Lemon Zucchini Cake

This Lemon Zucchini Cake became one of my favorite cake recipe with Zucchini.

Ingredients:

1-1/4 C white sugar

3 Large Egges

2 tsp lemon zest or 2 TBsp Orange Zest

1/4 C Fresh Lemon Juice

2 C AP Flour

2 tsp Baking Power - Non-GMO, No aluminum

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Kosher Salt

3/4 C Non-GMO Avocado Oil

1-3/4 C or 1 C Grated Zucchini.  Squeeze as much liquid out of  Zucchini after grating.  

1 C optional nuts of your choice

1/3 C powder sugar for decoration, but I didn't use it

 Method:

Prepare two loaf bread molds or 9x13" baking pan.  Either oil it and sprinkle with flour or cut in parchment paper.

Shift Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt together.  Set aside.

Beat eggs with Sugar till pale yellow.

Preheat oven 400'F

Add  Zest and Lemon Juice, then top with flour mixture.  Mix gently till flour is mixed in, then, add oil and grated squeezed Zucchini.  Mix gently.

Pour batter into molds.

Depending on your large gas oven - Bake for 20 min at 400'F. then, 25 min at 375'F, but check every 20 min and test with tester to adjust temp.

Cut and use the neck part where firm flesh is.

 

Loosen the cake from sides and reverted onto a plate.

It tastes really good.

Fresh Corn Juice or Soup or Stock?

While doing some health and food research in YouTube, I found information on the benefit of corn silk stock. My first batch using my home grown corn and corn silk was exciting.  As it is home grown without any pesticides.  This time I tried with store bought corn.  I am very hesitant about using the non-organic corn as normal corns are heavily sprayed with pesticides.   And I can smell them in the corns right at grocer's shelves.  But this is how I did it to assure clean stock produced from store bought corns.  

3 fresh corns with husk. 

Remove husks layers, and carefully retain corn silk in a bowl with strainer with cleaned corns.

Add water and rinse, strain. Repeat twice.  Then soak with filtered water.  Rinse after 5 minutes, then, soak again in filtered water for 10 minutes.

Fill a pot just enough to cover corns (with silk in the pot).  Cover the pot.  Bring to boil.  

Cook over high heat for three minutes. 

Do not open the lid.

Turn off the heat.

Wait 10 minutes.

Serve.

Strain the stock and enjoy it hot or cold.

Stir Fried Cactus Salad

After my mother's home cook testing with nopales, I thought I would give it a try myself.   She made them into a very tasty refreshing salad.

Wearing thick gloves, Fresh cut young nopales.  

Use a blow torch to burn off the fine thorns or use a garden hand shovel and scrape off thorns.   

Use kitchen peeler to scrape off all the thorn eyes left behind. 

Rinse well. 

Cut into slices. 

Heat 1-1/2 tablespoon of avocado oil in a sauté pan.  Medium high heat. 

Add nopales slices.  Stir fry for a minute...

Lower to medium heat.

Stir fry for 1-1/2 min to 2 min.  

Remove. 

You have a choice to fresh squeeze a lemon and add to it or eat it as is. What taste do you expect!?  Ready?! Stir fried nopales tasty sour to tangy all by itself.   I love it just the way it is. Eat it straight out of refrigerator. Cool salad.