Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins

The challenge: to create a simple, fruit muffin that could be served nude(!). As much as I love butter on a warm muffin, I understand the need for a muffin's flavor to stand on its own. These do just that.

This breakfast / snack / dessert has a delicious flavor, with a hint of sweetness from the strawberries. Just to be sure, Dan and I tested several, both warm and cool, and they were all consistently good. If you feel inspired, give it a try with other berries, like fresh red raspberries.

Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients - makes 15-18 cupcake-sized muffins

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp salted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 - 1 cup milk
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped into small pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line cupcake tins with papers.
3. In a bowl, mix together sugar and melted butter. Add in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. 
5. While stirring, add flour mixture to butter / sugar mixture.
6. While stirring, slowly pour in milk until batter is wet but not thin.
7. Gently mix in chopped strawberries until just incorporated.
8. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, each about half full.
9. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
10. Let cool on cooling rack for at least 5 minutes.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern dish made from bulgur wheat. Bulgur is a hearty grain high in fiber and protein, with a chewy texture. Tabbouleh was first introduced to me by my former boss Karen, who served it on top of salad greens. The combination of different textures and flavors stuck in my mind. I've written the American version of the dish (which highlights the bulgur itself) versus the Lebanese version, which is heavy on the parsley and mint. I encourage you to try this! It's definitely out of the ordinary for some people, so serve it with something familiar, such as cold shrimp on the side.


Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 cup bulgur wheat
• water
• 1 tomato
• 1/2 European / English cucumber
• small bunch fresh mint leaves AND/OR fresh parsley leaves
• 4-6 oz. feta cheese, block or crumbled
• lemon juice
• olive oil
• salad greens, if desired

Directions

1. Cook bulgur wheat according to package directions. (Mine was 1 cup dry bulgur to 2 cups cold water.)
2. Once bulgur is cooked, place saucepan in fridge and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
3. While bulgur is cooling, chop tomato, cucumber, mint/parsley, and feta into small pieces.
4. Scoop bulgur, tomato, cucumber, and mint/parsley into a large bowl, stir well, and refrigerate for another 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from fridge. Add feta and stir well.
6. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Add lemon juice to taste. Stir well and serve immediately as main dish, or atop salad greens.

Pasta with Lemon, Artichokes, and Spinach

Pasta with tomato sauce is one of my longtime go-to's for an easy dinner. But sometimes it's fun to mix it up! This is a simple vegetarian pasta dish with a LOT of flavor. I used the marinade packed with the artichokes to flavor the dish, and topped it with Parmesan cheese as a finish. The result: a delicious dish that's pretty healthy. If you're a fan of feta cheese, you may want to try replacing the Parm with feta for a stronger cheese flavor.


Ingredients
**(for a gluten-free meal, be sure to use gluten-free pasta, such as rice pasta)

• 1 lb long pasta (I used thin spaghetti)
• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion, chopped
• one 15 oz jar artichokes, with marinade / juices reserved
• 1 lb baby spinach leaves
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• 4 oz Parmesan cheese (half a container)

Directions

1. Boil water in large stockpot. Steam spinach above the boiling water OR steam spinach in the microwave.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse well.
3. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
4. Cook onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
5. Add artichokes and their marinade. Cook until artichokes are heated throughout.
6. Turn off heat and add spinach to artichoke mixture.
7. Return pasta to stockpot and pour juice from artichoke / onions over pasta. Stir well.
8. Add rest of artichoke / onion / spinach mixture to pasta. Stir well.
9. Add grated zest and juice of lemon to pasta. Stir well.
10. Finally, add Parmesan cheese to pasta and stir to coat. Serve immediately.

Onion and Pineapple Quesadillas

The other day I had a few friends over for a quesadilla party. Few of them had ever experienced pineapple in this Mexican dish. To be honest, I hadn't considered it an option either until I stumbled upon the Pioneer Woman's quesadilla recipe.

These are great as snacks, appetizers, or a meal. Enjoy them as written or mix and match your favorite ingredients: grilled chicken, mushrooms, and green peppers are all great options to consider.

Ingredients (makes 3-4 quesadillas)

• butter (divided use)
• flour tortillas
• shredded cheese (Mexican blend and Colby-Jack blend are both good options)
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• pineapple, cut into small pieces (I used canned pineapple rings)
• salsa or sour cream for serving

Directions

1. In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt a pat of butter. 
2. Cook onions and jalapeños until done.
3. Heat a large frying pan or flat griddle to medium.
4. While pan is heating up, assemble quesadillas as follows: fold one tortilla in half. Open it and sprinkle the half generously with cheese, onion/pepper mixture, pineapple, then a little more cheese. Fold it closed.
5. Coat the hot griddle with butter. Place assembled quesadilla on pan and cook until browned. Flip and cook other side until browned.
6. Remove from heat, cut into wedges, and serve with salsa or sour cream.

Traditional Hummus

Hummus is one of my go-to party foods, and has also become a staple for my lunches when I've gotten sick of PB&J's. I make a big batch, then bring some in a container along with crackers or tortilla chips for a lunch I can eat all at once or snack on throughout the day.

Tahini, one of the ingredients, is like peanut butter, but made from sesame seeds rather than peanuts. It's a strange ingredient - and I rarely use my tahini for anything but hummus - but it is truly necessary if you want the creamy consistency for which hummus is well known. You can find it in many grocery stores near the peanut butter.

If my garlic hummus was too strong for your taste, you will undoubtedly enjoy this recipe, which has a much more mellow flavor.



Ingredients

• one 28 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• one 15 oz can chickpeas, mostly drained
• two drizzles of olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• spoonful tahini (sesame butter)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper (1-2 tsp, to taste)
• juice of 1 lemon

Directions

1. Combine both cans of chickpeas (including the small amount of liquid from the smaller can of chickpeas), olive oil, garlic, tahini, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
2. Add black pepper and half the lemon juice. Pulse to mix well. Taste test and add more lemon juice to your liking.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup

Sometimes I get inspired by food. It happens at random. The orange of a beautiful sweet potato is what did me in this time. I chose this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen for its simplicity, high nutritional value, and staying power.

Friends joined us and we made up some fresh guacamole, enjoying it with tortilla chips as an appetizer. This soup came next, along with some fun beverages that fit the evening's theme. One friend commented that the soup 'surprised' him. Although he watched it being prepared, the finished product was not what he expected.

Here is the recipe with my alterations. You can purée more or less depending on your preference for a creamier or chunkier soup. Also, the scallions seem unnecessary, like a garnish, but they add another layer of texture (crunchy) that deserves to be included.

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 large sweet potatoes, chopped into small chunks
• two 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed
• 4 cups water
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced

Directions

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Cook onion and garlic until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add cumin, cinnamon, and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Stir well.
4. Add sweet potatoes, black beans, and water. Cook until sweet potatoes are very tender.
5. Remove a little less than half the mixture and purée using an immersion blender or regular blender. Return to pot and heat until soup is hot throughout.
6. Add lime juice and stir well. 
7. Remove from heat and stir in scallions. Serve with bread or tortilla chips.

Jonah's Fish Chowder

Our friend Jonah made us this amazing chowder when he visited recently. He commented that many people expect chowder to be thick and creamy, like traditional New England clam chowder; however most chowders are hearty soups with milk or cream in their base but not excessively creamy. He did mention that this soup could be thickened by making a roux but I enjoyed it as it's listed below.

Another comment about ingredients: the haddock purchased at the fish counter was frozen when we brought it home. It was still fairly frozen when added to the soup, which allowed many of the pieces to stay whole while they cooked. If using really fresh fish, the pieces will break down quicker in the soup.



Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp butter (divided use)
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced in discs
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 4 medium potatoes, chopped
• 1 lb haddock, cut into chunks (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc) or water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 tsp fresh thyme, roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups milk

Directions

1. Melt 2 Tbsp of the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat.
2. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until onions are soft.
3. Add potatoes, fish, wine, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and cook until fish is flaky and cooked.
4. Add milk and remaining butter. Reduce heat to low and cook until heated throughout.
5. Serve immediately.

the Vegetable Issue

An AE fan writes in with the following question:

My significant other hates vegetables, but wants to like them. What could I make him [to get him more comfortable with eating vegetables]?

First off: major props to your dude for wanting to give vegetables a try! They're not as scary as they seem, and can easily be disguised until his true love for them comes around.

Root vegetables are a great place to start because they dress up nicely and can do a lot of different things. If someone likes potatoes (and honestly, do you know anyone who doesn't?), other root veggies can be substituted 50/50 or even 100% in many recipes. Some examples:

• Use both white and sweet potatoes to make mashed potatoes.
• Slice some sweet potatoes thin, coat them with olive oil and a healthy dose of salt and pepper and bake them up for some homemade sweet potato fries.
• Make home fries using a mixture of white potatoes and turnips. Their similar coloring makes them nearly indistinguishable from one another. Turnips may have a bad rap but they're actually pretty high up on my favorites, mostly because they taste like a combination of carrots and corn. Yum!
• Chopped root vegetables (perhaps a mixture?) drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary if you've got it, baked at 475 degrees for 30 minutes.

Soups are often a good choice because many people who "hate vegetables" won't go to the trouble of picking them out of a soup. Chicken noodle soup with green beans, corn, carrots and celery or Tomato Florentine soup and grilled cheese might be worth tries.

My focus here is to target things that he already accepts as "safe foods" and then slowly work to replace some of the ingredients with vegetables, or add vegetables to them. The Tomato Florentine soup listed above is pretty much plain tomato soup with some veggies thrown in. If he is comfortable eating roasted potatoes or homemade french fries, he may be willing to give them a try even if they're not make with white Russets.

He may also transition well (in the future) to meals like my Leek and Lemon Risotto with some chopped asparagus added in; a good beef or chicken stir fry with veggies like broccoli, thinly sliced onions, carrots, and peppers in a peanut sauce or sweet soy ginger sauce; or homemade pizza with pepperoni and some colorful veggies.

Faithful readers, do you have any other suggestions that may be of help?

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

You may remember my love for roasting vegetables.. some may call it a problem. I call it a healthy obsession.

This recipe evolved from my need for butternut squash soup. I went to a friend's house with all the ingredients to make us lunch and realized that his kitchen's contents did not include a vegetable peeler. After the shock wore off, I was able to improvise. I guess I should thank my friend for slacking in the kitchen accessories department, since it resulted in a delicious soup, but in reality he will be receiving a special Groundhog Day present. I bet you can guess what it is.


Ingredients
for a dairy-free or vegan meal, omit heavy cream and garnish with a sprinkle of brown sugar

• 2 butternut squashes, halved and cut into large chunks for roasting
• olive oil for roasting
• salt and pepper
• olive oil for sautéing
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 onion
• 1 1/2-inch chunk fresh ginger, grated
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups water
• heavy cream for garnish (optional)

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
2. Place squash chunks, flesh side up, in baking dish(es). Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil and coat with salt and pepper.
3. Bake at 450 degrees for 70-80 minutes. Check for doneness with a fork - squash should be soft.
4. When squash are almost done, heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large stockpot.
5. Sauté onion, garlic, and fresh ginger for 3-4 minutes, until onion is translucent.
6. Scoop squash from its skin and add to stockpot. 
7. Add ground ginger, cinnamon, thyme, salt, pepper, and water. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
8. Remove from heat. Mash with potato masher (for a chunkier soup) or blend with immersion blender (for a creamier consistency).
9. Dish into individual bowls and top with a splash of heavy cream or sprinkle of brown sugar, if desired.

Easy Scallops with Lemon Juice

We had scallops the other night paired with the Leek & Lemon Risotto that I posted earlier in the week. I recommend eating them as part of the same meal, or even with the scallops served right on top of the risotto.

Scallops are pretty easy to overcook. Seafood more than any other meat I tend to rely on time, rather than a color, to determine doneness.

Do yourself a favor and treat yourself with these delicious scallops. With a short grocery list and simple directions, they're likely to please any seafood lover.


Ingredients

• 1 lb sea scallops
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes.
2. Coat pan with butter and olive oil.
3. Add scallops and squeeze half the lemon juice on top. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook until scallops are browned on bottom, about 30-45 seconds.
5. Flip scallops, add rest of lemon juice and more salt and pepper if desired.
6. Remove from heat when scallops are browned, about another minute. They should be warm inside but not rubbery, and easy to cut with a fork.