Whole Wheat Zucchini Brownies

 

 

I have been seriously craving for anything chocolate for the last two weeks and thinking of making something with chocolate but never had a time to make anything!  

Over the weekend, the hubby and I went to take a stroll in the old China town for the Summer Night event. There were little art and craft shops, band music and art performances, and food trucks! We got to taste the Indian chicken curry wrap and the crispy tofu balls with Sriracha aioli sauce. They were good and of course pricy! (Considering that I can do that at home!) Then we found two little cute dessert trucks. One was selling cupcakes and sweet treats, another was selling frozen yogurt and snow cone. The hubby’s eyes were lid up! We both went back and forth undecided which one to pick. Then I saw the brownies! Ohhhh I gotta have it. So, we got one big square to share, and it was so good with the intense chocolate flavor. We both were almost fighting over it! The brownie had satisfied my craving at the moment But after a while, I want some more! So, I decided to make my own brownies.

You know? Good brownies come with high calories. What I only want to do for my life now as I’m getting older is trying to stay healthy as much as I can. So, I searched for a good and healthy brownies recipe. I’ve found several awesome idea of zucchini brownies recipes, in which they called for different ingredients on each one. So, I adapted and revised on my own.

As a result, the zucchini brownies came out very moist, chocolaty, and stay really moist the next day. Thanks to the zucchini and applesauce. Only one thing that I felt a little, somewhat, disappointed was that I used semisweet chocolate chips which I should have used bittersweet chocolate chips instead for a little more intense flavor. But the hubby disagreed. He prefers milk chocolate; I prefer dark chocolate. You know how that goes!   However, the hubby has tasted unknowing there was zucchini in the brownies. And he really liked it.

By the time I finished taking photographs, I’ve finished eating two brownies already. Oh mine! Luckily, those zucchini made me felt less guilty about that. Whew!

Have you noticed something? There is no butter or oil in my brownies! And that what I call “healtylicious!” Woot Woot!!!

What you need:   makes 12-16 squares 

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. brewed coffee, cool
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

 

 

How to:

- Preheat the oven to 350’F and line the 9x11 or 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper for easy removal
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder and set aside
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk egg, sugar, vanilla, and applesauce
- Fold in the wet into the dry ingredients to mix well
- Fold in zucchini, chopped walnut, and chocolate chips and mix well
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes top. Do not over bake!
- Let it cool completely before cutting into squares 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

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Crab with Basil Pesto Crispy Pockets

As my usual self, when I first got the can of 1-lb crab meat from the market, I had no plan of what kind of dish I would be making with the crab meat. It’s been sitting quietly in my fridge for weeks, and the hubby kept reminding as he thought I forgot about it. Obviously, he didn’t know me that well. I never forget about food --- I just waited for the right moment, that’s all! ;-P

And today is the day! The hubby brought home a big bag of basil from Smart & Final with a plan of making basil pesto. He likes it so much and has been buying it from Fresh & Easy all the time. Now he decides to make his own! The pesto is very easy to make which a few ingredients and a food processor – basil, garlic, salt and pepper, pine nuts, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. But the hubby’s pesto has a handful of baby spinach added into it which provide the rich gorgeous green to the pesto, and with a little additional of fresh squeeze lemon juice to avoid the bitter tart of spinach. The hubby’s pesto came out very nice and very very tasty!

As we’re dipping in with pita chips we bought from store, I am thinking that I could add this pesto into the crab meat, fill in the wonton wrappers, and fry them for appetizers, voila! Let’s do it!

 

 

 

These crispy crab pockets are the easy version of crab Rangoon, if you will, but lighter without cream cheese. For the dipping sauce, you can whip up any of your favorite dipping sauce but I thought that Thai sweet chili sauce would be perfect for this. Since the crab and the pesto mixture is very tasty and more of the salty side, the Thai sweet chili sauce could help balance it down a little – and it sure does!

What you need:   make 16-18 pieces

6 oz. crab meat
3 tbsp. basil pesto – homemade or store bought
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
18 wonton wrappers

1-2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Thai sweet chili sauce for dipping

*** 10-20 leaves crispy fried Basil leaf – optional - see notes below

How to:

- In the medium bowl, gently mix together crab meat, basil pesto, and Parmesan cheese for the filling
- Fill each wonton wrapper with 1 heaping tablespoon of the crab filling in the center and dap little water around the edges of the wonton wrapper, fold up all the four corners of the wrappers to meet in the middle and press them together. Continue with the rest and put the crab pockets in the fridge for 5 minutes before frying
- Set the oil in the frying pan over low heat and wait until the oil is hot
- Fry 3 or 4 or 5 of crab pockets each time (depends on your frying pan size) until they turn slightly golden – be really careful on this step because the wonton wrapper can burn easily if the oil got too hot.  Continue frying the pockets until finish.
- Serve warm with Thai sweet chili sauce or sauce of your choice

***If you want to add crispy fried basil, you can fry basil leaves first before frying the crab pockets.  It only takes seconds to fry basil leaves. but be careful though when frying fresh basil leaves because the oil will splash like crazy!!!

Enjoy!

 

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The Pink Detox Drink...

There is no secret that I love to eat, and you all already know that. Right? As I get older, I’ve always take more precaution about what I eat and what I have taken in to feed my body. You know, I want to be as healthy as I can but never hope to live to be 100th or something like that. Noooo…too long! I think if I can make it through to be 80th without scratches and bruises, and a handful of medications to just keep me alive day by day, I’d be truly blessed!

But sometimes I just wander off the healthy track and indulge myself with high calories food and keep eating without thinking too much about consequences. And more often that my overeating is surely caused by stressed.

    

 

 

 

 

And this is the reason that, once in a while, I have to remind myself to slow down and make sure that I won’t go too far off the healthy track as I’ve planned.   By having a fruit or veggies smoothie with or without yogurt 4-5 days a week is one of the options I have that I’m trying to stay away from my doctor. Last time I check, I only visit my doctor once a year just for physical checkup!  Hooray for that!

 

 

 

 

Be Healthy. Be Happy.

What you need:   for 1 big glass

1 cup Watermelon, chopped
1/2 medium apple, unpeeled and chopped
A handful seedless red grapes
1 stalk celery, chopped
2-3 thinly sliced fresh ginger
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup crushed Ice
 *add honey or sweetener as preferred

: Blend everything in the blender until smooth and frothy

 

 

Enjoy!

 

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