Chocolate Zucchini Cake

My kids LOVE this cake, even knowing that it's lowish-fat, lowish-sugar, gluten-free, and made with veggies.  It is very moist and dense, and the chocolate is satisfying but not heavy.  You can use applesauce or bananas, both work well.  The applesauce flavor doesn't come through but the banana flavor does.  It is still a moist, dense cake with regular flour, but a little less so.  It's delicious either way.

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed overly ripe bananas (or applesauce)

1/4 cup vegetable oil (or substitute extra bananas or applesauce!)

1 cup sugar (with bananas you can probably even get away with 3/4 cup)

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

2-1/2 cups flour (the BEST GF flour I've found is Walmart's Great Value--and it's the cheapest!)

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/3 cup chocolate chips (if you add extra, I won't tell)

Directions:

Grease a 9x13 baking pan (I use a glass one, but metal should be fine--you may have to adjust the time) and preheat the oven to 350.  

In a large mixing bowl, beat the bananas, oil (if using), and sugar until well mixed and the sugar is mostly dissolved.  Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla, mixing well.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until fully combined.  Stir in the zucchini by hand.  The batter will be thick and a bit sticky, so don't worry.  Spread the batter into the greased baking pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.  

Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  It's good warm or cooled.  

Instant Cooker Shredded Chicken for Tacos

Instant Cooker Shredded Chicken for Tacos

This chicken was so good that all of the humans and one of our cats loved it!  My husband has never been a big fan of chicken and definitely not chicken tacos, so this was a big win!  The bonus is that it can be served several ways: in a taco, over rice, over tortilla chips, or just as a meaty stew.  My older son had 2 tacos and then made a bowl of soup.  I love that I can use frozen chicken because I'm not good at thinking far enough ahead to have thawed chicken.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil (whichever you prefer--I used evoo)
1/3 c. diced sweet onion (or yellow onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 c. chicken broth (or 1/2 c. for more soup)
1-1/2 lbs. FROZEN boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (14.5oz)
1 can diced green chiles (4oz)
Taco seasoning (either a packet or see my recipe for homemade)
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Set instant cooker to Saute and allow it to come to temp.  Add the oil and onion.  Cook until the onion is almost translucent and add garlic, continuing to saute until the onion is soft. Add the chicken broth and turn off Saute.  Place the chicken into the instant cooker, in a single layer so it cooks evenly.  Sprinkle the taco seasoning and the salt over the chicken.  Pour the tomatoes and chiles over everything and add the lid.  Set the valve to sealed.  Cook on Poultry or Manual/High Pressure for 15 minutes.  Allow to do a 5 minute natural release and then quick release.  Place just the chicken in a bowl and shred (you can use 2 forks to pull the meat apart).  Add the meat back into the instant cooker, stir, and cook for 2-3 more minutes to allow the soupy part to really soak into the meat.  Then quick release (it will be loud and fierce, so watch out!) and serve!

Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

I've never been thrilled with the packets of taco seasoning and some of them have sneaky gluten.  I tend to do mine by taste so I've tried to estimate measurements for this.  I tend to go heavier on beef than chicken.  

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp chili powder

1-1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp pepper

dash or more of cayenne pepper (to your spice level preference)