Chocolate Zucchini Pancakes with Quinoa Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Avocado

Chocolate zucchini bread is a favorite of many, but I just don't feel like baking a whole loaf and it's getting hot so I don't want to heat up the house too much. So I thought why not pancakes, instead of a loaf? It would still be healthy and tasty and a great way to vegetables into my daughter. I also came up with a quinoa salad to serve with it because I felt like the meal needed some protein, but I didn't want to thaw some meat. If I can help it, I try to make a few vegetarian meals each week. I find it's a great way to stretch the food budget and make sure we get the right number of vegetables and fruits into our diet. Plus they are great to make for a picnic or a meal on the go, you don't have to worry about meat or dairy spoiling. Here is my blog on normal Zucchini Pancakes.

Chocolate Zucchini Pancakes
Doubled pancake recipe from Pamela's Baking Mix (any pancake mix will do, you need 2 cups of mix)
1 medium zucchini shredded and drained
3 Tbs coco powder

Mix together the pancake mix, but leave out the water or milk till the very end. Add the shredded zucchinis, coco powder, and mix together. Slowly add in the water as you mix the batter. Depending on the moisture from your zucchinis, may need to change the amount of water you use, even after letting your zucchinis drain. Once the batter reaches the consistency of a regular pancake mix, you can go ahead a make your pancakes on a griddle over medium heat. Makes 4-5 servings. 


Quinoa Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Avocado
2 cups quinoa cooked and cooled
1/2 large white onion sliced 1/4 inch thick  
1 pepper sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 avocado cubed 
3-4 Tbs olive oil
2-3 Tbs lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste


Grill onions and peppers, keep the onions together if you can. Grill on each side for a few minutes until a nice chard color appears. Remove from heat and rough chop the onions and peppers, and add to the quinoa. Add the avocado to the quinoa too and toss the salad together. Drizzle on the oil and lemon juice, taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Makes 6-8 servings.