Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal

I have a thing about zucchini – I love it.  There are two of us in our family and we planted 6 zucchini plants!  Note: It’s recommended that you plant 1 zucchini plant per person.  Oops. 

Needless to say, we have an abundance of zucchini and we love it. 

During the summer I am always looking for new ways to try zucchini, and this time, I went for a breakfast item that we also love: Baked Oatmeal!

No kidding, this baked oatmeal tastes just like zucchini bread.  And, topped with a dollop of cream cheese frosting, tastes like my mom’s cinnamon zucchini cake. 

We loved it.

And, it’s a healthy whole-grain start to your day. 

Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 3 C Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3 C honey (or 1/2 C brown sugar)
• 1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
• 1 C milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 C shredded zucchini
• Raisins, optional

Directions

Begin by mixing together the 3 C oats, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt and 3/4 tsp. cinnamon. 

To the same bowl, add 1/3 C honey or 1/2 C unpacked brown sugar.  Stir in 1/2 C applesauce, 1 C milk, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 egg. 

Mix in the shredded zucchini.  {Note: to help the prep, feel free to shred the zucchini the night before}

If desired mix in 1/2 C – 1 C raisins.  Alternatively, you can garnish the baked oatmeal with these raisins. 

Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking dish. 

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the breakfast bake comes out clean. 

Serve warm – either with milk or just as a slice.  Or, for a real treat, with a dollop of cream cheese frosting. 

Additional add-ins that would be tasty include: blueberries, fresh sweet cherries, or chocolate chips!

Enjoy!

Do you like zucchini?

{Healthier} Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

This is a fantastic recipe – combining my love of oats and of buttermilk in pancakes and wrapping them into a great breakfast.  Using white whole wheat flour keeps the pancakes light and fluffy, but at the same time, increases the nutritional value of the pancakes. 

We’ve made this recipe three times now!  The first time, I tried the recipe as written, and it was way too greasy from 4 T butter.  The second time, I used 2 T butter, and we tried it with both raisins and chocolate chips.  It was better.  But, still too greasy for my taste buds. 

The third time, I tried using applesauce – which is what I do in all my other pancake recipes, and loved it.  That time we tried blueberries in some, and chocolate chips in others.  I think we’ll try diced apples in this one, and even raspberries.  The possibilities are endless. 

I do hope you’ll try these.  If you don’t have buttermilk on hand – don’t forget that you can use milk + 1 T vinegar/1 C milk.  Allow that to sit for 5-10 minutes and you have your own buttermilk. 

{Healthier} Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes – Adapted from Tracy’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 C old fashioned oats, heaping
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 C buttermilk
• 1 T maple syrup
• 4 T applesauce
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 C raisins and/or chocolate chips {we’ve also used blueberries}

Directions

Begin by mixing together 1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour, a heaping 1/2 C old fashioned oats, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 T brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.  Stir well. 

Then, in a second bowl, combine the egg,  2 C buttermilk, 1 T maple syrup and 4 T applesauce.  Stir well.  Mix in 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. 

Stir together the wet and dry ingredients until just moist; the batter will be slightly lumpy.  Allow the batter to sit for 5-7 minutes. 

Pre-heat your griddle (to around 350 degrees), and if necessary, spray it with olive oil or melted butter.  Then, scoop pancakes onto the hot griddle, using a soup ladle (about 1/2 C batter). 

Drop chocolate chips and/or raisins onto the pancakes.  Cook until bubbles form around the edges and a few in the center.  Then flip. 

Continue cooking until lightly browned. 

Serve warm. 

Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes

SnoWhite loves pancakes. She makes lots of different varieties and I think they all taste great. I decided that I would try my hat at a new variation of pancakes while she was gone....Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes. The ingredients are roughly as follows (notice roughly because as I mentioned I do not really measure these things when I make recipes):


Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes - Frog Prince

1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla (more if you like ...you cannot have too much)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup low fat milk
1/3 cup half and half (if you do not have half and half you can omit and just use milk)
2/3 cup of raisins

Makes roughly 15-18 average sized pancakes.

Combine milk, half and half, and oats together in a bowl. Let stand for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients together and shift.

After thoroughly shifted, melt butter and add wet ingredients (eggs, apple sauce, butter (melted), and vanilla) to the dry ingredients.  Whisk together.

Then, add the oat, milk, half and half mixture and whisk together.

 Finally, add raisins and stir a couple of times.

The pancakes should have a fairly thick consistency. Cook on a griddle or in a flat plan on high. The pancakes will brown nicely due to thick consistency. Finally, enjoy a nice tasty breakfast.

Sorry no pictures, but I assure you they are not too hard to make and they taste good.

~Frog Prince

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

The first recipe in "From My Mom's Kitchen" was a recipe my mom made for my sister and I growing up... a delicious cinnamon raisin bread.



In response to the numerous comments and questions, here are some details that might help if you want to try making this bread:

• The bread is for a 1 1/2 lb. loaf

• You can make the bread by hand... just chop the raisins and knead them into the dough. Then, follow these directions:
  

To make without a bread maker -- mix water, dry milk, butter (softened/melted), sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Then, add in the chopped raisins and cinnamon. Add flour and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and cover, resting for 40 minutes, until doubled.

Then, shape dough into a loaf, and place in a greased bread pan. Cover, and allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour. Then, bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until loaf is lightly browned and sounds hallow when tapped.

• You can make this with golden or regular raisins.
  

• You can make the dough in the bread maker and then bake as described above.
  

• To achieve a non-dark crust, remove the bread from the bread machine a few minutes before it's done.
  

• Store in an airtight bag/container to keep soft and fresh.

And, in case you're looking for a way to use up some of the pieces... try a yummy french toast.



Cinnamon Raisin French Toast - Mom

8-10 thick (think, Texas toast) slices of Cinnamon Raisin Bread
2 eggs
1/4 - 1/2 C milk
powdered sugar, to taste


In a medium, but wide bowl, lightly scramble the eggs and milk together.



Meanwhile, preheat the griddle to 300/350ish. Lightly spray it with cooking spray, if your griddle requires non-stick spray.

Then, slice your bread into thick slices... think "Texas Toast" style.



Using a fork (or your fingers), quickly dip the bread into the egg/milk mix, flipping to coat both sides.



The quicker you flip, the less "soaked" the bread becomes and the faster they cook. This prevents the center of the bread from becoming really "doughy" or "eggy" and harder to cook.

Place slices on the griddle and cook for ~3 minutes per side, until the toast is lightly browned and set.







Serve warm, topped with some powdered sugar.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This is the first in a series.... From My Mom's Kitchen!



My mom has taught me everything I know about cooking... well, almost.  But, she did instill in me a desire to cook frugally, healthily and with ingredients we already have on hand.  If you're nice to her, my mom might even write a guest post later this week!

When I was in middle school, my mom got a bread maker.

Our favorite breakfast bread was this delicious cinnamon raisin bread.

Yum.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread- Mom

3 1/4 C bread flour
2 tsp. salt
2 T dry milk
2 T butter
3 T sugar
3/4 C raisins
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
10 1/2 oz. water
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Place all ingredients in your bread maker as listed by your manufacturer... except... add the raisins right away!  Your bread machine directions will tell you to add them later -- don't listen to them, listen to my mom.  She adds them right away.  This way they get all chopped up and add yummy raisin flavor throughout the bread.  The bread stays extra moist due to this too.

Bake according to directions (do not use the rapid cycle).

Allow to cool a bit before slicing -- if you can resist.

Stay tuned for a yummy french toast with this bread :)

Linked to:

• Colleen's Kitchen - Weekly Recipe Swap
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday