Making Traeger Zucchini Bread

Traeger Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Here’s a great way to use up the garden’s abundant yield of zucchini. The bread can be tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to one month. No one will believe that you cooked it on a grill!

If you were crazy enough to plant zucchini in your garden this year, right about now it's bursting at the seams with green gourds a-plenty! Don't give them all away just yet. We have four words for you: Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. We loved the looks of this zucchini bread recipe with rich chocolate and a bright hint of orange so, per usual, we did our magic to make it Traeger-worthy.

TRAEGER'ED CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI BREAD

PREP TIME: 15 min.
COOK TIME: 45 min. to 1 hour
SERVES: 2 loaves
RECOMMENDED PELLETS: Apple or Cherry

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest

Start the Traeger on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Preheat to 325 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes with the lid closed.

Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended.

Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, chocolate chips, and orange zest.

Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Put the pans in the center of the grill grate and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Rotate the pans after 20 minutes to help the bread cook evenly. (If it starts to get too dark, put a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the bread pans.)

Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing. Top with butter and/or whipped cream for extra decadence.

Recipe for Traeger, Spicy & Sweet chicken wings

Traeger Wood pellet Grills

INGREDIENTS

• 2-1/2 pounds large chicken wings
• Use your favorite barbecue rub
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot
• 1/3 cup honey, 
• 1 Tbs of EVOO
• 1-1/2 cups blue cheese or ranch dressing
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

PREPARATION

1.With a sharp knife, cut the wings into three pieces through the joints. Discard the wing tips, or save for chicken stock. Transfer the remaining “drumettes” and “flats” to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil, and arrange them in a single layer. Season well with the Traeger Pork and Poultry Shake.

2. Make the spicy honey-garlic sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until it softens (do not let it color). Stir in the hot sauce, EVOO and honey and cook for several minutes to blend the flavors. Keep warm.

3.When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Set the temperature to 350 degrees F and preheat, lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Arrange the baking sheet with the wings on the grill grate. Cook for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink at the bone. Pour enough of the spicy honey-garlic sauce over the wings to coat them on all sides, turning with tongs. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes more to “set” the sauce. Serve with the blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Me and my Traeger Wood Pellet Grill .... This is just the beginning!!

Traeger Wood Pellet Grills are one of the most amazing culinary products I have ever come across. I have been a avid BBQ'er and meat smoking man, most of my life. I can remember as a little boy, cooking out with my dad by the pool over the summer. The most elusive item on the menu was always a brisket. It seemed like the brisket was either perfect or touch as leather, with nothing in  between. As a kid, my dad could never figure out what the mystical things where going on that changed the results from one cooking till the next. Always following directions and cook-times laid out. 

Fast forward a couple of decades, and now I am a 30 year old father of two with a wife of my own. My passion for grilling and smoking has continued on with me. I am just as passionate about grilling and smoking now as I have ever been. I am a regular Texan with 3 grills in my back yard, a charcoal grill, a propane grill, and a big long smoker with a fire box. 

I found that when we had family events I was always outside cooking on one, two or all three at the same time keeping the food assortment going. Each on of my grills had it's own thing it was well suited for. Propane, was just easy and cheap, great for burgers and dogs. Charcoal, lent me much better flavors for meaty items like steaks, but it was much more time consuming. Then, my old faithful smoker that was perfect for ribs, briskets, and the like. It just required long cook times and lots of baby sitting. I  thought that I was going to be outcast from the house for the rest of my life, chained to my smoker anytime I wanted to have great homemade BBQ. 

Then I came across, the Traeger Wood Pellet Grills. You can check them out at www.traegergrills.com for your self. They are amazing! Here is the one that I have. 

These are wood pellet grills. They use all natural wood auto-fed through an auger system. The dial on the left hand side is a thermometer control allows me to set the grill to 225* and walk away. No longer will I be tied to my smoker for hours on end while I try to create my succulent variations on ribs and brisket. The Traeger Wood Pellet Grill is amazing!! I cooked a 10 pound brisket by setting it on the grill and taking my family to the State fair of Texas for they day. All the grease fat and oil slides out through a drip pan and pours into the bucket on the right side, so the clean up is a snap. 

I am not the only one that feels thisway apparently. I found a well written article on Forbes magazine about the Traeger. You can check it out here.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/06/29/5-unique-grills-to-fire-up-your-backyard-this-summer/

I am looking forward to sharing my Traeger experience with everyone!