zucchini

At my house, real dessert means anything chocolate. Choco-chini Cake is as rich, moist and decadent as any chocolate cake I have ever tasted, but with a healthier twist. The secret ingredient? Zucchini, of course!

This is an unbelievable, over-the-top chocolate cake that packs 2 full cups of shredded zucchini to keep the cake more moist with less fat.

This cake is so good I like to skip the frosting and serve with just a dusting of powdered sugar or a scoop of ice cream frozen yogurt!

Choco-chini Cake

2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup canola oil and ½ cup applesauce
2 large eggs and 1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup low fat buttermilk
2 cups shredded zucchini*, dried well
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a Bundt pan (or a 9 x 13 inch pan) with Pam for Baking. Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat sugar, oil and applesauce together in a large bowl until well mixed. Add the eggs and egg white individually, beating well after each is added. Add vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients by alternating with the buttermilk until all is well blended. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 55 minutes, or 40 minutes convection. (Tester should be moist; do not overbake.) Serves 16.

*The prep of the zucchini is important. Slice a medium zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out all the seeds. Then shred the zucchini and dry very well on paper towels. (If the zucchini is wet, the batter will be watery and the cake will come out dry. Trust me on this!)

What will the kids say, you ask? Don’t tell…and once they taste this luscious cake they won’t care that they are eating zucchini! But if they are really, really picky, then peel the zucchini before shredding or they will be quizzing you about the little green specks!

Read more by Dr. Pat…or email comments, questions and requests…

It’s that time of year again…I just picked the season’s first zucchini from our backyard garden!

This recipe is one of our favorite warm weather salads. There’s no cabbage in this slaw, and the apples and raisins give it just the right amount of sweetness. This slaw is so crisp and good you will be serving it all summer.

Dr. Pat’s Zucchini, Apple and Raisin Slaw

3 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1 apple, unpeeled and diced (about ½ inch pieces)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup raisins
3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a spoon (even small seeds will make the slaw watery). Shred the zucchini coarsely in the food processor; dry well with paper towels. Add the apples, vinegar and mayonnaise to combine, then add the raisins and mix well. Chill before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

This is good nutrition that tastes good. Enjoy!

Look for more zucchini recipes this summer in Healthy Lifestyle.