Zucchini Nut Loaf

Still on a hunt for new muffin recipes, as Logan is still plowing through muffins as if there is no tomorrow.  He ate 1 1/2 of these muffins today.  I forgot that he couldn't have raisins when I made the raisin breakfast bars, so it's been about a week that he has been muffinless.  And not a day has gone by that I haven't heard him beg "uffi, uffi".  So this morning, as he was eating his breakfast, I whipped up a batch of this zucchini nut loaf.  I figured that it was a good way to sneak a bit more vegetables into him.

I used to often throw a mixture of flax, chia and hemp seed into my muffins, just to make them a little bit healthier.  But as Logan started eating them, I often omitted these ingredients, just in case he was allergic to them.  But I've finally given him each of them and he's not.  And further to an e-mail from my dad reminding me of these ingredients, I've gone back to throwing them in.  I put maybe a tablespoon or two of each of them into the batter, but I really just play it by ear with each recipe.

The minute Logan saw the hemp and flax seed bags, he started yelling "cookie, cookie".  I guess the bags look like the bag of baby cookies that I give him.  And there's no telling a 19 month old that it's not cookies.  So finally, I just sprinkled a bit on his cereal.  But then he wanted some in his spoon.  And proceeded to eat spoonfuls of flax and hemp dry, directly from his spoon (yuck!) saying "mmm... cookie".  I'm glad my kid things hemp and flax seed are cookies, lol.

Logan sat in his high chair, screaming "see, see" as the mixer whirred and realized the minute I got out the muffin tins that muffins were soon to be had.  Poor thing is still too little to understand that they need to be cooked and he just lost it when they disappeared into the oven. 

I can't wait until the kids are old enough to actually participate in some of the baking projects (aka tear apart my kitchen).  In the meantime, I'll keep whipping up muffins with him in his high chair, providing commentary the entire time.

I omitted the nuts from these again, since I'm not eating nuts.  The recipe says you can substitute with raisins or chopped fruit if you want to lower the fat content of the muffins, though I didn't bother.  This recipe comes from the Dietitians of Canada's cookbook Cook Great Food.

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour (I used whole-wheat)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. each salt and ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 egg 
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/3 C vegetable oil
2 tbsp. 2% milk
1 C shredded zucchini (unpeeled)
1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest (optional)

1.  In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and baking powder.

2.  In a medium bowl, beat egg; whisk in sugar, oil and milk.  Stir in zucchini, nuts and lemon zest, if desired; stir zucchini mixture into dry ingredients.

3.  Pour batter into greased 8- by 4-inch loaf pan. Bake in 350 degree Farenheit oven for 50 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan.  Turn out onto rack to cook completely.

Makes 10 servings.

Nut-free if walnuts/pecans are omitted.