zucchini

Best Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Zucchini

March 13, 2020 by Megan

I am ready for spring and all that it brings! By that I am mostly referring to these life-changing lemon poppy seed muffins with some zucchini snuck in there to make them a bit healthier without tasting too healthy. You know what I mean by that right? Good.

Guys and gals, I love baking. It was my dream to have my own bake shop when I was little so I could serve cute little treats to people all day every day. Baking is hard, really hard. But I also love that moment when you finally figure it out and you’re like of course making a dozen different batches of that recipe was worth it. Because it was and don’t try to sway me on this. Wink wink.

I love boxed muffins. They are just delicious. It can be disappointing when you go to make the effort of making homemade muffins and they turn out like little hockey pucks. We don’t want that for anyone especially when you are about to sit down and enjoy a nice lil Sunday brunch. That’s where I come in. These little bits of heaven are what Sunday brunches should consist of. Or to take over to your neighbor as a friendly welcome to the neighborhood. You need these muffins in your life. Trust me on this one (said in my best Dory voice).

All that said, I did my research on muffins so I could get the best possible recipe for lemon poppy seed muffins out to you and it all paid off. I learned a LOT about baking muffins recently and now all I want to do is make more of these amazing lemon poppy seed muffins and put my knowledge into action to make more kinds of muffins. Expect more muffins, for real though.

I wanted to go big with these muffins as evidenced by me making them three times to get them right. It was very much worth every grocery trip out to buy more ingredients. It was a little exhausting and a little invigorating. I wanted to figure out what would make these muffins the best they could be.

What I learned:

Baking soda vs baking powder

Baking soda is a base and it requires an acid to activate and cause leaving in your recipe. Powder on the other hand contains a dry acid as well as a base. This means it does not require an additional acid in the recipe to make your product rise. I started with the powder but switched to the baking soda because I also have buttermilk (an acid) and brown sugar (another acid) in the recipe. Therefore the soda will be activated and in addition the brown sugar will provide additional moisture to the muffins whereas granulated sugar does not.

Buttermilk vs milk

In the beginning I was testing with milk, but then changed to buttermilk. It offers more benefits to baked goods and is also the reason I switched from baking powder to baking soda. Buttermilk is an acid so reacted with the base, baking soda to cause my muffins to rise. Buttermilk also can add a fluffiness to baked goods that can’t be overlooked. I am definitely a firm believer in buttermilk from now on. If you do not have any buttermilk on hand, just add 1 tbsp white vinegar to 1 cup milk. Allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to using in recipe.

Cold vs room temperature eggs

This one I was always reluctant to hold much value in. How much difference can this make actually? Well if you are a regular baker, enough difference. I will leave this one up to your own interpretation but room temp eggs allow the batter to mix more evenly than using cold eggs. My little trick I learned from google is to stick the cold egg in a small bowl of warm water at the beginning of whatever recipe I’m doing. It is always room temp by the time I need to use it (5 minutes is best).

There is actually more but I don’t want to go on and on forever so I will leave it at those three things for now.

Now if we could all just stop and appreciate these cute little muffins for a sec…

There’s nothing quite like a batch of GOOOD homemade muffins. The flavor of them is just unreal. The zucchini adds texture and moisture. The hint of lemon flavor in each muffin is not one to dismiss and I would be just fine starting every single day with one of these cute lil guys. They are so springy and soft and utterly delicious.

Can we all just forget about everything and sit down and enjoy a muffin right now?! Let’s do that.

Looking forward to all things spring (which does not include the snowstorm we are projected to get this weekend). But I have a feeling it may all be melted by the following afternoon along with the rain, fog, and sun that may join in on the fun as well because that’s how we roll here in Nebraska.

Hope you guys give these muffins a go because they are so wonderful. Don’t forget to share ’em with friends and family too!

If you make these lemon poppy seed muffins I would love for you to rate them below in the comments. Thank you so much for supporting 3 Scoops of Sugar!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Zucchini

Super soft and spongy lemon poppy seed muffins with zucchini will be the best way to start your day. Check out what makes these muffins the best every time!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Course Breakfast/Brunch

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk*
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
zest of 1 lemon
1 egg, at room temperature**
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 sm-med zucchini peeled and grated

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400℉. Spray 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. Add egg to small bowl of warm water to speed process of getting it to room temperature.
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with wire whisk. In a separate medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, brown sugar, oil, lemon zest, egg, and vanilla. Stir well until incorporated. Squeeze out excess water from zucchini over sink using a clean towel or just your clean hands (works just as well). Mix in zucchini.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients along with poppy seeds and stir just until incorporated. Add batter to wells of muffin tin. Fill 2/3-3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched. Let cool. Muffins can easily be removed when warm if desired using a butter knife to loosen muffin from edges of well. Enjoy!

Notes

*If you do not have buttermilk on hand, add 1 tbsp white vinegar to 1 cup of milk and allow to rest for 10 minutes and this will work in place of the buttermilk.

**Using a room temperature egg allows the batter to mix more evenly.

More Delicious Breakfast Ideas

Everyday Cinnamon French Toast

Blackberry Chia Seed Breakfast Bars

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Pecans

Healthy Zucchini Fritters

May 22, 2019 by Megan

Pan-fried zucchini fritters combined with feta cheese, onion, egg, whole grain flour, breadcrumbs, and seasonings. They are perfect at brunch or as an appetizer.

Fritters. Well, what can I say the last time I tasted fritters I was in my college cooking and nutrition class. I don’t remember them tasting that great to be honest.

I do believe my cooking skills are a bit more advanced than they were back then. I was a pro at baking chocolate chip cookies and that was about it.

These zucchini fritters are everything they should be! No they don’t taste like an apple fritter. I am more of a savory brunch gal anyway. Sweet stuff in the morning just makes my stomach turn. I’m gonna go ahead and say it…these zucchini fritters are flippin good!!

To start off you grate the zucchini. It works best if you use the large holes on a cheese grater. Then using cheesecloth (or a clean towel), wrap up the zucchini and squeeze out all of the liquid that you can.

Then combine it with the remaining ingredients until well incorporated and scoop it onto a preheated skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes per side. That.is.it.guys.

Yummy goodness that is quick and easy.

Let me just discuss something with you for a quick sec. I have really come to appreciate stepping or let’s add leaping out of my usual food choices and trying new things. I mean it’s pretty much a required thing as a food blogger but it forced me to get comfortable in the kitchen and that’s what I have always wanted…to be able to put down one heck of a meal for my family without it being stressful.

Supper doesn’t always have to be this gourmet homemade meal. It just takes some creativity with the items you have lying around in your pantry to get food on the table for your family. And the more creative you become, the better your chances are of frequently switching up those 10 staple meals we all go back to when we are in need of something quick and easy.

We loved eating these up as I was getting supper ready the other night. They have a good crunch, plenty of flavor, and bonus! they are good for you!

So give them a try and let me know whatcha think!!

Healthy Zucchini Fritters

Pan-fried zucchini fritters combined with feta cheese, onion, egg, whole grain flour, breadcrumbs, and seasonings. They are perfect at brunch or as an appetizer.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 18

Course Appetizer, Breakfast/Brunch

Servings 5

Ingredients

3 zucchini squash
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles I used Mediterranean style
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
1/4 cup white onion chopped or whatever onion you have available
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour or all-purpose
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Using a cheese grater(large holes) grate the zucchini. Squeeze out all the water you can from the zucchini using cheesecloth or a clean towel. Discard the water
Add the grated zucchini to a large bowl along with the eggs, cheese, basil, onion, cumin, and salt. Mix together until well incorporated.
Add the flour and breadcrumbs and mix in thoroughly.
Add oil to a non-stick skillet and heat over medium-low to medium heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cup onto skillet and press down with a 1 cup measuring cup to flatten. Cook 3-5 minutes and then flip and cook another 3-5 minutes. When cooking them over more medium heat, the time was close to 3 minutes per side whereas when cooking them over medium-low heat it took close to 5 minutes per side. I prefer cooking them over more medium heat to get a crisper outside.
Transfer fritters to a plate and serve warm.

Creamy Vegetable Risotto with Rosemary

September 28, 2017 by Megan

Creamy vegetable risotto is an Italian dish combining Arborio rice with asparagus, carrots, zucchini, peas, and red onion to create the cozy, fall dinner we are all hoping to sit down to.

And dun dun dun duuuun, the zucchini kick continues this week!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins 👉 BIG HIT!!

Creamy Vegetable Risotto with Rosemary…AHHHHH! So goood! However, convincing the kids to eat delicious chocolate (zucchini unspoken) muffins was much easier than trying to get them to eat this amazing risotto with like uh barely any vegetables in it at all. Either way they weren’t having it and I had a gut feeling we would see some cereal bowls in our near future and sure enough that happened.

That aside, guys and gals, this risotto totally rocked my night. And probably as much as THIS IS US did for you for the season premiere. I’m gonna be honest and say I missed it. I know. BUT, I did catch The Good Doctor and it is now on my very short list of shows I need to watch weekly. And by short list I mean that is the only show on the list right now. I will fill you in if anything else makes that list!

So, um just to make sure you know asparagus is in this recipe…here is a pretty picture of it. 🙂

Oh and a few more pretty veggies…

Gosh I really do ponder about what was going through my mind when I decided not to include all of the ingredients in this photo. Like, apparently these guys are the cream of the crop except I totally left out the star risotto. What was I thinking??

Risotto is totally the Ferrari of rice in my mind. It transforms into these creamy, pillowy dreams and it satisfies all possible dinner goals.

I mean all of ’em.

Add a few strips of baked chicken and you got yourself a MEAL!

It is so interesting how this meal ended up in this post. After the chocolate zucchini muffins were such a hit, I really wanted to keep the zucchini going this week. I began brainstorming and somehow the whole risotto idea popped up as it does every now and then. But it often gets kicked back out because it seemed so intimidating.

Well, I recently started reading Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl while waiting for my daughter at dance class on Mondays and I absolutely love it so far. I’m on page 33 I think. Well, just to be clear I started reading this after the idea of risotto popped into my mind. And just a little ways in, Ruth put in a recipe for risotto that was inspired by a dish she had at a New York restaurant! I knew that was my answer and I just had to make it! ❤️ The book is one of those can’t put down kinda books. I just wish I had more opportunities to pick it up besides the half hour on Mondays and at 11:00pm as my eyes are half closed already or half open however you want to look at it.

This is one of those recipes that just shouts to the rooftop how much you love and care for the people that you fix it for. Those perfectly trimmed asparagus ends and chopped veggies say it all when paired with fluffy risotto and rosemary. Oh! And nothing beats (well I suppose not NOTHING) a kitchen that smells of some deee-lish-shus dinner ready to bring your family and friends to the table. Totally having a Julia Childs moment right now…pardon me.

Don’t hesitate on this because of my kids’ reactions. They really could do better than Honey Nut Cheerios at 9pm. Better luck next time mommy.

Creamy Vegetable Risotto with Rosemary

Megan

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

1/2 pound asparagus about 15-20 small spears
5 cups quality chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion diced
1 medium carrot diced
2 small zucchini diced
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine or 1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup thawed frozen peas
1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese + extra for serving

Instructions

Cut off the tips of the asparagus and set aside. Of the remaining asparagus spears, cut them in half. Dice the tops and discard the bottoms. Set diced asparagus aside. Also set out the 1/2 cup frozen peas to thaw at this time.
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add the rosemary, reduce heat and just keep an eye on it and give it a couple stirs occasionally. While stock is getting to a simmer begin chopping vegetables.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a dutch oven or large pot. Add olive oil and red onion at this time and cook for about 6 minutes on medium heat or until onion is softened.
Add carrot and cook for about 5 minutes more.
Add zucchini, diced asparagus (not the tips), and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add in the rice and stir well enough until all of it is coated with the butter/oil.
Pour in the wine(or vinegar), stirring often for another 2-3 minutes.
Gradually add the simmering stock to just cover the rice. A lot of stirring begins now. Continue to stir until the stock has evaporated/been absorbed. Keep adding, stirring, evaporating for approximately 20 minutes. You should have about a cup and a half of stock left in the saucepan.
Now add the asparagus tips and peas and a bit more stock and cook for another 5 minutes and the rice will now be soft with a little bite at the center still.
Last time, add a couple small spoonfuls of stock and remove the dutch oven from the heat.
Add in the last tablespoon of butter and the cheese and mix.
Serve with additional cheese for topping and salt/pepper if needed but shouldn't even be necessary!

Notes

Recipe adapted from the book Garlic and Sapphires

Pairs great with baked chicken seasoned with salt and pepper and a little rosemary

Best Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Zucchini