I was looking for a cooking project for this beautiful Sunday afternoon. I had some sad looking apples sitting on my counter top for a while. They had seen better days, but I wanted to use them instead of throwing them out. I had some whole wheat flour I "imported" from the UP in the freezer from Freedom Mills in Skandia. (I need to remember this recipe of theirs). After doing much googling, I found the a recipe I wanted to modify to make some apple bread that would have plenty of protein and fiber. I modified it to make do with what I had on hand. It's the top bread in the photo above.
Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Bread
Crumble topping
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons dry uncooked oats
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Bread
1 cup dry oats/oatmeal
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups shredded, unpeeled apples
1/3 cup chopped black walnuts
1 cup Zante currants
Combine crumble topping ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut out an 8-by-4-inch rectangle of parchment paper and place in the bottom of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Spray pan with cooking spray. Place dry oats into a blender and process into a flour-like consistency. Combine oat flour, wheat flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Combine eggs, honey, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add apples; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Gently stir in walnuts and currants.
Pour batter into loaf pan and sprinkle with crumble topping. Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
I also have been on a quest to make a savory zucchini bread. I was thinking something with plenty of zucchini, some whole wheat flour, some thyme and Parmesan cheese. I found this recipe on Taste of Home to use as a starting point. Here is where I ended up:
Parmesan Thyme Zucchini Bread
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 t. dried thyme
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cup shredded peeled zucchini
1 tablespoon grated onion
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cheese, salt, baking powder and baking soda and thyme. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, sugar and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini and onion.
Pour into a greased and floured 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.
