Raspberry muffin bliss

I truly enjoy a good muffin for breakfast. But a homemade muffin, hot out of the oven, sends me into a state of bliss.  I'm pretty sure my eyes glaze over and I can't answer any questions in a coherent manner as I savor each bite.

I know. I am a dramatic foodie.  But why fight it? I choose to embrace it!

I am that person who plies the muffin gently from the pan when they are literally seconds out of the oven. This usually results in a crumbly mess of deliciousness on my plate.

Perhaps people with more willpower than me would let the muffins sit and set so that when they come out of the pan they are the perfect shape.

I don't care about the perfectly shaped muffin. I care about savoring every single hot, delicious bite.

Earlier this week I wrote about the raspberry oatmeal pancakes I made recently.  Continuing on the raspberry bandwagon, I bring you the most delicious raspberry muffins I've ever eaten.

I've been making these at least once a week for my family this summer.  No joke. They are THAT. GOOD.

These muffins are great hot out of the pan that first morning but they are also a nice snack in the following days and stay quite fresh when stored in an airtight container for a couple days.

However, these muffins have never lasted more than 24 hours in this house because, like I said, they are THAT. GOOD.

But even more beautiful might be that it takes minutes to whip up the batter and about 17-20 minutes until you are enjoying some raspberry muffin goodness.  I even threw in a handful of rolled oats each time I've made these to make the muffins a bit more hearty.

And believe me, there is no time to waste when you know the absolute perfect raspberry muffin is involved.

Raspberry Oat Muffin

Raspberry Oat Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
*2 cups all-purpose flour
*1/2 cup sugar
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
*3/4 cup whole milk
*1 large egg
*1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
*Handful of rolled oats

Details
*Heat oven to 400° F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or coat it with cooking spray, vegetable oil, or butter.

*In a medium bowl, combine 1 3/4 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and combine. In a second bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla. Gradually add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined; the batter will be lumpy. Throw in a handful of rolled oats if you wish.  Toss the berries with the remaining flour in a bowl. Gently fold the berry mixture into the batter.

*Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from Real Simple

A whole lot of pancake goodness

I've always found taking time to make a 'real' breakfast to be luxurious.

Some people like to sink into a bathtub filled with warm water with bubbles up to their neck while some of us (ahem, me) find the same decadent experience in concocting a breakfast not consisting of cereal and milk.

In the past, weekends were the only time I could truly make something a bit more involved like from scratch pancakes or homemade muffins.  I've been inclined to experiment a bit more with breakfast recipes lately as I am trying to encourage my son to eat more for breakfast.  I'm aiming for hearty and healthy yet still pleasing to the 3-year-old (and 33 year-old) palate.

Which leads me to today's breakfast experiment: homemade raspberry oatmeal pancakes.

Do yourself a favor and make these next weekend.  Even the little man ate these up. I served them with the traditional maple syrup, but next time, I will also make a simple raspbery sauce to drizzle on the pancakes, too.

There is a small amount of sugar in the recipe (given how many pancakes the recipe produces) but the sweetness of the raspberries makes up for the low sugar.  You'll notice in the recipe that you need to mix the oats with the yogurt concoction and let it sit for 15-30 minutes.  This seems an annoying extra step but what it does is soften the oats so they blend more easily into the actual pancake batter.  It's worth the extra time and the oats lead to a much more substantive and yet healthy pancake.

Besides, think of what you can do with an 15-30 minutes on a Sunday morning while your oats soften.

Perhaps read the New York Times Sunday Style Section?

Blissful.

Oh wait.  In my case, you take a walk to buy the eggs you realized you were out of that you will need to complete your pancakes.

A last piece of advice: although these pancakes are really good, unless you are feeding a family of 6+ or are on a real carb binge (been there, done that), I strongly suggest cutting the below recipe in half.  There was just more pancake goodness than we needed.

But I suppose there are worse problems.



Raspberry Oatmeal Pancakes

Raspberry Oatmeal Pancakes
Ingredients
*1 1/2 cups rolled oats
*3/4 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup milk (this creates a buttermilk-like mixture)
*1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*1/4 cup sugar
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*4 large eggs
*1 1/2 cups milk
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Details
*In a bowl, mix oats and yogurt/milk mixture; let stand at least 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes.

*Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

*In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, and vanilla to blend. Stir in flour and oat mixtures just until evenly moistened, then gently stir in raspberries.

*Place a nonstick griddle over medium heat; when hot, coat lightly with butter and adjust heat to maintain temperature. Pour batter in 1/4-cup portions onto griddle and cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, about 2 minutes; turn with a wide spatula and brown other sides, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Coat pan with more butter as necessary to cook remaining pancakes.

*Recipe adapted from La Note in Berkeley, CA

Back to blogging with a cookie recipe

I realize it's been a while since I have blogged.  A year to be exact.

Whew.  Time flies.

I hope you might still be there, willing to read this blog, even though the blog went on an unexpected hiatus!

One year later, I'm back. After taking time to seek out some much needed balance in my life between work and family, I have more time to cook and hopefully to blog.  I've also changed the name of my blog to better reflect my more frequent cooking, which now is no longer limited to the weekend.

It's amazing how little things can make one so incredibly happy.  For example, being able to make homemade muffins on a Tuesday morning for my son and husband makes me ridiculously happy.  Primarily because I'm able to do this without knowing I need to also try to make an early morning breakfast for work and then return home at God-knows-what-time that evening, makes it even better.

I am treasuring every moment. 

Which brings us to one year later, July 2012 and it's been a hot and humid summer here in the good District of Columbia.  The heat has not exactly been conducive to allowing me to indulge love of baking and in general, cooking.  Heating up the oven to 350 degrees to make cookies is not ideal.  Digging into a pint of fresh berries from the local farm stand is far preferable.

Yesterday it rained and brought a reprieve from the heat.  My email for work had slowed to a mid-summer lull and my son was napping so what better to do than, you guessed it, bake cookies!

Oatmeal peanut butter cookies to be exact.  Two of my most favorite ingredients!  And though the cookies are made with just a few ingredients, they will knock your socks off.  Better yet, they take about 20 minutes total from start to finish to make and I promise not only will you love them but any little people in your life will LOVE them. 

After the cookies came out of the oven, I couldn't help indulge in a cookie or three.  With the rain coming down outside and old episode of Sex and the City on TV, it was a pretty good Friday afternoon and a good time to return to blogging.


The finished product. Nothing fancy but oh so delicious!

 Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes approximately 16-20 cookies

Ingredients
*1/2 cup peanut butter (I like Jiff)
*1/2 cup packed brown sugar
*1 egg
*1 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
*In a bowl, combine peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy.  Beat in egg. Add oats, baking soda, salt and vanilla to creamed mixture; mix well.

*Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto a baking sheet, flatten slightly.  Bake at 350 degrees from 6-8 minutes (I left mine in for more like 10-12 minutes to make sure they cooked through but just keep an eye on them while baking).

Adapted from A Taste of Home.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree

*This is the second blog in a series on food traditions

After nine months (not counting the nine days after his due date that he decided to hang out in the womb) and 27 hours of labor, our sweet little boy, Davis, entered this world at 3:42 am two years ago on July 17.


I like to think that he acquired his budding foodie tendencies during his nine month-plus stay inside me. I tried my best to eat healthy but I was pleased to sample the amazing food of Paris and of course engage in some sinful cooking during my pregnancy. I remember that whenever I ate something divine or cooked something that both my husband and I enjoyed, I wondered, “Will Davis love this dish as much as we do one day?” I gleefully interpreted every kick from the little person inside me as a sign of approval after a bowl of risotto or a particularly good crème brulee.

As he has moved from breast milk to formula to pureed food to the milestone cheerio experience and then beyond into the great foodie frontier of non-pureed foods, it is clear my son loves food.

THANK GOODNESS!

Hence, Davis’ request for his current favorite meal, noo noo’s and meatballs (translation: spaghetti and meatballs), for his birthday made me smile from ear to ear.

But I am realizing it is not just the food that Davis loves.

Over Davis’ birthday dinner, I was observing how he thoroughly enjoys eating with people and holding court while doing so. Generally, he likes to discuss the many diggers, dump trucks and garbage trucks he encountered during his day. Sometimes he will recount how he helped me cook the meal we are eating.

Davis becomes even more animated when he discovers he can draw a reaction from his dinner partners. In recent months, even a trip to the bagel store becomes a social experience as Davis eagerly visits with customers entering the store and the employees, who know him by name.

In my family, it is as much about the social aspect that accompanies our food consumption as it is the food itself.

Whether it is shopping for our food or eating it, even the best grocery store/market or the most fantastic meal is only average without good company.

As we ate our dinner of spaghetti and meatballs on Davis’ birthday and as I watch him grow, I think often about how much my dad would have enjoyed Davis. Although Dad passed away before Davis was born, it is remarkable the qualities they share. I’ve written quite a bit on this blog about Dad’s love of food and cooking and how for him, eating was a social experience.

The apple didn’t fall far from the tree with his grandson who is embracing the social aspect of all things food-related.

Davis’ enthusiasm for the social side of food is reminiscent of Dad’s trips to an Italian grocery store in Milwaukee where after frequent visits, everyone knew him by name and vice versa. The family that owns the store still speaks of him fondly many years after his passing. Dad also frequented a small diner for breakfast on his way to work in Milwaukee. He grew to know the employees and the regulars at the counter where he sat and discussed sports and why the Packers were God’s gift to the world. Yes, it was good to “take nourishment” as Dad liked to say, but he loved the visiting while eating his plate full of eggs and bacon.

With my little family of three, it is likely that just as food played an important role in helping form memories from my childhood, it is just as important today in making new memories for Davis and for me in my role as a wife and mother.

After putting a very tired and satiated Davis to bed on his birthday, I was reminded that each day with my son is another beautiful reminder of the circle of life. While some people are taken from us sooner than we hoped, we are blessed to be given new life. It is through wonderful little people who carry on traits of those who have passed, that we are reminded of treasured memories, while at the same time helping create new memories to last the rest of our days.

Homemade Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce
Recipe note: I found that by sautéing garlic and onion in olive oil and then adding it to the well-seasoned ground beef (kosher salt, pepper, oregano, Italian bread crumbs and plenty of grated parmesan cheese) made the meatballs full of flavor and less dry.

For the spaghetti sauce, I have found that you really must taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. I recommend using San Marzano crushed tomatoes when possible. But, you really should add a tablespoon of sugar to the sauce to help bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes. It made all the difference. I also add a healthy amount of grated parmesan cheese to the sauce and on occasion, let the sauce simmer with parmesan rinds in it when I have them handy.

Homemade Meatballs Ingredients
Makes 6-10 meatballs depending on size

1 ½ lbs ground beef (I use 90 or 93% lean ground beef)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ yellow onion, chopped
2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
Oregano
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Details
Saute the garlic and onion in olive oil until the onion in soft. Stir frequently to keep the garlic from burning. Once done sautéing, remove from pan using a slotted spoon and set aside the garlic and onion in a small bowl.

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and season generously with kosher salt, pepper and oregano. Mix well (using your hands or even a fork) and season a bit more to ensure all the meat gets an even coat of this seasoning.

Next, add the onion and garlic to the ground beef and mix well to incorporate. Add bread crumbs, mix well and then the parmesan cheese. Mix well to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.

In a small bowl, beat the egg thoroughly and then add slowly to the ground beef mixture, mixing as you go to ensure the egg is evenly distributed throughout the ground beef.

Form ground beef mixture into medium-sized balls. In a large, deep sauté pan,over medium-high heat a generous amount of olive oil (enough to coat bottom of the pan thoroughly plus a little extra, make sure it is about ½ inch deep in pan) until you can see it smoking.

Place meatballs in the hot oil and turn during cooking to allow them to cook thoroughly and brown on each side. The cooking time will depend on the size of the meatballs. It can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. I generally reduce the heat to medium while cooking. This also seems to allow the meatballs to not dry out while cooking though it takes a bit more time. I recommend cutting open one meatball to see how it is cooking. Once it is no longer pink, it’s ready to eat!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients
Recipe note: I can’t emphasize how important it is to taste the sauce while it cooks and season as you go. Taste it here and there and add salt, pepper and oregano as needed. I would go easy on the pepper. Occasionally, I sprinkle in some garlic salt as well if the sauce needs a bit more flavor.

2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano brand recommended)
½ yellow onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (more if you like the taste in your sauce)
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt
Pepper (use sparingly)
Oregano
Garlic salt (if needed … it never hurts to add a few shakes)
Olive oil

DetailsIn a large stock pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Cook until onion is soft.

Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and parmesan cheese.

Season with salt, pepper and oregano to taste. I add a ton of oregano because I love the flavor.

Cook on low heat for 30 minutes to an hour.

Creating food traditions: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Blogger's note: This blog post is the first in a series of recipes that I think will be part of my family of three's food traditions. 

One of the many things I have enjoyed about being married and now being a mom is creating food traditions for my family of three.

By food tradition, I mean the favorite dish you ate growing up that your mom or dad made and no one else could make it quite the same.  Didn't it make you feel special when they made it for you?

I have come to realize that not only is it special when you are on the receiving end of the food but it is incredibly fulfilling when you are on the delivering end as well.

This post is the first in a series of recipes I will be posting on the blog that I have found are a home run for my family.  I imagine these recipes will be staples in my cooking repertoire over the hopefully many years ahead that I have to cook for my family.

As my toddler becomes more willing to expand his food horizons, cooking is becoming more fun than ever.

My son recently discovered raisins.  And, he is obsessed.  Add to that an oatmeal fixation and I decided that oatmeal raisin cookies were a needed addition to our family recipes.  I took a standard oatmeal raisin cookie recipe and tweaked it after two rounds of experimentation in pursuit of the perfect cookie.  In the end, what resulted in the best cookie cutting in half the amounts of sugar and brown sugar used, added an extra teaspoon of cinnamon, and added half a teaspoon of cloves.  (On a side note, I credit my mother-in-law with the ingenious idea of cutting the sugar which results in cookies that are not flat and end up somewhat healthier as well.)

My husband isn't in love with raisins nor are my niece or nephew who were over visiting recently.  In case of an anti-raisin faction in your family, add milk chocolate chips.  The cookies are still divine though I might admit the cloves if you are going the chocolate route.

Upon finding the cookies waiting for him when he awoke from his nap, my son quickly ate the cookie and announced "More mommy cookies!"

With that, "Mommy Cookies" were added to the can't-live-without Turrentine family recipe repertoire.

I can't wait to send these as a treat with Davis when he goes to kindergarten, then off to college and eventually to send home a batch with him to share with his own children.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (a.k.a. Mommy Cookies)

Ingredients
*2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
*1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
*1/2 cup granulated sugar
*2 large eggs at room temperature
*2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*2 teaspoons cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon cloves
*1 teaspoon kosher salt
*3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
*1 1/2 cup raisins

Details
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.  With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together into a medium bowl.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.  Add the oats and raisins and mix just until combined.

Using a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto the baking sheets (line either with parchment or using a silpat mat).  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.  Transfer to a baking rack and cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

First gazpacho of the summer

After finding a few of the very first, perfect tomatoes of the season, I decided it was time to fire up the food processor and make gazpacho.  I posted the recipe last year and it's an ideal lunch or dinner in the summer. It also makes a large quantity so you can feed a crowd or enjoy what's leftover for a few days.

I find the more I cook recipes, the more the dish changes and evolves in the way I make it.

Tonight, I didn't have plain bread crumbs so I threw in a handful of saltine crackers to thicken the soup.  Also, once the vegetables were pureed, I added the olive oil and sherry wine vinegar while the mixture was still in the food processor.  After I transferred the mixture to a large bowl, I stirred in the tomato juice and then added in kosher salt, pepper and a bit more paprika.

Here is the link to the original post: http://bit.ly/jyCjrl

Enjoy!

No stove required

If it were appropriate, I would have worn my swimsuit to my office today and set up a blow-up pool next to my desk.

Yes, it is that hot outside.

Like oh-my-I-think-I-am-melting hot.

And people, it's only June.  

The fun has just begun.  Welcome to summer in the swamp that is the District of Columbia.

At this rate, I may be eating ice cream for dinner every night this summer.   Generally, this is what I do when it is 100 degrees outside with 95% humidity.  The thought of turning on the stove is unbearable even in an air conditioned house.

Frankly, it was even too hot to go to the grocery store tonight.  Since I decided I needed a food group other than dairy (i.e. ice cream), I hit the pantry where I found cans of black olives and chickpeas.  I decided to pair the olives and chickpeas with small pieces of fresh mozzarella and added a few splashes of red wine vinaigrette and a few shakes of garlic salt and oregano.  

In about five minutes or as long as it takes to open a jar and a can, I had a perfect summer dish to pair with cold flank steak.  This dish is also filling enough to have on its own if the heat has completely squelched your appetite.

I fully admit that this is not the most inventive thing to come out of my kitchen.  However, on a really hot night, it didn't matter because it was cool, satisfying and did not require turning on the stove.

You can add so many things to this dish and feel like you are never eating the same dish twice.  Other things you could add that I've used in the past include: kidney beans, northern beans, roasted red peppers, any vegetable you can think of, diced chicken, capers, cooked orzo, or tomatoes.  

Who knew the sky could be the limit without even turning on the stove? 

Simple Pantry Salad

(serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side)

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas

1 can black olives (you can use kalamata olives too)

1 small ball of fresh mozzarella cheese cut into bite-size chunks

A few splashes of red wine vinaigrette

A few shakes of oregano (you can use fresh from your garden if you have it)

A few shakes of garlic salt

Details

Drain the olives and chickpeas.

Cut the mozzarella cheese into bite-size 

Place all ingredients in a bowl.  Give the ingredients a few splashes of red wine vinaigrette, garlic salt and oregano.  Gently toss to coat ingredients.

**The seasoning with the vinegar, garlic salt and oregano is really based on your preference. So add a little of each, taste and then add a little more if you want.**