Zucchini Bread

The other day I bought two zucchinis but only ended up using one in my recipe, so I was left wondering what to do with the remaining one.  I thought of the amazing zucchini bread I've had here and there throughout my life, and set out to find a good recipe.  This one is moist, tender, hearty, and delicious.  It tastes like a sweet but has a lot of good stuff in there too, and the addition of the applesauce boosts the flavor and vitamins while cutting the fat.  Give it a try!

Zucchini Bread
Recipe by Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (pastry flour is best, but regular will work)
3/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/3 cup natural unsweetened applesauce** (see note below)
2 large eggs
1 small zucchini, coarsely grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.  In another bowl, combine oil, applesauce, and eggs until well mixed.  Stir in zucchini, then add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until evenly moistened.  Stir in walnuts, if using.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on wire rack.
Makes 1 loaf.

**It might be difficult to find natural unsweetened applesauce, but it is very easy to make your own.  Simply take 2 medium-sized apples, any variety you like, peel them and cut them into 1" pieces.  Place them in a small pot with a tablespoon of water, cover them, and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are very tender.  Keep an eye on them while cooking, and if they seem to be drying out add another tablespoon of water whenever they need it.  Remove from heat and puree in a blender or food processor.