Zucchinis

This post today has nothing to do with knitting. Except for providing some tasty morsels to eat while you are knitting.

Some of my Instagram followers have asked for these recipes and rather than posting them there where they tend to get lost and you can't google them, I thought I'd post here. (I know how hard it is to find a recipe posted in IG comments from experience. There is a chocolate chia pudding recipe that is Lily's favourite but it takes me possibly longer to find it than to actually make it. I really should take a screen shot of it next time!

I hope you enjoy them!

Zucchini pesto

This is a wonderfully surprisingly fresh pesto, everyone who has tried it has loved it and asked for the recipe. I think that speaks volumes. It is the easiest way to use up zucchinis. 

I made it in the thermomix, but any processor will do, just ignore my thermomix instructions and blitz away to your liking. You will need a frypan for the wee bit of toasting and sauteing involved.

Ingredients
30g sunflower seeds
20g linseeds
1 clove garlic
1 small piece of leek, about 15cm
30g baby spinach
a couple of large handfuls of mixed herbs, such as mint, parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, marjoram
30g olive oil
200g zucchini, cut into large pieces
50g shiro miso
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Toast the sunflower seeds and linseeds in the TMX bowl for 4 minutes at 100 degrees, in Reverse on speed Soft. Place aside.
You could use cashews instead of the seeds, if so I wouldn't bother toasting them.

Pop the garlic, leek, spinach and herbs in the TMX bowl. Chop 3 seconds on speed 6.
Add oil and saute 2 minutes at 100 degrees in Reverse on speed 2.
Add zucchini and chop 5 seconds on speed 5.

Add all the other ingredients (seeds, miso and lemon juice) and mix 10 seconds on speed 6 or until mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If you want a dairy based pesto, you may be more interested in the original recipe, which can be found here: 

Zucchini Carrot Yoghurt Cake

This is the yummiest cake ever. Seriously.

I have been baking this since I made in high school, with some modifications along the way and is undoubtedly our family favourite. 

I've TMXed the recipe, which makes it super dooper quick. I've added the normal approach measurements and methods in parenthesis.

Ingredients
125g butter, roughly chopped.
80-100g rapadura sugar. (2/3 cup)
2 eggs
about 200g zucchini roughly chopped (1 cup grated)
about 100g carrots roughly chopped (1/2 cup grated)
1/3 cup natural yoghurt
2 cups spelt flour
3 tsp baking powder

Grate zucchini and carrot for 5 seconds at speed 5. Set aside.

Blitz sugar on speed 9 for about 20 seconds or until fine.
Add butterfly, and butter and mix speed 4 until it looks a bit creamed. i'm a bit lazy about this step.
Remove butterfly.
(Cream butter and sugar)

Add eggs (one at a time and mix) and mix at speed 6 for 6 seconds.

Add zucchini, yoghurt and carrot. Mix in Reverse on speed 4 for 10 seconds. 

Add flour and baking powder and mix in reverse on speed 4 until mixed through.

Pour into greased and lined ring tin.

Bake at 180⁰C for about 40 minutes.

Stand for a few minutes in tin before turning out on wire rack to cool. 

You can ice with a butter icing if you like but in all honesty I never do! 

So there you go. Go and attack that zucchini glut.