I love muffins. They're easy to whip up, easy to play with different flavors, and it's easy for even the littlest of helpers to "help" (as long as you don't mind losing some of your dry ingredients...I have to remind myself to relax when this happens). Today I was thinking that it was high time for me to whip up a batch, but I was out of my "usual suspects" ingredients like overripe banana and pumpkin puree. Something with applesauce perhaps? A plain old muffin? What to do? Then I checked Facebook and a friend of mine posted a link to her blog and the muffins I never knew that I wanted. It's a nice-looking blog with some great recipes, so check it out when you've got a chance.
Here is a link to her original post:
http://perkinsgoodeats.blogspot.com/2009/09/whole-wheat-apple-muffins.html?spref=fb
And here is my version of the recipe because it would be highly out of character for me to follow a recipe precisely.
Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour (the original recipe calls for all-purpose, but oat adds a lovely flavor)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (use regular whole wheat flour if you don't have pastry, I did)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup ground flax meal (optional)
Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk (1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make a cup)
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 unsweetened apple sauce
2 egg whites or 1 whole egg
2 tbsp canola oil
Add-ins:
1 cup finely chopped and peeled apple
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, and mix the wet ingredients in another. Pour wet into dry and and fold in gently, just until evenly moistened. Don't over mix. Add 1 cup finely chopped and peeled apple and sliced almonds and fold in. Pour into 12 regular sized muffin tins that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Put on wire rack to cool.
Rosemary
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Salmon, Dill and Cheddar Frittata
This is probably one of my favorite things that I've cooked lately. The flavor combination of the salmon, dill and cheddar in this frittata made me extra happy.
It all started when I roasted a salmon fillet with lemons, olive oil, salt and pepper for dinner last night. Trouble was, it was too frozen and didn't finish in time for dinner. Then I overcooked it. But at the end of it, I had some lovely lemony salmon ready to flake up and use in a multitude of other applications, like this frittata.
Now, for some background here, let's define a frittata. It's kind of like an omelet, crustless quiche or Spanish tortilla. Like a quiche, it is a great way to use up leftovers and eggs. But I think it's even better because you don't have all the work (or added saturated fat and calories) of a pie crust. You have a nice egg base, usually some kind of cooked protein item (ham, chicken, fish), cooked veggies (leftovers are lovely), starch (leftover pasta, rice, potatoes...), and some cheese to top it off (I've used cheddar, ricotta, parmesan, etc alone and in combinations). Throw in seasonings of your choice, bake it (or cook it stove top until the bottom is set and then finish it under a broiler), and you've got your meal!
The only problem with this particular frittata was that I forgot my starch. So even though it was cooked, it was a bit liquidy. What can I say? I forgot. But, flawed or not, here's an approximate recipe, just to give you an idea of what you can do with a frittata. But I don't usually measure, so take it all with a grain of salt.
Salmon, Dill and Cheddar Frittata
6 eggs (feel free to substitute all or part of this with egg whites according to your taste and needs)
1/3 to 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/3 cup or so milk
salt and pepper
1 tsp or so dried dill weed (fresh would be grand, just use a bit more)
Whisk together all of these ingredients for your egg base and set aside.
8 oz cooked salmon, flaked (again, mine was roasted with lemons, which added to the flavor a lot. If you're using canned or unseasoned, throw in some lemon juice or squeeze lemon juice on to your frittata after you plate it)
1-2 cups diced roasted zucchini
1 roasted red pepper, diced
I forgot to add a starch, but you should probably add at least a cup of one, just make sure the total filling doesn't make you overflow your pan.
Toss all of these together and throw in the bottom of an oven-safe 10" skillet that you've sprayed with cooking spray. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or so until a knife comes out of the center clean.
1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Top with cheese during the last 5 minutes or so of cooking or put it on at the end of cooking and just let it melt.
Rosemary
It all started when I roasted a salmon fillet with lemons, olive oil, salt and pepper for dinner last night. Trouble was, it was too frozen and didn't finish in time for dinner. Then I overcooked it. But at the end of it, I had some lovely lemony salmon ready to flake up and use in a multitude of other applications, like this frittata.
Now, for some background here, let's define a frittata. It's kind of like an omelet, crustless quiche or Spanish tortilla. Like a quiche, it is a great way to use up leftovers and eggs. But I think it's even better because you don't have all the work (or added saturated fat and calories) of a pie crust. You have a nice egg base, usually some kind of cooked protein item (ham, chicken, fish), cooked veggies (leftovers are lovely), starch (leftover pasta, rice, potatoes...), and some cheese to top it off (I've used cheddar, ricotta, parmesan, etc alone and in combinations). Throw in seasonings of your choice, bake it (or cook it stove top until the bottom is set and then finish it under a broiler), and you've got your meal!
The only problem with this particular frittata was that I forgot my starch. So even though it was cooked, it was a bit liquidy. What can I say? I forgot. But, flawed or not, here's an approximate recipe, just to give you an idea of what you can do with a frittata. But I don't usually measure, so take it all with a grain of salt.
Salmon, Dill and Cheddar Frittata
6 eggs (feel free to substitute all or part of this with egg whites according to your taste and needs)
1/3 to 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/3 cup or so milk
salt and pepper
1 tsp or so dried dill weed (fresh would be grand, just use a bit more)
Whisk together all of these ingredients for your egg base and set aside.
8 oz cooked salmon, flaked (again, mine was roasted with lemons, which added to the flavor a lot. If you're using canned or unseasoned, throw in some lemon juice or squeeze lemon juice on to your frittata after you plate it)
1-2 cups diced roasted zucchini
1 roasted red pepper, diced
I forgot to add a starch, but you should probably add at least a cup of one, just make sure the total filling doesn't make you overflow your pan.
Toss all of these together and throw in the bottom of an oven-safe 10" skillet that you've sprayed with cooking spray. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or so until a knife comes out of the center clean.
1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Top with cheese during the last 5 minutes or so of cooking or put it on at the end of cooking and just let it melt.
Rosemary
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Cream of asparagus soup
We've started getting our new CSA already and while I'm still scouting for more beet recipes and our dehydrator has already had some mushrooms go through it, I dusted off this recipe I found a couple of years ago for the first asparagus we got last week.
1 lb asparagus (ends trimmed off, cut into about 1 inch pieces)
chicken broth/stock
green onions (optional)
butter
flour
milk
salt and pepper
Cook the asparagus and some of the sliced green onions in about a cup or so of chicken stock - just let it simmer away in a skillet. Make a white sauce with the butter, flour and milk by melting the butter then stirring in the flour to make a roux, then thinning it with milk and then toss in another cup or so of chicken stock. When the asparagus is soft (7 minutes or so), let it cool for just a second and then toss it in a food processor or blender . Then add the pureed asparagus and broth into the white sauce and let it simmer until you're ready to serve. Salt and pepper to taste.
Ways to change it up: add in some fresh chives at the end, reserve some of the cooked tips to add texture, use pureed white beans instead of white sauce to make it healthier, and/or serve it in a bread bowl.
-Thyme
1 lb asparagus (ends trimmed off, cut into about 1 inch pieces)
chicken broth/stock
green onions (optional)
butter
flour
milk
salt and pepper
Cook the asparagus and some of the sliced green onions in about a cup or so of chicken stock - just let it simmer away in a skillet. Make a white sauce with the butter, flour and milk by melting the butter then stirring in the flour to make a roux, then thinning it with milk and then toss in another cup or so of chicken stock. When the asparagus is soft (7 minutes or so), let it cool for just a second and then toss it in a food processor or blender . Then add the pureed asparagus and broth into the white sauce and let it simmer until you're ready to serve. Salt and pepper to taste.
Ways to change it up: add in some fresh chives at the end, reserve some of the cooked tips to add texture, use pureed white beans instead of white sauce to make it healthier, and/or serve it in a bread bowl.
-Thyme
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Orange-scented stir-fry
I had to get creative to make a decent dinner in a hurry last night, so I made up a new stir-fry sauce. I liked it pretty well and will attempt to tell you what went into it.
Orange-Scented Stir-Fry
2 medium oranges
1/3 cup soy sauce (I used lite soy sauce which is lower in sodium)
1/4 tsp or so ground ginger
1 clove garlic minced or mashed (not sure how essential this one is, but it didn't detract)
crushed red pepper to whatever level of spiciness you like
1/4 cup or so water
1-2 tbsp corn starch
1 lb your choice of meat or 14 oz. tofu
5-6 cups sliced vegetables of your choice
canola or vegetable oil as needed
cooked rice
Remove zest from 1/2 to all of one of the oranges into a bowl large enough to accommodate your meat (don't skip the zest! It gave it the signature orange flavor that you're looking for that you can't get from juice alone). Juice both oranges into the same bowl and add soy sauce, ginger, garlic, crushed red pepper, and water, stirring to combine. Place sliced meat in the newly-formed marinade for half an hour or more in the refrigerator.
Stir-fry vegetables, remove from pan/wok and set aside. Remove meat from marinade with a slotted spoon and stir-fry it. After meat is cooked, return vegetables to the wok. Stir corn starch into the remaining marinade and then pour it into the wok as well. Allow everything to cook together for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens up and all remaining salmonella or e. coli is dead. Serve atop rice.
Not bad for a first try at this. The amount of soy sauce is something of a guess since I added more than that and thought it was too much. I'll definitely try this one again though.
Rosemary
Orange-Scented Stir-Fry
2 medium oranges
1/3 cup soy sauce (I used lite soy sauce which is lower in sodium)
1/4 tsp or so ground ginger
1 clove garlic minced or mashed (not sure how essential this one is, but it didn't detract)
crushed red pepper to whatever level of spiciness you like
1/4 cup or so water
1-2 tbsp corn starch
1 lb your choice of meat or 14 oz. tofu
5-6 cups sliced vegetables of your choice
canola or vegetable oil as needed
cooked rice
Remove zest from 1/2 to all of one of the oranges into a bowl large enough to accommodate your meat (don't skip the zest! It gave it the signature orange flavor that you're looking for that you can't get from juice alone). Juice both oranges into the same bowl and add soy sauce, ginger, garlic, crushed red pepper, and water, stirring to combine. Place sliced meat in the newly-formed marinade for half an hour or more in the refrigerator.
Stir-fry vegetables, remove from pan/wok and set aside. Remove meat from marinade with a slotted spoon and stir-fry it. After meat is cooked, return vegetables to the wok. Stir corn starch into the remaining marinade and then pour it into the wok as well. Allow everything to cook together for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens up and all remaining salmonella or e. coli is dead. Serve atop rice.
Not bad for a first try at this. The amount of soy sauce is something of a guess since I added more than that and thought it was too much. I'll definitely try this one again though.
Rosemary
Monday, January 24, 2011
Honey Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies
I have a cookie obsession. I admit it openly and honestly...having thus admitted that, I feel the need to insert that I have begun trying to take a more healthy/wholesome spin on my cookie making. One very positive outcome of these attempts was the discovery of this cookie recipe, which was so soft and chewy I loved it as a cookie, but included so many healthy ingredients I justified it as being nearly a granola bar. In short; tasty. Unfortunately I don't remember where I found this recipe so I cannot give full credit where it is due, I am sorry! I think it was out of a Taste of Home cookbook? Perhaps?
Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Cookies
1 c butter (softened)
1/2 c molasses
1 1/2 c honey**
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp. milk
2 c whole wheat flower
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 c oats (the recipe notes that it is best with "old fashioned" oats...I used quick
oats and it turned out fine)
Whip the butter with the honey and molasses. Add eggs and mix well. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients. Bake for 10-13 minutes at 350.
**If you are using regular honey (vs granulated honey) let the dough stand for 2 hours before baking.
Fun additions: I tried 3 different variations of these cookies and liked all of them! I'll go through them now.
The recipe recommends 2 cups of chocolate chips, and it was good, but not my favorite. I really liked taking some of those wrapped caramels you get at the store and chopping them up and throwing it in with some chopped almonds, and in some of them I put white chocolate chips and in some of them I put regular chocolate chips and in some I only did the caramel and almonds. I think the ones with just caramel and almonds were my favorite. So go crazy! Have fun! Throw in some other things you think will be tasty.
So have your cookie and eat it too!
-Cayenne
Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Cookies
1 c butter (softened)
1/2 c molasses
1 1/2 c honey**
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp. milk
2 c whole wheat flower
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 c oats (the recipe notes that it is best with "old fashioned" oats...I used quick
oats and it turned out fine)
Whip the butter with the honey and molasses. Add eggs and mix well. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients. Bake for 10-13 minutes at 350.
**If you are using regular honey (vs granulated honey) let the dough stand for 2 hours before baking.
Fun additions: I tried 3 different variations of these cookies and liked all of them! I'll go through them now.
The recipe recommends 2 cups of chocolate chips, and it was good, but not my favorite. I really liked taking some of those wrapped caramels you get at the store and chopping them up and throwing it in with some chopped almonds, and in some of them I put white chocolate chips and in some of them I put regular chocolate chips and in some I only did the caramel and almonds. I think the ones with just caramel and almonds were my favorite. So go crazy! Have fun! Throw in some other things you think will be tasty.
So have your cookie and eat it too!
-Cayenne
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Merry Christmas with Pomegranates on Top
Well, we hope everybody had a great Christmas. We sure did! Here's a picture of the carnage.
Pomegranate Apple Salad
One new dish that we tried out was a lovely fruit salad (even if the pictures don't look so lovely, it tasted lovely). Cayenne found the recipe in the grocery store. We varied it slightly and this is our take on the recipe. Please note, the pictures don't do it justice.
Pomegranate Apple Salad
2 pomegranates seeds only (we had about 4 small pomegranates)
1 cup dried cherries
1 1/2 cups chopped roasted almonds
4 small apples cored and chopped
6 oz vanilla yogurt (about 3/4 cups)
1-2 tsp vanilla
1-2 cups cool whip
Mix the yogurt, vanilla and cool whip together. (Next time I'm going to try straight yogurt, but we didn't have enough to do that this time around.)
Mix together everything else. Fold in cool whip and yogurt mixture. Chill until service.
The original recipe called for raisins (ours were too hard and the cherries went very well with the salad), pecans, and instead of yogurt and cool whip it called for whipping cream, sugar and vanilla.
Rosemary
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Chocolate Mint Cookies
Ok, so my last few recipe posts have been experimental and unfortunately have kinda been flops. I am feeling rather apologetic for having posted them since this is a blog that I am sure you have come to rely on for well-tested, quality, delicious recipes...so this recipe is my forgiveness plea. I'm pretty confident it will do the trick because it is quite possibly one of my favorite cookie recipes ever. I first tried these cookies when a dear girl brought them to church, and I have been in love ever since (I can't quite decide if I'm more in love with the cookies or with her for sharing the recipe). So here it is:
3/4 c butter
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
36 Andes mints (I am certain you could substitute some other form of chocolately mint)
In a large pan over low heat, mix butter, sugar, and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted , remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes.
At high speed, beat in eggs (one at a time if you want to do it exactly like the instructions say). Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients. Chill dough roughly one hour.
Roll dough into balls and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. While the cookies are baking, start unwrapping those mints. When cookies are brought out of the oven place a mint on top of each cookie. Let melt for no more then 5 minutes and then spread it out. Eat and enjoy!
*NOTE: I tried to put peanut butter chips on top of a couple of my cookies with the last batch I made to see how tasty that was and although they weren't as spreadable it still tasted pretty good. So, feel free to play with the type of melted top you like if you aren't partial to mint (which is still my favorite for on top).
-Cayenne
3/4 c butter
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
36 Andes mints (I am certain you could substitute some other form of chocolately mint)
In a large pan over low heat, mix butter, sugar, and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted , remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes.
At high speed, beat in eggs (one at a time if you want to do it exactly like the instructions say). Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients. Chill dough roughly one hour.
Roll dough into balls and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. While the cookies are baking, start unwrapping those mints. When cookies are brought out of the oven place a mint on top of each cookie. Let melt for no more then 5 minutes and then spread it out. Eat and enjoy!
*NOTE: I tried to put peanut butter chips on top of a couple of my cookies with the last batch I made to see how tasty that was and although they weren't as spreadable it still tasted pretty good. So, feel free to play with the type of melted top you like if you aren't partial to mint (which is still my favorite for on top).
-Cayenne
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