Deviled Eggs with Smoked Paprika

The weather here has finally begun to warm up and it's actually beginning to feel a bit more like summer. Last month the heater popped on once or twice which had me wondering if it was going to feel like March forever.

When it does heat up outside, I'm less inclined to get up in the morning to cook, preferring instead "prepared" food. This morning this took the form of deviled eggs which I put together last night. They were incredibly easy to make and a delicious start to the day.

6 hard boiled eggs, shells removed
2-3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp sliced chives
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
salt, to taste, if needed

extra sliced chives and smoked paprika, for garnish

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and place them into a small bowl.

To the yolks add two tablespoons of mayonnaise (to start), chives, paprika, anchovy paste, mustard and lemon pepper. Mash everything together with a fork until well blended.

If the mixture seems too dry, then add more mayonnaise until you get a consistency you like.

Taste and add salt if necessary. The anchovy paste usually provides enough salt.

Divide the deviled yolk mixture evenly between the egg whites by dropping it into the cavities left by the egg yolks.

Garnish with chopped chives and a small sprinkling of smoked paprika, if desired.

Hot Cross Buns

(1 dozen)

These hot cross buns are light, fluffy and moist. I love cardamom and that's the dominant spice here, but you could replace that with more cinnamon, if you prefer.

I like to soak the currants and citrus peel overnight in juice until they plump up. This helps keep these buns nice and moist in case you don't inhale all of them when they first come fresh out of the oven.

buns
3/4 cup currants
1/4 cup candied citrus peel, chopped (optional)
1/3 cup apple, orange or cranberry juice
1 1/3 cup milk
1/4 lb unsalted butter, (1 stick)
3 tbsp honey
about 4 cups bread flour, divided
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground dried ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 large egg at room temperature

The day before you plan on making the buns, combine the currants and chopped citrus peel in a small bowl. Stir in the juice and cover with wrap.  Leave overnight until the fruit has plumped up.

Heat the milk taking care it doesn't come to a boil. Cut up the butter and stir into the hot milk. Add the honey. Stir until most of the butter has melted and the milk has cooled to lukewarm. Set aside.

Combine 3 2/3 cups flour, yeast, cardamom, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a large bowl until well mixed. Make a well in the center and set aside.

Whisk the egg into the milk and butter mixture, then pour this into the well of the flour mixture. Drain the currants and citrus peel and add this to the bowl as well.

Stir the mixture together until you have a soft sticky dough. Add small amounts of flour to this mixture until you have a soft but very tacky dough that you can knead for about 5 minutes. Take care not to add too much flour. Grease your hands, if needed to prevent the dough from sticking too much.

When the dough looks smooth and elastic, return to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave on the counter until the dough has doubled in volume; about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and place into a lightly buttered  9" x 13" baking dish, 3 balls by 4 balls.

Cover and allow to rise again until doubled in volume; about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

egg wash
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk

Whip together the egg yolk and milk with a fork. Carefully brush the mixture over the tops of the buns.

flour mixture for crosses
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp water

Combine the flour and water. Stir until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Place the mixture into a small plastic bag. Snip off the corner, taking care not to cut off too much.

Pipe crosses on the buns. The flour mixture will spread a bit.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 25-35 minutes or until the tops have browned and the interior temperature reaches about 195°F.

Vegan Apple and Asian Pear Crisp

I've just returned from Canada. I was there for the Canadian Thanksgiving, and made several vegan dishes for that feast. One of these was a huge apple crisp with the apples tossed in a caramel sauce. The kids loved it, although I thought it turned out a tad too sweet. This version contains less sugar and vegan buttery spread (no caramel sauce). I also tossed in some juicy organic Asian pears grown here in Sequim.

A small 1.5 liter casserole dish (7x7x3) is ideal for this crisp. It has a smaller surface, so the ratio of apples to crisp topping is greater. A good thing for those watching their waistlines. No worries if you don't have this particular dish (turns out it's vintage), use an 8x8x2 inch pan instead.

apples and pears
about 2 lbs of apples and Asian pears combined
1 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp apple or orange juice

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Core then, cut the apples and Asian pears into large chunks; about 1 1/2 inches. You don't need to peel them first. Place the fruit into a bowl and sprinkle with the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and juice. Toss.

Place the mixture into a small 7x7x3 or 8x8x2 baking dish. Set aside.

crisp topping
1/4 cup regular rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp "buttery" vegan spread
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Place the rolled oats, whole wheat pastry flour, brown sugar, vegan spread and cinnamon into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly.

Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apple and pear mixture.

Bake for about an hour or until the top has browned nicely and the apple mixture has begun to bubble.

This crisp is best served warm or at room temperature.

Scotch Eggs

(6 servings)

Scotch eggs are wonderful for breakfast, brunch or an afternoon snack. I've even had them at a local pub for dinner.

I believe their success depends mainly on the type of sausage meat you use. My butcher offers a wonderful lean breakfast style sausage which is delicious on its own and fantastic when used in this recipe.

6 medium eggs
1 1/4 lb bulk lean turkey or pork sausage
3 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp mustard
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1-2 tbsp coconut oil (or high temperature oil) for frying

mustard for serving

Place the eggs in a pot (with a tight fitting lid) and fill with enough cold water to cover them by about an inch.

On the stove top, heat the water until it just begins to simmer, then cover the pot, remove from heat and allow to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. I used medium sized eggs and when the dish was finished the yolks were still slightly soft. Adjust the time accordingly if you prefer your yolks softer or harder or if your eggs are larger or smaller.

Drain the eggs and run cold water over them. Crack the shells and peel the eggs. Set aside.

In a bowl combine the sausage meat, parsley, sage, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Divide the mixture into six even pieces.

Flatten the meat into an oval and place an egg in the middle. Carefully wrap the meat around the egg and press until the edges are completely sealed. It's worth spending extra time for this step because the meat will shrink somewhat while it's frying and if the edges haven't been sealed adequately, they will pop open.

Heat the oil in a large skillet with a lid. Fry the scotch eggs over a medium high flame for about 7-9 minutes or until they are evenly browned on all sides. Cover the skillet and reduce the flame to about medium. Cook for about 9-12 minutes or until the meat is thoroughly cooked. About midway through turn the scotch eggs over.

Serve with mustard.

Mango & Blueberry Sour Cream Crisp (Gluten free)

(4-6 servings)

This crisp is similar to the nectarine pie I made last year. The sour cream cream mixture forms a custard of sorts as it bakes; it's very nice with a variety of fruits or berries.

Serve this crisp warm or at room temperature.

fruit filling
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt
3 cups mango, diced (2 large mangoes)
1 cup blueberries, washed and sorted

streusel topping
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
3 tbsp cold butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Butter an 8 inch square baking dish and set aside.

Whisk together the sour cream, egg, honey, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add the mango and blueberries and toss until they are evenly coated. Set aside.

Combine the almond flour, rice flour, sliced almonds, sucanat and butter in a small bowl with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of petite peas.

Spread the fruit and sour cream mixture evenly  in the prepared baking dish. Top with the streusel mixture.

Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and continue to bake another 35-45 minutes or until the top has browned nicely and the filling is bubbling hot.

Mixed Fruit Flaugnarde (Gluten Free)

(6 servings)

A clafoutis contains cherries, but when fruit other than cherries is used, this dish becomes a flaugnarde. I had no idea.

I've adapted this recipe from Julia Child's clafoutis on Epicurious. The primary changes I made were using mixed fruit in place of the cherries, making it gluten free and adjusting the ingredients a bit to fit a 9 inch pie dish.

Flaugnarde is often served as dessert, but I thought this was wonderful for brunch. Fortunately I have a counter top convection oven which doesn't increase the temperature in my kitchen; kind of a necessity in this heat.

1 cup and 2 tbsp milk
3 tbsp honey
4 eggs

1 tbsp rum or vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup rice flour

2 tbsp coconut flour
2 1/2 cups mixed fruit and/or berries (cut up), I used a combination of mango, peach, plum and blueberries

1 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch pie dish. Set aside.

In a blender, process the milk, honey, eggs, rum, salt and flours until you have a smooth batter.

Pour about a third of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the batter sets. Remove from oven

Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the batter. Sprinkle the sucanat evenly over the fruit and then carefully pour the remaining batter over the fruit.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 45-55 minutes. The flaugnarde is done when the surface has puffed, is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes with Strawberries

(about 3  5" pancakes/serving)

Lately I've noticed a number of gluten free banana pancake recipes circulating the internet. I tried several and with a bit of experimentation ended up with this recipe. The resulting pancakes are a little on the flat side, not too sweet and not too eggy. I did get fluffy pancakes when I separated the eggs, beat the egg whites until they were stiff and folded those back into the batter, but that's just too much work for a Sunday morning. I tried a few batches with baking powder, and in the end omitted that because I didn't notice much of a difference. I also made these with and without coconut flour and I liked them best when they contained a small amount as that seemed to give them a bit more structure.

These banana pancakes are moist and delicious. Even if you can tolerate gluten, I highly recommend giving these a try, you might be surprised how good they are!

per serving
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 tsp brown sugar

1 medium just ripe banana (use an over-ripe banana if you prefer a sweeter pancake)
1 large egg
1 tbsp coconut flour

whipped cream, optional

Wash and hull the strawberries. Cut them in half and lay them in an even layer on a plate with the cut sides facing up. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the cut berries and set aside.

To make the pancakes in a food processor:
Peel and cut up the banana and place into bowl. Add the egg and coconut flour. Pulse until the mixture is smooth. You'll end up with about 3/4 cup of batter per serving.

To make the pancakes by hand:
Peel and cut up the banana and place into a bowl. Mash it with a fork until you have a fairly smooth mixture; a few lumps are ok. Stir in the egg and coconut flour. Mix until smooth. You'll end up with about 3/4 cup of batter per serving.

Heat a non stick griddle or large frying pan over medium-low heat. I tried a few different temperature settings and this worked best for me using a gas flame. You might have to experiment a bit as these pancakes will brown quickly if the temperature is too high.

Lightly grease the griddle and pour *small pancakes about 5" in diameter leaving  space around them. You'll use about 1/4 cup of batter for each.

Cook them for a minute or two until the bottoms are nicely browned. Carefully flip each one over and cook the other sides until they are done; another minute or two. *These pancakes aren't quite as sturdy as those made with a lot of flour.

Continue until all of the batter is used up. Keep the finished pancakes warm.

To serve:
Top the pancakes with the strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream, if using.

Banana Bread

(1 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf)

Every once in a while I'll have a couple of very ripe bananas on my hands by the end of the week. I'll either slice them to freeze for smoothies or make muffins or a banana loaf.

This loaf is very easy to make and comes together rather quickly. I like to keep it in the oven just long enough for it to be slightly underdone. When I insert a toothpick, rather than it coming out completely clean, it has small bits sticking to it. The loaf tends to firm up as it cools and the result is a deliciously moist banana bread.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 - 1/2 cup agave nectar, to taste
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, (about 2 large bananas)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour an 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and toasted walnuts in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

Combine the canola oil, agave nectar, yogurt, eggs, bananas and vanilla extract in another bowl. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and stir to just combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle still has small bits attached to it; see photo. This technique can be a little hit or miss, so if you don't feel comfortable doing this, then leave it in the oven until your toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing it to cool further on a wire rack.

Quinoa Pudding with Fresh Blueberries

(4 servings)

I have been experimenting a bit with quinoa lately as it's still relatively new to me. I love its texture and the fact it cooks so quickly. I know it can be used in place of rice, so I thought I'd try it in a pudding this time.

Cooking the quinoa in milk required me to babysit it a bit, something I haven't had to do, but there was the danger of the milk burning. I could have used water, but I prefer using milk when I make rice pudding, so I used it here as well.

1/2 cup quinoa
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp cardamom
a pinch or two of nutmeg
2 eggs
2-3 tbsp maple syrup, to taste
2 tbsp ground flaxseed, (optional)
2 tbsp heavy cream, (optional)
2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked over
additional milk**

Rinse the quinoa in water, then drain it before adding it to a small pot. Add 1 1/2 cups of milk reserving 1 cup. Stir in the cardamom and nutmeg and cook for about 20 minutes or until most of the milk has absorbed into the quinoa. You might have to lower the heat a touch and you will definitely have to stir it to keep the milk from burning.

Whisk together the eggs, remaining 1 cup of milk, maple syrup and flaxseed in a small bowl.

Stir the egg mixture into the quinoa and continue stirring it until it thickens, but don't allow the mixture to boil as the eggs might curdle. Remove from heat.

Stir in the cream and vanilla extract. Cool to room temperature. **If the pudding seems too thick then stir in a few tablespoons of milk to thin it out to your liking.

Divide between four bowls or plates and sprinkle with almonds and blueberries.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks very much to Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes for nominating me for the Liebster Award! I'm absolutely thrilled!

"Liebster" is a German word meaning "favourite", and this honor is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers by fellow bloggers.

The award has the following stipulations:

1. Thank the giver and provide a link to their site.

2. Copy and paste the tag on your blog.

3. Pick 5 bloggers and let them know by leaving a comment on their blogs.

4. Hope the people you have chosen will continue the tradition.

These are my picks in no particular order:

My Little Expat Kitchen This blogger has relocated to The Netherlands from Greece. She has covers a range of international recipes in addition to Greek, takes beautiful photos of her food and weaves it all together with her engaging dialogue.

Chili und Ciabata  A nice collection of recipes from this German blogger who also has an additional site just for her bread recipes! (in German)

Thyme in Our Kitchen This dad (of 6 boys!) shares his nicely photographed, tasty recipes.

Scandi Foodi This Finnish blogger has settled in Australia. She's a prop-stylist who takes amazing photos of wonderfully styled (healthy) food. I have no idea if she fits within the category of less than 200 followers, but I love visiting her blog.

Life is Great I have just begun to follow this blog recently. This delightful blog out of Singapore, is well written, has an interesting mix of recipes and great photography.

Thinly Sliced Cucumber I have also just recently come across this bright and cheerful blog, full of great photos and recipes. The author of this blog hails from beautiful Vermont.

Daring Baker Challenge, September 2011; Croissants

The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French Cooking, none other than Julia Child!

Strawberry and Banana Buttermilk Smoothie

(1 serving)

This is a quick and easy breakfast smoothie. If you use very ripe fruit then you won't need to add any sweetener. The buttermilk was great in place of the yogurt I didn't have this morning.

Sweet Potato & Pecan Pancakes

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(about 4 servings)

 

These pancakes have a lovely colour, are fluffy and very delicious! 

Buttermilk Biscuits

(8 biscuits)

I like making biscuits in the food processor, mainly because the chilled butter gets cut into the flour very quickly. Half a cup of butter is a lot, but I have tried making these with less and haven't liked them as much.

Apple Bran Muffins

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(12 standard muffins)

It's been a while since I made muffins, but I was craving some for breakfast this morning. This is a variation of my Bran Muffins; these are wonderfully moist.


1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp lemon zest, finely minced
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 granny smith apple, cored and chopped
1/3 cup agave nectar or honey
2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper or grease and set aside.

Combine the flour, bran, flaxseed, cinnamon, lemon zest, baking powder and baking soda  in a bowl. Mix well. Add the chopped apples and stir to combine. Set aside.

In another bowl or large measuring cup whisk together the agave nectar, molasses, applesauce, buttermilk, oil and egg. Pour this over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, dividing the batter evenly between the 12 cups. The batter will fill each generously coming up right to the top.

Bake for about 25-30  minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Baked Pancake with Glazed Apples

Although these are often referred to as "German" pancakes, they aren't like the ones my mother used to make. She separated the eggs, beat the whites and folded those in. I think she cooked them on the stove top first and then broiled them briefly in the oven.

Sometimes she served them with thin apple slices or just sprinkled them with sugar and fresh lemon juice. I will ask her about them next time I chat with her.

Mine are baked in the oven and resemble popovers. I just use a metal baking dish because my convection oven is too small to accommodate a frying pan.

1 tsp butter
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

1 tsp butter
1 apple, sliced
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

icing sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place the teaspoon of butter into a 9" round baking dish and place into the oven to heat up. The butter will melt in there and possibly brown as well.

Whisk together the eggs, flour, milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.

When the oven reaches 425°F, remove the hot baking dish (you'll need gloves) and swivel to coat the bottom evenly with the melted butter. Pour in the batter and return to the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the pancake has puffed up and is golden brown.

Meanwhile melt the other teaspoon of butter in a non-stick skillet and saute the apple slices for about 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and lemon juice and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Continue to saute the apple slices, adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent burning, until the pancake is ready.

To assemble, place the pancake onto a large plate, cover with the glazed apple slices and dust with the icing sugar.

Buttermilk Pancake Mix

I often purchase a buttermilk pancake mix to which I add an egg and either water or milk. Well I ran out of the stuff, but felt like pancakes, so I decided to make them from scratch. I usually have a tin of buttermilk powder in my pantry for baking. As I was adding that to the bowl, I realised I could make my own mix to keep around.

Not only do I know exactly what's in there, but it's less expensive to make your own mix.

mix; (this can be doubled)
8 cups flour
1 1/2 cups dried buttermilk powder
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup baking powder
2 tbsp baking soda

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Place into a covered container. This will keep for several weeks.


To make about 5-6 pancakes:
1 cup mix
1 large egg
3/4 cup water

butter
maple syrup or jam


Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, whisk together the mix, egg and water in a bowl until just combined. It's ok for there to be a few small lumps.

Pour about 1/4 of a cup of the batter into the skillet or griddle for each pancake. Cook until you see bubbles forming on top and the edges look like they are becoming dry and the underside is nice and brown..  (you might have to adjust the heat slightly to get it right). Flip them over and cook the other side.

You might have to make them in batches depending on the size of your skillet or griddle.

Serve with butter and jam or maple syrup.

Pear and Ginger Muffins

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(12 standard muffins)

I picked up some gorgeous pears the other day and set aside a couple to make these muffins. A few months ago I had thought about making a steamed pear and ginger pudding for Daring Bakers, but made a steak and kidney pudding instead. When I looked at those pears, I thought about that combination once again.

(There you go Lisa, stuck it on a plate for you :p)

I have been on a bit of a muffin roll lately. These pear and ginger muffins hit the spot; they were moist, not too sweet, with good ginger flavour and a hint of lemon. I'm pleased I have been using whole wheat flour, bran and flax in my recent recipes without turning out heavy and dense muffins; in part that was always a fear of mine.

I did end up reducing the amount of applesauce and yogurt for these because two chopped pears provide a lot of moist fruit. There was a tad more batter than usual, but it was also a bit stiffer, so I just used all of it to fill the muffin tins resulting in small domes which rose almost 1/2" past the tops. Once baked, I had slightly larger muffins than usual.

Oh, and if you are wondering about the freshly ground black pepper. It's often added to German gingerbread, so I added some here. It provides a very subtle sharpness which works, I think.

Then there's the agave nectar, wonderful stuff! I've been using it to sweeten my coffee.

3/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon zest, minced
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1/4 - 1/3 cup agave nectar, honey or maple syrup, to taste
1/4 cup unsulfured blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup plain greek style yogurt
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
2 large eggs
2 firm ripe pears, cored and chopped (I used Bosc)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with baking papers or grease and flour. Set aside.

Mix the flours, flaxseed, bran, gingers, cinnamon, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda and ground black pepper (if using) in a bowl.

Whisk together the agave nectar, molasses, applesauce, yogurt, oil and eggs in a bowl until well combined.

Pour the liquid portion over the dry ingredients, add the chopped pear and stir to combine until everything is just moistened.

Divide and spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tins; it will probably go a bit past the top of the tin. I just spooned the extra batter in the centres creating little domes resulting in larger muffins than usual.

Bake for about 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Bran Muffins with Dried Apricots

(12 standard muffins)

Usually bran muffins contain raisins. I didn't have any in the house and didn't feel like going out in this heat, so I chopped up some dried apricots instead.

I ended up making two batches of these, with a few tweaks the second time. (The first batch was a bit sweeter than I like.) This was fine because I only made half the recipe each time. The final batch was moist, not too sweet and very good imo.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp lemon zest, finely minced
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup chopped dried apricots, dried fruit or raisins
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the muffin tins with paper or grease and set aside.

Combine the bran, flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, ginger, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda and dried fruit in a bowl. Mix well.

In another bowl whisk together the agave nectar, molasses, applesauce, yogurt, oil and eggs. Pour this over the dry ingredients; stir until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, dividing the batter evenly between the 12 cups. The batter will come up right to the top.

Bake for about 25-30  minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Very Flexible Homemade Granola

(about 7 cups)

Recently a friend was talking about how granola could either taste great or be close to revolting. I suggested she try making her own.

It's pretty easy to make, and there's a lot of flexibility in terms of what you can add or leave out. Don't limit yourself to what I have suggested; I just wrote down what came to mind and I know there's even more options out there.

Homemade granola is not only tasty, it's less expensive. I was looking at the ready made stuff for ideas (before heading off to the bulk food section to get the ingredients), and noticed 10-13 oz. bags were selling for $5-$8. Most of these appeared to have about 75-90% rolled oats, with a few nuts, seeds or dried fruit tossed in. Some even used brown sugar instead of honey or maple syrup.

dry portion
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups any combination of raw nuts, (almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, shredded coconut, hazelnuts, pistachios)
1 cup any combination of seeds, (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, flaxseed, hemp seed)
1/4 cup wheatgerm, (optional)
2 tsp ground cinnamon, (optional)
1/2 tsp salt, (optional)

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl.

liquid portion
1/2 -2/3 cup sweetener, to taste (maple syrup, honey, agave nectar)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract, (I used a tbsp of concentrated raspberry sugar I wanted to try out from the bulk spice section at Whole Foods instead. )

Combine all of the liquid ingredients in a 2 cup measuring cup, adding the correct amounts as you go along, then stir until everything is well combined right in the cup.

dried fruit, to be added for the last 10 -15 minutes of baking
1 cup any combination of dried fruit, (currants, raisins, blueberries, cherries, chopped apricots, cranberries, chopped dried apples)

Drizzle half the liquid portion over the dry ingredients and toss, then drizzle the remaining portion and toss until everything is well combined.

Spread the mixture evenly over a nonstick jelly roll pan or lightly greased one.

Bake in the centre of the oven for about *40-75 minutes. Every 15 minutes or so, remove from oven and stir the mixture a bit; to help it brown evenly. When there's about 15 minutes baking time left, sprinkle the dried fruit evenly over the top and return to the oven.

The granola will be done when it's an even golden brown. Cool and store in a sealed container.

*I use my regular oven for storage and bake everything in a counter-top Breville convection oven; it's more fuel efficient and keeps my kitchen cooler in Texas. I use a smallish roasting pan when I make this and the granola layer is about 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick, thus the longer baking time.

If you are using a regular oven and a larger jelly roll pan, you will probably need to shorten the times and start checking the granola every 10 minutes or so, as the granola will brown more quickly.

**I would also like to note here, once the granola has completely cooled, I place half of it into a zip-lock bag and toss it into the freezer; it keeps very well there, until I'm ready to finish it.

Healthier Blueberry Muffins

(12 standard muffins)


I decided to experiment a bit with my muffin recipe. I replaced some of the flour with whole wheat flour and ground flaxseed. It seems flaxseed is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as protein and fibre. It's also rich in lignan, which has antioxidant properties. What's not to love?

I replaced the sugar with a lesser amount of agave nectar. The bottle mentioned it's 25% sweeter than sugar, as well as having a low glycemic index which prevents spikes in blood sugar.

Lastly, I replaced the butter with olive oil, and reduced that amount by using some applesauce. These muffins turned out a lot better than I thought possible; I will most likely make them again.

1 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce*
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries, about 1 pint

*These are not overly sweet muffins, and I like them that way. If you prefer something sweeter, then you could use sweetened applesauce instead.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with papers, or grease and flour. Set aside.

Mix the flours, flaxseed, salt and baking powder in a bowl.

Combine the agave nectar, oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla extract in a large measuring cup, mix well with a fork and pour over the flour mixture, add the blueberries and stir until just combined.

Divide equally between the muffin tins; the batter will come almost to the top of each.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until done.