Grapefruit yogurt cake-muffins

It’s a proven dilemma – whenever there’s work to be done, distractions are not easy to pass by. And baked goods are high on the list of distractions.

Although I’m busy busy busy right now – I found time to indulge in recipe research, baking and…eating!

Recipe adapted from http://www.bakeaholic.ca/cakes/grapefruit-yogurt-cake/

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain whole-milk or low fat plain yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3 teaspoons grated grapefruit zest (approximately one large grapefruit)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12-muffin pan

2) Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, grapefruit zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the coconut oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the muffin slots and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Then:

3) Cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a small pan until they partly mix. Set aside.

4) Take muffins out, let them cool for about 10 mins then apply a bit of the drizzle to each muffin (for further moisturizing)

Enjoy! I can confidently say that this is my best attempt at “scrumptious muffins” yet!

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French Toast with Honey-Almond Roasted Apples and Smoked Gouda

The breakfast/brunch adventures continue.

Favorite cheese? check.

Good bread? check.

Apples? check.

The french toast combo is nothing short of dreamy.

Having made it just this morning, I suppose I’ll be reminiscing for a while. It’s definitely one of the best breakfast treats in my experience.

Confession: I didn’t use French bread for the toast. “Three seed bread” fit the role surprisingly well! I loved having the poppy, sesame and flax seeds as part of the creation. Make sure you do use fresh, rustic bread (french or not) – it’s the main player!

For 2 servings: 

• 2 apples, peeled and sliced (I used Gala)
• Honey (however much you want but I’d say 2 tbsp should do it)
• 1 tbsp unsalted rich butter, melted (rich is a subjective term, what I mean is decent, non fake butter)
• 1/4 cup crumbled almonds (in food processor)

Toss the sliced apples with honey, butter and crumbled almonds in a baking dish. Roast for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F, stirring every 10 minutes to reduce liquid.

Meanwhile, as the apples roast, prepare the french toast.

• 4 slices bread
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• smoked Gouda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 tbsp butter

Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla. Heat ~ a tbsp of butter on a  skillet over medium heat. Dip 2 slices of bread into egg mixture, fry them both. Flip over when bottom of slice is golden. Then place the cheese on one of the slices, letting it soften up but not quite melt. Take the slices off the skillet when golden on both sides. Repeat with the remaining two slices. Once apples are done, add them in, and make a french toast sandwich of sorts.

Enjoy!!!

Idea from http://www.sweetsugarbean.com/2013/02/honey-roasted-apple-brie-stuffed-french.html

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Blini and blintchiki! (Блины)

Maslenitsa is in full swing – just the time to post my recent find of a recipe for blini! For some fun company at the stove, I tuned in to a Russian radio station. Dancing and singing along ensued, of course!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 – 1.75 cups all purpose flour (sifted, no lumps!!)
• 2 cups milk (the less fat, the better. skim is best)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp condensed milk (ehh, optional)
• 1 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• part of a stick of butter, for greasing the skillet

1. Mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add milk and eggs, mix thoroughly together –> get rid of lumps! I just used a whisk. Add the oil and the condensed milk, mix. Put in the refrigerator for ~10 mins.
2. Heat skillet on high, melt a bit of the butter, spread it over the surface. Pour about a ladle size of batter into the pan, swirl it around, but not too much – be careful not to make them too thin. You’ll get a feel for how much batter to use after the first few times. Fry each side for ~2 mins, or until a golden blush with a bit of crustiness is visible. Grease the skillet as you deem necessary.

It’s common to stuff the blin with pre-made filling, package it up into a tight envelope, and then devour it. That’s called blintchiki. They’re so inviting, warm, delicious, homey!   

I like to munch on a plain blin while the rest are in queue…I start out by ripping away a tiny piece for sampling and moments later the whole thing is gone.

Filling suggestions (both savory and sweet options):

• Farmer’s cheese + preserves 
• mix of sauteed cabbage + boiled egg
• cooked ground meat + sauteed onion
• sauteed mushrooms
• preserves + sour cream
• mashed potato + sauteed mushrooms + sauteed onion

To make the stuffed blintchiki, fry the blin on one side then flip it over, fill it up on the golden side then package it as a square envelope so that the uncooked part is on the outside. Finish frying the blin on both sides as a package.

Yum yum yum!!! I had blini for lunch and dinner today! Very satisfied!

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Hearty Banana Pancakes

This morning, I finally had some leisure time to prepare a satisfying breakfast! I’ve been craving pancakes for a while.

The recipe makes about ten pancakes. There’s no pressure to use bananas – mash up some blueberries and add those instead; see what happens! I just like how an occasional chunk of berry lightens up the pancake density. But bananas, on the other hand, add to the consistency.

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour  (can do  3 /4 cup whole wheat and 3/4 cup all-purpose)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 cup milk, 2% or whole
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt.

2. Mash the bananas in a separate bowl. Add the honey, vanilla extract, milk, egg –> mix. Make a well in the four mixture, pour in the wet mixture. Combine thoroughly. Presence of lumps is expected – from the bananas.

3. Make the pancakes! Don’t forget to grease the pan and turn one over when most of the surface has bubbles. They cook through pretty well.

Suggested toppings that complement the banana flavor: 

• Fig butter, fresh strawberries. toasted almonds, honey or agave nectar, sour cream (in the top picture, the sour cream +honey are in between the two stacked pancakes)
• Honey and Greek yogurt

 

 

 

 

 

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Lemon Ricotta Berry Muffins

My first time baking with Ricotta cheese – a tub of it was wasting away in my fridge, begging for a cooking experiment.

Good news! These are the best muffins I’ve ever made! They’re perfect – in form, texture, taste. However, please excuse the excess of butter…try these out and in the meantime I’ll try to come up with an alternative, healthier version 🙂

Recipe makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white granulated sugar
Zest of two lemons
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup ricotta cheese (whole or part-skim is fine)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

some brown sugar to make the tops crustier
~1 cup berries – blackberries, blueberries or cranberries

****The batter was a bit dry and sticky when I started mixing in the flour. I just moistened the mixture with milk, eyeing the amount added. Or one could try using another egg in the recipe…It might’ve been fine without the extra moisture, but I was worried. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the muffin cups so that batter doesn’t stick. (Ha! Butter & batter)

2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk together, set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest, rubbing them together with your fingers. This is fun and then the sugar turns yellow! I do love the scent of the lemon when grating for the zest.

4. Beat the butter, lemon zest and sugar together until light and fluffy ~ 2 mins ~ with an electric mixer. Make sure butter is at room temp or it will clump!! Add ricotta, beat until blended in. Add egg, lemon juice, vanilla. Beat to mix.

5. Add in dry mixture that was set aside in step 2. Mix until blended! Fill each muffin cup halfway with batter, add in berries, then cover on top with a bit of batter. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Slide in the oven for ~2o mins.

It’s recommended to let these beauties cool for five minutes but let me warn you about the dangerously inviting smell that surfaces in the kitchen during the bake time…

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Scrumptious Blueberry Muffins

Tomorrow I’ll be embarking on a two day road trip to Pittsburgh. All day I’ve been lazying around, not doing anything even remotely related to packing. Tonight will be busy, that’s for sure.

Now is the perfect time to bake delish blueberry muffins for an energy boosting second breakfast in the car.

Blueberry-Almond Muffins, makes 12 servings

Very quick and easy.

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup whole almonds, then chopped finely
• 2 tbsp wheat germ (sneaking it into baking!)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk (1%)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• I also added 2 tbsp lingonberry preserves, just because

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly coat a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray or butter.

2. Combine, whisk together the flour, almonds, wheat germ, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, egg, oil, and vanilla.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the milk mixture. Stir until just blended. Then gently add in the blueberries (and lingonberry if you want). Pour batter into pan.

4. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean – approx. 20 mins.

 

 

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Healthy Blueberry Oat Scones

I absolutely adore blueberries. I can eat a whole pint at once, and if I have some of that Horizon 1% Organic milk along with them, I’m in heaven.

http://bartlettsblueberryfarm.com/BlueberryFacts.html

These scones are so good. And so healthy. I make these so often that I like to call them my *signature scones. I’d like to share the delight with you since, in my opinion, everyone should get to enjoy a nice blueberry scone without feeling guilty or worrying about calories…fat…cholesterol and what not.

Blueberries = antioxidants.

Almonds = Vitamin E! Which is essential for clear, beautiful skin.

Oats = fiber.

No butter!

So here it is, da da dum:

1 cup whole oats, ground (you can use Quaker oats, just not the quick oatmeal ones)

1 cup whole wheat flour (if you can find it, use whole wheat pastry flour)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup low fat plain or vanilla yogurt (Stonyfield french vanilla is my favorite for this recipe!)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 pint blueberries (add however many you want, the more, the merrier!)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Almonds, however many you want, I like whole almonds in there

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F & lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray to prevent sticking
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and almonds
3.  In a different bowl, stir together the yogurt and oil and lemon juice
4.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yogurt mixture. Add the blueberries and stir until just blended. The mixture should not be watery.
5. Drop on baking sheet, sizes may vary – depends on how big you want your scones to be. Bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 mins

Should make about 12 scones, depending on how big yours are.

Enjoy the lovelys! Now you know that the word scone does NOT have to be synonymous with buttery “bad-for-you”.

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