Vegan Zucchini Brownies

Out of the abundance of Zucchini that August brings, I have found refuge in this recipe. Here’s my adaptation of the original recipe from The Live-in Kitchen.

• 1½ cups coconut sugar
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups shredded zucchini, lightly drained of excess moisture (key here is lightly)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, oil, and flour until the mixture resembles wet sand. Turn the mixer to low and add cocoa, zucchini, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Mix until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve.

KOREAN: Sujaebi

I love, love, loved this dish when I was in Korea. It’s usually made with shellfish in it, but I got the cook at my favorite restaurant to give me her recipe which was made without the little creatures. I finally got around to trying it out this week, and it was fabulous. This recipe is not suited to leftovers though. I apologize to you, Inyoung. When I sampled the leftovers for myself, they didn’t even compare to the fresh bowl I had on Tuesday.

7 cups anchovy or beef broth
1 pound of store-bought sujaebi flakes or torn-up pieces of homemade dough (mix flour and water and make a dough out of it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 carrot, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 medium potato, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
2 eggs
kim OR nori flakes (seaweed)
sesame seeds

1. Bring the broth to a boil. Drop in your flakes of dough if you’re using homemade ones. If you’re using store-bought flakes, add them after the vegetables have cooked for 10 minutes.
2. Add all of the vegetables and simmer until cooked.
3. Whip two eggs in a small bowl and gently mix them into the soup, not breaking them up too much. Cook until firm.
4. Top with seaweed flakes and sesame seeds and serve.

TEX-MEX: Zucchini & Cheese Quesadillas

We actually didn’t have any zucchini in the house when the TTR kids were here on Saturday, so we just took all the vegetables we had in the frig and made something as near to this recipe as possible.

3 small zucchini
3/8 tsp salt
12 tortillas
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
3 TBSP minced red onion
2 TBSP canned diced mild chilies
1 TBSP minced cilantro

variations: add beans, peppers, tomato, or corn

1. Trim the ends from the zucchini and grate. Put grated zucchini in a sieve and toss with salt to wilt slightly. Let drain five minutes, then squeeze dry.
2. Preheat oven to 500 F. Spray one or two large baking sheets lightly with nonstick spray. Lay six tortillas flat on the baking sheet(s). Spread each tortilla evenly with 1/4 cup zucchini, 1/4 cup cheese, 1 1/2 tsp onion, 1 tsp diced chilies, and 1/2 tsp cilantro. Top each one with one of the remaining tortillas, pressing down gently to form a sandwich.
3. Bake quesadillas until cheese is melted and tortillas begin to brown, about five to seven minutes.
4. With a large spatula, transfer quesadillas to a cutting board. Using a pizza wheel or a large knife, cut each quesadilla into quarters and serve immediately.