Wild Blueberry Buttermilk Crunch Muffins and a Pie Contest

Who starts baking at 11:30 on a Saturday night? This girl. I had spent the entire day staring at literally hundreds of pies as part of a huge city-wide pie contest held at my work, each pie—huckleberry, raspberry chocolate cream, pecan—working my sweet tooth into a frenzy. You would think that after moving dozens of pies, the last thing I would want to do on a Saturday night would be to fire up the oven. After getting home late I took a quick look around my kitchen and saw some buttermilk that needed to be used up, along with some blueberries. Although it wasn’t exactly the perfect pie combo (or is it?), it could, however, easily be whipped up into some quick and satisfying blueberry muffins. Perfect for a Sunday morning, which was only a couple short bleary-eyed hours away.

These are proper muffins, loaded with butter and sugar, and they’re not shy about it. Often I try to overhaul my baked goods and desserts to be healthier, i.e. less guilt-inducing, but not with these. These scream pastry! Butter! Sugar! In other words, they are simply delicious muffins that act the part of the quintessential breakfast item. The great news, beside their obvious deliciousness, is that they come together really quickly–which is great news when you’re baking in the middle of the night. The buttermilk provides great tang and the addition of lemon zest is essential. While it doesn’t make the muffins lemony, it does, however make the blueberries, the star of the show, shine even brighter. Feel free to leave off the crunchy, crumbly topping. But, why would you?

Wild Blueberry Buttermilk Crunch Muffins
Yields: 16-18 large muffins
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unrefined/raw sugar
• 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups low-fat buttermilk, shaken
• ¼ pound (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I used wild blueberries, which are smaller)

For the Crunchy Crumb Topping

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed (or raw/unrefined sugar)
• 1 generous tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, diced

 Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners.

Sift the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and gently whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, and eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry mixture with a fork, mixing until just blended. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care to not over mix. Using a heaping tablespoon, or standard ice-cream scoop, ladle the batter into the prepared paper liners, filling them almost full.

For the topping, mix all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces and everything resembles sandy rubble. If the food processor doesn’t incorporate the butter well enough, you can pour into a bowl and rub with your fingers until crumbly. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the crumb topping over each muffin.

Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Fresh Corn and Scallion Griddlecakes with Maple Jalapeno Mascarpone Cream

 

Sweet, savory and mildly spicy. My Fresh Corn and Scallion Griddlecakes make the most of a summer staple, but turns up the volume by combining fresh, sweet corn just moments from the cob, with bright, verdant scallions, and tangy buttermilk. Served hot from the griddle, with crisp edges and topped with a generous dollop of Maple Jalapeno Mascarpone Cream and real maple syrup, these little golden beauties are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Any leftovers are easily reheated in a toaster—but, I assure you, this needn’t be a worry.

My recipe was inspired by a similar version at Gastronomico in LA. Looking for a new restaurant, we stumbled across this bare-bones eatery, tucked into the corner of a blink-and-you-miss-it strip mall in the Los Feliz neighborhood. The menu is minimal, farm-to-table, organic, seasonal. In other words, perfect. Their simple and rustic roasted organic chicken with heirloom tomato and bread salad was probably one of the most satisfying and perfectly cooked meals I’ve had all summer. BH’s turkey burger was stuffed with jammy, rich balsamic onions, avocado, and bacon, piled high on a homemade wheat bun. Although it may sound a little hum-drum, it was probably the best turkey burger we’ve ever had. We ordered corn griddlecakes to share, just in case any remaining hunger pains weren’t completely eliminated—and probably could have scarfed down another stack without blinking. They were that delicious.

Days later, I couldn’t stop thinking about their griddlecakes wondering how I could make them at home, and maybe even, dare I say, improve them a bit.

Here is the result. These sweet and savory Fresh Corn and Scallion Griddlecakes are full of summer’s best. It’s really important that you use fresh corn, not frozen or canned, but I’m sure those will work in a pinch.  Golden brown and crisp on the edges from the olive oil and topped with a spicy, sweet Maple Jalapeno Mascarpone Cream and real maple syrup, these cakes are something to pile high and eat with gluttonous abandon.

Theirs were good. But, mine are even better.

Fresh Corn and Scallion Griddlecakes with Maple Jalapeno Mascarpone Cream
Yields: Four Servings

Ingredients

• 2  egg whites or 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups cooked corn kernels, (from 2-3 ears)
• 6 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°F.

Whisk egg, buttermilk, 2 teaspoons oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir in corn and scallions. In a separate bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder and baking soda; stir into wet ingredients.

Brush remaining 1 teaspoon oil evenly over a large nonstick skillet; heat over medium heat. Use about 3 tablespoons of batter for each griddlecake. Working in batches, spoon batter into hot skillet and spread into 3-inch rounds. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom and set around the edges, about 2 minutes. Turn the cakes with a spatula and cook until lightly browned on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes more. Make sure to add more olive oil to the griddle before ladling out the batter. Trust me, you want crisp edges.

Transfer griddlecakes to an ovenproof platter, cover loosely with foil and keep warm in the oven until all of the batter is cooked.

Serve hot,  topped with maple jalapeño marscapone cheese and real maple syrup.

Maple Jalapeno Mascarpone Cream

• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (you can choose the remove the seeds and ribs, or if you prefer more heat, leave them in)
• 3 teaspoons real maple syrup

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the minced jalapeno pepper and maple syrup with the mascarpone cheese. If you would like it sweeter, add more syrup. Not spicy enough for you? Throw in another pepper. It’s all up to you.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage and Butternut Squash Stir-fry with Shredded Chicken, Red Peppers, Mango, and Cashews

Perhaps an unexpected combination of vegetables, this salad dances the line between sweet, savory, and sour. Hitting all notes perfectly. The chopped red cabbage provides crunch and a slight bitterness which pairs perfectly with the sweet butternut squash, and bright, juicy mango. In addition, the red pepper creates the slightest bit of spice and further sweetness. It’s all capped off with oodles of crunchy cashews. Of course feel free to make this vegetarian by skipping the chicken, or add any protein you wish.

The unexpected star of this dish is really the red cabbage. Sadly, this is one of the most over-looked vegetables, and is really only eaten in the form of coleslaw often swimming in pools of mayonnaise.  But, its nutritional benefits are great and shouldn’t be dismissed. Part of the cruciferous family of vegetables, (think broccoli, cauliflower) it’s thought to help cleanse and protect the body. Similar to blueberries, red cabbage contains polyphenols which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits to the body.

This stir-fry is truly better than anything you could buy pre-packaged and is exponentially better for you, feeding your body with nutrients it wants and needs. I have to say, this combination is a bit addictive, especially with the addition of the light sweet and sour dressing.  Serve this atop rice noodles.

Crunch, nibble, and happily slurp away!

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage and Butternut Squash Stir-fry with Shredded Chicken, Mango, and Cashews
Adapted from The New York Times
Yields: 4 servings

• 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari
• 1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Heavy pinch ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 pound butternut squash, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 1 cup red bell pepper, julienned
• Salt to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds red cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
• Flesh of one large mango, diced
• 1/2  cup toasted cashews
• Rice noodles for serving

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the tamari, the rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame oil and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the pan, and season to taste with 1 tablespoon of tamari. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken.

Add the remaining oil to the pan. When it is hot, add the butternut squash. Stir-fry until it begins to color, five to eight minutes. Add the bell pepper and sauté for two minutes or until it begins to soften. Add salt to taste, and the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, and add the cabbage. Stir-fry until the squash is tender and the cabbage is crisp-tender, about six minutes, adding about 1/4 cup water to the pan from time to time if the vegetables begin to stick. Return the chicken pieces to the pan.

Stir the sweet and sour dressing, and add to the vegetables. Stir just for a few seconds until they are glazed. Remove from the heat and serve atop rice noodles. Top the stir-fry with mango and cashews.

Quick and Crunchy Zucchini with Almonds and Red Chili

One to thing to note about this effortless recipe is that BH loved it. I know that means zilch to you, but to me, it was a gold star. You see, BH likes pretty much everything I make, which is great, but he rarely uses exclamation points when describing food. But this recipe, with its unexpected smoky crunch, and pops of fiery chili were a hit. Not just with BH, but also to me, who definitely didn’t expect such a simple combination to cause helpings of seconds and thirds. Anyone wondering what to do with their summer glut of zucchini, beyond the usual breads and muffins, should take note and give this a whirl. You’ll make it over and over again, especially in the dead of summer when farmers’ markets and gardens are bursting at the seams with this summer squash. Truly, this recipe is a winner, a definite gold star.

The only time consuming bit is preparing the zucchini, but if you have a mandoline or food processor, it’s a wiz. Toast some chopped almonds, add the red chili flakes, zucchini and sauté until heated through. Season with coarse sea salt and a few grinds of pepper and you’re done.

As a side dish the health benefits of this vegetarian combo are great. Not only is zucchini high in fiber, but it also provides almost your entire recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, tons of vitamin C and potassium. While the almonds almost make you feel as if you’re eating something unhealthy because of their totally satisfying crunch, they are perhaps the most nutritionally important component to this summer dish. These little nuts are chock full of healthy monounsaturated fat, the type your body and cardio system crave to function properly and thrive. They’re full of magnesium and potassium, and also help control blood sugar spikes. One study even found that replacing 20% of dietary calories with almonds led to improved markers of insulin sensitivity and lower cholesterol levels (citation).

But, beyond my soapbox ramble about veggie this and vitamin that, this is a really good dish. I hope you give it a try. It’s BH approved.

Quick and Crunchy Zucchini with Almonds and Red Chili
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced almonds
• Heavy pinch of red chili flakes
• 2 small zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife or julienne blade on a mandoline
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil on high in a large skillet. When it is hot but not smoking, add the almonds to the pan. Cook them, while stirring, until the almonds are golden-brown, approximately a minute or two.  Add the red chili flakes.

Add the zucchini to the pan, tossing it with the oil and almonds until it just begins to glisten, about two to three minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Everyday Chocolate Cake with Melted Chocolate Glaze

This is a cake with an identity crisis. It’s known by dessert enthusiasts as Wacky Cake or Busy Day Chocolate Cake, but to me, its official moniker shall forever be Everyday Chocolate Cake. It takes nothing more than a quick mix right in the cake pan and it’s ready to pop in the oven. Chocolate cake anytime you need to satisfy that gnawing sweet tooth craving–easy peasy. The ingredients are basic, and I’m quite sure you have most, if not all, in your pantry right now waiting to be transformed into this moist chocolate cake swathed in rich, oozing, melted chocolate.

The ingredients, or lack there of, may be a bit different for ardent cake-aholics, but fear not, the lack of eggs and dairy do not hinder the deliciousness of this cake in any way. The secrets to its success, I think, are the inclusion of baking soda and white vinegar which creates lift and make the cake light, as well as instant coffee, which unlocks the inherent chocolately-ness of the cocoa. A special bonus to my vegan readers is that this cake does not contain any animal products. Simply swap out this chocolate glaze for one of your favorite frosting recipes.

This cake was actually made as a back-up in case the low-sugar Raspberry Almond Olive Oil Cake with Agave didn’t turn out. Although this chocolate cake is definitely not low-sugar, it nevertheless hits the major marks of being delicious, effortless, and most important, blessedly chocolate-y.

You’ll notice similar photography techniques–or rather, a total lack there of–to the summery Raspberry Almond Olive Oil Cake, as both were intended for the same birthday picnic. Apologies for the paltry photos and the reappearance of the paper plate; I was only able to get a few shots before we gave in to temptation.

Everyday Chocolate Cake with Melted Chocolate Glaze
Adapted from Mad Hungry

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
• 6 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 cup cold water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8-inch round cake pan, whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, coarse salt, and coffee powder.

Make a well in center of flour mixture and add canola oil, pure vanilla extract, white vinegar, and cold water. Whisk until well combined. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Melted Chocolate Glaze
Yields enough to cover an 8” cake
From: Everyday Food

Ingredients

• 4 ounces coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• pinch of fine sea salt

Directions

Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour over chocolate, add the pinch of sea salt; whisk until smooth. Let cool until thick yet pourable, 2 to 3 minutes.

Cold Udon Noodles with Chinese Greens and Peanut Dressing

I’ve been staring at a bunch of bok choy and Chinese broccoli in my fridge for the past few days. I picked them up from the farmers’ market because I knew I could do something lovely with them, but there they’ve sat, languishing in my crisper drawer waiting to be turned into something delicious. By the time the weekend arrived we had made actual summer-ish plans to take in a free Shakespeare play in the park—complete with bee stings and a pack of hungry coyotes. This recipe was the perfect companion–low maintenance and only gets better the longer it sits. Thinking through different recipes, my mind alighted upon this one, stored deep within the files of my food-addled brain, by Ina Garten, whom I adore (don’t tell Jeffrey…), which called for noodles and a mixture of veg, all bathed in a glorious peanut dressing. While this recipe below definitely draws from the fabulous Contessa’s original, there are a few, but necessary departures to make the noodles really sing and the dish healthier overall.

Cold Udon Noodles with Chinese Greens and Peanut Dressing
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
Yields: 4 very generous servings

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• ½ pound whole wheat udon noodles, or any other whole wheat noodle
• 1 bunch bok choy, chopped
• 1 bunch Chinese broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1/4 generous cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup low-sodium Tamari
• 3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• Juice from half a lime
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
• 1/2 cup smooth all-natural peanut butter
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
• 4 scallions (with and green parts), sliced diagonally
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Sriracha hot sauce to serve, plus more wedges of lime

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the udon and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the bok choy and Chinese broccoli, return to a boil, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until crisp tender. Lift the greens from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain.

For the dressing, whisk together the canola oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.

Combine the udon, bok choy, Chinese broccoli, peppers and scallions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the noodle mixture. Add the remaining 1tablespoon of sesame seeds and the cilantro and toss together. Chill for at least an hour. Serve with Sriracha hot sauce and more lime wedges.

Raspberry Almond Olive Oil Cake with Agave

This cake came out of the need to find a low-sugar dessert for a birthday picnic. Talking through some recipes with a friend, I landed on my Berry Lemon Almond Tea Cakes, which I thought sounded like the perfect summer cake, and could easily be adapted to be low-sugar. This new version, is simply an adaptation of a previous recipe, but made with agave syrup instead of raw sugar.

Agave syrup is a naturally derived sweetener from the agave plant native to Mexico; it tastes comparable to honey, although not as sharp, and with major hits of toasted malt. But what makes agave syrup different (and fantastic) is that it has a significantly lower glycemic index compared to granulated sugar/raw sugar, etc., meaning that for those trying to watch their sugar/carb consumption because of diabetes or even just weight management, agave syrup offers a natural sweetener without spiking blood sugar. While it’s definitely not a “free” food, it can be viewed as a healthier alternative for those trying to watch their sugar intake, without resorting to chemical artificial sweeteners—which seriously shouldn’t be classified as “food”.

The take-away from my long-winded ramble above is that agave works perfectly as a good low-sugar option for baked goods, as long as you know the ratio, which is pretty simple. Just use 2/3 cup of agave syrup for every 1 cup of granulated sugar, reduce other liquids in whatever you’re baking by ¼ cup to account for the added liquid coming from the agave syrup, lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees and bake. This cake is proof that this substitution works well and the result of this birthday cake experiment is a gloriously light almond cake punctuated with intense bursts of sweet and tart raspberries. Dollop with some homemade unsweetened almond whipped cream (whip cream until you have soft peaks, add ¼ teaspoon of pure almond extract and stir to combine—dollop on top of cake).

Apologies over the absolutely terrible—and only—shot of the cake. It was, after all, meant for a birthday picnic, and this was the only shot I could get—paper plate and all.

Raspberry Almond Olive Oil Cake with Agave
Adapted from London Bakes via my Berry Lemon Almond Tea Cakes
Yields: 1- 8” cake

Ingredients

• 4 medium eggs
• 1/3 cup agave syrup
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour/almond meal
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Almond whipped cream to serve

Baking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300F and grease, flour, and line your cake pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs and agave syrup until the mixture is light and fluffy and has tripled in size (approx.10 minutes). Add the olive oil and vanilla and continue to whisk until it has been incorporated. Remove from stand mixer if using. Carefully fold the whole wheat flour and almond flour into the mixture with a rubber spatula, trying not to lose any of the air. Finally fold in the raspberries and lemon zest. Carefully pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake for approximately 35-45 minutes, until sides of cake begin to pull away from pan and toothpick comes out clean. Serve with almond whipped cream dolloped on top.