Contrary to my love of rich, intensely flavored and decadent sweets, I think there is room in everyone’s collection for a few great healthy recipes. This recipe for Carrot, Zucchini, and Parsnip bread caught my eye when my sister, Kelly, received True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple, Pure by Dr. Andrew Weil and Sam Fox for Christmas this year. I eyed the book and wrote down a few recipes, and after making Dr. Weil’s Chicken Farro Salad for dinner earlier in the year I was so eager to try one of his desserts. In fact, in the book this recipe was mentioned as a breakfast or snack bread and I couldn't agree more; it came out wonderfully flavored and satiated the mid-afternoon ‘hold me over until dinner’ gap.

Something that really excited and intrigued me about this recipe were the few unconventional ingredients that I had never used before. It was my first time using evaporated cane sugar and parsnips, as well as having never swapped vegetable oil for extra virgin if you can believe it. It turns out that parsnips are these wonderful cousins to carrots but have a slightly spicy flavor to them. Although not as strong as something like a radish, the grated parsnips did wonders together with the cloves to mimic a gingerbread flavor. My roommate, Molly, actually came home and said the house smelled like gingerbread, which is something I can't complain about.



If you can’t or don’t buy whole wheat flour in bulk, what I sometimes do for specific recipes, making homemade wheat biscuits that is a great use for leftover wheat flour. It’s my go to biscuit recipe and so simple to make. In fact, if I have a cup of milk in the fridge about to turn, I’ll make these biscuits and flash freeze them for weekends when I make a batch of chili or stew. After you've cut out the biscuits, you can place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and stick them in the freezer until they've frozen solid, about 30 minutes. Then just toss them in a freezer ziplock bag and bake as you need them, or when you have company, making sure to keep them in the oven just a few minutes longer if straight from the freezer. It’s a perfect way to use up wheat flour, like the gigantic Bob’s Red Mill bag I snagged, and make prepping brunch for loved ones much quicker.



The last bizarre ingredient on my list was evaporated cane sugar and I wasn't exactly sure where I could find it. I was actually in my Political Ecology of Southeast Asia class when I decided to make this recipe so on my way home I swung by the campus grocery store just to peek around and see if I could find it. Surprisingly I did find it in the regular baking aisle instead of the organic and specialty area. I know Bob’s Red Mill carries a variety, but mine was an organic brand that was labeled (Evaporated) Cane Sugar. After doing some research when I got home, it turns out that evaporated cane sugar is similar to the white granulated sugar we've all got in the pantry but it contains more of the natural minerals from the cane plant, and isn't as refined as white sugar is. The combination of using olive oil, apple butter (in my case, although you could also use pumpkin butter), and the whole wheat flour made the bread feel filling without being too sweet at all. I see why Dr. Weil would recommend this for breakfast or with coffee, which is exactly what I did and why I recommend that you all try this bread and working with some new ingredients soon.



My music mood: The Head and the Heart

Carrot, Zucchini, and Parsnip Bread
Yields 2 loaves

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 medium parsnip, shredded
1 small zucchini, shredded
3 large eggs
3/4 cup apple butter or pumpkin butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil two 8 1/2- by 4 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch loaf pans with olive oil.

In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and shredded carrot, parsnip and zucchini. Mix well. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, fruit butter, olive oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined, but don’t over mix.

Divide batter between the prepared pans and sprinkle the tops with pumpkin seeds. Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks.

Slice and serve with coffee, as we did.