Cook the Book! Next 3 Weeks! + Alyce's Blueberry Muffins

For the next three weeks, I’ll at some time during each week feature one recipe from my new book, Soups & Sides for Every Season (click HERE to order).   Make the recipe, photograph it, email the pic to me:  soupsandsides@gmail.com.   If yours is the first email with a recipe photo I receive, I’ll mail you a book!  Don’t forget to include your snail mail address in the email as well as any adjustments you made to the recipe.  Now get “cooking!”  I can’t wait to hear from you.

If you haven't had a chance to look at the book yet, it's a soft covered paperback, 174 pages, and was a more than two-year effort that included a wonderful team:  Patricia Miller, editor; Amanda Weber, designer; Daniel Craig, artist; and Drew Robinson, CS, sommelier.  I had a dedicated team of testers and they're all listed in the acknowledgment section.

Strawberry-Almond Muffins + Father's Day Brunch Game Plan

Weekend breakfasts should be...what?  Laid back?  Slow?  Simple?  I'm not sure, but I do know they need to be delicious.  If you have someone to cook for, that's fine.  This would be lovely for Father's Day for family or friends.   If not, cook for yourself.  I often hear people say, "Oh, it's too much trouble to cook for just me."  (Or "us" if there are two.)  Au contraire.  It's simpler than cooking for a crowd and often more fun.  Hey, you get to cook things exactly as you'd like them.  And that's what breakfast is all about, right?  Everyone likes their eggs just so.  Yes!

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Cornbread Muffins: Just 6 (And a little Sweet Baby James, too)

I hope you don't break down and buy the little Jiffy mixes that make just six muffins.  I know it's tempting.  But it doesn't take much to keep a little cornmeal on hand.  To say nothing of flour.  Could you make a whole cornbread for one person? Of course  you could!   (In fact, scroll down and I'll give you a link to my own skillet cornbread recipe.) Still: what if you don't want leftover cornbread or you'd like to freeze individual portions?  Then this little recipe is just for you.  Or you and your friend.  Try this:

six cornbread muffins

• 1/2 cup each yellow (or white) cornmeal and white, unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons white, granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon grated or finely minced onion

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.   Place a  greased  6-muffin tin in the oven to heat for 2-3 minutes.  (Do not use paper liners.)  Half of a 12-muffin tin works, too.

Mix dry ingredients (flours - salt) in a medium bowl. 
In a mixing cup or small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (butter-onion.)
Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and stir until just well-blended.  Don't over mix.

Remove muffin tin from oven and, holding carefully with mitts or pot  holders, pour or spoon batter, dividing evenly among the six muffin cups.   Bake for about 15 minutes or until muffins are firm, golden, and toothpick inserted at middle comes out clean. Do not overbake.  Serve hot with butter and honey.

Wrap leftovers well and store at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to eight weeks.

Want to bake a whole skillet cornbread?  Double the ingredients for the muffins.  Heat a 9-inch cast iron skillet (or similar size Pyrex dish or baking pan) on the stove and melt a teaspoon or two of butter in it; swirl or brush well all over inside of pan.  Pour batter into pan and let cook two minutes or so stove top.  Place in oven and bake about 20 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted at middle comes out clean.  Do not overbake.

 Have fun cooking and taking care of yourself,
Alyce

P.S.  I have a really big collection of Christmas music, so I limit myself to one new album per year.
 I just bought the new James Taylor Christmas album....love it. (I'm not paid to toot this guy's horn, but he's been a favorite of mine a long time.  I'm so  happy to see him still coming up with new stuff that he obviously enjoys doing. Give it a listen.  Enjoy every moment, friends.)

Coffee Cup Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins

          Makes 6 large muffins


I spend a bit of time every fall baking pumpkin bread...  I have a special pan for it:

Cranberry-Blueberry Orange Muffins

Tender is the word.  Gentle is the method.  Don't over-mix or over bake.  Butter?  Yes.

 There really isn't anything homier or more welcoming than a basket full of fresh muffins. (Especially if you're having a friend for breakfast.)  And they're a bit more versatile than at first they appear.  I like them for breakfast, lunch, snacks, coffee, or dinner.  Much like quiche or omelets, they go anywhere, anytime.  They do travel well and keep for a few days on the counter or for a few weeks well-wrapped in the freezer.  Time?  5 minutes to stir up and 15 - 20 to bake?  They round up and out what might have appeared a paltry meal (think leftover salad or a jar of tomato soup or just yogurt and fruit) and  make you and the meal feel special.  Should I bring up butter?

Zucchini (Too Much!) for One

Zucchini-Almond Muffin

I hope you have a generous neighbor (as do I) who gardens...  Maybe he'll leave a tres giant zucchini on your back porch one day...

that makes people say things like, "Oh, my God!"  I guess this is sort of a giving thanks for copious amounts of food.  If you don't have a gardening neighbor or friend (and folks at church often bring these tomes to get rid of them after service), the farmer's market in St. Paul sells them for fifty cents.  Talk about food value.  While not as tender or flavorful as the tiny elegant zucchini that grace the plates of fine restaurants, these babies will still feed you.  (And anyone else who's hungry.)

An interesting aside about zucchini, which we usually think of as a vegetable.

Botanically, however, the zucchini is an immature fruit, being the swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower.

(This from Wikipedia, should we trust it.  YIKES.)

So here's two recipes for using up zucchini for the solo cook, who might often pass by a big zucchini:

 1.  Zucchini Cakes --  Fried up "pancakes" full of Parmesan and grated onion, they're hearty and healthy.

Zucchini Cakes--Eat 'em while they're hot.  Or not.

          You might have the cakes a time or two before they're gone.  I like them instead of sausage with fried eggs, sliced up over rice and topped with chopped green onions or dill, smothered in a layer of Greek yogurt and a good dose of black pepper, graced with a dop of great salsa, or just by themselves.  Yes, versatile!  Also fine hot, at room temp, or cold right out of the frig.

Ingredients:

3 cups grated zucchini (Squeeze excess moisture out in a towel or you'll have mushy cakes.)
3T minced or grated onion
1/2 cup flour (You might need a little more if mixture looks very liquidy before frying.)
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper, optional
1 egg, beaten well
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish if you like)
2-3 T olive oil or butter for frying
Freshly ground black pepper

Toppings:  As you choose from above listings

Mix together all ingredients except oil/butter and pepper.  Heat oil/butter over medium - medium-high heat.  Shape zucchini mixture into patties about 3" in diameter and place in hot fat.  (Or spoon mixture into fat much like pancakes and smooth into shape.) Dust with black pepper.  Let cook 3-4 minutes until quite golden.  Carefully turn over, dust again with pepper, and fry the other side until golden. Serve immediately.  Or later.  Store tightly wrapped in the frig for up to 2 days.  Do not freeze.