Glazed Zucchini Lemon Loaf- Take 2

I'm Back!

Yes, I know, my last post was in Nov. 2016. 😲

But a lot has happened since then! My son is now almost 2, I have another little one on the way AND we moved back to California!!!! (I'm going to have to change my blog blurb hahaha).

Another big change is I am now a stay at home mama! This is a new adventure for me --my amazing husband worked part time and was a stay at home dad for over a year with our son-- but it has been such a wonderful experience to be with my son every day. Don't get me wrong, I'm exhausted, sometimes bored, and force us to get out every day for my own sanity but truly, seeing my son grow has been a gift. I'm not sure how long it will last but I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

So since I have all this time on my hands (sarcasm my friends) I wanted to pick this food/health blogging thing back up.



So here goes:

Zucchini Lemon Loaf --Take 2.
You can read and make my first version HERE but this one was a little different so I thought I'd share.

Makes 1- 9x5 Loaf

Ingredients: 
2 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup applesauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 tbs lemon juice ( ~1/2 of a large lemon's juice squeezed)
1 cup grated zucchini - patted dry.

Lemon Glaze 
1 Cup powdered sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
milk drops as needed ( to get desired consistency.) 

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix your flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Wisk your applesauce, sugar and butter in a small bowl until well combined. Blend in eggs and lemon juice.
Fold your wet ingredients into your dry and add in the grated zucchini.
Gently and evenly pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-60min until a knife comes out clean.
Let cool for 15 min out of pan.

Blend the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. If not liquid enough, add in a few splashes of milk until you reach your desired consistency.
Gently pour glaze over your cooled loaf and let sit for another 15-20 min.

Enjoy!

Store in a refrigerator for up to a week.

Lemon Zucchini Chicken

I am not one who can have the same meals every single day.

 My husband sure can, but not me. 

I love variety, I love texture, I love taste, I LOVE FOOD. 

So this dish came out of my desire for a quick, protein packed lunch with a kick.


I really love the taste of lemon and chicken. One of my all time favorite Italian dishes is chicken piccata where it is infused with wine, lemon, and capers. 

However, this dish may not have battered chicken in a wine sauce but it does have quinoa--a new staple to my diet-- lemon, zucchini, and sauteed onions. 

So if your looking for a quick, clean eating, and filling dish give this a try 


Recipe adapted from The Gracious Pantry

Ingredients: 
5-6 oz chicken breast, cooked
1tbs  olive oil 
1/4 onion, chopped
2 tbs lemon juice 
1 zucchini, chopped 
1-2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste 
1/4 quinoa, cooked

Directions: 

Heat a skillet with oil on medium heat. Add onion and saute for 2-3 min, until onions start to turn clear. Add in chopped Zucchini and cook for 1 min, until tender.
Add in chicken and stir in seasoning. 
Add lemon juice and let cook for 2 min until everything is well heated and juices are combined. 

Remove from heat. 
Scoop out lemon chicken mixture and top over a bed of quinoa. 

 

ENJOY!!!!

Strawberry Lemon Loaf

 

I was super surprised when my husband, just out of the blue, asked for a lemon loaf. 

The first and last time I made that for him was last September.
But hey, when they remember and ask for it, it's a huge compliment, so make it!

To turn it up a notch I added strawberries a wonderful sweet pairing for this lemon treat and also my husbands favorite fruit. 

Let's just say the love was spilling over when this loaf was done; He didn't even  wait for the frosting to harden before he had a slice.

 Winning.

It's a wonderful treat anytime of the day. 



Ingredients: 
Makes one 9×5″ loaf

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbs  coconut oil
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or 2 tbs vinegar and and the rest milk to  equal 1/2 cup)
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
• 1 cup strawberries, chopped

 Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbs lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Non-stick a 9x5" pan with whatever you'd like; set aside.
In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a smaller bowl mix eggs, sugar, yogurt and oil. Then mix in butter milk, and lemon juice until well combined. 
Slowly mix in wet ingredients into dry and stir till well combined. 
Chop strawberries  and then toss strawberries in a little flour (keeps them from sinking in dough)
Gently fold in strawberries, but don't over mix.

Pour batter evenly into pan and bake for 45 min or until toothpick comes out clean. (mine took about 50 min)

Take out of pan and place on a cooling rack. Now make the glaze.

Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. 

Once loaf has cooled to touch place loaf on a plate and pour glaze over loaf. Let sit for 1 min then scoop gathered glaze on plate and re-pour over loaf. Repeat until glaze is thick and hardened on loaf.  You may refrigerate for best "hardening" results. 

ENJOY!!!