Monthly Archives: September 2014

Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins

Posted on by
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
  • 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk, plus about 2 tablespoons for tops
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups blueberries (about 1/2 pound), picked over and rinsed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in center. Lightly coat a standard muffin tin with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and orange zest, if using.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg yolks, and butter. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until just blended. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until just stiff. Gently fold whites and blueberries into the batter until just combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup three-quarters full. Bake 12 minutes. Remove from oven; gently brush tops with buttermilk, and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Continue baking until tops are golden and a cake tester inserted in a muffin center comes out clean, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let muffins cool slightly, about 10 minutes, before turning out of tin.

Baked Quinoa Patties

Posted on by

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1 cup finely chopped kale
1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (toasted) cumin
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup bread crumbs, plus more if needed
water or a bit of flour, if needed
1/3 cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400F / 200C.

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, dill, kale, onion, garlic, and cumin. Stir well.

Add the baking powder and bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture.

Gently stir in the feta.

At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into twelve 1-inch / 2.5cm thick patties. I err on the very moist side because it makes for a not-overly-dry patty, but you can add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture, if need be. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture. If you’re still having trouble getting the mixture to hold – mix in flour, a couple tablespoons at a time.

Oil a baking sheet, and arrange the patties with a bit of space between each. Bake for ~20 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown. Flip and bake for another 5 minutes.

Enjoy hot, or allow to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

2 1/2 cups / 12 oz /340 g cooked quinoa, at room temperature*
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1/3 cup/ .5 oz /15 g finely chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup /.5 oz /15 g finely chopped fresh dill
1 cup / 1.5 oz /45 g finely chopped kale
1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (toasted) cumin
1 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup / 3.5 oz /100 g whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed
water or a bit of flour, if needed

1/3 cup / .5 oz / 15 g crumbled feta

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter

Indonesian Rice Salad

Posted on by

1/3 cup peanut oil
3 tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1-2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. crushed pepper
2 tbsp. rice or cider vinegar
1 cup chopped pineapple

Stir in:
scallions
red pepper
peanuts
sesame seeds

Braised Lentils and Sausage

Posted on by
  • 2 tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 lb lean Italian sausages
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
  • 1 cup green lentils
  • 2 1/2 – 3 cups low sodium chicken or beef stock
  • 1 tsp. dry Italian seasoning
  • grape or cherry tomatoes (2/3 cup)
  • 1 bunch kale or chard, stems removed and leaves chopped
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
  2. In a large ovenproof skillet or dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp (15 mL) canola oil and brown sausages on all sides. Transfer to a plate (they donʼt need to be cooked through at this point) and set aside. Add another 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil to skillet and cook the onion over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until soft and turning golden. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add lentils, 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) stock and Italian seasoning, and stir to combine. Once stock is heated through, add tomatoes to skillet, and gently nestle sausages into mixture.
  3. Cover skillet with a lid or foil, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 35 minutes. Remove lid, add more stock if needed, and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes. Take skillet out of oven, and move sausages to one side or set them aside on plate again. Stir chopped kale into the lentil mixture, ensuing kale is well distributed and coated with liquid. Return sausages to skillet. The lentil mixture should have a fair bit of liquid without being soupy. Add a little more stock to the pan if needed. Place the uncovered pan back in the oven for 8 -10 minutes, or until the kale is cooked through and tender.
  4. Taste and add salt, if needed. Serve immediately in shallow bowls. If the sausages are very large, they can be cut into hearty slices or chunks before being served.