Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Our breakfasts are pretty routine and simple, most days are yogurt, fruit and granola, or occasionally oatmeal.  Once in while we have waffles, although lately they seem to be a good dinner option.  And on Sunday's we usually have muffins, alternating though a few standards like banana, pumpkin, or cranberry.  A couple of weeks ago, I decided we needed something different.  Something a bit more decadent.  Since my lemon tree is back to bearing some great (and huge) fruit after a lean year, I thought Lemon Poppy Seed.  

Freakishly Large Lemons

And not the nasty lemon poppy seed muffins that are sticky, overly sweet and pre-wrapped at free hotel breakfasts (if we can remember back to those days), but bright and balanced.  And enough poppy seeds to make passing a drug test a concern.  So I googled recipes .. many were clearly lacking enough lemon and/or poppy seeds, or were more like a cake, needing to cream butter and sugar.   Then I stumbled on one from Sally's Baking Addiction that seemed close.. but it was Orange Lemon (and will someday try it when I have oranges around too).  So I made a few modifications in part to make if more like how I make all my muffins (I do this before coffee, so it needs to be something I can practically do in my sleep).  And it came out good.. very good. 

Wet Ingredients

Yes, the lemons are big

Dry Ingredients

Add dry to the wet

And Muffins!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

 

2 cups all-purpose flour (can use about 30% whole wheat if you like)

1/3 cup oat bran

3 Tablespoons poppy seeds

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup granulated sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk/yogurt combo)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Almond slivers, for sprinkling

Coarse sugar, for sprinkling 

Preheat oven to 400°F or 380°F convection bake. Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray. Melt the butter in a small bowl (about 1 minute in the microwave) so it has time to cool. 

 

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

 

In a large bowl, whisk the egg and granulated sugar, then whisk in melted butter, then lemon juice, lemon zest, milk, and vanilla. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together until no pockets of flour remain. 

 

Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, filling each about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and a few almond slivers. Bake for about 22 minutes, muffins should be browned and springy to the touch when done.   

Pumpkin Muffins Rev. 2

I'm not one to really follow recipes, not even my own. Sometimes I just change things up for the variety. But I also evolve my recipes over time, some times to adjust for available ingredients, sometimes to make it more to my taste.  The pumpkin muffin recipe I published way back is one of those that evolved.  Butter instead of oil (for flavor), a whole can of pumpkin instead of 3/4 of a can (no dog around that loves the extra pumpkin), interchangeably use milk, yogurt, or buttermilk depending on what's on hand, and a little less to compensate for more pumpkin.  And I added some ginger.  And sometimes use more spice (like this time of year, when its pumpkin spice season) and sometimes less.  And sprinkle with sugar.   So I feel the Pumpkin Muffin recipe I published 10 years ago is not really the same as what I make today..  So here is Pumpkin Muffins Rev 2. 

These muffins come together very quickly, of the muffins I make most Sunday's, it is the easiest.

Like most muffins, the recipes are pretty tolerant... so adjust as you would like... fewer (or no) raisins, or put nuts into the batter.  Use slivered almonds instead of pumpkin seeds.  I have included a range on the spices.

And cans of pumpkin should start showing up at Trader Joes soon, its typically much better priced than regular grocery stores, but only available around Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Muffins    Rev 2

2 cups flour (unbleached all-purpose, whole wheat, or a mix - I use 1 cup of each)

2 heaping tablespoons oat bran or oatmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ - 1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ - ½ teaspoon ginger

¼ (scant) teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 eggs

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup butter, melted

½ cup milk or yogurt

1 15 ounce can pumpkin 

½ cup raisins

¼ cup (+) pumpkin seeds or sliced almonds for topping

Raw sugar (turbano) for topping

Oven:  400F or 380F Convection Bake.

Put dry ingredients in a small bowl, and mix with whisk.

Combine eggs and brown sugar with a whisk, mix in butter, add the milk, pumpkin and raisins.  Mix well.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Place in greased muffin pan.  Sprinkle pumpkin seeds or almonds on top, making sure none stick out too much, then sprinkle with a bit of sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes or until browned and spring back when touched. Depending on your oven, you might need to rotate the pan halfway through baking.  Remove from pan, and cool on a rack.  Or eat immediately.   Store any extras in the refrigerator.  

Banana Muffins

Here we are, week (too many to count) of the pandemic, and I think we are all still doing a lot of cooking. We are doing most of our grocery shopping online. It's not perfect, but there is a convenience factor that might keep me from going to grocery stores for mundane stuff even when we don't have to mask up, sterilize our carts, disinfect our hands, and get mad at people who can't seem to properly where a mask. 

But one of the down sides of online shopping, just once a week is that you sometimes end up with overripe bananas.. especially if you are also buying groceries for someone that only wants green bananas (but that's another story).   Putting bananas in the fridge before they are overripe will slow down the process, the skins get ugly but inside they are still good.   Once they are overripe, you can make smoothies or chocolate milk (and you can peel and freeze chunks to keep even longer and get a more frozen result), or banana bread, but most of the ripe bananas at our house end up in banana muffins on Sunday mornings. I make muffins before coffee, so I'm pretty much making them in my sleep.  Fortunately muffins aren't too fussy, and while I do measure, I'm pretty cavalier about adding an extra banana if they are small, or a bit more liquid if I only have a two bananas, or a bit more flour if the batter seems thin.  I used to make the muffins in my Cuisinart, this eliminates the need to mash the bananas, but then you have to clean the Cuisinart.  I have started using my potato ricer, as this does an excellent job of mashing and goes into the dishwasher.  A bit messier is to just squish the bananas in you hand (a half or third at a time), but no dishes to wash! If the bananas are good and ripe, you can also just use a hand mixer instead of a whisk on the wet ingredients... slices of bananas will get mashed by the mixer.

One other detail: Many muffin recipes call for vegetable oil (as I'm sure this one did from where I sourced it from). This works fine, but I like the taste of butter in my muffins. So the order you put the wet ingredients together is important. I usually melt the butter first (even before I get the remaining ingredients out) so it has a chance to cool down. Then it should go in after whisking the eggs and sugar (which you do to help give some volume) but before adding the bananas and milk. The butter will disperse in the egg and sugar mixture, and not clump up when adding the the cold ingredients.

Oat bran has been a bit more difficult to find in the store, I think because its out of fashion more than a pandemic issue.  You can just use more flour, or substitute some oatmeal.  The texture changes but they are still good.  You can also do these with all whole wheat, all AP (white) flour, or what ever mixture you like (or have on hand).  They will get more fluffy with all white flour.  White whole wheat flour also works well. 

Notice... no paper liners. Not needed and who wants to peel them off?

Banana Bran Muffins

10 to 12 muffins

3/4 cup flour

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 

½ cup oat bran

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

2 eggs

½ cup un-packed brown sugar

¼ cup melted butter or vegetable oil

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

¼ cup yogurt, milk, or buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

½ cup chopped walnuts or almonds, plus more for topping

Raw (coarse) sugar

OVEN: Preheat to 400F or 380F convection bake. Grease 12 muffin cups.

Whisk together flours, bran, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. 

Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl, then whisk in melted butter (or oil) and extract.  Add mashed bananas, yogurt, extract and mix well.  Bananas can be mashed in a separate bowl with a potato masher, with a potato ricer, or just squish them through your fingers into the bowl. 

Scoop batter into muffin cups.  If desired, place a nut halve on each muffin, and sprinkle with raw sugar. Fill any empty cups with 1/2" of water.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (18 minutes convection), or until brown and springy to the touch in the center.  Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs, and Bees

There has been a lot of news lately about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), where honey bee colonies mysteriously die off. It’s been getting worse over the last 6 years or so, and the scientists have not been able to pin down a specific cause. Theories include pesticides, mites, viruses, nutritional deficiencies, and cell phone signals. The latest research is showing that it might actually be a nutrition issue. Comercial bee hives are typically fed high fructose corn syrup in the winter so that more of their honey can be harvested. Numerous studies show HFCS doesn’t kill bees. But when bee’s eat HFCS instead of nectar, they are not getting an enzyme that comes in the pollen that tags along with the nectar, and this enzyme strengthens the bee’s immune system so that it is better able to resist the effects of pesticides, mites, and viruses.

What does that mean to us? It means that when you start stripping down foods and providing just the base macronutriants, like protein or carbs or fat, you lose potentially important food components. Things often present at very low levels, with unknown interactions with the complex biology of a human being. It’s why I strive to each whole foods. Processed food may not kill you, but you are not eating the things that keep you healthy.

Roy makes wonderful waffles every so often… they are a real treat with berries and maple syrup… or honey!

Buttermilk Waffles

3/4 cup flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup peanut or other neutral oil
2 eggs

After getting out ingredients, plug in waffle maker.

In a large bowl with whisk, mix dry ingredients. Add buttermilk, oil, and eggs and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Pour batter into waffle maker (ours takes a 1/2 cup), close and cook until the light goes out or until done. Remove with a fork and eat immediately.

Balancing your Diet

Most of us know that calories come from 3 sources: Carbohydrates, Fats, and Protein. In most diet stories, Carbs and Fat are made to be villains and Protein the hero. There is a fourth calorie source, and that’s alcohol… conveniently ignored in most “diets”. Vitamins get some supporting role; it’s usually just a Pill. Yes, some diet stories are now starting to include some new hero’s, like Flavonoids and Phytonutrients and Omega-3 Fatty Acids, but these stories are complicated and often incomplete. How do you tell the good guys from the bad?

The good Carbs, Fats, and Proteins are most commonly found in whole foods. Villains are foods unnaturally stripped from their source and processed beyond recognition. For example, Corn on the cob is good, High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad along with its brother, Corn Oil. Arch villains are chemicals masquerading as food, like Cheetos.

But back to the main characters: how much of each? This is what works for me:

15 – 18% of calories from protein
30 – 35% from fat
<5% from alcohol
The remainder (~50%) from carbs

Over the next couple of weeks, I will tell good stories about protein, fat, and carbs. Meanwhile, here is a balanced way to start the day:

Loaded Oatmeal

This takes me about 20 minutes to fix in the morning: I start the liquid to boil, then get out the apple, dice it, then get out everything else. But I have had lots of practice; I make it once or twice a week.

Serves 2 generously

1 cup unsweetened soy milk (or other milk of choice)
1 cup water
1 small apple, cored and diced
1 cup Multi-Grain Oatmeal (such as Trader Joes) or rolled oats
Small pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons raisins (or dates, or dry cranberries)
2 heaping tablespoons slivered almonds (or any chopped nut)

Put the soy milk and water into a medium pot over medium high heat. Then dice the apple, add to the pot as soon as diced. When the pot comes to a boil, add the oats, stirring well. Turn down the heat to medium, you still want good bubbling action. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir occasionally. When the moisture is absorbed and its starting to stick, its done. Served with additional milk.

17% protein, 35% fat, 48% carbs
1 serving (with ½ cup of soy milk) is 416 calories

Pumpkin Muffins

Roy is blaming me for a somewhat orange skin color due to all of the pumpkin and squash I have been feeding him.  It started a week ago with pumpkin muffins, then pasta with roasted butternut squash, then brunch yesterday that started with a roasted butternut squash salad and ended with pumpkin mousse crepes. There was a Prosciutto and Asparagus Strata and Lox and Bagel-less Salad so its not like there have not been other things to eat.  However, most of the remaining squash from the salad went on a pizza tonight… Guessing the creamy roasted butternut squash soup will not be on the menu tomorrow night.

Anyway, Pumpkin Muffins are a very easy muffin to make (no chopping or food processor needed).   

Not to change subjects, but a note on flour:  in my quest to eat foods that are closer to their whole (and un-fortified) state, whole wheat is an obvious choice over regular all-purpose flour.  But regular whole wheat has a pretty distinctive taste and color, and doesn’t easily substitute into most baked goods.  But white whole wheat, which is whole wheat flour made from white wheat instead of red wheat, cooks up much  more like AP flour.  King Arthur Flour makes it, and I can find at Trader Joes or Safeway.   In most muffin (or quick bread) recipes, you will be hard pressed to tell that half of the flour is white whole wheat.  I’ve been using all white whole wheat in muffins and they still come out great. 

Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups flour (unbleached all-purpose, white whole wheat, or a mix)

2 tablespoons oat bran 

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ (scant) teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 eggs

1/2 to 2/3 cup brown sugar

¼ cup butter, melted

¾ cup milk (or soy milk)

¾ can pumpkin (or more… save some for the dog!)

½ cup raisins

Pumpkin seed or sliced almonds for topping

Oven:  400oF

Put dry ingredients in a small bowl, and mix with whisk.

Combine eggs and brown sugar with a whisk, mix in butter, then add milk, pumpkin, and raisins.  Mix well.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Place in greased muffin pan.  Sprinkle pumpkin seeds or almonds on top, making sure none stick out too much.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Granola

This might be the best granola I have ever had, love the texture. Adopted from an Alton Brown recipe. I’m sure I won’t leave well enough alone (the original recipe called for cashews). It’s a bit on the sweet side, but perfect mixed into plain yogurt!

Granola

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Add the oats, nuts, and brown sugar and mix well.

Pour onto 2 sheet pans covered with parchment paper. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven, cool and put into airtight containers.

Just FYI, I figured the nutritional values (per 1/4 cup): calories - 180, added sugar - 7g, protein - 5g, fat - 10g, fiber - 2g.

Eggs

I have been on an egg kick lately.  Partially because they are an old-fashioned food and also because we have been getting some good eggs.  We had omelets last week from eggs a neighbor gave us (OK, the chickens are not in the neighborhood, but he has some land someplace nearby), and generally get eggs from Sri at the farmers market.  These are eggs from chickens that are really outside, free to wander and eat bugs, which results in orange yolks.  Call me weird, but what I like the most is the eggs are all different sizes, from tiny to jumbo.  And the ones from Sri are all different colors – brown, green, blue, and occasionally white.

I actually was ambitious enough a couple of weeks ago to make soufflés, which was fun but a bit of work, and one of these days I will try some chocolate soufflés.  I also poached an egg (just like Jacques Pepin, with just boiling water, no forms) and put on top of a spinach salad.  But most of the eggs get used in omelets.  

Omelets are more technique and imagination than recipe, so just try to follow along: Start with 2 or 3 eggs, depending on how hungry you are (or who ever is eating)  and how big the eggs are.  I use whole eggs.  Yes, by eliminating the yolks you get less fat (5 grams / 2 of which are saturated per yolk) and no cholesterol, but I think you loose a lot of flavor, not to mention 1/3 of the protein and other nutrients.  Recent data is showing that eggs are not as bad as they have been made out to be, and  cholesterol that you eat has little to do with the cholesterol in your blood (but there is still conflicting information, especially for diabetics) .  So don’t eat a 3-egg omelet every day.   While I’m on the nutrition rant (I’ll get to the recipe soon enough), compare the fat in eggs to Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing at McDonald’s where 1 serving has 30 grams of fat, 5 saturated.

Back to making omelets.  I like to have some vegetables in my omelets, like spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, or bell pepper.. and maybe a bit of onion.  If there is meat around, like leftover chicken or ham (prosciutto is great, but cut-up lunch meat works too) it can go in.  Plus cheese:  Favorites include goat cheese, Parmesan, Manchego, Cheddar, somewhere between ½ to 1 ounce.   Herbs are an option too… think chives, tarragon, thyme.

Omelets: 

To start, get out a good non-stick skillet, about 10 inches.   Start by cooking the vegetable(s).  For asparagus or broccoli, put about a ¼ inch of water in the pan, and boil for a few minutes over high heat until they are done.  Put the vegetables on a small plate and set to the side), drain the pan.  For spinach, peppers or mushrooms, sauté a little chopped onion in a bit of olive oil, (ham can be added here too if you like), add the vegetable, and cook until its done.  Set aside and wipe out the pan if needed.

To make the omelet: beat the eggs in a small bowl.  Melt a bit of butter in the pan (1 teaspoon or so, maybe less) over medium heat.  Add the eggs.  The goal is to cook them slowly.  When they are partially set, sprinkle with herbs (optional), cheese, vegetable, meats.  I like to add salt and pepper at this point.  When the eggs are done (they will still be very soft on top, and you probably have a bit of liquid from the vegetables and cheese) .. and they should not be very brown on the bottom, fold in half, and slide to a plate.   If you are being fancy, put a few more herbs on top.

Some of my favorite combinations:

Goat cheese, spinach and onion
Aparagus and manchego, with chives
Ham, bell pepper, and onion (aka Western Omelet)
Chile and cheddar with Chicken
So use your imagination… and what happens to be in the fridge!

Muesli -- Revisited

I have a hard time repeating things.  I could never be a restaurant chef or a potter that made dinner ware, where there is some expectation of getting the same thing the next time you order it.  I continue to adjust, often based on what I have in the house (especially with $4 gas), or reduce the amount of dirty dishes generated, or maybe to adjust the quantity.  As to my pots, I like to think the clay is jointly expressing itself with me (not that I haven’t really mastered the basics!)

Some examples… starting with Muesli.  The recipe I posted makes enough for 3, but there are only 2 of us (the dog gets kibble every morning and loves it… some things don’t change).    So I cut down the oatmeal by a third, from 1 ½ cups to 1 cup.  The milk should be cut from 2 cups to 1 1/3 cups but that would necessitate a bit of math, not to mention another measuring cup.  So I just put in a cup of milk, or just enough to cover the dry ingredients (including some nuts and dry fruit, and usually honey to sweeten).   In the morning, I add enough plain yogurt to get to just the right consistency.   I now never make it like the recipe I posted last year.  

Another example:  Fish tacos. Using the blender seemed like too much trouble.  So I just mixed the flour and spices in a large bowl with a whisk, and then whisk in the beer. You can just put the fish in this bowl, so one less dirty dish.

Last example:  Muffins.  I made our normal Apple-Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins.  But instead of apples and cranberries, I used zucchini and raisins.  I only had 1 egg, so I used a bit more oil, 1/3 cup instead of ¼ cup.  I was stringy on sugar..  only used 2/3 cup instead of ¾ cup.   Well, they came out great (so I promised Roy I would right it down).

So where is this going?  At some point, you will see a new recipe for “low cholesterol zucchini muffins”.  But generally, I will try to post a comment when I have made a fairly repeatable changes.  So… don’t forget to take a look at the comments.  And if you make something, don’t hesitate to leave a comment on how to make it better!

Summer Recipes

I have been waiting for summer to share these recipes, and well, its time.

The first is a Grilled Vegetable Pasta (yes, another pasta recipe).  The reason this is a summer recipe is that its really best to make it when you can get into the pool between turning the vegetables on the grill. It perfectly fits to a relaxed summer weekend.  Grill and swim, then let the vegetables cool, later cut up the vegetables and cook the pasta.   The vegetables can also be done as an antipasti (that’s right, without pasta but also an Italian appetizer).   Arrange the grilled vegetables on a platter, sprinkle with olives, maybe add some salami or other Italian cured meats, some big shreds of parmesan cheese.  I like to eat on slices of French bread, but it mostly takes a fork and knife to eat. 

The second is for breakfast.  I really like oatmeal, but its just too hot to eat in the summer.  So I make a cold oatmeal dish called Muesli.   I’m pretty sure the roots for muesli are Northern Europe, but I first had it in Korea at the Hilton in Seoul.  The do the nice breakfast buffet, and I have found it good to load up on food I recognize (bread, cheese, fruit, yogurt) when you really don't know what you will be eating the rest of the day.   They had a bowl of this goopy looking stuff on the “western” side of the buffet, and I tried it on the advice of one of my co-workers… a little cautious because I couldn’t tell what went in to it.  I like traveling in Asia, and I’m OK without always knowing what went into the food, but breakfast, well, I not as adventurous.    But this was good, cool and sweet, with raisins and some fruit.  I was hooked, but never know how to make it until I started hunting the web.  There are lots of ways to make this, starting with oats, and adding liquid (milk, yogurt, juice), dried fruit, apples, nuts.  The following is what I do, since I typically always have the ingredients on hand. 

Grilled Vegetable Pasta

4 servings

Veggies (use as a guide only!):
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Fresh or dry herbs, salt, pepper
2 medium zucchini, sliced diagonally about ½ inch thick
1 small eggplant, sliced lengthwise in ½ inch slices
1 red or mild yellow onion, cut in 2 large slices and skewered
2 red bell peppers, whole
1 ear corn, silk removed and husk replaced
1 head of garlic, top cut off
And/or:  Mushrooms, Asparagus

Pasta:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup fresh basil (or other herbs)
½ pound chunky pasta, cooked
Save about ½ cup pasta water
¼ cup dry white wine (optional)
¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

For Grilled Veggies:  Mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper.  Mix with vegetables (can do earlier in the day).   Drizzle garlic with oil and partially wrap in foil. On grill heated to medium, put in some wood chips and with several branches of rosemary. Put all the vegetables on the grill. The corn will cook quickest, maybe 10 –15 minutes. Cook remaining veggies until soft and browned, 20-30 minutes.  Turn every 5-10 minutes.  The bell pepper skin will be black.  Remove pieces from grill as they get done and let cool.

Dice the squash, eggplant, and onion. Peel bell pepper and dice.   Cut corn from cob. Put in a large bowl.  Put in several cloves of roasted garlic (cut in half if large), use remainder for snacking.  Add the cooked and drained pasta. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a bit more salt and pepper to taste, chopped fresh basil, enough pasta water and/or white wine to moisten (about ½ cup total).  Serve with about 1 tablespoon each goat cheese crumbles and toasted pine nuts on each serving.

Muesli

Great way to get your oats in the summer.  Traditional flavors are raisins, walnuts, and apples… but these seem more fall like.  So I usually use “craisen’s”  (dried , sweetened cranberries), and put some berries on top…

Serves 3.

1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
¼ cup raisins or dry cranberries or other dried fruit of choice
¼ cup walnuts (chopped) or almond slivers
2 cups unsweetened soy milk (or any milk of choice, including part yogurt or juice)
1 tablespoon Apricot or Peach jam
1 teaspoon honey (or to taste)
1 small apple (grated) or other fresh fruit

Mix everything together except for fresh fruit, cover and refrigerate overnight.  If it seems a bit thick in the morning, add some more milk or some plain yogurt.   Stir in grated apple just before serving, or serve with other fresh fruit (berries, banana’s, apricots…)

Muffins and humility

This has been a fun weekend.   My folks were up for a visit, Mom and I went to the LPGA Safeway golf tournament on Saturday, and Sunday I played golf with both Mom and Dad.  The weather (which a week ago threatened to go from winter right into summer) was perfect spring weather after a healthy rain Thursday and Friday (my definition of spring weather: warm enough to wear shorts, but not to hot to be in the sun).

I also showed off a bit in the kitchen.  Friday night  Roy's folks were over too, dinner was a big pot of Mediterranean-style fish soup.  It really came out nice (and one of these days I will get it written down).  On Saturday night, we did a nice herb grilled chicken and asparagus.  Simple, but pretty and very good.  Then, on Sunday morning I made muffins, something we do almost every Sunday morning.  Sometimes I make them, sometimes Roy does, but I have made them enough I practically know the recipe by heart.  This morning, Roy opens the oven, and says my muffins look especially flat.  (Roy's muffins always peak higher than mine therefore, much prettier, so I think he is just kidding me a bit).  The timer goes off, I go look, and not only are they really flat, they are not done yet... the problem was the oven was at 350, not 400.  After another 10 minutes in the oven (everyone, coffee in hand, waiting for breakfast), they were ok (and we managed to eat all of them today).  But know I now why Roy's muffins are prettier:  he makes banana muffins with the same recipe (bananas and raisins instead of apples and cranberries), and doesn't have cold cranberries slowing down the process of rising the muffins. 

Here are the recipes for the muffins and the chicken  (to grill the asparagus, just role the asparagus in little olive oil, maybe some balsamic vinegar, add some pepper and grill along side the chicken).

Grilled Savory Chicken

This chicken always comes out nice and moist -- a good one to fix for company (especially since you have to think ahead a little bit to marinate the chicken).  Of course, you don't have to marinate overnight, 20 minutes works.  It comes out best if you use at least half fresh herbs, OK to not follow below exactly (I often use chives since they are usually plentiful in the garden, and skip the marjoram)

 Serves 4

4 half boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme (or 1 teaspoon dry)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced sage (or 1/2 teaspoon dry)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dry)
3/4 teaspoon fresh minced marjoram (or 1/4 teaspoon dry)
3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
Juice from ½ a lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, cut into wedges (garnish)

Flatten chicken breasts to even out the thickness (best to do between sheets of plastic wrap.  Combine all herbs, spices, lemon rind, and oil.  Rub mixture.  Arrange in shallow dish or Ziploc baggie.  Cover and chill overnight if doing ahead.   Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Apple Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins

12 MUFFINS

1 cup old-fashioned oats (or quick cooking)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (optional)
dash salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup un-packed brown sugar
1 apple, peeled and cut into chunks
3/4 cup buttermilk or milk or soy milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cranberries (thawed under running water if frozen)

OVEN:  Preheat to 400oF.  Grease muffin cups with Pam.

Mix oats, flour, baking powder, soda, spices, and salt in a large bowl.

In a food processor, mix eggs and brown sugar until smooth. Add apples, and pulse until small chunks. Add milk, oil, and vanilla.  Put in cranberries, and pulse a few times, to barely chop the cranberries.

Pour the batter on the dry ingredients, and fold together.

Scoop batter into muffins cups (put water into any empty cups). Bake 20 minutes or until springy to the touch in the center.  Turn out onto a rack to cool, we like them hot from the oven.

As always - send your feedback if you try the recipes!