“Bella, let’s go make muffins,“ I announced this morning. 

“One teaspoon of baking soda. One teaspoon of baking powder. One teaspoon of cinnamon,“ she declared.

Though I wouldn’t necessarily follow her measurements (everything is one teaspoon) Bella did help me in developing the recipe. She dumped cupsful and spoonsful of ingredients into the bowl and stirred everything vigorously and then made sure I greased every well in the muffin pan. She also insisted that I use vegetable oil rather than the butter that one recipe suggested. Rather than face meltdown, I acceded to her demands.

I’m still stumped as to what to do with the extra pumpkin in the can. I do wish I could find a recipe that calls for a whole can. I’m just not brave enough to experiment and figure out the proper proportions.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 1/4 cups rolled oats 1 tablespoon ground flax seed 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup molasses (I used blackstrap for a deep molasses flavor) 1 cup canned pumpkin 1 egg, slightly beaten 3/4 cup milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin pans (or line them with paper baking cups).

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and stir well.

In another mixing bowl combine the oil, brown sugar, and molasses in a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Add the pumpkin and the egg and mix well.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until mixed.

Spoon into muffin pan. Bake for 15 minutes (20-25 minutes in my stoneware pan) or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins.

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I used tomatoes, purslane, fingerling potatoes and cilantro from Saturday’s foray to the farmer’s market. Since this was a last-minute dinner decision, I had to use canned tomatillos and dried thyme. Even with these substitutions, this was still one of the best soups I’ve ever made. I served it with toasted slices of my homemade honey whole wheat bread.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 yellow onion, diced 2 serrano peppers, deseeded and minced 2 ripe tomatoes, diced 1 10 oz can whole tomatillos, drained and roughly diced 1/2 teaspoon thyme 2 bay leaves 8 fingerling potatoes, peeled and diced 1 quart chicken stock (I used homemade) 2 cups packed fresh purslane, chopped into 1-inch pieces (I used leaves, plus the thin stems at the top of the plants) Salt chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

In large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add jalapeno and cook until softened.

Add the tomatoes and tomatillos and cook until juices are reduced.

Add chicken stock, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves. Simmer until the potato is tender.

Add the purslane. Simmer until tender, about three minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Serve garnished with cilantro.

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Other additions I might add if I make this again: cucumber, scallions.

Ingredients:

2 pounds new potatoes 1 bunch purslane 4 radishes, diced 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced 1/2 cup fresh mint, finely chopped 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash potatoes well, boil until tender (about 15 minutes), drain and cool. Quarter with a knife and layer in bottom of large bowl.

Whisk oil and vinegar with a little salt and pepper. Pour 3 tablespoons over potatoes.

Wash purslane and drain. Tear and layer over potatoes. Add radishes, tomatoes, cilantro, mint and onion. Just before serving, drizzle the remaining oil and vinegar mixture. Toss to coat.

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I sometimes substitute whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour and add 1/4 cup of ground flax seeds to make them a little healthier still.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 3/4 cups whole milk 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar 2 eggs 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped 1 cup fresh blueberries 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional) Topping: 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375. Grease 12 cup muffin tin.

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl (flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt). Combine milk, oil, eggs and sugar in another bowl until smooth. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until combined then add berries, apples and raisins.

Spoon batter into muffin tin. Mix sugar, cinnamon and almonds and sprinkle on top of muffins.Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool in tin for about 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack and cool another 10 minutes. Eat and enjoy.

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I use tilapia for this dish, though the original recipe called for red snapper. (You can also use shrimp sauteed in olive oil.) I often buy the individually wrapped frozen tilapia fillets and keep them in the freezer. The quality is indistinguishable from fresh fillets and they last much longer, of course.) I omit the garlic and I often substitute canned diced tomatoes for fresh. I also reduce the amount of capers. Generally I only make two fillets of fish rather than the 6 the recipe calls for. I reduce the sauce a little bit but we always have extra sauce to eat over the rice, which is very yummy.

This dish is a quick dinner to throw together and, if you use canned tomatoes rather than fresh, you can keep all the ingredients on hand for some time which makes it a great backup dish for when another plan falls through or I’m too tired for something more complicated. 

Ingredients:

2-4 tilapia filets about 6-8 oz each olive oil salt and fresh ground pepper to taste for sauce: 1/4 cup olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin 6 medium tomatoes diced and seeded (about 2 cups) 2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 12-15 pitted green olives sliced in half (I buy the spicy olives, though plain ones will do as well) 1-2 tablespoons capers drained (I’m not a huge caper fan so I use only 1 tablespoon and add a few more jalapeno slices) 2-3 pickled jalapenos drained seeded and cut into strips or about 12 slices of pickled jalapenos pre-sliced—you can adjust the heat by adding more or fewer jalapeno slices salt to taste

Directions:

In heavy non-reactive saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, and remaining ingredients and cook about 10 minutes over low heat, stirring often. Keep sauce warm as you prepare the fish.

Place oven rack about 4 inches below heat source. Preheat oven to broil. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier clean up. Brush each fillet with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and broil 4-5 minutes until fish is opaque but firm. Do not overcook. Place each fillet on plate, top with generous serving of sauce. Garnish with lime slices. (Optional.)

We serve this with plenty of white rice and refried beans or black beans.

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So I’ve been on a salad strike for a while. But yesterday’s trip to the farmer’s market fetched home a handful of new ingredients that had me spending the day fantasizing about getting back home for a yummy salad.

I started with good leafy lettuce, added some nice crisp cucumbers and ripe red tomatoes as usual for my base. But then I also added:

1. Really good goat cheese. I love, love, love the goat cheese made by Ann & Eric Starbard of Crystal Brook Farm. (She’s also the nicest vendor at the Marblehead Farmer’s Market, always remembers us and oohs over the girls.) It’s very creamy and doesn’t have that strong gamy flavor. A little of the jalapeno and cilantro goat cheese sprinkled on a salad gives it a real zing. 

2. Fresh crisp radishes. I’ve never really eaten radishes. To me they were just colorful accessories that Peter Rabbit steals from Mr. McGregor. But thinly sliced they add a nice spicy crunch.

3. Fresh basil. A couple of leaves thinly sliced and sprinkled in a salad give it a fresh bright taste.

Tonight I also added leftover steak tips that Dom grilled for last night’s dinner. We only had a few ounces of meat left; but thinly sliced they are quite enough on top of a big salad.

Recently I’ve also discovered roasted pumpkin seeds.

Top it off with a homemade vinaigrette using a spice mix from Penzey’s—just add oil and vinegar and shake. (Though it’s also good with a bit of lime and orange juice for a citrus variation.)

Yes, summer salads are back. This time I’m going to try to remember to keep trying new ingredients and combinations so I don’t get bored.

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So the marinade I had chosen for the tips was southwestern and a prime ingredient as chili powder. Unfortunately, when I went to the cupboard both our “in-use” jar and reserve stash were depleted. (Somebody forgot to put it on the spice shopping list.) What to do? Why, make our own of course!

I went online and looked at a bunch of recipes. Some were basically ground chili peppers and cumin and lacking in complexity, while others had everything from cinnamon to turmeric. However, I think what I eventually put together was just right and not too time-consuming to make.

Ingredients:

5 Tablespoons ground ancho chili pepper 2 Tablespoons dried oregano 2 Tablespoons ground cumin 2 Tablespoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a dry non-stick saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Don’t skip this; the dry heat causes the natural oils in the herbs and spices to bloom and meld. Cook, stirring constantly, for about four to five minutes. You will start to see smoke near the end of the process and you should smell the cumin toasting.

Makes about 1/2 to 3/4 cups. Store in an airtight container where it should last for up to six months, but sure we won’t get to test that limit. We go through a lot of chili powder around here.

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We frequently have leftover rice. Dom likes to make fried rice with it, but sometimes he just doesn’t get around to it and the rice goes bad. In fact I threw away three containers of it last week, such a shameful waste. But as I looked at various recipes, many of them called for shocking amounts of milk and eggs. With Bella’s new-found love of milk, we’ve been tearing through milk rather more rapidly than before so I was loathe to use four whole cups to make up a dessert I might or might not even enjoy. And many of them started with uncooked rice or used a scant half cup—hardly a way to use up our leftovers. I had to hunt a bit to find exactly what I wanted: a recipe that would maximize the rice and minimize the milk and eggs. I finally found just the thing in my trusty Joy of Cooking. (Although I cooked my rice pudding in one large casserole rather than the individual ramekins or custard cups the recipe called for, it came out just fine.)

So today I whipped up a batch of delicious rice pudding. The only snag: Bella wouldn’t even try a bite. Oh well, more for me! And Dom too, I suppose.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs 1/3 cup sugar grated zest of one lemon 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice 1/2 cup dried currants 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter six small ramekins or custard cups or one medium oven-safe casserole dish.

Whisk together eggs, sugar, zest, cinnamon and salt.

Bring milk to simmer in saucepan.

Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture.

Stir in currants, rice, vanilla.

Pour into cups or casserole dish. Bake in a water bath* until knife inserted in center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before unmolding or eat directly from cups or bowl. Eat warm or cold.

*For water bath: you can use a large roasting pan. The cups should not touch one another or the sides of the pan. Set a cake rack in the bottom or cover the bottom of the pan with a dish towel or several paper towels… the goal is that the dish with the pudding should not directly touch the pan. Place the pan with the custard into the oven and then pour scalding hot water into the pan to come one half to two thirds of the way up the sides of the custard dishes.

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I’ve spent many a hot Texas summer night sipping wine and eating spicy food and watching the sun set from my friends’ deck as we talked and laughed and philosophized. Perhaps that’s why I tend to pull out this cook book when it gets hot, to me this food says summer. But most of the dishes would also be perfect for bringing that elusive taste of summer to a frosty evening and warming your bones on cold winter nights.

This chicken tagine is one of my favorite dishes. I present it here in a slightly modified form.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil 4 chicken thighs 1 1/2 cups chopped onions 3-6 chopped fresh chilies 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 can artichoke hearts cut into quarters 1 cup frozen peas 2 cups carrots, thinly sliced 1 1/2 cups parsley, finely chopped 1-1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (you may substitute table salt or kosher salt) 1/2-1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout spice mix (*see recipe below) 2 cups water 2/3 cup chopped dill 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or more to taste 1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In large saute pan or dutch oven heat olive oil and saute chicken until golden on all sides.

Transfer chicken to plate with slotted spoon and add onions to pan. Saute onions until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

Add chilies and chicken to pot. Add wine, artichokes, carrots, parsley.

Add salt and Ras el Hanout*, pour in water, and bring to boil.

Lower heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until chicken and vegetables are cooked.

Sprinkle with half the dill. Add the frozen peas and stir them in.

Dilute the cornstarch in the lemon juice and add to pot. Do not stir but shake pan to distribute. Let cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings, adding freshly ground pepper or more lemon juice as needed.

Sprinkle with the rest of the dill just before serving.

Serve with couscous and crusty bread.

* Ras el Hanout
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 whole cloves
6 allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Grind all the spices in a clean coffee grinder. (We have one set aside especially for grinding spices.) Store in an airtight jar. Makes about 2 1/2 tablespoons.

This spice mix is really good on grilled chicken and lamb as well as in chicken and meat soups and stews.

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I opted to use our standing mixer rather than get my hands dirty kneading the dough. What actually happened was the dough never came together and I ended up turning it out and kneading it by hand anyway. I’m not sure if I measured wrong or if it was just that humid, but the dough was a sticky mess and I had to add a lot more flour before it got to a reasonable consistency. (I’m glad Dom was here to help me with the flour adding, because it was a very messy process.) But after that it rose beautifully and the final product had a great consistency and wonderful taste.

I also need to work on my pizza tossing skills. Most of my pizzas were only roundish and the final one just kept tearing and I finally gave up and let it be a lump. It was the only one to stick to the peel, go figure.

I didn’t get super creative in the area of toppings. I made three cheese pizzas, two pizzas with sliced pickled jalapeno peppers, and one pizza with some of the super-yummy, locally-made jalapeno pepper goat cheese we picked up at the farmer’s market on Saturday. Dom and Bella were perfectly happy with the offerings, though.

As promised, the ground flax seed yielded a crust with a nice nutty flavor. The semolina flour did its job in preventing sticking except for that fatal last pizza; but by that time I was just hot and tired and that probably had much to do with it.

I don’t think I’ll be doing this very often at least not in our current conditions. In the summer the kitchen really does heat up and it tends to be the warmest room in the house anyway, being too far away from any of the window ACs to really get cooled. But Bella was quite fascinated by the process and had fun playing with—and eating—a little ball of the dough.

More photos after the jump…

Jalapeno pizza using sliced pickled jalapenos was amazingly tasty. The pasta semolina flour went on the peel to keep the pizza from sticking as we slid it onto the stone in the oven.

This one had slices of jalapeno-cilantro goat cheese we picked up at the local farmer’s market.

Plain cheese pizza, but it was anything but plain.

Dom really enjoyed the pizza despite his expression. It’s how he reacts to being photographed during dinner.

Isabella obviously loooooovvvvvveeeed the pizza. NOM, NOM, NOM.

Melanie enjoys the fruits—or in this case, pizza—of her labor.

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