Gluten Free Zucchini Bread

Three months ago, my mom and I planted my first garden while she was visiting over spring break. Little did I know, it would turn out to be one of my biggest joys. Watching large, dark zucchini grow from little seeds is a really cool process. Luckily, I've had a healthy harvest so far - and a girl can only eat so much green curry before she needs another use for her zucchini. 

That's where this zucchini bread comes in. I adapted it from Minimalist Baker's Gluten Free Zucchini Cake and used the HEB brand GF flour that my mother-in-law brought us from Texas. I can't vouch for other types, but any gluten free flour blend should work! 

Ingredients:

• 1 full cup grated zucchini
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 c agave nectar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup grape seed oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 free range eggs
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 1 TBS coconut flour
• pinch salt
• 1/4 c chopped walnuts to top the bread

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease + flour an 8x8 baking dish.

Mix the zucchini, vanilla extract, agave nectar, grape seed oil, appleasauce and eggs together.

In another bowl, mix the gluten free flour, almond meal, coconut flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Add the DRY ingredients into the WET gradually, whisking to incorporate well. 

Pour the thick batter into the greased pan and top with chopped walnuts. Bake for 45-50 minutes. You will know the bread is done when the edges are brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let is cool for five minutes and serve warm! This bread also keeps well in the fridge for several days. Make sure to keep it covered with tin foil to preserve the moistness of the bread. This recipe is softer and sweeter than most zucchini breads, since it is adapted from a zucchini cake! I can't wait to try the original version with the Minimal Baker's dairy free cream cheese frosting. Yum.

Let me know if you try this out! Hope everyone is having a great start the the week. :)

My New Favorite Salad

I made this salad for dinner last night and it was so delightful that I had it again for lunch today. The best part is that it came together quickly with the help of the Whole Foods salad bar!

Now I know you must be thinking "Paige, you didn't really make that salad if it came from the Whole Foods salad bar. You just assembled it."

Okay, fine. But I did add my own spinach, goat cheese, avocado, olive oil and roasted kabocha squash to the cilantro tofu, zucchini, roasted corn, roasted endive and roasted red bell peppers that I picked up from the bar. :)

So there you have it! All of the items I used in this delightful salad.  By the way, have you tried kabocha squash before? It's so good. Here's the blog post that taught me how to cook this delightful fall squash: Eat Live Run. You can also blend cooked kabocha squash up into a super creamy soup! Yum.

Lemon Avocado Pasta

Avocado is one of my all-time favorite foods. It's up there with fresh figs, goat cheese and ice cream. I throw it in green smoothies, spread it on toast, use it in salads and eat it straight up. This creamy pasta is one of the best uses for avocado I have ever tasted. You can find the delicious recipe at Oh She Glows. Because I like to limit my gluten consumption, I cook this dish with quinoa & corn-based pasta. Make this tonight! You won't regret it.

Table, plates, flatware & place mats: West Elm / Candle holders: H&M Home