My Favorite Vegan Zucchini Bread!

Hey my BEAUTIFUL Sweets! J

Thanks for all of your comments on my recap of this past year and my goals for this year. You guys are absolutely AMAZING! I didn’t get to bed last night until after 12am (closer to 1 am), as I was babysitting for a family who went and saw the Broadway play “Les Miserables.” And then this morning I got up for my early morning seminary class at 5am. I am exhausted. I tried to take a nap after I got back, but I just couldn’t fall to sleep. You know when you’re so tired that you’re NOT tired? That’s me at this moment. Right now I’m waiting for that I-want-to-take-a-nap feeling (it should come in a couple of hours), and then I’ll be able to take a nap. Ha-ha, I’m really going to enjoy taking a nap.

Do you like to bake?

I love baking breads, muffins, cakes, and cookies. But I especially love baking with whole-foods that help keep you healthy and happy.

I love making sweet breads, too; and one of my most favorites is zucchini bread!

With zucchini, raisins, tofu, whole grains, and healthy fats, this is a treat that is sure to please.

Combine the tofu, applesauce, oil, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Use a whisk to break down the tofu and get it incorporated. (You can also just blend these ingredients in a blender/food processor until smooth and creamy. A hand mixer will work, too.)

Shred the zucchini. (Leave the peel on – it adds lots of nutrients, fiber, and gives a nice color.)

Add the raisins and zucchini to the tofu mixture and fold (ha-ha, or whisk) them in.

In another large bowl, add the flour, flax, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Stir to combine.

Make a “well” in the center of the flour mixture and pour the zucchini mixture inside the well.

Fold it all in until all the flour is incorporated (don’t overmix).

Pour the batter in a sprayed 9×5-inch baking pan (9×4-inch works, too) and bake at 325F (163C) for about 60 minutes, or until the center is firm and bounces back when lightly pressed or if a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let it cool in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack. Cut and serve! I like to cut this into 13-14 slices. J

If using honey, agave, maple syrup, or other natural liquid sweetener in place of the sugar (I like using maple syrup), use ¾ cup honey, cup the applesauce back by ¼ cup, add an additional ¼ tsp baking soda, and reduce the temperature when baking it by 25F (14C).

My Favorite Vegan Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• ¾ cup silken or soft tofu
• ¾ cup applesauce
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 cup sugar (or ¾ cup natural sugar – see note above/below)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
• ¼ cup ground flax
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 ½ cup shredded or grated zucchini (about 2 medium)
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Combine the tofu, applesauce, oil, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. (I like to use a whisk to break down the tofu and get it incorporated. You can also just blend these ingredients in a blender/food processor until smooth and creamy. A hand mixer will work, too.) Shred the zucchini. (Leave the peel on – it adds lots of nutrients, fiber, and gives a nice color.) Add the raisins and zucchini to the tofu mixture and stir them together.

In another large bowl, combine the flour, flax, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Make a “well” in the center of the flour-mixture and pour the zucchini mixture into it. Fold it all in until all the flour is incorporated (don’t overmix it).

Pour the batter in a sprayed 9×5-inch baking pan (9×4-inch works, too) and bake at 325F (163C) for about 60 minutes, or until the center is firm and bounces back when lightly pressed or if a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack. Cut and serve!

If using honey, agave, maple syrup, or other natural liquid sweetener in place of the sugar (I like using maple syrup), use ¾ cup worth, cut the applesauce back by ¼ cup, add an additional ¼ tsp baking soda, and reduce the temperature when baking it by 25F (14C).

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This is my absolute FAVORITE sweet bread. Forget bananas: I love ZUCCHINIS!

Have you seen any shows on Broadway? I’ve seen The Lion King and Cats when I was 7 years old, (from the sections I remember of them, I know I thought they were AMAZING!); I’ve heard that they have a Fiddler on the Roof play (I’ve only seen the movie), but I haven’t seen it on Broadway; and I’ve yet to see Les Miserables (we’re getting it from Netflix, so I’ll be seeing it soon).

Do you like sweet breads? I love zucchini, banana, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, and apple breads. Yes, some of these do contain sugar, but I feel that sugar can be part of a balanced diet if eaten in moderation.

Do you have any allergies? I think I am having an allergy attack in a way. Yesterday morning I started sneezing (and I felt like I was going to sneeze between sneezes), my nose became running (not stuffy like a cold, but runny and irritating), and my eyes started watering up. I took a Claritin that afternoon, but it didn’t seem to work: maybe it takes time for it to start working? I don’t feel too bad right now, but I don’t know if this reaction is because of the cedar (it was up to 5000 yesterday, and it only takes 500 to bother people) or if it is food related. Do you guys have any thoughts?

xoxox,

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