skinny fresh strawberry muffins (with a lemon glaze)

A week or so ago I had to fess up to the fact that I had gained a little weight. I don't have a scale, but I could tell by the fit of my clothes that it was time to be a little more careful about my eating.  I wasn't really eating more, but getting less exercise because of an ankle injury.  

I've been eating mostly fish, chicken, and all sorts of salads, but today longed for a nice sweet muffin ,  Most of my muffins have a lot of sweet butter, but I do make a lemon low fat muffin, that would go nicely with the last of the strawberries I got a few days ago.

Done!  
It was just perfect with a last minute lemon glaze.  And they passed the "give the leftovers to the carpenters" installing a new outside door.  They were thrilled (and hungry).


Fresh strawberry muffins

Makes a dozen medium sized muffins.
Preheat oven to 350F
Grease or butter regular size muffin tins (I also did a few minis)

1 heaping cup strawberries, cut into slices or diced
2 cups King Arthur flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
zest from a lemon (about a teaspoon)
1 cup plain yogurt (I used Chobani)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 extra large egg
1 t. vanilla
1 t. fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons water ( my batter was a little stiffer than usual, so I just added a little water)

Place the dry ingredients in your mixer bowl and mix briefly.
Add the lemon zest, yogurt, canola, egg, vanilla, and lemon juice in mixer bowl and mix slowly. Fold in strawberries.  Add the water if your batter is too stiff.
Use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin cups 3/4's full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until muffin tops bounce back when touched.
Remove to a cooling rack.

While still warm, you can brush them with a quick glaze:

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


I'm loving making up salad bowls - this is my latest after a trip to Whole Foods where I finally found large arugula leaves!  Tossed in some water canned sardines, 1/2 piece of good bread , diced, and a strong garlic-lemon salad dressing. 

Happy February!

one jar of strawberry jam (recipe)

Oh, my, it is hot today - temperature heading to the 90's - not exactly jam-making weather, but when you're out of fresh jam, nothing gets in your way, right?  This is my quick recipe for a small amount of strawberry jam, which is pretty much the only jam I eat.  It takes maybe half an hour, start to finish.


Choose either a jam or jelly jar or glass that is somewhat heat proof (the jam will be poured into the jar/glass while still very hot), wash it well, dry, then pour hot water in halfway up the jar.  This is to temper the jar a little before you fill it with hot jam.  Set aside.

You will need:

1 heaping cup hulled and sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar




Cut up clean strawberries into a one cup measure, then place berries in a saucepan on medium heat.  Cook them for 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon all the while, then add the lemon juice and the sugar. If you want a little zing, you can add a few slices of ginger root, which I remove just before putting the jam in the jar.

Continue to stir for another 15 minutes or so, checking to see if the mixture is jelling.  You can use a candy thermometer , but it's such a small amount it's not always accurate.  I just stir, lift the spoon up sideways, and check the dripping jam - which coats the spoon and thickens very quickly.  If it seems watery, cook a little longer, but keep stirring and checking.

Pour the hot water out of the jar, and place a metal spoon in the jar or glass - an old wives tale is that it has to be silver, so who am I to challenge that?  

Scrape the jam into the glass or jar and set aside to cool.  Once cooled, you can either screw on a lid or cover with plastic wrap, if it's a glass.  Place in fridge and you're done!

Four days later - time to make another jar!

In the past, I've added cinnamon sticks, orange peel, slivers of ginger root, herbs from the garden (lemon balm and lemon verbena) - and sometimes just a handful or raspberries found on a walk.  Just don't add too much liquid/juice to the mixture or it won't jell.

Enjoy - and stay cool!

PS/  I'm a grandmother again!  A big welcome to Madelyn Skye, born 20 July in New Hampshire!  



One year ago :  Jamie's red pepper pasta sauce with lemon, parsley, and ham
Two years ago:  Fresh lemon scones with drizzle frosting

Mini Pavlovas with raspberries & strawberries

We made these mini-pavlovas on Valentine's Day, in part because they are gluten-free, so Izzie can be part of the dessert festivities, but also because they are so pretty - and really, not hard to make.  

I did some research about the name, being unsure whether they were officially a small pavlova or a mini-meringue and think these days it doesn't really matter.  There is a large meringue cake, especially popular in New Zealand and Australia that is moister in the middle, but these meringues are small and bake up crispy and crunchy and light as a feather.  

The recipe is from Allrecipes, used primarily for guidance on the amount of sugar, which is critical, in both the amount and remembering to add the sugar teaspoon by teaspoon, waiting each time for the sugar to melt into the egg white batter.  I had forgotten to buy heavy cream, so each pavlova got a tiny squirt of whipped cream from a can, which was leftover from a birthday party:)  



Mini-Pavlovas with fresh berries & cream


4 extra-large egg whites
1 1/4 cups white, granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

The topping:
1 pint heavy cream, gently whipped
fresh raspberries and sliced strawberries or blueberries
confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 250F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In mixer bowl, whip egg whites until stiff, then gradually add the sugar, a teaspoon at a time, letting the sugar be absorbed into the whites before adding more sugar.  I know it's tedious, but it's a critical step to follow.

Once all the sugar has been added, fold in the vanilla, lemon juice, and cornstarch and whip gently.

You can either use a large spoon to form small rounds of meringue, or a pastry bag, which is what I used.  I could only find my rose tip nozzle, so it came out more fluted than usual.

Bake for one hour, making sure the meringues are firm, then cool on a cooling rack.

To assemble:  smooth a spoonful of whipped cream in the center of the meringue, then add the berries in a pleasing arrangement , then sprinkle with more confectioner's sugar - not too much, just enough to look fancy.

This made 12 small Pavlovas.   

Enjoy!

winter strawberry jam

I think it was 12 degrees this morning, but these January mornings blur together unless it's below zero.  Then we stand around at the post office and talk about who got the lowest reading, whose pipes burst, who is forwarding their mail to....Florida.

Wasn't that a sneaky way to slide to Plant City, Florida strawberries?  I am always overjoyed when the first Florida strawberries show up at the market in the dead of winter because Spring doesn't seem too, too far away.  And I have loved strawberries my whole life - once insisting on buying a dress when I was four years old that was printed with strawberries and strawberry leaves.  I was desolate when I outgrew that dress.  Throughout the year, I make my own strawberry jam, which takes all of half an hour for one winter jar, more if you're canning a big batch in the summer.

The easiest way to find the most fragrant berries is to turn the plastic cases over and sniff the bottom of the package .  It may sound (and look) odd, but it's the fastest way to pick out the best of the lot.  If I'm making jam that day, I leave the berries out on the counter so they can warm to room temperature.

This fills one large canning jar - I use the wide mouth ones.  Since you're only making one jar, just make sure the jar is clean, but no need to sterilize, since it lives in the fridge.


Winter Strawberry Jam

2 cups hulled and sliced strawberries
juice from two fresh lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar, warmed in a low oven or 1 minute in a microwave
a candy thermometer 

Place the berries in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, mash briefly, then add the lemon juice.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, making sure you keep stirring so it doesn't scorch.

Add the sugar and stir well, increase the heat a little bit and continue to cook until the candy thermometer registers  soft ball stage: around 240 degrees.  Take off heat and dip a spoon into the jam - it should coat the spoon well.

Pour the jam into your prepared jam jar, reserving a tablespoon of warm jam for that piece of buttered bread you have waiting.  Cap the jar and let sit at room temperature for half an hour, then place in fridge.  




Someone gave me a cutting from their enormous bay tree a few months ago which I keep beside the stove for inspiration, and that dream of a walk-in greenhouse:)

Julia's clafouti with strawberries

Of course, Julia does not have a strawberry clafouti in Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Vol. 1), but berries or cherries both suit themselves well to this custard.  I have tried many versions, but this is still my favorite, scented with a generous tablespoon of good vanilla and a sprinkle of nutmeg.  And it's made in a blender, so quick to put together.

I cannot believe how good the strawberries are this year, lucky us!

I used a 9 1/2 inch ceramic tart pan, so the baking directions are for that -  so if you make individual ones or use a different kind of pan, baking times may be different.

Clafouti with fresh strawberries:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Butter a 9 1/2 inch ovenproof dish , or individual ovenproof souffle dishes, set aside.

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup all purpose flour ( I use King Arthur)

1/3 cup sugar

3 extra large eggs

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon good vanilla

pinch of nutmeg

2 cups of fresh strawberries, cut into quarters

an additional 1/3 cup of sugar for sprinkling over the strawberries

Place the cream, milk, flour, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla and nutmeg in a blender and blend on high until ingredients make a thick batter.

Pour an even coating of the batter on the bottom of the dish, then bake 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle the strawberries evenly , then sprinkle with the extra 1/3 cup sugar.

Slowly pour the rest of the batter on top of the berries, then bake 30 minutes, or until custard is set.  It will continue to cook as it cools.  If you want it to brown and puff a little, bake an extra 10 minutes.

Scoop out servings into small bowls using a large spoon.

A neighbor gave me a spectacular bouquet of all kinds of peonies from her garden - this is one of my favorites, but they are all heavenly!

roasted strawberries with oats and brown sugar topping

I woke up this morning just after a summer rainstorm had passed through  -  the morning breeze was cool and fresh :  perfect weather for this idea I had for a warm strawberry breakfast.

The organic strawberries I've been getting lately have been so sweet, so ruby-hued, so essentially strawberry that I've been eating them all day.  But still, the thought of roasting or baking intrigued me.  Not a cobbler, really, but just a granola sprinkle of oats and butter, brown sugar and lemon zest.  Perfect for this glorious morning, I thought.  

As the strawberries were bubbling in the oven, I had the sudden thought of using almond meal along with the oats,  but of course, it was too late (never mind that I didn't actually HAVE almond meal). If anyone has used almond meal, I hope you'll let me know if you think that's a good idea and I'll zip off to the grocery store to stock up. 

To make two servings:
Preheat oven to 350F.


Two cups loosely packed whole medium sized strawberries
zest of half a lemon
a few drops of lemon juice squeezed over the berries

1/3 cup whole rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch or two of kosher salt.


Trim the berries and cut in half before adding to a small (I used a 5 1/2 inch by 4 inch by 2 inch (height) ovenproof ceramic casserole dish.  Grate the zest over the berries, then squeeze some lemon juice over the berries.

Add the oats, brown sugar, butter and salt to a food processor and whizz briefly, until the mixture is mostly free of whole oats and well incorporated.

Sprinkle the topping on the berries and roast uncovered in the oven for 25 minutes.

Remove and let cool a bit before serving.  Creme fraiche or sour cream is always nice if you have it.  There's a lovely intensity to the berries that is very different from eating them fresh.

As a passionate collector of textiles and linens, I found this tea towel in a thrift shop, embroidered with "BP" in red thread.  So far, I'm stumped beyond "B is for beautiful".

*****

Yesterday I came home to a lovely package of fresh herbs on the front step:  thyme, tarragon, oregano, and sage leaves, all now hanging from a rafter for drying, and two little cups of thyme plants - heaven.  Many thanks to my friend Pamela - I love them!

Dutch Baby pancake with strawberries

I saw a picture on Pinterest a few weeks ago that reminded me of the Dutch baby pancakes I made once in a while for the kids, a long time ago.  At the time, I used a recipe from another first grade Mom, but then it went missing.  The only problem with the Pinterest picture?  The recipe was in another language, possibly Swiss or German or who knows what.

Long story short, I emailed the recipe to an esteemed neighbor who speaks five languages, including Swiss and German.  Last night she emailed the translation back, and sure enough, it was the same recipe I used to use.

So now, dear friends, you can make this Dutch Baby perhaps for a Valentine dessert tonight!

To make these, you will need one or two steel or stainless steel omelet pans (mine is an 8 inch steel one),  without a non-stick finish, as it goes into a hot oven.


This makes 4 pancakes, using an 8" metal omelet pan.

Preheat oven to 400F.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter for each pancake 2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup King Arthur all purpose flour
two pinches of kosher salt
Zest from a large lemon
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Sliced strawberries - I used about a half cup of sliced berries for each pancake
Confectioner's sugar or maple syrup for topping



In your steel omelet pan, place a tablespoon of butter and place pan into the hot oven.

While the pan is heating mix together the eggs, milk, flour, salt, lemon zest, and cinnamon.  There is no sugar in the batter recipe - only  the confectioner's sugar on top of the berries.

When the butter has melted, use a pot holder to pull the pan out of the oven, then pour a scant 1/2 cup batter into the pan and place back into the oven quickly.

Bake for 15 or so minutes, or until the pancake puffs up and bubbles and you see a little light browning.

Using a pot holder, hold the handle and slide the pancake from the pan with a fork onto a plate.  Add the butter for the second pancake and place back in oven.  Continue until all the batter is used up and you have 4 pancakes.

Sprinkle the strawberries equally among the pancakes, then use a sieve to shake powdered sugar over the pancake.  Serve with more confectioner's sugar or maple syrup if you wish.  These are usually eaten with a fork and knife.

We got a foot of snow last night - and this was my reward for all that shoveling!

Fresh strawberry and rhubarb stir-in sauce

Oh, the pink of Spring!  Right now the pale pink magnolia trees are blooming, the hot pink azaleas, the rainbows of tulips,  and the rhubarb plants range from pale green stalks to rich, ruby red under the umbrellas of dark green leaves.

For a long time, I didn't eat rhubarb.  When I went to an organic farm school in Lake Placid as a boarder in 7th and 8th grades, rhubarb was on the menu endlessly.  When you grow your own food in a cold climate, you make use of what thrives, and that meant rhubarb.  Just cooked with a little honey, it was tart and tasty - for a while.  But it appeared as dessert and breakfast over and over.  And over.

So I avoided rhubarb for a long time, until recently.  The first fresh fruit in May is hard to not take advantage of!  But I no longer make it only rhubarb, but temper it with the sweetness of strawberries, no yet ready here, so I buy them from the store.  

Barely simmered with a little water, delicious local honey, and a spoonful of minced fresh ginger, it makes a wonderful topping for my Greek yogurt in the morning.  Roasted chicken with a dipping side of sauce for lunch.  Goat cheese on thick bread with a spoonful of this jam is a treat in the afternoon.  And rhubarb sauce on ice cream rounds out dessert.


Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce

First, wash the rhubarb and cut off the large leaves.  The leaves are toxic, so I usually toss them in the trash.  Slice into 1 to 2 inch pieces.  Trim and slice the strawberries into quarters.  Peel the ginger and mince.

2 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb
1 1/2 cups quartered strawberries
1/4 to 1/3 cup water 
3 heaping tablespoons local honey or more to taste
2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
pinch of sea salt

Place all into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Stir until the rhubarb falls apart , usually about 7-10 minutes.  Take care not to scorch the fruit - some fruits are juicier than others.  If it looks dry, just add a little more water.  Set aside to cool.  Store in fridge.  This makes about 3+ cups of Springalicious sauce.

A year ago:  chilled chive and parsnip soup

A delicious Mother's Day

With a new grandbaby , a two year old, and a seven year old, I thought it was a good time to make 
Mother's Day brunch for my daughter and daughter-in-law for them, heaven knows they have more than enough on their hands.

  A simple meal preparation  (as usual) stretched into several hours, in part because a new recipe caught my eye and we know how that goes:)  pleased to say this tzatziki recipe was fabulous first time out.  Boneless chicken breasts marinated in a yogurt-garlic-cumin sauce overnight, then baked and sliced, a fresh, zesty celebration of veggies:  cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion and black olives, garlic, dill and parsley.  So good!   I served it with chunks of goat cheese  - as we all know, goat cheese makes everything even better.  Marinating the chicken in a yogurt sauce overnight made the chicken breasts incredibly tender and juicy and I plan to use that recipe often.  The whole dish was colorful and tasty, though I was temped to add more cumin and oregano, everyone else thought it was perfect as is.  A little side dish of sliced avocado and some warm pita pockets was all I added to the table - the kids love fresh, healthy food and ate everything.

For dessert, I made a platter of strawberries with confectioner's sugar, and Julia's strawberry clafouti with vanilla and cinnamon,  and some simple shortbread cookies , some chocolates from my son -definitely a Spring celebration!  And then?  They took us all out for ice cream sundaes at our local farmstand.  Somehow we made room....


Hope your Mother's Day was a treat as well!

strawberry tartlets (the dud) and my little dove

I was so excited when I went to the swap shop at our dump on Saturday - I found these dear little tart pans tied up with green twine, and a pretty saucer.  You had a feeling the person who lovingly dropped them off had cherished them.  But, we all are decluttering, and I would imagine tart pans might be one of those unused kitchen things that go reluctantly into the Swap Shop box for the dump.

Sunday night I made a nut crust from a Martha Stewart book, but halved it, as I only wanted a few.  Stuck it in the fridge, and yesterday prepared the tartlet pans.  Into the oven, let cool, and....disaster.  They would not unmold.  I took a tiny sharp knife to the edges and they shattered into buttery crumbs.  I had one out of nine that remained more or less whole.  Mostly less.

Today I tried again, with the last half of the dough, but this time I greased every ridge carefully, and did the bottom twice.  Chilled, then baked and....again.  Disaster.  Again, one survived.  All I can think is that somehow in making half a recipe, I made a mistake, because Martha's recipes are usually pretty foolproof.

This dessert was based on one I used to make with cream puffs.  I used the cranberry and dark cherry jelly I made a few weeks ago to glaze the berries, heating just until the jelly melted, then using a teaspoon to drizzle on the fresh strawberries. With the cream puffs, I dolloped whipped cream on top, but this dessert was to be a little plainer, because of the rich nut crust.  The surviving tarts were delicious, but clearly something went wrong when you lose 80% of your desserts.

In the meantime, Spring has sprung !  I have a sweet little mourning dove pair that hang around, sometimes both, but often just one.  The daffodils have wilted in the hot (HOT!) afternoons, but the violets are sprinkling the lawn with their beautiful color.  Hard to believe two weeks ago I was still filling the woodstove at night.  Enjoy these beautiful days!

real quick strawberry jam

I used the last of the summer jam last week, always a sad moment. The next day I snipped all the tiny Calamondin oranges off of my very large indoor tree, intending to make marmalade. Somehow, I never did get around to it, but coming across the bag of washed oranges and the two boxes of strawberries I got on sale made me wonder. Could I? Should I? Oh, why not?

So I did .

This is a wonderful recipe for a few pots of jam that can be made quickly, without making a big all-day production of it. Because I make the jam for immediate use, I don't worry about the lids sealing ( though they did) - they go right in the fridge for my morning yogurt topping. And I still have enough oranges for a few jars of marmalade! It's easy to throw in a little fresh ginger, or rosemary, or a handful of some delicious fruits to make this your own really amazing and unique jam ( think cranberries or raspberries).

To make the jam:

I used one large mason jar and one very small, with proper rubber lined lids.

Simmer the jars and lids you're using in a pot of water for ten minutes, then, using clean tongs, turn them upside down on a clean dishtowel.

2 cups hulled strawberries ( 2 1/2 cups strawberries if you're not using the oranges)

1/2 cup finely sliced Calamondin oranges, or any other thin skinned orange

juice from two fresh lemons

1 3/4 cups sugar

Mash the berries and oranges briefly in the pot, add the lemon juice, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not let it burn.

Add the sugar and stir well, increase the heat a little bit, and continue to cook the jam, stirring constantly until a bit of jam tipped from the side of a wooden spoon thickens and is slow to drip. If you're using a candy/jam thermometer, this is the soft ball stage.

Turn the jam jars upright and ladle the jam into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headroom.

Screw the lids on tightly and let sit to cool. You'll hear the jar lids pop as they cool - that just means the seal is working. Since you"re using this right away, you don't have to worry about the seal - just cool and place in the fridge.

How I use this:

as a topping for Greek yogurt

on toast and muffins

stirred into warm oatmeal

a tablespoon goes into a coconut water or soymilk smoothie

a teaspoon swirled on top of an omelet, then quickly rolled up

as a crepe filling

breadstick dipping sauce

brushed on grilled chicken just before serving

as a filling for thumbprint cookies

How would you use it?

Enjoy!

strawberry scone dud & the pleasure of ferns

My humble greetings to all! It has been an exasperating day, when once again I wasted those beautiful local strawberries on a scone recipe that refused to work. After thinking it over, I believe the moisture of those local berries skewed the recipes - leaving me with strawberry cookies that were quite stuck to the cookie sheet. Ah, well, so it goes sometimes. And with that thought, I took a lovely cool walk on a very hot day among the trees and ferns. I hope your day has been cheerful and comfortable!

strawberry saturday

Warm fresh strawberries, crackly meringue cups, and softly whipped cream for before the fireworks tonight!

sweet strawberry clafouti with black pepper and nutmeg

What a beautiful day it is! The sun is shining, the queen anne's lace is blooming, and it isn't so hot that I can't use the oven. I wandered the garden, picking pineapple sage here, and the last lemon lily there, and some sweet twiggy branches with tiny cherry colored blossoms - the first summer bouquet .

The strawberries were coming to room temperature on the counter, and instead of making meringues with whipped cream and strawberries, I pulled out my recipe for Julia's wonderful strawberry clafouti custard. 40 minutes later I was spooning it up with a happy hum, inhaling the scent of strawberries and nutmeg - and a last minute grind of fresh black pepper. The nutmeg and pepper are my own traditional additions to her classic dessert.

Makes four or five individual clafoutis, depending on ramekin size, or use one large shallow casserole dish.

To make:

1 1/2 cups light cream ( or use half cream, half milk)

1 T. good vanilla

1/3 cup sugar

3 medium or large eggs

pinch of kosher salt

1/8 t. nutmeg

1/2 cup all purpose flour (I use King Arthur)

about 2 cups trimmed and quartered strawberries

a few grinds of pepper

Butter the ovenproof dish or dishes you are using.

Preheat oven to 325F

In a blender, combine the milk/cream, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt,nutmeg, and flour. Whiz in the blender until well mixed.

Evenly divide the strawberries between the dish or dishes, then pour no more than 2 inches of batter over the berries.

Grind a little pepper on top of the mixture, and slip into the oven.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until custard is set and top is a very light golden brown.

Let cool, then serve as soon as the custard has cooled.

If not using right away, you can place in fridge, but sometimes there can be staining from the fruit, so it's best to make just before you plan to eat it.

Enjoy your day!