Zucchini Bread (Soy, Fish, Milk and Nut-Free)

(Zucchini Bread made with Nestle's Dark Chocolate Chips)

This is a modified recipe of one posted on allrecipe.com by v monte.  Let me just say it is one of the best recipes I've ever tasted!  It's very moist and easy to make.  You can even put it in a 13x9 pan and turn it into a cake, it's that good!  My 2 year old daughter just gobbles it up, and that should say a lot since she's in "picky eater" stage. :)

Please note that this recipe is soy-free if you use all soy-free ingredients, and is fish, milk and nut-free.

Zucchini Bread

3 Cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

3 eggs

1 Cup extra virgin olive oil

2 1/4 Cups sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 Cups grated zucchini (DO NOT DRAIN!)

1. Grease and flour two 8x4 pans (To keep this recipe milk-free and soy-free, use olive oil to grease the pan.  If you don't need to keep it milk-free, use full-fat, salted butter.).

2. Preheat the oven to 325^oF.

3. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon together in a medium bowl; set aside.

4. In another large bowl, beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar until well blended.

5. Add dry ingredients to the creamed sugar mixture and beat well.

6. Stir in zucchini until well combined. (Note: The grated zucchini should be very wet - DO NOT DRAIN!  The moisture is needed.)

7. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until tester/toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes before removing the bread from the pans.

9. Allow the bread to cool completely on the wire rack before enjoying.

Variations:

• Zucchini Nut Bread: Add 1 Cup walnuts with the zucchini. (Note: This variation is not nut-free.)
     
• Carrot Zucchini Bread: Either reduce the zucchini to 1 Cup and add 1 Cup grated carrots, or keep it 2 Cups zucchini and add 1/2 to 1 Cups carrots.
    
• Reduce the oil: Reduce the oil to 1/2 Cup and add 1/2 Cup natural applesauce.
     
• Other stir-in ideas: Stir in up to 1 Cup of golden raisins, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips (allergy friendly if you use a type like Enjoy Life),  chopped up apple and/or crushed pineapple.  Please note that if you are adding crushed pineapple, that that will greatly change the liquid content, and I recommend reducing the oil by 1/2 if you use it.
     
• Zucchini Carrot Cake: Follow the recipe for Carrot Zucchini Bread, but reduce the oil to 1/2 Cup and add 1/2 Cup natural apple sauce.  Bake in a 13x9 pan instead of loaf pans and cook at 325^oF for 40-45 minutes or until a tester/toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Top with Sweetened Whipped Cream or frost with Vanilla Buttercream or the Cream Cheese Frosting Listed below (note that the toppings are not milk-free and that the Cream Cheese Frosting is not soy-free or milk-free) if desired.  You can also top it with chopped walnuts if it doesn't need to be nut-free.  Note: You can try your hand at making a soy-free version of cream cheese from scratch if you like (I've not tried it, so I can't vouch for the taste, though.). You can also try using a dairy-free, soy-free "butter" (Earth Balance has one) if you want to make the buttercream dairy and soy-free.  There is a recipe for a dairy and soy-free "cream cheese" frosting here, but it is not nut-free and I've never tried it, so I cannot vouch for the taste.  You can also just dust the cake with powdered sugar or eat it plain as well.

Cream Cheese Frosting

(Adapted from a recipe on allrecipes.com submitted by Janni to be egg, fish, wheat, and nut-free)

1 package cream cheese (8 oz.), softened

1/4 Cup full-fat, salted butter, softened

1-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

dash of salt

1 to 2 Cups powdered sugar

1. Cream butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl until creamy.

2. Mix in vanilla and salt until well blended.

3. Gradually stir in the powdered sugar until well incorporated.

4. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Variation:

• Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 Cup cocoa powder with the powdered sugar.

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)