If I had to choose a favorite between a blueberry muffin and a raspberry one - it would be a toss up. These raspberry muffins are delightfully dense and cakey. They’re loaded with big plump fresh raspberries. And…they are to-die-for straight from the oven. You might be tempted to serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and have them for dessert. The almond-and-sugar streusel, which resembles an old-fashioned crumb cake, is the crowning touch to these muffins.
These muffins are perfect to make for brunch, and they’re lovely served with a green salad….or my Spinach Salad for a light lunch. I seem to have a thing for fruit butters….so I made up some raspberry butter to slather on these muffins. If you have no willpower…. …..don’t go there.
I think you’ll like these Raspberry Muffins! They’re not hard to eat!
~ Deb
Health Tip: Raspberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C and manganese. They’re a good source of folate, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Studies have shown that raspberries have almost 50% higher antioxidant activity than strawberries and ten times the antioxidant activity of tomatoes. Raspberries are one of the most high-fiber foods on the planet. Raspberries are one of the better food sources for ellagic acid. Ellagic acid has been shown in research to inhibit the growth of certain types of carcinogenic tumors. Raspberries are a great fruit choice for having minimal impact on blood sugar levels. Try to buy only organic raspberries if you can.
Raspberry Muffins
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1-1/2 cups fresh raspberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin cups. Butter the surface of the muffin pan.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda. Add the sugar and salt and whisk to blend. Make a well in the dry ingredients.
In a separate large bowl, add the eggs, sour cream, and milk. Whisk to combine well. Slowly add the melted butter and continue to whisk until well combined. Pour the wet mixture into the well of the dry ingredients. Pour the raspberries on top. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the ingredients together until moistened. Do not over-mix. The batter will be lumpy. Using an ice cream scooper or a spoon, fill the paper muffin cups to the top with the batter. Spoon 1 tablespoon or more of the almond streusel on top of each muffin. Bake for 18-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Let cool in the pan for just a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Or serve them while they are hot and moist with raspberry butter.
Almond Streusel topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces
1/3 cup turbinado sugar
4 tablespoons slivered almonds
Directions:
Place the flour and butter in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Pour into a bowl and add the sugar and almonds. Toss well and set aside.
Raspberry Butter: Mix together 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature with 1 heaping tablespoon of good raspberry preserves.
Plant a Seed: All altruism springs from putting yourself in the other person’s place. ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick
I’m going through a bit of a spinach phase these days….and I’ve been in the mood for a good spinach salad. Let me rephrase. I’ve been in the mood for a good healthy spinach salad. One without all the bacon and hard-boiled eggs. I’ve wanted a spinach salad that looks like spring….requires few ingredients….it’s easy to toss together…. and naturally tastes delicious.
It’s not that I don’t like bacon and eggs in my spinach salad….I do. In fact, one of the best spinach salads I’ve ever had was made by my friend, Janet (who I’ve known since I was 6 years old). Her spinach salad is incredibly delicious….bacon and all! One of the things I love about this salad though…is it doesn’t require any cooking! This salad is so darn easy to make….you can pull it together is just a few minutes. I’ve never made a vinaigrette with fruit preserves before, so I was a bit skeptical at first…but this Raspberry Vinaigrette is lovely and blends quite nicely with the other ingredients. I love Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves, and always have a jar on hand…so I’ll be making this vinaigrette often.
This Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Papaya recipe comes from the Lake Austin Spa Resort. I loved everything about this salad, and I’ll make it time and time again. Not that I wouldn’t love a trip to Lake Austin Spa Resort…..I would….very much so…but, the truth is…you really don’t have to leave home to pamper yourself. This is one of those salads that definitely makes you feel pampered and peaceful where ever you are…and it makes eating healthy….fun!! I hope you like this Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Papaya as much as I do!
Thanks for stopping by!
~ Deb
Health Tip: Spinach is one of the riches plant sources of iron. Studies show that women aged 30 and upward, should try to include spinach in their diet daily. Spinach is also an excellent source of Vitamin C. It contains 13 flavonoids with anti-cancer properties. It’s a natural anti-inflammatory. It’s good brain food plus it contains four natural ACE inhibitors to reduce blood pressure.
Strawberries contain phenols which are potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. They contain Vitamins A, C and E. Strawberries help to improve brain function. Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients for maintaining healthy skin. It’s critical to the formation of collagen, an important element of the connective tissue which keeps our skin firm, flexible and plump.
Spinach Strawberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
6 tablespoons good raspberry preserves
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups papaya, peeled, seeded and cubed
4 cups fresh strawberries, quartered
2 cups fresh baby flat leaf spinach, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
Combine the preserves, vinegar olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk well. Combine the papaya, strawberries, spinach, onion in a large bowl. Drizzle the raspberry vinaigrette over the fruit and spinach. Toss to coat well. Serve immediately with whole wheat bread or raspberry muffins. Raspberry muffins sound like a good idea, don’t you think?
C’est tout!
A couple of weeks ago, I was picking up a quart of Pasta Primavera from Garduno’s…my favorite little Italian Restaurant. Garduno’s is owned by Mark and Julie Garduno who are two of the nicest people you could ever meet. While Mark was making my primavera, we taked about Italian food and he shared some of his favorite classic cookbooks with me, which looked as if they’d been read cover-to-cover.
He asked me if I’ve ever been to the Italian deli/market….Claro’s. Apparently everything in the market is imported from Italy….including the lunch meat! When I got back home that night, I did a Google search for Claro’s and found a whole host of recipes listed on their website. This Italian Sausage Soup is slightly adapted from Claro’s recipe.
This soup is rich and flavorful and it’s incredibly quick and easy to pull together. We liked it a lot. I used organic turkey sausage and organic vegetable broth, and I may have added a few more vegetables than were called for… because I don’t want anyone walking away from a bowl of my soup still feeling hungry.
This soup is fantastic on its own…but when you add homemade croutons and a sprinkling of parmesan on top, it just makes it all the more delicious! This recipe is definitely a keeper! I hope you like it as well!
Sausage Soup:
1 pound Italian sausage (sweet, mild, or hot – it’s your choice)
2 large potatoes, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced
3 large carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups distilled water
8 ounces or more mixed greens, chopped (spinach, kale, radicchio, escarole, endive, etc.)
Directions:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown sausage. With a wooden spoon, chop the sausage into small pieces while cooking. When the sausage is halfway cooked, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pot along with potatoes, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the vegetable stock and water. Add the canellini beans and tomatoes and tomato broth. Add the greens and simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
For the croutons:
1 loaf of Italian bread, sliced and cut into cubes
salt, pepper and granulated garlic
Place cubes of Italian bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and granulated garlic. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden and crunchy. Remove from the oven a set aside to cool. (You can omit the salt, pepper and garlic if you want to keep it simple and enjoy the flavor of the olive oil. I prefer the croutons simple…I don’t want the added salt).
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Enjoy!!
C’est tout!
One night for dinner last summer, Malcolm served a delicious barley salad with grilled salmon. It was a perfect dinner…great company….warm summer evening….ocean view….and a delicious meal. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on barley salad.
This easy barley salad is refreshing and satisfying…and it makes for a light meal on its own or it goes well with any grilled entree. It’s a beautiful salad with a lovely balance of flavors, textures, and colors all gently tossed together in a delicate citrus vinaigrette.
I hope you enjoy this Barley Salad as much as I do!
Thanks for stopping by!
~ Deb
Health Tip: Barley is a good source of fiber, niacin and selenium. It offers significant cardio benefits and protection against certain cancers. Studies have shown that it can lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Barley Salad:
1-1/4 cups pearl barley
1-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1 cup teardrop heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
1 cup raw almonds
Directions: Place the barley in a medium saucepan. Cover with water by 2-3 inches. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium-low, place lid on pan and let simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the barley is tender. Don’t under cook the barley or the barley will be very tough and chewy. Remove from heat and drain well. Set aside to cool.
Place the barley in a large bowl. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the barley and stir to coat well. Add the bell peppers, cucumber, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, almonds, and parsley. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the barley salad and gently toss to coat evenly.
For the vinaigrette:
8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Whisk the lemon juice and oil together and pour over the barley and vegetables. Toss well to coat the ingredients evenly. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
C’est tout!
This is my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe switched up a bit for my toffee loving friends. I pulled out some of the chocolate chips and replaced them with chopped Heath candy bars….and instead pecans (or walnuts), I added roasted hazlenuts. All of these separate ingredients are tasty on their own….but put them all together and you’ve got something very enticing! The taste of oatmeal and toffee together is a match made in heaven. You could make these cookies with pecans, walnuts, or even almonds if you prefer….but the hazlenuts give these cookies a really great distinguished flavor. They’re perfect to make for a special occasion.
There’s a bit of crispiness at the surface….chewiness in the center…and just the right amount of crunch from the hazlenuts in these cookies. I hope you enjoy every bite!
Thanks for stopping by!
Deb
Chocolate Toffee Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups quick Quaker Oats
1 cup chocolate chips
4 Heath candy bars, chopped
1 cup chopped hazlenuts, chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the shortening, add both sugars.
Add eggs and vanilla
Sift flour, soda and salt together. Add to the creamed mixture and blend thoroughly.
Add the oatmeal, chocolate chips, Heath candy bar pieces and nuts.
Using a spoon or an ice cream scooper, drop cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper.
Bake for 10-12 minutes (they should be ever so slightly undercooked still in a small portion of the centers when you remove them from the oven). When the cookies puff up in the oven – gently tap the cookie sheet on the oven shelf or counter-top (be sure to lay a kitchen towel down so not to nick the counter top), and this will knock the wind out of the cookies and they will flatten out a bit.
Remove from cookie sheet and cool on rack.
Serve with plenty of milk. For some reason, these cookies are even better the next day.
Roasting Hazlenuts:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place shelled hazlenuts on a cookie sheet and toast until they are golden brown, about 5 – 7 minutes. Stir to brown evenly and prevent from burning. When the nuts have cooled, briskly rub the nuts between your hands to loosen the skins, a handful at a time. Still some of the skin will remain intact and that is perfectly fine.
C’est tout!
« Older posts
|
2 comments