Maple-Dijon Salmon with Warm Israeli Couscous Salad (and some belated baby news)

As I'm sure you've figured out by my lack of posting for the last few weeks, we've had a new addition to our family. Entering the world a week past her due date, our new daughter, Maisy, was every bit worth the wait. She is the sweetest little baby, and we are completely in love. As well as a little tired. Adjusting to a newborn in the house has been the easy part- it's also having a three year that makes things a little trickier.

Like cooking dinner...especially when Sage isn't home. I haven't really figured out how to manage that one yet. You'll have to bear with my scarce posting for a while. Clearly I am not dedicated enough to have stockpiled recipes to post, nor do I have much time to be blogging anyhow.

This was a meal we cooked together that we really enjoyed. Originally the salad contained wheat berries, but I chose to use whole wheat Israeli couscous instead. I also added zucchini, eliminated the toasted pecans and played around a good bit with the ingredient quantities. I loved the maple-dijon glaze on the fish and how it paired with the couscous and veggies. I wasn't sure about the cranberries, but they definitely added something and I glad I included the zucchini. I've never had wheat berries before, so I would like to try this with them, but I thought the couscous version was great, not to mention way quicker. If you don't have to stop to feed a baby, while also showering attention on a big brother, this entire meal would be an absolute breeze to prepare.

Beckett meeting his baby sister for the first time

Maple-Dijon Salmon with Warm Israeli Couscous Saladadapted from Health, as seen on MyRecipes (via Erin's Food Files)
serves 3
for the salad:
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup whole wheat Israeli couscous
2 cups boiling water
2 medium carrots, in small dice
1 stalk celery, in small dice
1 medium zucchini, in small dice
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper2 tbsp red wine vinegar
for the salmon:
3 (4 oz.) pieces of wild-caught salmon, skin on
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
Preheat oven to 450.In a medium saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add couscous and toast for 1 minute. Add boiling water, cover pan and reduce to a low heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, drain excess water if needed and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium. Add carrots and celery and cook for 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cranberries, season with a couple pinches salt and a good bit of pepper and continue to cook for another minute or two, or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, stir in prepared couscous, vinegar and remaining tsp of oil. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Cover to keep warm.
While vegetables are cooking, stir together dijon and maple syrup. Mist a baking sheet with olive oil or brush with additional olive oil. Arrange salmon, skin side down on baking sheet and spread dijon-maple glaze over top. Bake for 4-5 minutes or until almost cooked through, then turn broiler on and broil until golden on top, about 2 minutes.
Serve salmon atop couscous salad.

Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas

Looking for a way to enjoy the beautiful weather we were having today, my family and I hit a local festival, where we wound up having way more fun than we anticipated.  There were all the typical things you'd find at those types of events- live music, craft vendors, bounce houses, kiddie rides and rock climbing walls . And of course, lots of very bad for your food. I am always able to resist the all the fried foods, but I will confess to indulging in some ice cream, a lemonade and a snow cone. (Don't judge me. It ended up being a pretty hot day and I'm very pregnant.) Oh yeah, and some kettle corn. (That had nothing to do with the heat- it just happens to be Sage's weakness and it's hard not to eat when it's there.)

After all those empty calories, I was craving something healthy when I got home. This was one of those make-it-up-as-you-go types of meals. One I knew we'd enjoy, simply because it contained stuff we like, but not necessarily a dish I expected anyone to get too excited about.  But we loved it. Full of flavor, but also full of good for you stuff like quinoa and chickpeas, it completely negates all the junk I consumed today. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas
serves 3-4, as a meal

for the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

2 medium zucchini, in large dice
1 cup mini sweet peppers, sliced into rings (or a medium sweet bell pepper, chopped)
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
1 (15.5 oz) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients, seasoning with a pinch or two of salt and several grinds of pepper. Add zucchini, pepper rings and onion to the bowl and toss to coat. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a baking sheet, reserving leftover vinaigrette. Roast vegetables for about 15 minutes, or until tender, stirring halfway through cooking time.

Meanwhile, bring quinoa and stock/water to boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 12 minutes or until stock is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff.

Add the chickpeas to bowl with vinaigrette. Add quinoa and roasted vegetables (with any liquids from baking sheet) and gently toss. Add feta and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve warm/room temperature.

Peanut-Orange Marinated Tofu with Stir-Fry Vegetables

When it comes to tofu, I'm not very picky on how it's prepared. Sage and Beckett are another story. I've learned that if I making it at home, they only really care for it when it's been pressed, sliced thin, marinated simply in soy sauce with a touch of sesame oil and baked. Then I almost have to fight them for my share. While I'm pleased to have converted them into tofu-likers, I've been on the lookout for other marinating options I think they will enjoy just for some variety.

The other day, Heather at Where's the Beach shared a peanut marinade/sauce she used on some baked tofu and stir-fried vegetables and it sounded delicious. I had tofu on hand, and I got myself all excited about recreating it...and then I remembered I was out of soy sauce. Naturally, I'd just been to the grocery store that day, and I wasn't going to make a special trip back. Luckily, a couple days later Sage had to stop for something else, and I was able to have him grab it.

This was hands-down one of my favorite meals in recent history. I kept thinking about it for the remainder of the night and made sure to put a claim on the leftovers. Since Heather didn't give exact measurements, I just added the marinade ingredients to taste. I used vegetables I had on hand- carrots, snow peas, zucchini and celery- but you could use red pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, you name it. We had ours with rice, but it would be great over noodles, and if tofu isn't your thing, it would go wonderfully with chicken as well.

Peanut-Orange Marinated Tofu with Stir-Fry Vegetables
marinade/sauce adapted from Where's the Beach
3 generous servings, with the additon of a starch

for the marinade:
1/4 cup reduced sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
1/4 tsp creamy natural peanut butter
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 (16 oz) package extra-firm tofu, well pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp olive oil (you could use peanut or canola if you prefer)
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced 1/3 inch thick on the bias
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/3 inch thick half moons
3 green onions, sliced lengthwise and crosswise and separated
2 1/2 cups snow peas
brown or white rice, or noodles, for serving

Whisk together marinade ingredients until well blended. Toss tofu to coat and marinate for at least an hour.

Place tofu in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, and bake in a preheated oven of 350 for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. Reserve remaining marinade.

After tofu has been baking for about 20 minutes, heat a wok (or large skillet) over medium-high heat. Add oil and once hot, add the carrots and celery. Use a wide, flat spatula to keep the vegetables moving. After a few minutes, add the zucchini and onion and cook (again keeping the vegetables moving) for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables have nearly reached desired tenderness. Add snow peas, baked tofu and remaining marinade, and cook for another few minutes. Remove from heat.

Serve over rice or noodles, as desired.

Balsamic Roasted Vegetable and Barley Salad

I confess I am terrible at starring recipes in my reader, with true intentions of making them (along with recipes found in the many cooking magazine I get), when very few them do I actually get around to trying. But every so often, one comes along that I just have to try right away. When I saw this warm grain-based salad on Cate's World Kitchen, I knew I had to try it- and soon.

Then I had to wait all last week to make it because Sage was out of town and I knew he'd love it too. It was worth the hype I'd built up in my head and then some. In fact, it was so amazingly good, I had to force myself not to eat the leftovers for breakfast the next day (I managed to hold out until 11:54). And you know you've got something pretty wonderful, when leftovers can excite you that much.

Cate modified this salad, originally found on Veggie Belly made with quinoa, when she accidentally used couscous instead. She mentioned barley as another alternative, which after some deliberation I decided to go with. I think it was the right choice. Nothing against couscous or quinoa (as I love both) but barley was just perfect for this. I followed Cate's lead and roasted the vegetables instead of grilling them. I omitted the eggplant (Sage isn't always a fan), in it's place using extra zucchini, tomatoes and mushrooms and adding red pepper. We also topped ours with feta at the table, which went fantastically, as I imagine goat cheese would.

Do yourself a favor and try this one ASAP. I promise you, you will be very happy you you did.

Balsamic Roasted Vegetable and Barley Salad, serves 4

adapted from Veggie Belly via Cate's World Kitchen

for the roasted vegetables:

2 medium zucchini (mine were on the larger medium side), cut into 1/2 inch thick half moons

1 small red onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 1/3 cup grape tomatoes

8 oz. button mushrooms, halved

1 small red pepper, cut into 1/2 thick wide slices

for the dressing:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, pressed

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

for the salad:

1 cup pearl barley

3 cups water or broth (I used half water and half vegetable broth)

handful of basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

crumbled feta, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine water/broth and barley in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until barley is tender. Drain any excess liquid, if necessary.

Meanwhile, whisk together dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add vegetables to bowl and toss to coat. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a baking sheet, reserving remaining dressing. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender.

Arrange vegetables and barley in serving dish and sprinkle with basil. Toss vegetables and barley before plating, and serve with remaining dressing and feta on the side.

Black Bean and Veggie Pasta

I seriously LOVE Southwestern/Mexican/Tex-Mex flavors. Especially when they are loaded full of veggies and beans, and minus the meat. A little over a month ago, I had a craving for such a meal, but we didn't have any tortillas. Using pasta instead, I put together a quick and easy dinner that wound up being something pretty great. I took some pictures, but like most throw-together type pasta dishes, they weren't anything special and I decided not to blog about it.

A few days ago, I was deleting a bunch of old pictures off the computer (so Sage wouldn't be able to give me a hard time for having more pictures of food on my laptop than our child,) and I came across the ones from that pasta dish and remembered how delicious it was.

Yesterday, we were coming home from a friend's house, and I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner. It had to be 1) Quick- Sage was starving, and 2) Meatless- I had nothing defrosted. I decided to revisit that meal, and share it this time.

The original had green pepper, only yellow squash, a scant amount of cheese and was topped with light sour cream (or maybe greek yogurt, I can't remember.) This time, I used a orange pepper, added zucchini, increased the cheese, and topped it with diced avocado. Both, delicious, filling, and quick and easy- great for a week night.

Black Bean and Veggie Pasta

3 cups uncooked wheat or multi-grain rotini

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 medium bell pepper, any color, diced

2 yellow squash, diced

1 zucchini, diced

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1 tsp ground coriander

1 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with mild green chilies

3/4 cup frozen corn, rinsed under water to partially defrost

2 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, cut into pieces

3/4 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese

sour cream/yogurt, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, etc., for serving

Cook pasta until just al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and peppers and saute for a couple of minutes. Add squash and zucchini and season with salt, pepper and coriander, cooking for 3-4 minutes or until squash and zucchini are becoming tender.

Stir in black beans, tomatoes with chilies, and corn. Scatter in pieces of cream cheese, and stir until cream cheese is melted throughout. Combine with cooked rotini.

Top with shredded cheese, cover skillet and turn off heat OR transfer into a casserole dish, top with cheese, and place under preheated broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with desired accompaniments.

Grilled Vegetable and Chickpea Salad with Feta

I spent my Sunday afternoon sitting on one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire country. From my beach chair, I watched as my son and husband built a sand castle at the water's edge, while I dug my toes into the powdery white sand, appreciating the gorgeous place where I'm lucky to live, relaxing, and day dreaming- mostly about food. I began to think about slightly warm grilled vegetables, served on a salad, with the addition of chickpeas and feta, and decided that it would be our dinner. After the three of us enjoyed a post-beach nap, Sage and I put together this simple but wonderful salad.

I used zucchini and red peppers for the grilled vegetables (yellow squash and asparagus would be fantastic too) which were allowed to cool slightly, during the time that the chickpeas spent a few minutes on the grill, before being added to the salad. For the dressing, I went with the vinaigrette that I use whenever making a greek inspired pasta salad. I made far more than I needed, so I am going to half the recipe, but still, you probably won't need it all. This salad was great and made a complete meal for me, while Sage enjoyed it as a side along with some grilled chicken. We will definitely be repeating this recipe over the warm months ahead.

For the dressing:

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

3/4 tsp honey

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

fresh ground pepper

For the salad:

1 red bell pepper, in 1/3 inch slices

2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4 rounds

1 tbsp olive oil

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

16 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 oz. baby romaine

1 oz. reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled

3/4 cup grape tomatoes

Preheat grill. Combine all dressing ingredients in a plastic drizzle bottle or container with a tight fitting lid, and shake to blend. Set aside.

Toss bell pepper and zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to grill basket. Heat over high direct heat, occasionally turning vegetables for even cooking, for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Spread onto a plate and allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, place chickpeas into grill basket and grill for several minutes until warmed through.

To assemble salad, arrange greens in bottom of bowl, top with warm vegetables and chickpeas, feta and tomatoes. Serve with dressing.

Quinoa, Zucchini and Basil Stuffed Tomatoes

I bought a basket of tomatoes the other day, but when I got home I found that the majority of them were extremely ripe. As in, I'd never be able to use them up in my salads in time. So I needed a recipe to use several of them up at once. I debated on a pazanella, but I didn't have the bread on hand and really wanted to come up with something healthier. Then I thought about baked stuffed tomatoes...perfect! We've really been enjoying lighter meals lately, and especially those that have the flavors we associate with warmer weather.

This was so flavorful with the fresh basil and zucchini, and the quinoa kept it from being too heavy, as some of the grains I considered would've been. But even though it was light in taste, it was a fulfilling enough to be a meal for me when served with a big salad. Sage and Beckett had theirs as a side along with some grilled chicken breasts. Everyone was happy. But I was the happiest of all, because I claimed the fourth one to take for lunch the next day.

Quinoa, Zucchini and Basil Stuffed Tomatoes

4 medium sized tomatoes

1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, well rinsed

2/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock

2 tsp olive oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 medium zucchini, in small dice (about 1 cup)

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup minced fresh basil (I think using fresh is the key in this recipe)

2 tbsp shredded part-skim mozzarella

2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan, divided

1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 375. Cut the top of each tomato and scoop out the insides, leaving about a 1/4 inch thick wall. Discard the seeds and core, and coarsely chop the flesh and set aside. Place the hollowed out tomatoes upside down on a paper towel lined plate.

Place rinsed quinoa and stock in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Uncover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until becoming soft. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in reserved tomato flesh and basil. After a minute or two, remove from heat.

Fluff quinoa and add to pan, along with mozzarella, 1 tbsp of the parmesan and the parsley. Mix well and taste. Adjust seasonings if needed.

Spoon mixture into each tomato, using the back of the spoon to pack it down. Sprinkle remaining parmesan over top of the stuffed tomatoes. Bake for 30 minutes.

Lentil Chickpea Soup

Yep, another soup. I just really like soups. I could eat a bowl of soup every day pretty much. Another thing I absolutely love is legumes. I truly could (and often do) eat legumes of one kind or another every day. Two of my favorites are chickpeas and lentils, but prior to this I'd never before prepared anything with those two together.

I made this soup one day when I was in the mood to spend the entire afternoon in the kitchen (the same day that I made the quiche and also baked cookies.) It was a great way to use up some veggies I had on hand. It was quite good, although I do think its going to be hard to find a lentil soup I like more than the Sweet Potato Lentil Stew- but we still really enjoyed it. And it was even better as leftovers. Sage added some chopped grilled chicken breast to his, but B and I just had ours topped with some parmesan cheese. (In the picture you'll see some parsley as well, but I found I preferred it more without. My attempt to take new pictures without parsley didn't work out for me though so pretend its not there.)

1 tbsp olive oil
2 celery ribs, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 zucchini, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 (15 oz.) can of low sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup tomato sauce (or a spoonful of tomato paste- I just had tomato sauce already open)
1 bay leaf
several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup regular green (or brown) lentils, rinsed and picked over
shredded parmesan, for serving

In a stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, zucchini, onion and garlic to pot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until onion begans to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, tomato sauce, bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Meanwhile, combine lentils and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Stir into stock pot.

Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Season with extra salt and pepper if needed. Top with parmesan before serving.

Summer Squash Pasta with Sausage

This is a new twist on an old favorite of ours. When I first really got into cooking a few years back, there was a dish I would make frequently that we loved for its simplicity. It was essentially just zucchini, squash and (turkey) Italian sausages with a very thin tomato sauce served over pasta. It was very light and summery, and we liked how it wasn't over crowded with too many types of vegetables or covered in a heavy sauce.

I haven't made it in a long time, and I decided to make it with a few changes. I used chicken sausage, and instead of the egg noodles we used to have it with, I went with thin whole wheat spaghetti (because I have 3 boxes, for some reason) and I changed the sauce just a bit. This isn't a fancy dinner, by any means, but it is quick and easy, and just really good. We also like it because it is mostly veggies and not as much meat or pasta, but you can certainally change the vegetable to sausage/noodle ratio. We had this this with homemade bread to sop up the light sauce and a very generously topping of parmesan cheese.

I can't cite the original source I've adapted it from - I have it on a recipe card and while I assumed it was from allrecipes.com, I can't find it on their website. Before my blog, I never measured my seasonings, so all I have written is to taste. I tend to use a very heavy hand.

1/2 (13.5 oz.) box of thin spaghetti (or egg noodles, short pasta or even rice.)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 links fully-cooked chicken sausage (I used sun-dried tomato)

3 zucchini, diced

2 yellow squash, diced

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5oz) can of diced tomatoes, with juice (mine was roasted garlic & onion flavored)

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 tbsp tomato paste

Italian seasoning (or dried basil and oregano,) to taste

red pepper flakes, to taste

parmesan, for serving

1. Cook pasta according to package dirrections. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add sausage, zucchinni, squash, onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, broth, paste, and seasonings. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender-crisp.

3. Serve over pasta (I always like to add my pasta to sauces and let it sit, covered, to really absorb the sauce,) and sprinkle with parmesan.

Farfalle with Pork, Zucchini and Spinach

When it came to last night's dinner, my fridge was pretty empty. It was looking like I was going to have to sneak in another vegetarian meal, when I remembered there was some ground pork in the freezer.


I have no idea why I bought it. I began eating pork about 2 years just to try to give myself some extra options (I mean how much chicken can a person eat?) but I usually only eat tenderloin. I don't eat pork sausage or bacon or the fatty cuts. But it's what I had, and by combining it with the meager selection of veggies I had and some pasta, it became a delicious dinner!


I didn't want to do a tomato based sauce, and I didn't want anything too rich or creamy, so I decided I'd do a light beef broth based sauce. I rarely use beef broth, so I keep beef bouillon for when I do need it. In the middle of making this, I discovered the jar was empty. (Why on earth did I put it back empty??) So I made it with chicken broth and added a good bit of worcestershire, which worked nicely. We added our crushed red pepper flakes at the table, since its not a toddler friendly spice, but you could add it to the dish while cooking. This was a breeze to make and really yummy.


1/2 lb. mini farfalle
1 lb. lean ground pork
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2-3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbsp dried basil
fresh ground pepper
2 tsp cornstarch
5 oz. (1/2 pkg) of frozen spinach
red pepper flakes, for serving
shredded parmesan, for serving

1. Cook pasta, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown pork along with onion, zucchini, peppers and garlic, until pork is no longer pink. Drain any fat.
3. Add broth, worcestershire, basil and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 8 minutes.
4. Cook spinach in microwave according to package directions. Drain well.
5.. Remove about a 1/4 cup of broth from pan and put into a small container with a tight-fitting lid. Add cornstarch, shake to blend, and return to pan. Turn heat up and bring to a boil.
6. Once slightly thickened, add pasta and spinach. Mix well.
7. Top each serving with desired amount of red pepper flakes and parmesan.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

With my soup (below) on the stove, simmering, and my child taking a very late nap, I needed something else to be doing other than the mopping I was avoiding. I had zucchini in the crisper, and suddenly I thought making bread. I found a fairly healthy recipe on allrecipes.com. I wanted to make it even healthier, so I used mostly applesauce instead all of the oil it called for (a cup!), reduced the amount of brown sugar, and used more wheat flour and less all-purpose.

While I was in the middle of making it, I spotted a pint of blueberries when reaching for the applesauce. Somehow it seemed a shame to not include blueberries while baking at this time of year. So, after a moment of consideration, I threw caution to the wind and subbed the raisins I was going to use for blueberries. Then as it was in the oven, I was positive I'd ruined it. Luckily, this wasn't the case. It's a great combination! This yummy bread is moist and lightly sweet, perfect for breakfast, a snack or dessert.

I'd like to note: I personally thought 3 tablespoons of cinnamon seemed extremely excessive, yet I went for it. As it was baking all I smelled was cinnamon, and I feared it would be overpowering. It isn't. In fact, it doesn't stand out at all, so I wouldn't reduce it.

makes 1 loaf, adapted from Zucchini Bread III, allrecipes.com

3 eggs

3/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups shredded zucchini

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup quick cooking oats

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 cup blueberries, partially mashed (or raisins)

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, applesauce, oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Mix well.

3. Add flours, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon and oats to bowl. Combine. Stir in blueberries and walnuts. Pour into loaf pan.

4. Bake for about an hour or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean.