Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

I always like to have some muffins in the freezer. That way I can take one out and toss it into my lunch for a mid-morning snack at work.

With all the fresh zucchini at the farmers market I decided this week’s muffins were going to be Zucchini Chocolate Chip!

They are so freaking good!  They are moist and tender, with a delicate cinnamon flavor. Chocolate and cinnamon pair so well together, they are perfect!

What you need,

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Makes 12

1½ cup all-purpose flour

1½ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1¼ cup grated zucchini

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until combined.

In another larger bowl beat together the egg, sugar and oil until well mixed. Add the vanilla and zucchini and mix until totally combined.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until they are just combined.

Add the chocolate chips and fold into the batter.

Using a large ice cream scoop divide the batter into the muffin tins.

Bake for 25-28 minutes until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

You can keep the muffins in an airtight container for 3-4 days or you can freeze them for up a month.

These muffins are just fabulous! They make a wonderful breakfast or snack.

Go get some zucchini and whip up a batch today, you won’t regret it!

Enjoy!

Jen

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Pork Chops

One of my favourite things to grill in the summer is pork chops. They are great for a weeknight because they cook up super quick but they do need a little help in the flavor department.

This sweet and spicy marinade is really great! It also doubles as a dipping sauce, which is awesome because I am really all about dipping sauce.

I like to marinade my pork chops overnight, you could leave them for a couple of hours but I think to get the most flavor out of it overnight is best.

What you need,

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½ cup of your favourite BBQ sauce (I used Kraft Garlic Flavour)

¼ cup grape jelly

2 tbsp. sriracha sauce (this made it pretty spicy so use a little less if you don’t like it too hot!)

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

2-4 bone in pork chops about 1 inch thick

In a bowl whisk together all of the ingredients until totally combined. Give it a quick taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste, want it a little sweeter, add a little more grape jelly, a little spicier add some more sriracha, you get the idea!

Pour half the marinade into a zip top bag and add the chops. Seal the bag and make sure the sauce really coats all the chops. Cover the remaining sauce and store both the chops and the sauce in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

Heat your grill to medium high. Shake off any excess marinade from the chops and grill for 3-4 minutes per side until well browned and cooked through.

I served mine with the left over sauce for dipping plus some grilled corn and some new potatoes with butter and dill. Such a great combo!

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through august already, it is crazy how fast this summer has gone. So with fall in sight, I suggest you get out there and use that grill as much as you can!

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe from Add a Pinch

Chocolate Coconut Zucchini Cake

The other day a girl from work brought some zucchinis from her garden to the office and said “please take some of these home!”

She didn’t have to ask me twice! I love chocolate zucchini cake and this recipe of my mom’s is one of my all-time favourite.

When I saw this amazing coconut version on Two Peas &Their Pod whipped it up right away!

Is there a more beautiful sight than chocolate cake batter??

This cake is AWESOME! For real people, super-duper amazing! It is moist and chocolaty, but the coconut really comes through.

I took some to work and everyone loved it!

What you need,

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2½ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ cup butter, at room temperature (I used salted butter so I left out the salt, as usual!)

½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

3 cups finely shredded zucchini

½ cup sweet flaked coconut

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the icing,

1 cup butter, softened

3½ cups icing sugar

1½ tsp. coconut extract

½ tsp. vanilla

½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted for topping

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x13inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, oil and sugar until smooth.  Add the eggs one at time and beat until well incorporated. Add the vanilla and yogurt and beat until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat until just incorporated.

Stir in the zucchini, coconut and chocolate chips.

Spread the batter into the pan and smooth off the top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cake completely on a rack.

While the cake is cooling you can make the icing. In a stand mixer beat the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and coconut extract and beat until well incorporated.

Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.

Get a fork and stuff a giant piece in your face! Delish!

I can’t say enough good things about this cake; seriously just make it for yourself! You will love it, I guarantee it!

Can I just say real quick how amazing Two Peas & Their Pod are? I read their blog daily and have made many of their recipes. They always turn out perfectly and taste amazing! Love them!

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod

Kung Pao Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I am totally obsessed with lettuce wraps lately. I made these ones awhile back and loved them, and then I made these and they were awesome!

I saw this recipe on Iowa Girl Eats the other day, and I knew I would love them too. I have adored every recipe I have ever made off her site, she is fantastic.

These Kung Pao Chicken lettuce wraps are killer. They have lots of great flavor, a nice mix of textures plus they are super easy to pull together.

What you need,

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1 lb. chicken breast, cut into very small pieces

2 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. corn starch

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. Chinese cooking wine (Mirin)

1 ½ tbsp. chili garlic sauce

2 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. rice vinegar

1 tsp. sesame oil

¼ cup water

1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced thinly

1 9oz. can water chestnuts, diced

3 green onions, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped peanuts (I didn’t have peanuts and used cashews and it was great!)

1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried well

In a bowl stir together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of the corn starch. Toss the chicken in the bowl to combine.

In a separate bowl whisk together the second tablespoon of soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, chili garlic sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar and sesame oil. In another small bowl whisk the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch with the water, add it to the sauce and whisk to combine.

In a pan heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook in a single layer for 3-4 minutes until well browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the zucchini and water chestnuts to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the zucchini starts to soften. Add the green onions and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the chicken back to the pan and pour the sauce over. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is thickened and warmed through.

Serve the chicken in the lettuce leaves with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts or cashews, whatever you have!

I just love the combination of salty, spicy and sweet with the cool crisp lettuce and the crunch of the nuts. I could seriously eat these things every single day!

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats

Cheesy Jalapeno Scones

My in house taste tester has had a long obsession with anything and everything jalapeno cheddar. One of his favorites were fabulous scones we used to get at the Farmer’s Market in Vancouver.

When I saw the amazing Pioneer Woman’s recent recipe for Jalapeno Cheddar Scones I knew I better give them a try, in hopes they would be a substitute for Dave’s favourite ones.

What you need,

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3-1/2 cups all-purpose Flour

1 tbsp. baking Powder

1/2 tsp. salt

¾ cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

1 cup cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup jarred Jalapeno slices, chopped roughly

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup+ 4 tbsp.1% milk

1 egg

1 tbsp. jalapeno juice (from the jar)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add cubes of butter and use a pastry cutter or a fork to completely work the butter into the dry ingredients until there are no large chunks of butter visible. Mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.

Add the cheddar cubes and jalapeno slices and toss to coat.

Mix together the cream, milk, egg, and jalapeno juice. Pour into the flour mixture, stirring gently, until the dough all comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and use your hands to press into a rough rectangle shape. Using a rolling pin roll the dough out to about 8 inches by 16 inches.

Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut into 15 squares, and then cut each square in half on a diagonal to create 30 small triangles.

Transfer the scones to the baking sheet and then bake for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly golden. The cheese will get all bubbly and melty! YUM!

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 3 days or they freeze really well too!

These scones are amazing. I added a little more milk than the original recipe, the dough was a bit dry but a couple extra tablespoons of milk made it perfect for me.

My in house taste tester really liked these scones. They are a pretty good substitute for his favourite farmer’s market scones!

They also went fabulously with my Chicken and Garden Vegetable Soup.

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe ever so slightly adapted from the Pioneer Woman