Zucchini Yogurt Quick Bread

 Zucchini is a versatile vegetable, but you really can only do so much with zucchini day after day before you become a tad tired of it. Thank God I have chickens who appreciate leftover zucchini! Knowing I had family coming to visit, I spent the early part of July baking treats to freeze, so I’d have snacks I could thaw out quickly.

I used some of my zucchini harvest to make some muffins and a few loaves of this tasty quick bread. This loaf turned out to be a big hit with the grandkids, even those who do not like vegetables. I would pull a loaf out of the freezer first thing in the morning, and it would be devoured before lunch! The addition of yogurt plus the grated zucchini helped to create a very moist loaf; the nuts added texture, and the loaf was not overly sweet.

Zucchini Yogurt Quick Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Light Farro (Spelt) Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs At Room Temperature
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
• 1 Cup Grated Zucchini

Topping:

• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease and flour a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan.
• In one bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt.
• In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and yogurt.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until mixed.
• Fold in the walnuts and zucchini.
• In a small bowl, stir together the chopped nuts, sugar, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the loaf.
• Bake for about 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and continue to cool on a wire rack.

See more recipes here and taste Traditional Italian Food.

Traditional Italian Recipes

Most traditional Italian recipes will differ from one region or part of Italy to the next. There are twenty (20) separate regions in all and there are provinces within each region which means many different styles and flavors of cooking. This regional variation is what Italy is known for; it is the local ingredients which give each unique flavor - the spice of life.

Pesto is a great example of how a basic recipe is modified by each region. The basic most famous green pesto comes from the Liguria (northern) area where the fresh basil is crushed into a paste and mixed with olive oil, Parmigiano (cheese) and pine nuts. More currently introduced, the red pesto has sun-dried tomatoes added to the traditional mix in the Cinque Terre area, while the spicy Sicilian variation can contain chilies, cappers, raisins, anchovies, fennel and mint. Is your mouth watering yet!

The Northern regions' recipes also tend to use less olive oil, pasta and tomato sauce in favor of more rice, polenta and cheeses for cream sauces. The local recipes seem to express a pride of the unspoiled countryside with the inclusion of local game or wild fowl like rabbit or quail. The overall rule is if it grows well in the area, it will usually end up or be on the plate.

Italian cooking has two sides with one being tradition and the other innovation. Most regional variations take a traditional Italian food and add local flavor or develop a new use to create a taste unique to that region. Unlike typical Italian restaurant food found in North America traditional Italian dishes offer much more variety. While you can find the well known offerings of pizza and spaghetti you will find that taking time to sample local recipes cooked by local chefs worthwhile as it enhances the enjoyment and memories of your experience.

This tasty recipe uses medium sized zucchini’s and is a great way to get your family to eat vegetables. Dad’s garden generates excellent produce and some of his vegetables are a little big for this recipe. If you have ever been in a garden cultivated by an Italian you will know exactly where I am coming from. You want your zucchini to be tender so no bigger than medium sized ones should be used. These are also known as stuffed zucchini boats.

Ingredients

4 medium-size zucchini
8 ounces Italian sausage
1 yellow onion (chopped)
3 tbsp minced parsley
2 tbsp minced basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (fine)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg

Directions

1. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Place in large saucepan covered by boiling water. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until zucchini are almost tender. Might help to weigh them down with small plate to ensure they cook evenly. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Scoop out the pulp from the zucchini leaving about 1/4 inch border all around. Chop the pulp and transfer contents to a sieve and press it with large spatula or spoon to remove excess liquid. Set aside. Invert hollowed zucchini on paper towel to drain.
3. Remove sausage from casings and break up the meat. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, parsley, basil and thyme; cook for 5 minutes more or until onion is soft. Remove from heat, add salt, pepper, bread crumbs and 2 tbsp of Parmesan cheese.
4. Allow stuffing to cool to room temperature
5. Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Mix the egg with the stuffing mixture and fill zucchini halves with stuffing. Place them in a baking dish, sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
6. Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes or until zucchini are heated through and filling has a golden brown crust.

To us, when you refer to traditional Italian recipes the picture or image of making age old family recipes in the kitchen with your grandmother or mother spring to life. This type of cooking not only is delicious but is also the ultimate comfort food. So visit here for more recipes from My Nonna.

Enjoy Lip-Smacking Traditional Italian Food Dishes

You can start with your stroll down those streets are overwhelmed by the vibrant features of the Traditional Italian Food under the traditional archway that proclaims the gateways to Little Italy. At these traditional Italian food restaurants, marvel at the intensive array of Italian foods including scores of best olive oils and the balsamic vinegars. Just pick up some of the recipes that are house-made, gluten-free sausages with the combinations of fine cheeses. You can check out the Italian food market at the corner of many countries that featuring loads of the local food and the other goodies including the live music too!

A Weekend Destination:

For a late weekend night, these Italian food restaurants treat you for slightly adventuresome eaters for mini calzones or the fried peanut butter recipes. Just bring a handful of coins so the children can try out some vintage of audio-video games. These restaurants are occupied by all needful attractions while you visit them for an espresso with the kids tackle the football tables where the pennies are also exceptional; you'll be definitely tempted to linger on the lovely patios.

Lip-Smacking Experience:

Traditional Italian Food offers you all kinds of Italian groceries that include a complete package of rainbow-colored pastas, frozen tiramisu and cookies. Their deli counter always keeps preparing some of Ottawa's finest handcrafted sandwiches. The next door will take you in their house of fresh pasta featuring meals along with the myriad types of pastas and incredible variety of delicious homemade sauces. To make a visit to these traditional Italian restaurants even more culturally enlightening, where you can pick the free Italian languages recipes and see that how much of it can be deciphered by you.

The Edible Description on Luxurious Italian Food Varieties:

A delicious range of some sardines stuffed with the orange-flavored breads crumbs along with raisins & almonds or some of tender veal tongue that layered with the rich onion broths over pan-fried scamorza cheese over it to give a taste on a newfangled American dish called €meatballs€ and €spaghetti€. People have the pride on its traditional textures that has been somewhat tucked under the enclaves of nostalgic feelings.

So, as the team of well-known chefs always keeps travelling back to the Boot to evaluate Italian genuine flavors that match with its modern sensibility. It has been a long overdue for the taste of Italian food in restaurant to get a fresh and healthy look towards the capabilities of creating new Italian tastes for a long span of time. And now we get the taste of their vibrant flavors of exotic by the nuts, salted fish & hot spices along with the double-fisted personal style, usually involved a pan-fried egg layer on atop lasagna and the steak.

The versions of famous Italic flavors that are alive on rice cakes are really supersized & deconstructed as €arancia€ a form of delicately crisp bocce ball of the fried risotto which is stuffed by the tender short-ribs stew and gratineed with the smoked caciocavallo cheese variants. These are posted over a green puree of the fresh peas that usually snuggled from inside and boosted with a delicious touch of mint flavor will defiantly give you an extravagant feel while taking a dip on it.