Zucchini Bread

Meeta’s Monthly Mingle themed Give Thanks, has given me a chance to express my gratitude for my dear mother-in-law. For the most part of this year, mother-in-law has been living with us, for the sole purpose of raising her grandson. This has not been an easy transition for her, since she has had to leave behind her active life back home in Chennai. Add to that the cold winter-like temperatures and the dependance on everyone else for any form of transportation - not everyone can adjust to this at the drop of a hat. But mother-in-law has done it gracefully, without so much as a single complaint. Just so my 1 yo toddler doesn't have to be put in daycare, just yet. She is returning home this weekend, and so this is a perfect time and way for me to say thanks...(but can’t stay away from her grandkid for too long, so she'll be back soon!)

I chose to prepare bread for several reasons. One, in my opinion, fresh, warm bread is the most fundamental way for me to express genuine, heartfelt gratitude. Second, MIL abstains herself from most store bread, as they have high sugar content and/or egg. With these considerations in mind, I decided to adapt this zucchini bread recipe, so she could get a taste for fresh bread.

I made half of what the original recipe called for and to reduce the sugar and skip eggs, the substitutions I made were:
1 ½ eggs – 1/2 cup applesauce
8 oz can pineapple – ½ cup grated green apple
1 cup sugar - ½ cup sugar + ¼ cup powdered milk
½ cup raisins – skipped
Because zucchini and green apple will release moisture, I reduced the liquid:
½ cup olive oil – ¾ of ½ cup olive oil!

Makes 1 5x9 loaf
Preparation time: 1 hour baking + 15 minutes assembly

1 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
½ cups applesauce
little less than ½ cup olive oil
½ cup sugar
½ cup powdered milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini
½ cup coarsely grated green apple
½ cup chopped walnuts

. Preheat oven to 350 F
. Grease and flour dust a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
. In a mixer, add applesauce, oil, sugar, powdered milk, vanilla and beat till thick.
. With a spoon, stir in zucchini and green apple.
. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg
. A third at a time, add the dry ingredients into wet ingredients mix and gently stir with hand after each addition.
. Add the walnuts, blend gently.
. Put the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick comes out clean.
. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and on wire rack completely.




Future experimentations: Well, mother-in-law approved of zucchini bread and loved it. She did comment though that the sugar was still a bit too high than what she was comfortable with. Perhaps because of the applesauce? So I have vowed to try this recipe again with some more non-sugary ingredients. (I am wary of artificial sugar substitutes and stay far away from them!)

Last Bite: This bread with tea, is perfect! (oh yes, I ate a good chunk too ;), only upon MIL’s insistence tho! ) The zucchini in this bread acts to moisten it, you barely taste it, it is the spices and the crunchy walnuts that come to the forefront. The last time MIL was here and it was time to go back, I said 'Thank You' to her. And she was very much offended!!! She felt thanks was something not said among family members. So this time, we showed our gratitude with this bread – and paired it with a photo book made in her grandson’s words. Hopefully, these will add to the plesant memories she’ll carry back with her.