Recipe: Zucchini Bread

Recipe: Zucchini Bread

Applesauce and walnuts give this the warm nuttiness of a fruit bread, while zucchini brings veggie goodness. Try making it in mini-loaf pans in a toaster oven if summer still has you not wanting to heat up your whole kitchen with the big oven.

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup white or raw sugar (or substitute 1/3 cup honey and reduce applesauce to 1/4 cup)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
• 1-1/4 cups whole wheat (whole-meal) flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2-1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350° F (325° if you're substituting honey). Lightly coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans (or 5 mini-loaf pans) with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine egg whites, canola oil, applesauce, sugar or honey, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on low speed until thick and foamy. In a small bowl, stir flours together. Set 1/2 cup of flour mixture aside. Add baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon to flour mixture in small bowl and stir together, then add to egg white mixture. Using electric mixer on medium speed, beat until well blended. Add zucchini and walnuts and stir with wooden spoon until combined. Adjust consistency of the batter with reserved 1/2 cup flour, adding 1 tablespoon at a time. Batter should be thick, not runny.
Pour 1/2 of batter into each prepared pan. Bake about 50 minutes (35 to 40 minutes for mini-loaf size), until a toothpick inserted into center of each loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let finish cooling on rack. Each loaf will yield 9 1-inch slices, or 18 servings.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
146	4 grams	2 grams	20 grams	6 grams	< 1 gram