#MeatlessMonday - Zucchini Brownies #dessert

I'll be the first to admit--I'm not a fan of chocolate. Vegetables, yes, chocolate, no. I'll hang my head in shame now. When I announced to my chocolate-loving teenagers that I would be using them as guinea pigs taste-testers of a brownie recipe which included vegetables, there were...protests. I believe one of the comments were, "Why would you ruin perfection??!" There were other comments, but I won't write them here.
The verdict?  "Pretty good, actually!" 

Enjoy!

Zucchini Brownies 

Photo courtesy of Sarah via Flickr

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, soda, cocoa, and sugar. 

Combine eggs, zucchini, oil, and vanilla; blend into dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.
Coat a 8X10 glass dish with cooking spray. Spread brownie batter evenly.
Bake in preheated 360F oven for 20-30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

#MeatlessMonday - Broccoli-Cheddar Soup #vegetarian

Photo courtesy of Juli via Flickr

I know it's summer (in this part of the world), so warm soup may be the furthest from your mind. However, I happen to love soup any day of the year! This is my crock pot, vegetarian version of a recipe I came across last week. It got the thumbs up from my two teens, which is saying something because it's green. Enjoy!

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

2 heads broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, sliced thin
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk, warmed
2 cups vegetable stock
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Saute onion in 1 tbsp of melted butter until transparent.
In a separate pot, make a roux by whisking in remainder of melted butter and ¼ cup flour.
Slowly whisk in warmed milk, and cook until mixture thickens.
Whisk in vegetable stock.
Transfer mixture into crock pot.
Add broccoli florets, carrots and sauteed onions.
Cook in crock pot on low until broccoli is tender.
Stir in cheese until melted. Add sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Blend until smooth (or leave it chunky, if you prefer).
Serve in a sourdough bread bowl.