Good Food for a Bad Day...or Bad Week...

To say it has been a challenging week would be a gross understatement.  Everyone has weeks like this...weeks when it seems like the stars are perfectly aligned in such a way that everything you try is thwarted, everything that could go wrong does, and every dreaded thing comes to fruition.  A week that would try the patience of Job.  When one of "those" weeks rears its ugly head, there is not much to do but muddle through and find solace where you can…in good friends, quiet moments, and comfort foods.

So tonight, when cooking is (for once) the last thing on my mind, I decided that maybe it was time to rework the zucchini bread recipe that my family loves and make it gluten free.  Zucchini bread is definitely a comfort food in our house.  This particular bread is rich and spicy…clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg give it a deep warmth.  

As an added bonus, this recipe allows me the opportunity to use some of the zucchini that I had frozen last summer (yes, I am still working through all of last years’ bounty tucked away in my freezer).

So, in the event that your week was as insanely bad as mine, or if you have some frozen zucchini that needs using up…or, heck, even if you just want something warm and spicy to get you through the week…feel free to borrow one of my favorite comfort food recipes:

Zucchini Bread

(makes two 9”x5” loaves)

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 c. oil

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. granulated sugar

3 tsp. vanilla

2 c. zucchini (pureed)

1 c. sorghum flour

1 c. sweet rice flour

½ c. potato starch

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare two standard sized loaf pans with non-stick spray and lightly dust with gluten free flour. 

Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well blended.  Pour into prepared pans.  Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes, or until center is set.  Let cool briefly in pan, then remove from pan and let cook on wire rack.

I topped this loaf with a simple powdered sugar glaze with a dash of nutmeg and a sprinkling of sliced almonds.

Yes, this really is one of those dump, stir, and bake kind of recipes.  Maybe that is one of the reasons that it is such a comfort food around our house…it does not require much forethought.  It is not a finicky recipe that requires a lot of fuss.  It is dependable and, when you have one of those weeks, something reliable is a wonderful thing.

Taste-tester review:  Terri just gave me some of this zucchini bread this morning and it was AMAZING!  For the record, I am not (yet... though that may be scheduled to change soon, due to my adhd child... *deep breath*) gluten-free myself.  I still eat all that evil stuff.  So when I say amazing, I mean you can make this for your gluten glutton friends & family, and they will love it, too!  It's moist and very sweet-bread-satisfying.  Trust me.  This is good stuff.  ~ Angela