Red Wine and Zucchini Bread...It's What's For Dinner!

When I was growing up, my Mom made everything from scratch.  Meals were all home cooked and all full of fresh and wonderful ingredients.  What Mom always loved best were the vegetables and I have certainly inherited that.  There are many nights when I eat nothing but veggies for dinner!  Steamed, sauteed, roasted, grilled....it doesn't matter how you fix them, I love them.   Last night I planned a very healthy and yummy dinner of grilled veggies!  I had my zucchini, red bell peppers, onion and portobello mushrooms ready to go.  What a nice, healthy, refreshing dinner.  Ah, the best laid plans....

Yesterday was not the greatest of days.  My morning went well and I was productive with work, but the afternoon turned "blah".  That's the best way to describe it, blah.  Suddenly vegetables for dinner didn't sound so great, really not comfort food at all.  Now, I have all of these veggies and I really should eat vegetables for dinner still so I went through my recipes and came up with something that I think is a perfect alternative: Zucchini Bread!  Um, seriously, zucchini is a vegetable.  This is still a healthy dinner, right?  What's not healthy about zucchini mixed with some eggs, a little flour, a little oil, maybe a smidge of sugar.  I really don't see the problem!  

The only problem I had was this....which wine do you serve with zucchini bread?  Red or white?  Personally, I think red goes with any meal.  Problem solved!

I hope you find this bread to be just as delicious as I did.  You do not have to eat it for dinner, it is fine as breakfast, dessert or even a snack.  Don't feel you are limited to red wine either, feel free to enjoy your bread with a nice white wine, beer or even coffee if you insist.

Cheers!

Zucchini Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 3/4 cups white sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl, set aside.

Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com