Lemon Curd and Blackberry Lemon Custard: One Base, Two Great Products

A few weeks ago, one of the bakeries at the farmers' market had an abundance of meringues, and he offered them at no cost with any purchase. I picked up a fresh loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, took advantage of the complementary meringues, and headed home.

However, I now had to figure out what to do with these meringues.

I decided I would try my hand at a berry tart with a meringue base rather than a pastry crust. For that, I would need lemon curd, a product I love but had never made before. True to her "back to basics" claim, this recipe (see link below) by Ina Garten was easy to complete and the lemon curd was delicious.

Have leftover curd? This ice cream recipe (see link below) from Family Circle is a cinch and absolutely delicious.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-curd-recipe-1941910

http://www.familycircle.com/recipe/blackberry-lemon-custard-ice-cream/

Peach Melba Muffins

I love the bounty we receive in this area during the summer months. Fruits and vegetables are everywhere, but often it can become so overwhelming, especially those delicate items that have a very short shelf life.

In this regard, raspberries are the worst. I love raspberries, and I look forward to when their harvest begins, but if I can get 72 hours out of a pint of freshly picked raspberries, it's a red letter day. This morning, I woke up to find my pint from the farmers' market with little more than a couple of hours left, so I knew I needed to use them up. I decided to pair them with some ripe peaches I got over the weekend, and behold - this recipe was born.

I decided to fiddle around with an old banana bread recipe in the hopes that the muffins would be super moist. However, it's important to remember that if you do decided to use a stand mixer instead of a hand mixer for the wet ingredients, remove the bowl from the base and mix the dry ingredients and fruit by hand. This will prevent the batter from getting tough.

You need:

1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. sour cream
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 small peach, peeled and cubed to the size of the raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350. Line your muffin tin with liners. Usually, I don't like to do this, because the paper waste bothers me, but the fruit is super sticky. Makes clean up and storage easier.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat until well combined. BY HAND, incorporate the dry ingredients until JUST combined. Add the fruit and mix carefully by hand.

Scoop evenly into muffin tins. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Creamy Ricotta Spaghettini with Arugula

Today was a day of small blessings. Though it pains me that it comes at the expense of much wind and tree damage in the small town where I work, I was able to spend the day getting quality exercise, having coffee with two friends at two of my favorite local cafes, and the opportunity to try out a new recipe with the kids because I was home to get them off the bus, help them finish their homework and chores, and dive into my folder of recipes to try.

This was an absurdly easy dinner and makes the perfect weeknight meal. If your family is adverse or allergic to nuts, you can most certainly leave out the pistachios, but you may want to season to taste with a little more salt to make up for what's provided with the nuts, had you included them. It took no time to make, was creamy with very little added fat, and we all had second helpings.

You need:

1 lb. spaghettini or any thin spaghetti
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 c. roasted, salted, and shelled pistachios, chopped
1 10oz. tub fresh ricotta cheese
3/4 c. parmesan cheese
5 oz. arugula

In a large pot, cook pasta according to directions. Reserve two cups of pasta water before draining. Return pasta to pot. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pistachios and garlic and cook for two minutes or until lightly toasted. Stir in ricotta cheese, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1 cup pasta water until smooth. Transfer the sauce to the pot of pasta. Stir in parmesan, remaining pasta water, and arugula. Toss until smooth and pasta is coated and creamy. Top with black pepper.

Oatmeal Double Chocolate Cookies

I was first drawn to this recipe because it used whole wheat flours and very little sugar. I also knew I could modify it to use what I already had at home and to make it a little easier in the preparation. The final product was divine. These cookies are dense, chocolately and yet not overly sweet. They are rich in the middle, almost like biting into chocolate fudge. I think my improvements were worth the effort.

You need:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. coconut sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. old fashioned oats
6 oz. dark chocolate chips

In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Fold in oats and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 11 1/2 minutes at 350.

Crispy Polenta with Sauce

I love to prepare adventurous meals, but during the school year, our weekdays are often filled with meetings, sporting events, and other calendar fillers. While we enjoy these activities, it often makes it difficult to find weekday meals that are quick and serve this year's intention. This recipe, adapted from a clean-eating cookbook, allowed me to make the polenta over the weekend and simply fry it up and heat up some sauce from the pantry. The kids could not get enough of it, and it soon became a favorite weekday request. If you wish for meat for a heartier meal, use a bolognese sauce.

You need:

1 c. instant polenta
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/8 tsp. chili flakes
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil
your favorite pasta sauce

Cook the polenta according to the package instructions. Stir in the rosemary, chili flakes, garlic, and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and put into an 8x8 pan lightly greased with olive oil. Let cool and refrigerate at least an hour (I did this overnight). When ready to serve, invert on a cutting board and cut into squares. Sear in a non-stick or grill pan until crispy. Serve with sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Black Bean Soup

There are a number of changes I've made as intentions for 2017. One is to eat more, which to some may seem the best of intentions, but for me, eating less has had detrimental effects on both my metabolism and overall health. I'm a poor morning eater, often finding myself at 11:00 having had little more than a cup of coffee, and I spend the remainder of the day making up for those calories lost, feeling bloated and full in an uncomfortable and less than satisfying way.

This year, one of my intentions is to eat larger in the AM and smaller by the time dinner comes, affording our bellies a chance to fill and digest in a healthier way. Our dinners, as a result, have been planned carefully, smaller, yet more filling and lighter at the same time, a dynamic difficult yet not impossible to achieve.

The first I tried accomplished this perfectly - a black bean soup made in a double batch to allow for plenty of leftovers for lunch during the week. While I've made a few changes to the original recipe, the idea is the same - clean, rich, and packed with nutrients. And it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.

You need (for a single batch, serves 4):

olive oil
salt
1 lg. sweet onion, sliced thin
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped and divided
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 cans black beans
1 qt. chicken broth

Heat a few swirls of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and saute for five minutes. Add the garlic, half of the chopped cilantro, and spices and cook for an additional five minutes. Add the black beans and broth. Bring to a gentle boil and then lower the heat and simmer for twenty minutes. Using an immersion blender or small batches in the blender, puree soup until smooth. Serve with a sprinkling of the remaining cilantro, and, if desired, chopped avocado, plain greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, fresh limes, and tortilla chips.

Blueberry, Lemon, and Poppy Seed Muffins

I love to make multidimensional muffin recipes in my mini muffin pan. Not only do they make great on the go breakfasts, but paired with a hard boiled egg and a cheese stick, they make a great addition to the lunch box. Like all of my mini muffin recipes, I bake 24 right away in the pan. There is usually enough batter remaining to scoop out (using the 1 tbsp. scoop) eight to ten scoops on a baking sheet, freeze until firm, and toss into a freezer bag for a later day. It's a great way to add them all over over time and wow your breakfast guests with four to five different mini muffins on your spread. 

You need:

2 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

10 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c. lemon juice

1/4 c. whole milk

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tbsp. poppy seeds

1 c. blueberries

Whisk the first three ingredients. Set aside. Beat together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Add the lemon juice, milk, zest, and poppy seeds. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in blueberries. Using a tablespoon scoop, scoop into 24 mini muffin tins with small paper liners. Freeze the remaining batter according to directions above. Bake 20 minutes at 375. 

*If you choose to make them as full sized muffins, this will make 12 large muffins. Increase your bake time to 30 minutes.