. Mix. If the batter is too dry, add a tablespoon or two of cream.

Make crema: place crème fraîche, cream, garlic and cilantro in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pancakes: Cook over medium-low heat in 1/4 cup pancakes, turning once. The low heat allows the outsides to get crispy and brown, while the centers remain creamy.

Serve pancakes with cilantro crema and, if desired, a drizzle of honey over the top.

TIP: When first mixing the batter leave it a little dry. The zucchini will release some water while you make the crema.

TIP: The batter will seem a bit loose with the corn falling away. Never fear, just shape them into a pancake in the skillet and they will hold together with the right delicate texture when cooked

Show 202, December 17, 2016: Cara Mangini, The Vegetable Butcher, Little Eater, Little Eater Produce & Provisions, Columbus, Ohio

Cara Mangini, the Vegetable ButcherThe skills of butchery meet the world of fresh produce in The Vegetable Butcher – How to Select, Prep, Slice, Dice, and Masterfully Cook Vegetables from Artichokes to Zucchini authored by Chef Cara Mangini. This well-researched, essential, inspiring guide demystifies the world of vegetables. Along the way Mangini shares over 150 mouthwatering recipes that put vegetables front and center.

Cara Mangini comes from a long line of butchers. Her Italian grandfather and great-grandfather gracefully cut tenderloins and butterflied chickens for a living. Mangini also wields a knife, but hers is used against the curves of butternut squash and stalks of freshly picked Brussels sprouts at Little Eater, her vegetable-inspired restaurant, produce stand, and artisanal foods boutique in Columbus, Ohio.

Mangini’s basic recipes provide foundational methods that every cook should know – how to steam or saute spinach, the art of making crispy fingerling potatoes, how to perfectly pan-roast Brussels sprouts, and much more. From there she serves up an array of creative recipes that celebrate the soul-satisfying flavor of each vegetable – Orange-Shallot Fiddlehead Ferns and Ricotta Crostini, Cardoon and Fontina Bread Pudding, Parsnip-Ginger Layer Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting, and many other sure-to-be new favorites.

For Fall Sweet Potatoes are a worthy addition to any meal. With Hanukkah days ahead a timely recipe of Cara’s in the book (Page 286) is her Sweet Potato Latkes with Cranberry Chipotle Jam and Sour Cream. “These sweet and crispy pancakes are my favorite holiday hors d’oeuvre.” Easy to prepare…

Author and Chef Cara Mangini (by popular demand) encores with us from Columbus, Ohio.

 

Show 182, July 30, 2016: Chef Cara Mangini, Little Eater, The Vegetable Butcher

Cara Mangini, the Vegetable ButcherThe skills of butchery meet the world of fresh produce in The Vegetable Butcher – How to Select, Prep, Slice, Dice, and Masterfully Cook Vegetables from Artichokes to Zucchini authored by Chef Cara Mangini. This well-researched, essential, inspiring guide demystifies the world of vegetables. Along the way Mangini shares over 150 mouthwatering recipes that put vegetables front and center.

Author and Chef Cara Mangini joins us from Columbus, Ohio.

Cara Mangini comes from a long line of butchers. Her Italian grandfather and great-grandfather gracefully cut tenderloins and butterflied chickens for a living. Mangini also wields a knife, but hers is used against the curves of butternut squash and stalks of freshly picked Brussels sprouts at Little Eater, her vegetable-inspired restaurant, produce stand, and artisanal foods boutique in Columbus, Ohio.

Mangini’s basic recipes provide foundational methods that every cook should know – how to steam or saute spinach, the art of making crispy fingerling potatoes, how to perfectly pan-roast Brussels sprouts, and much more. From there she serves up an array of creative recipes that celebrate the soul-satisfying flavor of each vegetable – Orange-Shallot Fiddlehead Ferns and Ricotta Crostini, Cardoon and Fontina Bread Pudding, Parsnip-Ginger Layer Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting, and many other sure-to-be new favorites.