Mother's Day Strawberry/Blueberry Muffins



What better treat for mom on Mother's Day -- or any day -- than home baked muffins with strawberries and blueberries?

They're simple and take only minutes to mix up a batch.

Here's how:

Ingredients

1 c chopped fresh strawberries
1/2 c fresh blueberries
2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c dark brown sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/8 t kosher salt
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 c half and half

Sanding sugar to top muffins before baking


Process

Preheat oven to 375F
Fill large muffin cups with paper liners, or coat well with melted butter.

1. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt).
2. Mix and beat gently wet ingredients (egg, half and half, oil)
3. Add berries to dry ingredients, mix gently and coat well

4. Add wet ingredients to dry, mix well.
5. Fill muffin cups

6. Top each muffin with sanding sugar (about 1/8 t)

7. Bake for 25 -30 mins @ 375F or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out dry.


Added tips:
1. You can use frozen blueberries, but be sure they are completely defrosted and drained well before mixing into batter.
2. You can use milk instead of half and half for a lighter muffin. We like half and half because it adds a creaminess to the muffin.
3. You can use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar.
4. You can add rolled oats to batter (1/3 c) to give the muffins even more heft.

What is sanding sugar?
Sanding sugar is a fancy topping for baked goods. It's clear and sparkling, comes in many colors, and doesn't melt in the oven. It adds a wonderful sweetness to every bite of your muffins (and pies). Available in most specialty food stores, or online.





Arriba! Arriba! Cinco de Mayo! Fiesta Rolls!

Spice up your Cinco de Mayo feast with these awesome veggie treats that go from the hors d'oeuvre table to the dinner table ... They take less than 30 minutes to prepare, and just need a few hours in the 'fridge before serving. Serve with your favorite spicy salsa and guacamole. Makes four rolls, approximately 32 pieces.

Ingredients
One package of large ("burrito size") flour tortillas
Two containers (approx. 10 oz each) red pepper hummus
One green bell pepper, minced finely*
One yellow or red sweet pepper, minced finely*
One medium sweet onion, minced finely*
3 carrots, minced finely*
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced finely*

*Can be processed (separately) in food processor; drain of any water before mixing together

Process
1. After mincing/draining veggies, measure out same amount of each ingredient and mix together.

2. Spread hummus thinly on large tortilla (approximately 1-2 tbsp. per tortilla)

3. Sprinkle with vegetable mixture.

4. Roll tightly.

5. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2-3 hours.
6. Unwrap, cut on diagonal.
7. Serve with your favorite Mexican tomato salsa. Delicioso!

Cinco de Mayo Muffins


Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with these easy muffins. Here's how:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Ingredients

1 package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
3 T chopped red pimiento pepper
1/2 c Mexican cheddar cheese
1/3 c whole kernel corn
1/4 t red pepper flakes or 1 T chopped jalapeño pepper
1/3 c half and half
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Process

1. Mix the half and half and egg, add the corn muffin mix.
2. Add the pimiento, corn kernels, cheese and jalapeño.
3. Mix until just blended.
4. Bake in lined muffin cups for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Top and serve with butter for an extra creamy texture.









Happy Easter!

Irish Soda Bread

Nothing more delicious than a hunk of Irish soda bread slathered with some authentic Irish butter. This is our "from scratch" loaf, hot from the oven, baked fresh this morning.

May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be forever at your back!


Curried Lentil Soup with Kielbasa

An oldie but goodie - snow day = soup day!

Enjoy!

We woke to mountains of white billowy drifts of snow this morning, some as high as five feet. Cars and shrubs were covered, and picket fences that yesterday separated us from neighboring yards were blanketed by snow. The landscape was punctuated only by the tiny red bows on our trees, vestiges of holiday color.

After a few hours of clearing and digging out, hot and spicy curried lentil soup seemed the perfect foil to 18 new inches of snow, in what is becoming a record-breaking winter.  This soup is filled with hearty, complex flavor, and its aromas filled the house in late afternoon. 

Ingredients

1 16-oz. bag dried lentils, looked over and rinsed with cold water
8 cups cold water
2 cans beef broth (about 3 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped (including some with celery leaves, minced)
4 large carrots, chopped
1 smoked ham hock
1 bay leaf
1 lb. Polish beef kielbasa, cut in 1/2" "half moons"
4 cloves minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
One package "Tasty Bite" chickpeas (seasoned with cumin and ginger)*

* Available at Costco   (www.costco.com)



To water and beef broth, add lentils, ham hock, vegetables, kielbasa, and all other ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer for 1-1/2 hours, partially covered and stirring every 15-20 minutes.  During last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in chickpeas.


When peas are thoroughly heated, serve with French bread and salad.

Top food trend for 2018

Click on this link to read the complete story:

Fermented foods oust seeds as top food trend for 2018

According to a report just published by the Specialty Food Association, fermented foods ousted seeds as the No. 1 superfood for 2018, according to Pollock Communications' and Today's Dietitian's survey of registered dietitian nutritionists. The rise of fermented foods, such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, tempeh, some pickles, kimchi and miso, signal that consumers in the coming year will move towards clean, natural, and simple foods as they seek options that improve gut health and overall well-being.
Rounding out the Top 10 superfoods for 2018 are avocado, seeds, nuts, green tea, ancient grains, kale, exotic fruits, coconut products, and salmon. The survey also revealed that clean eating, plant-based and ketogenic are “in” as diet trends for 2018, while low-fat, dash, and wheat belly are out. 
"The movement toward clean eating reflects a change in how consumers view food," notes Jenna A. Bell, PhD, RD, SVP of Pollock Communications. "Consumers are searching for nutrition information and equating diet with overall well-being." As an example, Bell points out that the quick rise of fermented foods in the top 10 superfood list shows that consumers have expanded their definition of wellness to include benefits like gut health. "It also suggests that consumers are digging deeper for information about the food they eat and in this instance, finding out why yogurt, kefir or kimchi is so good for them."