Cookin With Brooke

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

My friend Andrea brought me the largest zucchini I had ever seen the other day. She grew it herself! She also passed along this delicious recipe! Who doesn’t love a good zucchini bread recipe! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

•  1 large egg
•  1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
•  1/3 cup oil
•  1/4 cup sugar
•  1/4 cup cup sour cream (or yogurt may be substituted)
•  1 tsp vanilla
•  1 cup flour + 1/4 cup for dredging blueberries
•  1/2 tsp baking powder
•  1/2 tsp baking soda
•  1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
•  1 cup coarsely grated zucchini, not packed down
•  1 cup fresh blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside
2. In a large bowl, add the the first six ingredients and whisk to combine.
3. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and stir until just combined
4. Add the zucchini and stir; set aside.
5. In a small bowl, add the blueberries to 1/4 cup flour and toss to coat
6. Add the blueberries and flour to the large bowl with the batter and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
7. Put batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top slightly
8. Evenly sprinkle the surface with 1 to 2 tablespoons blueberries
9. Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter
10. Allow bread to cool about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing

This One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies couldn’t be any easier! It only takes about 20 minutes and there’s no need for any other side dishes because the veggies are included!!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Italian salad dressing (Light Italian is what was recommended)
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1 1/4 lbs chicken tenderloins
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lb fresh green beans (or Asparagus if it’s in season)
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl whisk together salad dressing, balsamic vinegar and honey, set aside
• Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat
• Season chicken with salt and pepper then place chicken evenly in skillet
• Cook about 6 – 7 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, until chicken has cooked through
• Prepare green beans (or asparagus) and tomatoes
• Add half the dressing mixture to skillet and turn chicken to evenly coat
• Transfer chicken to a serving platter while leaving sauce in skillet
• Add beans (or asparagus) and carrots to skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until tender
• Transfer veggies to platter with chicken
• Add remaining dressing mixture to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute
• Toss chicken, tomatoes and the rest of the veggies in the hot dressing
• Transfer back to platter and serve

FOR ALL MY COOKIN WITH BROOK RECIPES, CLICK HERE!

Am I the only one on the planet that hadn’t tried these before? This is a kid-friendly side dish that your whole family will love! (I paired it with meatloaf)

Ingredients

• Cooking spray, for spraying the waffle iron
• A 30-ounce bag frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
• 4 TBS (1/2 stick) butter, melted 
• 1 tsp sea salt 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 
• 3/4 cup grated Cheddar

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron on the regular setting and spray both sides with cooking spray
2. Squeeze out any excess moisture from the hash browns and put in a bowl
3. Pour the melted butter over the hash browns
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir
5. Scoop a heaping 1/2 cup of the seasoned hash browns into each waffle section
6. Top with 2 TBS cheese
7. Top cheese with another 1/4 cup hash browns
8. Close the waffle iron and cook for 15 minutes
9. Repeat with the remaining ingredients

Ingredients

• 4 slices thick-cut chopped bacon
• 2 TBS butter
• 1/2 small finely diced sweet onion
• 2 stalks finely diced celery
• 1 pressed clove garlic 
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 3 cups corn kernels (fresh from 5 ears of corn, canned and drained, or frozen thawed and drained)
• 1 can creamed corn
• 1 TBS honey
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Fry bacon in the bottom of a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Stir until the bacon is browned and almost crispy
2. Drain or spoon off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat
3. Stir in the butter until melted
4. Add in the onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally until they become tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant, Season with salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle the flour in and make a paste. Cook a minute or two.
7. Pour in the chicken broth along with the potato, corn, honey; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
8. Cook until the potatoes are tender but not mushy, stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes.
9. Add in the heavy cream.
10. If you prefer a creamier soup, puree the soup in a blender until it reaches the desired consistency.
11. Stir in the shredded cheese until melted.
12. Top with parsley, a sprinkle of shredded cheese and/or extra bacon!

FOR ALL MY COOKIN WITH BROOK RECIPES, CLICK HERE!

It wasn’t until recently that I even thought about putting something sweet and dessert-like in a CrockPot. But it’s an incredible thing! These gooey, delicious brownies are going to CROCK your world! A perfect blend of chocolate, caramel and pecans. Oh…and don’t forget to top it with ice cream!

Ingredients

• 18 oz fudge brownie mix
• 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 11 oz caramel bits
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 12 oz hot fudge sauce

Instructions

• Spray a large Crock Pot with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix, chocolate chips, oil, water, and eggs.
• Stir or whisk together until combined. Do not over mix.
• Pour the brownie batter into the slow cooker.
• In a medium bowl, mix the caramel bits and heavy cream. Microwave in 30 second intervals on high heat, stirring in between, until caramel is completely melted. Stir in pecans.
• Pour caramel mixture over the top of the brownie mixture and use a spatula or a knife to swirl the caramel mixture in.
• In a small bowl, whisk the hot fudge sauce and hot water together until smooth.
• Pour over the top of the caramel mixture.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 3.5 hours or until the edges of the brownies are set. The center will be gooey.
• Serve with ice cream.

I LOVE CrockTober and this is the perfect EASY recipe to have for these cooler temperatures. Just a few ingredients and you’ll be eating some comfort food in NO time! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 packets dry chicken gravy mix
• 1 regular can cream of chicken soup
• 1-2 soup cans of water
• ½ cup sour cream
• mashed potatoes for serving

Instructions

• Pour gravy packets, cream of chicken soup and water into your crockpot. Whisk to combine
• Season both sides of chicken with garlic power and black pepper and place into crockpot
• Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 6-7 hours
• Shred chicken with 2 forks and stir in sour cream
• Serve over mashed potatoes or noodles

I absolutely LOVE fresh peaches. They’re SO GOOD this year. And for the first time EVER, I decided to make Peach Butter. (you know, like Apple Butter…but with peaches!) And it turned out SO delicious, I wanted to share it with you!

Ingredients

• 15 Ripe Peaches
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Cloves
• 1/8 tsp Allspice
• 2-3 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1.5 cups sugar

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to a boil, and place peaches in the water for 1 minute. (it’s best to use ripe peaches)
• Immediately place the peaches into a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes. Then, slide the skins right off! (You can use a regular peeler and skip the boiling/ice method, if you prefer)
• Cut the peaches into slices, and place in blender. Blend until smooth.
• Place the pureed peaches and lemon juice into your Crock Pot, stir, and then top with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and sugar. DO NOT COVER!
• Cook on LOW until it reaches the thickness you want. Anywhere from 3-6 hours is good.
• I used half-pint jars, and left about 1/4 inch at the top. Wipe the top edge of the jars to make sure it was nice and clean so those lids seal well!
• Keep the lids in hot water until ready to use.
• Once the jars are filled with peach butter, put the hot lids and rings on them and place them in a hot water bath. Make sure the jars are covered by an inch of boiling water. Let them cook for 15 minutes.
• Carefully lift the jars out of the boiling water, (I used tongs to get them out) and let them cool overnight so the jars aren’t touching. You can make sure they sealed correctly by pressing your fingers on the lid. If it doesn’t pop up and down, they’re good. Tighten the rings all the way.