Carrot Currant Muffins

Aside from grating the carrots without a food processor, these muffins were easy to make and absolutely delicious. I'll try to save some to share!

Colorful and warm,
Healthier than carrot cake
These are great ALL day!

Ingredients:

• Nonstick spray (or paper muffin cups)
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar (or Xylosweet)
• 1 cup (packed) freshly grated carrot
• 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly spray muffin cups with nonstick spray.
2. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and spices in a medium-sized bowl. Crumble in the brown sugar, rubbing it in a bit with your fingers until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Stir in the granulated sugar if you like your muffins on the sweet side.
3. Place the grated carrot in a second bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and currants, and mix with a fork. Use the fork to beat in the milk, egg, and vanilla. Slowly pour this mixture, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or a rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Don't overmix; a few lumps are okay.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, then remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Sunlight Cafe, Mollie Katzen.

Pumpkin Pie Dog Biscuits

These little dog biscuits are perfect for Thanksgiving and smell great. And making these cookies yourself is a lot more affordable than buying the organic ones from a bakery or pet supply store!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup natural unsalted peanut butter
• 1/4 cup filtered water

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.
   
2. Measure the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger into a mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
3. Make a well in the flour and add the canola oil. Mix at medium speed with a spatula or paddle attachment. Add the pumpkin and peanut butter, and stir until combined.
4. Add the water all at once and mix until dough forms and all the ingredients are combined.
5. Turn the dough out onto a slightly floured surface and gently knead until dough is smooth and soft. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick, and cut the biscuits into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
6. Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes until they are dry and firm to the touch. Turn the oven off and leave the biscuits in another 20-30 minutes. Remove them from the oven, cool them on a cooling rack, and store them in a cookie tin.

Recipe from The Everything Cooking for Dogs Book, Lisa Fortunato.

Warm Autumn White Bean Salad

For those of you who, like me, prefer their salads without lettuce, here is a nice one for the fall.

A yummy side dish
A salad without lettuce
Ready in a pinch.

Ingredients:

• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 small red, orange or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Toss all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Serve at room temperature, or chill to save for later!

The recipe calls for salt as well, but I found it unnecessary. And as you can see by my picture, the basil and tomatoes are not finely chopped. Delicious eaten on its own, this salad is also quite delicious with corn tortilla chips.

Recipe taken from Mariel Hemingway's book Mariel's Kitchen.

Cauliflower, Leek and Chevre Jack Cheese Soup

Soup! It is that time of year again! It is also that time of year to find new ways to eat cauliflower. This one was very easy, used a ton of the seasonal vegetables I had gotten in my CSA box and has been good as a leftover dish all week!

Who doesn't like soup?!
It is likely my favorite -
Comforting and warm.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
• 2 medium organic carrots, chopped
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp finely chopped thyme
• 1 pound cauliflower florets, chopped
• 4 cups quality organic vegetable or chicken broth
• 4 oz chevre jack-style cheese, shredded
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, and celery and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add cauliflower and broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is very tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Puree mixture in the work bowl of a food processor or blender. Return to pot over very low heat. Add cheese and continue cooking just until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

I didn't puree the entire pot of soup, leaving it a little chunky, which was nice. This was really good with sweet potato fries and salad . When microwaving leftovers, add a few bits of grated cheese to the top once it is hot.

Recipe taken from Mariel Hemingway's book Mariel's Kitchen.

Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps

This was a really delicious meal that I might make again - though I rarely eat pork, and the preparation actually took quite a while. Eating them was a little messy too!

Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps
When take-out's not an option
Exotic at home!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb organic fresh ground pork
• 2 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp white rice
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings
• 3 Tbsp juice from 2 limes
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 head Bibb lettuce, washed and dried, leaves separated and left whole

1. In a medium bowl, mix the ground pork with the fish sauce. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.
2. Heat rice in small skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool 5 minutes. Grind in a mortar and pestle until it resembles a fine meal.
3. Bring broth to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently, until about half of the pork is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tsp rice powder over pork; continue to cook, stirring constantly until the remaining pork is no longer pink, 2 minutes longer. Transfer pork to a large bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes.
4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce, remaining 2 tsp rice powder, shallots, lime juice, sugar, red pepper flakes, mint, and cilantro to the pork; toss to combine. Serve with lettuce leaves.

The original recipe calls for pork tenderloin and requires you to grind it yourself. (Do this by cutting it into chunks, freezing until firm (about 15 minutes) and then pulsing it in a food processor.) I thought the recipe would have been better with slightly less fish sauce and slightly less sugar. The former was quite salty and the latter too sweet. I liked the taste of the mind and cilantro to come through fresher. It is very important to use fresh limes since bottled lime juice has an unnaturally tangy flavor.

Recipe found in Cook's Illustrated, October 2009.

Pinneapple Coconut Ginger Muffins

For using up that crystallized ginger you bought months ago for another recipe in here (the pine nut polenta cookies?), here is a great recipe for mini muffins that freeze really well.

Pinneapple muffins
Breakfast or dessert
Children love them too!

Ingredients:

• Nonstick spray
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup finely minced crystallized ginger
• 2/3 cups coconut milk (regular or low-fat)
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp canned crushed pineapple packed in juice, undrained
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray mini muffin tray with nonstick spray.
2. Combine the flower, salt, baking powder, sugar, powdered ginger, and coconut in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Add the minced crystallized ginger and stir it around until coated. Then comb through the mixture with your fingers, picking up the larger pieces of ginger and snipping them into smaller pieces with scissors. The ginger should be in bits the size of currants.
4. Measure the 2/3 cup coconut milk into a 4-cup liquid measure, then add the pineapple with its juice and the egg and vanilla. Beat gently with a fork or a small whisk until smooth.
5. Slowly pour this mixture, along with the butter, into the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or a rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Don't overmix; a few lumps are okay.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, then remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

I had a fresh pineapple that I wanted to use, so I chopped that up into very small pieces and it worked out splendidly. The shredded coconut I used was unsweetened, but it didn't seem to matter as these muffins were so flavorful without the added sugar!

Recipe taken from Molly Katzen's book Sunlight Cafe.

Ginger-Pear Mini-Muffins

As the weather turns cold - I find it is time for mini-muffins again!

Though these muffins aren't much to look at (they're kind of bland-looking, aren't they?), they are really tasty, and definitely are muffins I'll make again.

Mini Muffins are...
Reasons to use the oven,
Drink tea, and relax.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely chopped ripe pear
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup very finely minced crystallized ginger
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 to 3 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly spray mini muffin tray with nonstick spray.
2. Place the chopped pear in a shallow dish, drizzle with the lemon juice, and set aside.
3. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the minced crystallized ginger, then comb through the mixture with your fingers to seek out any larger pieces. Cut them into even smaller pieces with scissors. (This is far easier to do when they are coated with flour. Ideally, each bit of ginger should end up about the size of a rolled oat flake).
4. Measure the 1 cup buttermilk into a 2-cup liquid measure. Add the egg, fresh ginger, and vanilla, and beat gently with a fork or a small whisk until smooth.
5. Slowly pour this mixture, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or a rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Don't overmix; a few lumps are okay.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, then remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe taken from Mollie Katzen's Book Sunlight Cafe.