On the whole, I love eating vegetables. There are days when I really CRAVE a crunchy salad, crispy asparagus or satisfying roasted broccoli.
But let’s get real here. There are some days when you want to flip being “Badass” the bird, hunker down in your pajamas, turn on reality TV and bake something sinful. (Oh, wait, am I projecting again?)
Well, what if I told you that there is a wonderful world of compromise waiting ahead? That you could have some healthy, fibrous vegetables and also a bit of sinful baking? Today I give you a recipe that squeezes yummy vegetables and satisfying whole grains into a delicious bread recipe that feels more decadent than it actually is.
And, bonus points – you can use up some of those pesky zucchini and squash you have lying around your kitchen in the process. Score!
Now, this ingredient list may seem a little… odd… at first. But give it a chance. Zucchini, carrots, applesauce and prune puree combine not only for a great nutritional boost, but to provide stellar moisture within the bread. That way you don’t need a lot of oil.
I realize that the words “prune puree” may have a few of you running for the hills, but hear me out: Prunes are a great low-fat substitute in baking, and I swear on my Badass Trio t-shirt that you will never taste the prunes. (Keep a few containers of prune baby food on hand for this reason. Baby food is some of the least processed stuff around – it is simply prunes blended to a pulp with a little water!)
Play with the spices on this recipe – I think the combo of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg really bring out the richness of this bread and ensures that it tastes great without extra sugar. I love cinnamon, and recommend shopping around to find true Vietnamese Cinnamon if you can – it’s got the highest levels of essential oil and has a much stronger, sweeter flavor than generic cinnamon.
Load up on cinnamon, as its got some of the highest antioxidant levels on earth! Plus, the polyphenols found in cinnamon have been proven to mimic the function of insulin in your body and regulate your blood sugar levels. (Translation: It helps to give you a tighter, leaner Badass!)
Badass Foodie’s “Secret Garden" Veggie Bread
Ingredients
Wet team:
- 1 cup summer squash (I used green zucchini)
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot (about 1 large carrot)
- ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup of prune puree (I used a 2 oz container of prune baby food)
- ½ of a medium banana, mashed
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup agave nectar (OR equal amounts honey or brown sugar)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons healthy baking fat – I used coconut oil but you can use canola oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil or another healthy fat
Dry Team:
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon (I go heavy on the cinnamon, because I love it, you can dial back if you’d like)
- ½ teaspoon of ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together grated squash and carrot. Use a paper towel or sieve to squeeze out any excess moisture. Don’t squeeze too hard – just get out the extra water, if you can.
3. To the veggies, add the applesauce, prune puree, mashed banana, egg, agave nectar, vanilla and oil. Stir to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, gently mix all the dry ingredients together – including the spices.
5. Fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Do not overbeat!
Note: I like to taste the batter here (What, like you don’t lick the bowl? Come on, lick with me!) and adjust the sweetness with some extra agave, sugar or Splenda if needed.
6. Pour into single large loaf pan – or two mini loaf pans - and place into preheated oven. This could also be made into muffins!
7. Bake at 350 for about 20 – 30 minutes, depending on your type of pan. I always recommend going on the lower side of baking, especially with lowfat breads, as you don’t want it to dry out and be a crumbly mess!
8. Slice and enjoy!
Approximate Nutritional Values – 1 generous slice: (approximately 1/12 of recipe): Calories: 123, Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 17 g; Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 1 g
And here is Shannon's food log for Monday:
Exercise: Taught hourlong RealRyder and abs class at 5:45 a.m., did 45 minutes of upper-body weight training in the evening before dinner.
- Coffee. Sweet-Ass Smoothie
- Small peach, 1 egg and 1 egg white
- Mint lifesaver
- 10 baby carrots. Green salad w pecans, cranberries, 1 can light tuna and light balsamic.
- Sugar-free Werther's, 5 gum balls
- Small handful trail mix, green tea with 1 Splenda
- 10 baby carrots w 2 tablespoons hummus. One EAS low-carb chocolate shake.
- Sauteed snapper with vegetables. Salad. 1/2 cup Mexican rice.
- Two Carr's crackers, 3 thin slices cheese and 20 grapes
- One glass red wine
- 1 sugar cookie
Coming tomorrow: Give the Badass CEO 30 minutes, and she'll kick your Badass!
