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.

Summer Squash "Linguini" with Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Basil

I've been making delicious and light lunches every day this week and I find that my day is so much more satisfying that way. Today I made a delicious and healthy dish that I can see myself making many times in the future - and it is one that is so simple as to be easily modified to fit whatever you have in the house.

Fresh, tasty and green
Everything's better with cheese
Even in summer

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
• 3 small green zucchini, julienned
• 3 small yellow zucchini, julienned
• 1/4 cup jullienned fresh basil
• 5 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and saute until the outside is golden and the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon into a bowl, cover to keep warm and set aside. Drain all but 1 Tbsp of oil from pan.
2. Add butter to pan. Add shallot and saute until it becomes soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
3. Add chicken broth; then add zucchini and saute for about 3-4 minutes or just until soft. Remove from heat.
4. Add chicken and basil, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Divide among four individual dinner plates and top with the crumbled goat cheese.
5. Serve immediately.

I didn't have any salt on hand, but I used chicken broth, which I assume is salty enough. I also cooked the zucchini a little bit longer than the recipe called for since my slices weren't as thin as I would have liked.

Recipe from Mariel's Kitchen.

What to do with those avocados that are getting too soft.

For lunch the other day, I pulled out the produce drawer to find unused produce from previously planned meals. Lunch was a thrown-together last-minute salad that I only post here because of the colors. And because of the dressing.

Leftovers for lunch
Only minutes to prepare
Green is healthy, right?

Ingredients

• Asparagus that didn't get eaten the night before
• Mushrooms that you didn't need for your pizza and put back in the fridge
• Lettuce that one can never seem to finish all of before it wilts
• 1 Avocado
• 1/2 a lime
• Water
• Pepper
• Goat Cheese

1. Lightly steam the asparagus
2. Blend the avocado, lime, and a couple of tablespoons of water in a blender.
3. Chill the asparagus briefly (a few minutes in the freezer will do it)
4. Put lettuce, mushrooms and asparagus in a bowl
5. Top with the avocado dressing, pepper and goat cheese.

This would be more typical of a spring or early summer meal, but since we have scarcely had a summer, I think it is right in season.

Goat Cheese Croquettes

Three cheers for more ways to eat goat cheese!  This one is fried with shallots and honey.  It is most delicious spread on bread as an appetizer!

Who doesn't like cheese?

Why not try a new method -

And enjoy it MORE!

Ingredients

• 1 4oz log of goat cheese, frozen
• 1 shallot
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• Honey
• Olive oil

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add sliced shallot (separating each ring) and cook until shallot is glistening, and starting to brown.
2. Remove from heat, drain on paper towel and set aside.
3. Cut goat cheese log into four pieces (1 oz each).
4. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and cover a piece of the goat cheese in egg.
5. Dredge the same piece in panko crumbs, being sure to cover it completely.
6. In a pan with heated oil, immediately start frying the panko covered goat cheese, 2-3 minutes on each side.
7. On a serving plate, drizzle honey, sprinkle fried shallots, and top with fried goat cheese.  Drizzle a bit of honey on top and serve immediately!

The next time I make these, I think I'll keep the goat cheese soft and try it without the egg.  (I like fewer steps).  I also think I'll sprinkle them with freshly ground pepper before drizzling them with honey.  I also might make a honey-balsalmic sauce for the plate.  I'll let you know how it turns out!

Recipe from East Village Kitchen.

Datiles con Tocino

These little tidbits are delicious.  They are not quick to make, but I don't know anyone who doesn't like them!

Tasty tiny treats

Datiles con tocino

Worth all the effort!

Ingredients:

• 12 plump dates
• 6 strips of bacon
• 12 Marcona almonds
• Valdeon cheese (a spanish blue cheese)

1. Slice the dates in half an remove the pit.
2. Replace the pit in each date with an almond and a little bit of the cheese.
3. 
4. Close up each date and roll each one in half a slice of stretched bacon.
   
5. In a bit of olive oil or butter, fry the bacon wrapped dates, turning consistently (approx 2 minutes on each side).
6. Remove the dates from the pan to a plate covered in paper towels to soak off some of the grease.
7. Insert a toothpick into each date and serve after cooling a few minutes.

The dates are supposed to be deep fried for a more consistent cook.  Do as you please!

Recipe from Seamus Mullen, chef at Boqueria, NYC.

Paella

Paella is such a versatile dish and can be made to anybody's tastes.  This dish served four with leftovers and followed a table of tapas.

A family-style meal

Sparks lively conversation

Colorful; Hearty.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, cut in wedges
• 6 oz medium button or cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1/8 tsp saffron threads
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 4 fresh plum tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 can, or 6 thawed (from frozen) artichoke hearts, quartered
• 8 sea scallops
• 8 black mussels
• 8 shrimp

1. Steam the rice according to directions.  Set aside.
2. Add oil to a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and saute until onion is soft and mushrooms have given up most of their liquid, stirring often, 5 - 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Stir in saffron, paprika, cayenne, and bay leaf.  Stir in onion mixture, rice, tomatoes, zucchini, and artichoke hearts.  Return to a simmer, cover, reduce heat, and cook until rice has absorbed liquid, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, steam the mussels and the shrimp while pan-searing the scallops.
5. Add the scallops and shrimp to the rice mixture, cover and let sit 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.  Gently fluff with a fork to combine.
7. Serve topped with mussels and lemon wedges.

This dish can be altered by adding sausage or chicken, edamame, or serving it as a vegetarian dish of just vegetables!  Adding a red bell pepper to the onion mixture would also be delicious.  

Recipe adapted from Mariel's Kitchen.

Slumming It with Cupcakes from a Box

As if making cupcakes from a box isn't unappetizing enough on its own, my sister and I had fun with some unique cupcake decorating for my birthday this year.

Cupcakes from a box - 

Not a bit of nutrition!

Good for the spirit.

Biting into a lemon cupcake that says "pink eye" without being grossed out reminds me a bit of the Stroop Task used by psychologists to test directed attention. As weird as it seemed, we had no problem enjoying them.

Thank you Pillsbury and Betty Crocker!