lemon blueberry yogurt quickbread

There are 3 things that you will always find in my kitchen; lemons, blueberries, and Greek yogurt. Together they create such a harmonious combination. Separately, they are pantry staples that work in so many other dishes/beverages. Emphasis on beverages... hint, hint ;) This quickbread came out really delicious, so without question I'm sharing it with all of you. But I have to be honest, I feel like I am just eating way too many carbs lately. And not the good kind either. Realizing this, and feeling bad for my nutrient-deprived body, I've been recipe planning for hours to come up with more wholesome dishes that stretch to all courses. I'm really excited for it because, as bad as this sounds, I can't really remember the last time I made a well-rounded dinner. And for some reason, I'm on this grilling kick where everything I think of is, or has to do with, being grilled. Which would be totally fantastic, except for the fact that I don't own a grill. Crazy, right? My 'when-I-want-to-do-something, I-find-a-way-to-do-it' self is really considering buying a cheap one this weekend so I can get to grillin'. I mean, what is summer without some protein and vegetables thrown on the grill? And not to mention, it'd be a great way to officially kick off summer.

This post was supposed to be about quickbread, and somehow I ended up talking about my recent obsession with wanting to grill. Clearly, my excitement easily gets the best of me!

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Quickbread

Flavors of lemon and blueberry pair with the creaminess of yogurt to create a quickbread suitable for any breakfast. It's simple to prepare, the only downside is the bake time! Keep in mind that this isn't a cake, and the texture is, as the name showcases, more bread-like rather than cake-like. Top it off with a lemon glaze for that extra zing if you please :)

 Yield: 1 loaf

adapted from Ina Garten & Kelsey Nixon

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of plain low fat Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups of blueberries, frozen or fresh
• the zest of 2 lemons
• the juice of 1 lemon

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix together well. In another mixing bowl, add eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, vegetable oil, and yogurt, and whisk until just combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Your batter will be very thick and sticky. Fold in blueberries and lemon juice.

Add the batter to your loaf pan and try to smooth out the top of the batter for even cooking. Bake for 55-60 minutes.

When the bread is done, let it cool for 10 minutes before adding the glaze if you choose to do so. (Transferring the loaf to a wire rack before drizzling with the glaze will allow it to run down the sides of the bread.)

To make the glaze, whisk together confectioners sugar and lemon juice until glossy and smooth. Drizzle over loaf and enjoy :)

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There are some very ripe bananas hanging on their hook, and if I listen closely I swear I hear them chanting "banana bread." I rambled on earlier about cutting back on carbs,  but an ingredient list, directions, and 4 photos later, I'm already considering making another quickbread. Why do I do things like this?