Blueberry-Almond Muffins

Blueberries are at full steam ahead here right now, so it's time to take advantage.  I suppose if you really want to fully appreciate a blueberry in all its natural splendor, you should eat it raw.  But when I have blueberries I can't help but want to bake.  Today I decided to try this delicious muffin recipe, incorporating both almond and blueberry flavors in one portable little package.  Yum!

I am a fan of just about anything almond-flavored, and this muffin did not disappoint.  The sweet-tart juice of the blueberries combines beautifully with the luxurious almond extract, punctuated with the occasional crunch of a slivered almond in the mix.  It's so delicious!  And it's low in fat and sugar, too, and packed with whole grains.  I definitely won't feel guilty eating this for breakfast tomorrow!

Blueberry-Almond Muffins

adapted from Eating Well in Season

makes 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup nonfat buttermilk

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups fresh blueberries (other berries would work too)

1/2 cup chopped toasted sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray, or use silicon or paper liners.

2.  Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl

3.  Whisk eggs, buttermilk, brown sugar, butter, oil, vanilla, and almond extract in another large bowl until well combined.

4.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.  Add berries and almonds.  Stir just to combine; do not overmix.  Divide the batter among the muffin cups (an ice cream scoop works well).  

5.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Grilled Steak & Greens with Tomato Vinaigrette

This is a fun and delicious meal for a weeknight.  It's like a preview of summer dining.  I know it's not officially tomato season yet, but I got these amazing greenhouse-grown tomatoes in my CSA bag and decided to take full advantage.  You can, of course, bookmark this one for when tomatoes are properly in season!

Thanks to a grill pan, you can grill any time of year.  And there's no need to stop with just the meat - veggies can go on the grill too.  Even lettuce!  This is a fun twist on a steak salad - it's served warm (though of course the leftovers would be great cold, too) and topped with a delicious cross between vinaigrette and pico de gallo.  It's different, it's yummy, it's what's for dinner tonight.  And it's a great use of my once-a-month beef.

Grilled Steak & Greens with Tomato Vinaigrette

adapted from Eating Well in Season

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, diced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 small head of escarole or romaine, outermost leaves removed

1/2 to 3/4 pound sirloin steak, trimmed; about 1 inch thick

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat. 

2.  Combine tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon oil, parmesan, balsamic, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Stir to combine; set aside.

3.  Combine remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil with the garlic in a small bowl.  Cut the lettuce in half length-wise (keeping the root intact) and brush the cut side with the oil-garlic mixture.  Place on the grill pan and cook, turning occasionally, until char marks form and the inner leaves are softened, about 3-4 minutes.  Set aside to cool; then chop into bite-sized pieces.

4.  Oil the pan lightly if necessary.  Season the steak lightly with salt and pepper and place on the grill pan.  Cook, turning once, until desired doneness; about 10 minutes total for medium.  Remove from pan and let rest a few minutes before slicing.

5.  Serve the sliced steak over chopped lettuce, and top with the tomato vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I love tortilla soup.  I've posted before about how much I love it.   Part of what makes it so amazing is how different it is every time I have it.  For instance, this version is way spicier than I've ever had before, but it is probably also the tastiest.

This is a rich, tomato-y, deeply spicy soup that will make your nose run, but in a good way.  If you don't want it too spicy, feel free to reduce the chiles to one instead of two, but where is the fun in that?  You can also mix up the toppings if you like, but I highly recommend the avocado as it cuts the spice nicely.

The traditional topping for tortilla soup, of course, is tortilla chips - but I didn't realize I was out of corn tortillas until I started cooking.  Oops.  To be honest, I really didn't miss them!

Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

adapted from Eating Well magazine

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 dried pasilla, ancho, or New Mexico chiles

1 15-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 large clove garlic, peeled

2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

2 cups chopped spinach or chard

handful chopped fresh cilantro

salt to taste

juice of 1/2 lime (or more if you like)

1 ripe large avocado, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack (or similar) cheese

1 cup roughly broken tortilla chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  First, toast the chiles.  You can either cook them over an open flame using tongs until fragrant and starting to char, or you can cook them in a dry skillet over medium heat, pressing down on them and flipping them over every few seconds.  Set aside to cool.

2.  When chiles are cool enough to handle, remove stems and seeds.  Put in a blender with the tomatoes and their juices, and puree until smooth.  Set aside.

3.  Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven or soup pot until hot, then add onion and garlic.  Saute until golden, about 5 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the onion and garlic, and add to the blender. Puree with the chile mixture until smooth.

4.  Return pot to medium heat and pour in the puree.  Bring to a bubble and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook for 20-30 minutes.

5.  Stir in spinach and cilantro (reserve some for garnish) and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.  Season to taste with salt and lime juice.  Ladle into soup bowls and serve garnished with avocado, cheese, and chips if using, as well as remaining cilantro.

Enjoy!

Mango Dal

Lentils don't appear to be a particularly interesting food group, but India has given them a whole new life in the form of dal.  Dal takes something ordinary and makes it virtually unrecognizable.  There is a huge variety of types of dal, and I don't pretend to know even a fraction of them.  But I will say that today I tried a type I'd never had before, and I made it in my own kitchen. 

Dal, meet mango.  I understand from some rudimentary internet research that it is actually a very traditional dish, but my passion for Indian food had yet to take me here.  Put my favorite fruit into a lentil dish?  I'm there. 

This is a spicy, warm dish that you simply have to try.  Every bite is packed with unexpected flavor.  Ginger and mango naturally go together - they are soul mates.  Add in traditional Indian spices like cumin and coriander, and you're well on your way.  The fresh bite of cilantro finishes the whole thing off.  Lentils are ordinary no longer!

Note:  Don't wait for all the liquid to be absorbed - this is meant to be a slightly soupy dal.

Mango Dal

adapted from Eating Well magazine

serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup yellow or green lentils (I used green)

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

pinch cayenne pepper

1 mango, peeled and diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Rinse lentils in a colander and drain.  Combine with 2 cups of water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and turmeric in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer, cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, coriander, and cayenne, and cook for an additional minute.

3.  Add the onion mixture and the diced mango to the pot of lentils and stir to combine.  Bring back to a simmer and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until lentils are very tender and starting to fall apart.  Stir in cilantro and serve.

Enjoy!

Pan-Seared Chicken with Orange & Grapefruit Sauce

Most people think of winter as a time of year when fresh produce is severely lacking.  We mustn't forget, children, the wonderful world of citrus.   Citrus is at its peak in the winter, and there is such a fantastic variety of options.  This recipe features two of the more common citrus fruits, available at any and every farmers market this time of year - orange and grapefruit.

This is a refreshing, elegant meal with a bevy of beautiful flavors.  It might help drag you out of the winter weather funk.  We're even dealing with that here in Los Angeles.  We need something bright and beautiful for dinner to make it all okay.

So grab an orange and a grapefruit and whip up this meal.  We had ours with steamed broccolini, but anything green will do nicely to round out the plate.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Orange & Grapefruit Sauce

adapted from Eating Well in Season

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 small ruby red grapefruit

1 small navel orange

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1 tablespoon orange marmalade

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Segment the grapefruit and orange over a bowl, using a sharp knife to remove the skin and pith, then cutting out each segment carefully, leaving membrane behind.  Let the bowl catch all the juices.  Squeeze out the membrane to get all the juice into the bowl.  Strain the fruit segments to separate them from the juice.  Reserve both and set aside.

2.  Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.  Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.

3.  Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook until golden-brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Remove chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. 

4.  Add remaining teaspoon of oil to the pan.  Reduce heat slightly and add the onion.  Cook, stirring, until softened and slightly browned, about 3 minutes.  Add reserved fruit juices and wine and bring to a boil.  Boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

5.  Reduce heat to low and add marmalade, reserved fruit segments, mint/parsley and pepper to taste.  Return chicken to pan and reheat gently.  Serve the chicken topped with the fruit, onion, and juice. 

Enjoy!

Roasted Winter Vegetables over Polenta

I realize my blog is starting to look like the What-to-Serve-Over-Polenta blog.  I can't help it.  Polenta is just that good.  It's kind of like pasta - a great bed to host any delectable topping you choose to accompany it. 

I am cheating a little bit in calling these "winter" vegetables, since green beans are not really a winter vegetable.  But I wanted something green to provide some color contrast, and they are delicious little beasts.  Halved brussels sprouts would be magical in this dish.  The original recipe called for cauliflower, but I'm still having trouble getting out of the "meh" camp when it comes to cauliflower.  Forgive me. 

You can cook the polenta whatever way you like - the stovetop method is probably best here, since you have to roast the vegetables at such a high temperature that the polenta would cook too fast if you had it in the oven, too.   But experiment and see what you like. 

Here it is, then, another lovely and simple meal with lovely, versatile polenta as the base.

Roasted Winter Vegetables over Polenta

adapted from Eating Well in Season

serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cubed butternut squash

2 cups halved brussels sprouts, or green beans

1 leek, white and light green parts, chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

pinch of garlic powder

1 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1/4 cup cream or milk

1/2 cup polenta, or coarsely ground cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 475.  Toss the veggies with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl.  Lay out on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender and brown in spots.

2.  Meanwhile, combine broth and cream in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, whisk in polenta, rosemary, and a bit of freshly ground pepper.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, 10 to 15 minutes.  Stir in cheese; remove from heat. 

3.  Serve vegetables over polenta.

Enjoy!

Crunchy Pear & Celery Salad

This is a fabulous late fall salad.  It's filled with fantastic texture and flavor contrasts.  You have salty cheddar, the slightly sweet and nutty pecans, the crunchy celery and pear all on a backdrop of peppery arugula coated with a tangy-sweet dressing.  Yum.

If you're looking for a salad that is more interesting than the usual, and is easy to throw together in a pinch, look no further.

Crunchy Pear & Celery Salad

adapted from Eating Well in Season

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

pinch of salt

2 stalks celery, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 Asian pear (or other pear of choice), seeded and diced

2 cups baby arugula

1/2 cup finely diced sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together vinegar, honey and salt in the bottom of a large bowl.  Gently toss the celery and pear in the dressing to coat.  Then add arugula, cheddar, and pecans, and toss everything together.  Season with pepper.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Red Onion Tart

Tonight I took one step further into the realm of pastry crust.  This time it was a free-form tart, a galette of sorts, and one of the savory variety.  While the crust came out a little bit crumbly, the tart was in one piece and it tasted fantastic, so I think I can safely pat myself on the back.

This is a very elegant meal on its own, or with a simple green salad.  It could also work as an appetizer or side dish on Thanksgiving day, if you are looking for a last minute addition to your menu.  The flavors are mild and lovely, with just a hint of robust rosemary to liven things up a bit. 

I suppose if I'm really going to get good at the whole pastry crust thing, I need to go for the full fat, white flour and butter variety.  But these experiments with the more healthy alternative are still quite fun.  So enjoy a relatively guilt-free tart, on me.

Sweet Potato and Red Onion Tart

adapted from Eating Well Magazine

serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS:

crust

3/4 cup walnuts

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

7 tablespoons ice cold water

filling

1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 egg white, mixed with 1 teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 (unless you are making the pastry dough ahead of time, which you can feel free to do).

2.  Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground.  Add flour, rosemary, salt and pepper, and process until smooth.  Dump out into a large bowl and form a well in the center.  Pour EVOO and water into the well, then gently stir everything together, gradually combining the dry and wet ingredients, until a cohesive dough begins to form.  Knead with your hands to form into a ball, just until it comes together.  Pat into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 days.

3.  Combine sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.  Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet (but leave room for the onions).  Toss onion in the bowl with 1 teaspoon oil.  Spread evenly on remaining space of the baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375.

4.  Line a work surface with parchment paper.  Lightly dust with flour, and then lightly dust the disk of dough with flour.  Roll out to a rustic 15-inch circle, adding more flour if necessary to prevent sticking.  Transfer to a baking sheet with parchment in place.

5.  Leaving a 2 inch border, sprinkle cheese over the dough.  Maintaining the 2 inch border, create an overlapping circle of the larger slices of sweet potato around the perimeter.  Follow with another circle of onion, and finally fill in the center with overlapping sweet potato.  It will look sort of like a bulls-eye. 

6.  Pick up edges of crust with a spatula and fold over, covering the edges of the sweet potato slices.  Dough may be crumbly, so be patient and smoosh it with your fingers as necessary.  Brush the crust with the egg wash.  Drizzle veggies with remaining teaspoon of oil.

7.  Bake until lightly browned on the edges, about 50 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

A few more steps than my typical recipe, but well worth it!  Enjoy.

Broccoli & Cannellini Bean Soup

I had a bit of a forced hiatus the past few days, thanks to a particularly unpleasant (but thankfully finished) bout of stomach flu. I tell you, the hardest part after the first day or so was not being able to cook and eat real food. Today is the first day I've ventured outside the realm of saltines, bananas, applesauce, and clear chicken broth. Hallelujah.

I didn't want to dive in too fast, though, so I chose this nutrient-packed, soothing soup that is mostly pure broccoli and cannellini beans, with some liquid and scant seasonings to make it into a soup, plus good old sharp cheddar to make it a bit more fun. This soup almost gives off the illusion of being cream-based, but it's all thanks to the magic of the cannellini bean, which works wonders when pureed.

This is definitely good-for-you food, so put this in the "recovery" file.

Broccoli & Cannellini Bean Soup
adapted from Eating Well in Season
serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cups water
1 small head broccoli, trimmed and chopped (about 4 cups)
1 14-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring broth and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add broccoli and cover, reducing heat to medium-high. Cook until broccoli is tender, about 8 minutes.

2. Stir in beans, salt and pepper, and cook until beans are warmed through, about one minute.

3. Puree in batches, adding part of the shredded cheese to each batch. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Southern Kale

Last night I made a hearty, well-balanced meal that made everyone (well, all two of us) very happy. The "test" recipe was one of the side dishes - southern kale. I have been getting a lot of kale from my CSA, and while I love that hardy, leafy green, I've had a harder time selling it on my husband. When I found this recipe, I thought it might be the ticket - after all, add bacon (or pancetta) to something, and it suddenly gets a bit more palatable.

Well the side dish was nice, but I'm afraid it was overshadowed by the grilled chicken and leftover corn pudding. Still, this is a way of cooking kale that might be a bit more pleasing to the masses. You cook the kale to the point where it is so tender and moist, it is almost the texture of spinach rather than its own more robust texture. And the flavor of the garlic and pancetta permeates throughout and makes for a rather bold leafy green side dish.

Don't be tempted to substitute bacon - it will make the dish far too smoky. If you don't want to do pancetta, prosciutto or country ham would work well too.

Southern Kale
adapted from Eating Well in Season
serves 2-3 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 oz. diced pancetta
1 bunch of kale, tough stems removed, leaves torn
1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add garlic and stir. Immediately add the pancetta and stir. After about 30 seconds, begin adding the kale in handfuls, stirring to make room for all of it. Add the water and cover the skillet.

2. Cook with the cover on (lifting it to stir occasionally) for 10 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the visible liquid has evaporated, about 10 additional minutes. Serve.

Enjoy!

Summer Gnocchi

Have I told you lately how much I love gnocchi? So tasty, so versatile. Perfect year-round as a background or foreground ingredient. Here it serves as the host for beautiful summer sweet corn, fresh tomato, onion, parsley, and a delicate brown butter sauce. Easy and fabulous.

This recipe was inspired by one in the new Eating Well in Season cookbook, but I changed quite a bit about it. It would work with almost any summer vegetable, but I think corn takes this recipe to new heights. The original recipe used zucchini, and I'm sure that would be fantastic as well. Feel free to use anything you have on hand, so long as it is fresh and in its peak season!

Summer Gnocchi
adapted from Eating Well in Season
serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. package of fresh or frozen gnocchi (preferably wheat)
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot or 1/2 onion, chopped
kernels from 2 ears of fresh sweet corn
1 large tomato, chopped
salt and pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi according to package directions, until the gnocchi float. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, cook the butter over medium-high in a large skillet until it begins to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add onion and corn, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

3. Add tomato, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in parsley and drained gnocchi, tossing to combine everything. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Grilled Steak with Fresh Corn Salad

Occasionally I stumble upon a recipe that I just know will be a home run with my husband. This is one of those recipes. What's not to like? It's the definitive summer meal - grilled steak alongside a salad filled with fresh summer produce, including grilled sweet corn. I believe the reaction you're having is something along the lines of 'Yum.'

The steak is really a no-brainer, brushed with a simple garlic marinade. The veggies don't need a lot of help if you get good ones. The bell pepper and corn came from my CSA bag, the cucumber from the farmers market, and the tomato from a friend's garden. It doesn't get any better than that.

Except to throw in the usual mention that yes, it's healthy!

Grilled Steak with Fresh Corn Salad
adapted from Eating Well magazine
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
salt
2 small New York strip (or similar) steaks, trimmed
2 ears corn, husked
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat grill or grill-pan to high.

2. Combine garlic, 1 teaspoon oil and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Brush the mixture on both sides of the steaks. Place steaks and corn on the grill. Grill steaks 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium (or to desired doneness). Let them rest while the corn finishes cooking. Grill the corn, turning to cook all sides, until some kernels are slightly charred, about 6 minutes total. Let stand until cool enough to handle.

3. Remove corn kernels from the cobs using a sharp knife. Combine with tomato, bell pepper, and cucumber in a medium bowl. Stir in vinegar, remaining teaspoon of oil, and a pinch of salt. Slice steaks and serve with the salad.

Enjoy!

A Tale of Two Muffins

We had a brunch party at our home today for mother's day (a day early). I made two types of muffins, and each was delicious in its own special way. Both are fairly healthy, as muffins go. And both involve beautiful fruit combinations that are perfect for spring.

My personal preference was for the banana-blueberry, which was incredibly flavorful and delicious, like blueberry-studded banana bread in a portable format. Completely gorgeous. But the strawberry-orange was nothing to ignore, with its slightly salty almond topping and the incredible moistness from the strawberries.

In short, both recipes are worth a try and therefore we have, for the first time, a twofer.

Muffin the First:

Banana-Blueberry Muffins
adapted from Everyday Food Magazine
makes 12+

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp (I used Smart Balance)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. In a bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, baking soda and salt.

2. In a standing mixer with the paddle blade attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric mixer), beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas and stir in milk and vanilla.

3. With mixer on low, alternate adding flour mixture and banana mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined, and gently stir in blueberries.

4. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick passes the doneness test, about 28 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then cool on a rack.

Muffin the Second:

Strawberry-Orange Muffins
adapted from Eating Well Magazine
makes 12

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons dry roasted unsalted almonds
2 tablespoons plus 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup skim buttermilk
1/4 cup orange juice
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. In a food processor, process almonds, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon orange zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and stir to combine.

3. Whisk the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons orange zest and 1/4 cup oil in a medium bowl with buttermilk, orange juice, egg and vanilla until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Stir in strawberries.

4. Divide batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the almond topping, gently pressing into the batter. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick passes the test, about 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack.

Go ahead and have a muffin party, it's fun! And these are some different twists on your typical muffin. Enjoy!

Savory Carrot-Thyme Tart

This tart is an excellent spring meal, whether for brunch, lunch, or dinner. It helped me to kill two birds with one stone - make use of the gorgeous carrots I got at the farmers market, and take another leap toward making a real pie crust from scratch. I'm starting to think it's not so difficult after all, as the crust for this recipe came together very easily. And it's even fairly healthy, too!

I think the recipe speaks for itself, but I'll just mention this would be delicious with any herb of your choice, just about, so long as it complements carrots nicely. The original recipe called for tarragon, but I had a stash of fresh thyme just waiting to be used. Rosemary would also be excellent. Whichever herb you use, serve this alongside a simple salad and you have a delicious meal. It's a bit of a labor of love for a weeknight meal, but it was quite enjoyable. Almost as enjoyable as eating it.

Savory Carrot-Thyme Tart
adapted from Eating Well Magazine
serves 6-8








INGREDIENTS:

The Crust
1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup low fat plain yogurt

The Filling
2 tablespoons EVOO
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 4 medium-large carrots)
2 tablespoons dry sherry, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated sharp white cheddar
1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
pinch salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9-inch tart pan with cooking spray and place it on a cookie sheet. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse flour, thyme, and salt for crust. Add butter one piece at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Add 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup yogurt and pulse just until dough starts to come together. Transfer the dough to the prepared tart pan (it will be crumbly), and spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust.

3. Bake crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4. Prepare the filling: heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until onions are softened. Stir in carrots and 1 tablespoon sherry and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Spread mustard over the crust. Sprinkle with cheddar, then top with the carrot and onion mixture.

6. In a medium bowl, whisk 1/2 cup yogurt, milk, eggs, thyme, remaining 1 tablespoon sherry, pinch of salt and pepper. Pour into the tart pan, evenly covering the carrot and onion mixture. Bake 45 minutes, or until filling is firm and edges are golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before slicing.

I am very proud that my first flour-based pie crust came out so well - and the filling is delicious too! This is a dangerous discovery...

Enjoy!

Blueberry Crumble

Another great thing about shopping at the farmers market is that you find yourself looking for interesting ways to use your produce. You don't dare let it sit and fester, as you are absolutely dying to use it. At least that's what I've found.

I bought two pints of beautiful blueberries this past weekend, and knew I wanted to use them in some delicious and healthy dessert. That's right, a healthy dessert. I wasn't going to make muffins or coffee cake, although believe me, it was tempting as I browsed through my recipes. Luckily I found this recipe for Blueberry Crumble that I clipped from an issue of Eating Well magazine (great magazine, by the way) several years ago. It spoke to me.

There are only a few ingredients in this recipe, and none of them are animal-based, so feel free to serve it to your vegan friends. Also feel free to substitute any other fruit (but if it's bigger than a blueberry, I'd recommend chopping it into bite-sized pieces). I actually made extra crumble topping for later, and I'm mentally making plans for it already.

Blueberry Crumble
adapted from Eating Well magazine
serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

For Filling:
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or other fruit)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

For Topping:
3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup pecans, almonds, or walnuts (or a combination), chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons whole-wheat flour
scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons canola oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. In a medium bowl, toss fruit with sugar, flour and orange juice. Pour into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish and distribute evenly.

3. In another bowl, combine oats, nuts, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon and stir until well blended. Drizzle oil over the dry ingredients and stir until evenly moistened.

4. Top the fruit mixture with the dry topping, distributing evenly. Bake until the top is browned and filling is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

This dessert is just dying to be served a la mode...but I suppose that might spoil the healthiness. I can vouch for it as being fantastically delicious on its own. Either way, enjoy!

Roasted Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Here is a gourmet salad if ever there was one. It's perfect for winter, hosting seasonal ingredients that are easy to find at the farmers market or your local supermarket right now. It's healthy. And it's incredibly tasty. What more could you ask for?

I'll tell you what you could ask for. Roasted fruit. Pears, to be specific. Who ever said salad had to be cold? A bed of beautifully peppery arugula and mixed baby lettuces, tossed in a spicy pomegranate dressing, is oh-so-welcoming to that warm-from-the-oven pear. If you know what's good for you, you'll make this as soon as possible. I made it tonight for my husband and mother-in-law, and we were all very pleased! I was particularly pleased to see the empty plates at the end of it.

If you're not familiar with agave syrup, you can find it in most natural foods stores and even some supermarkets. It comes from the same plant tequila comes from, and is an all-natural sweetener that is great to have around. It's a lot like honey, but honey would be too sweet and thick for this recipe.

Roasted Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Adapted from Eating Well Magazine
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:











3 small ripe but firm pears (I used D'Anjou)
2 teaspoons agave syrup
3 tablespoons unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 1/2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons EVOO
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1 tablespoon minced shallot
pinch of sea salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon of adobo sauce (from chipotles in adobo), OR pinch ground chipotle chile
pinch of ground cloves
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup mixed baby lettuces

DIRECTIONS:

1. The pears: Preheat oven to 350. Slice the base off each pear to make it stand upright. Remove cores from the base if desired. Place pears on a baking sheet and brush them with agave syrup. Roast until browned and tender, 30 to 45 minutes. (Mine took about 40). Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

2. The dressing: Combine pomegranate juice, vinegar, EVOO, brown sugar, orange zest, shallot, salt, pepper, adobo and cloves in a glass jar or other seal-able receptacle and shake vigorously to combine and emulsify. Alternatively, puree in a blender.

3. The assembly: Toss arugula and lettuce with the dressing in a large bowl and divide among three plates. Top each bed of greens with a pear and serve.

I can't speak highly enough of this dish. I truly believe that a great salad involves skill that most people don't appreciate. Give this one a go and you'll feel pretty damn proud.