Low Fat Summer Squash Bread

Continuing with my "What the heck do I do with all these summer squash?" theme, I decided to try and bake it into some quick bread.  Zucchini bread is amazing, so why not use summer squash instead, right?  It turned out pretty darned good too, especially for a low fat version.  This is not vegan, as I used Egg Beaters, but with a few tweaks it could easily be veganized.

Really Low Fat Summer Squash Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup summer squash, seeded and shredded
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup egg beaters
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup raw cane sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350°.

2.  Grease loaf pan.

3.  Mix together dry ingredients.  If you have to, use your hands to break up any lumps.  It needs to be completely incorporated.

It should look like sand.

4.  Add wet ingredients.  It will seem like there's not enough, but just keep mixing and mixing, and it will eventually make a dough.

5.  Pour into loaf pan.

6.  Bake for 55 minutes.

This made a hearty dense loaf, and it was really good.  In retrospect, however, I could have pureed the squash and used squash puree and a flax egg to make it vegan.  It would have also made it a bit lighter.  Next time...

Enjoy!

Easy Cheddar Biscuits

I've never much liked traditional biscuits.  They are too heavy and too dense and too salty for my tastes.  I think it's all that shortening.  I've rather got a thing against shortening anyway, even when it's vegetable shortening.  Let's just call it an irrational prejudice and move on.

The only biscuits that I ever even remotely liked were the garlic cheese biscuits at Red Lobster.  They were lighter, and they did have the whole garlic thing going for them!  Needless to say, I don't eat there anymore, so it's been a long time since I've consumed a biscuit.

These are different.  They don't have any shortening or butter.  They are way less salty than your traditional biscuit, and they aren't nearly as dense, because they don't have to be rolled out and cut into shapes.  This is a simple drop biscuit with a surprise ingredient.

Easy Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup milk of choice
• 2 TBSP mayo  (I used light Miracle Whip, because that's what we had.  I don't eat mayo, but this is what Drew keeps on hand.)

Directions:

1.  In a small mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cheese. 

2.  Stir in milk and mayo until just moistened.  Don't overwork!

3.  Fill five greased/sprayed muffin cups 2/3 full. 

4.  Fill empty muffin cup(s) 1/2 full with water.

5.  Bake in a 425° oven for 18-20 minutes, until golden.

Enjoy!