Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Music: Adele, Chasing Pavements
Menu: Coffee and a cupcake...makes going to work a little better :)


So. Wait, do I start every blog like that?!? Cause I feel like I do...let's try something new.


I have a massive zucchini monster in my backyard. I'm pretty sure that when a new person comes over to our house it's like, welcome to our home, would you like a zucchini? I have made everything you can think of. Grilled zucchini, zucchini quesadillas, enchiladas, tostadas. Zucchini bread, zucchini carpaccio...I think you get the point. I came across this Martha recipe and anything with cream cheese is an easy win in my book.


These little cakes kick butt. They are yummy, moist, and at least they contain something "good" for you. The zucchini outweighs the sugar, right?!?! Definitely don't skimp on the cinnamon or pecans.


The rest of our garden is doing well. Herbs are booming and broccoli has finally sprouted!!! We just harvested lots of jalapenos and hopefully we will have some poblanos later this week. you know what that means...there's some stuffing to be done in the Callahan household. We also have some cucumbers and tomatoes soon to come. I am thinking about doing some canning and pickling. The research I have done has been fun, but I'm pretty sure that a Saturday in my near future will be consumed with canning tomatoes...yipppeeee!!!

Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
  
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar (I only had 1/4cup, so I substituted with white sugar and added a big TB of honey)
• 2 tspn. baking powder
• 1/2 tspn. cinnamon
• 1/2 tspn. salt
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 zucchini (10 ounces), coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/3 cup veggie oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 tspn. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
   
2. In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in nuts.
   
3. In another bowl, add and mix wet ingredients - zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
   
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ones and mix until just combined, but do not overmix.
   
5. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 40 - 45 minutes. Mine only took about 30 - 35, so watch them carefully!
6. Cool muffins on wire rack. Frost once cooled.

Homemade cream cheese frosting is totally worth it. It takes like 5 minutes and you can do it while the cupcakes cool. So, give it a try.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 TB butter, room temp.
  
• 4 oz. (half a block) cream cheese, room temp. (I used fat free)
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tspn. vanilla extract

In a medium bowl beat butter and cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer. Add sugar and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate until you use.

Roasted Eggplant Pizza

Music: Ben Harper, Welcome to the Cruel World


BJ's first words after eating a slice: "I think this may be the best pizza we have ever made." It was pretty dang good. I figured I would have to re-open since my haitus with something really good and it doesn't get any better than the best pizza we have ever made.


Here's one reason - we cooked the dough for a while before we put the ingredients on. We usually don't do this because the toppings require cooking too. But since I roasted the eggplant first, I thought I would give the dough a head start too. Good thought because it turned out with incredible flavor and excellent crispy crust.


First layer = tomato sauce, slices of shallots and garlic, crushed red pepper, and fresh basil leaves. At this point BJ said; "I could just eat that!"


But the layering continued...Kalmata olives.


Roasted eggplant slices.


And cheese. Lots of cheese. Good cheese too. Thick slices of Provolone...mmmmmm.


And all those beautiful layers produced this beauty. So, I apologize avid readers (all two of you, ha!) for my absence, but I promise this makes up for it. Enjoy and lots more posts to come this week and I have stockpiled pics and recipes :)

Roasted Eggplant Pizza
Yours Truly

Ingredients:

• 1 small-medium eggplant, ends trimmed and semi peeled (think stripes!)
• EVOO
• S & P
• 1 whole wheat pizza crust
• 1 small can of tomato sauce
  
• 1 small shallot, sliced into rings
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• Crushed red pepper
• 10 - 12 fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup Kalmata olives, halved
• 5 slices of Provolone cheese, sliced into 1/2-inch wide strips
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Slice eggplant into 1/4 - 1/2 inch slices. Drizzle slices in EVOO and season with S & P. Place on a cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Halve the large slices. Set aside.
   
3. Turn oven up to 500 and place pizza stone in oven to warm up. Turn oven back down to 425 after 5 - 10 minutes.
   
4. Roll dough out to desired shape. Place on pizza stone and drizzle with EVOO. Cook dough 8 - 10 minutes until top just begins to brown and bubble. Remove from oven.
5. Spread tomato sauce over pizza. Season with S & P and crushed red pepper.
6. Arrange slices of shallot and garlic over sauce. Add basil leaves and then scatter olives.
   
7. Arrange eggplant slices. Lastly, arrange cheese slices on top. Drizzle with EVOO , if desired.
8. Bake pizza for 20 - 25 minutes until cheese id browned on top and bubble. Let rest for 5 minutes and then dig in!