Fruity Morning Muffins

These are based on a recipe from the September 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times. I just added more fruit-and still ended up with only 10 muffins!

Fruity Morning Muffins
Makes 10
2 cups mixed dried fruit, plumped in boiling water (raisins, apricots, figs) chopped and drained
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup turbinado sugar, divided
orange zest from one orange
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line or grease 12-muffin tin for 10 muffins (though you may get more.)
2. Combine flours, 2/3 cup sugar, orange zest, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Whisk eggs and yogurt in a searate small bowl. Stir egg mixture into fruit just until moist. Fold in fruit.
4. Using a size 10 scoop, fill muffin tins with batter. Sprinkle tops with remaining sugar.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until tops spring back when touched. Let cool.
6. Enjoy warm!
(to reheat, place in 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes, or until warm)

Uncle Larry's "Fresh From The Garden" Appetizer

Homegrown eggplant, homegrown pepper, homegrown tomatoes. (If I'm not mistaken.)
All that's missing from his garden would be olives to press his own olive oil and garlic.

It was delicious.

Cold Pepper Mustard Pasta Green Salad With Cheesy Toasts

Okay, it has a mouthful of a name, but that's what I get for trying to name it something that will get published immediately.

I need to learn to focus better... maybe save up for a digital SLR so I can have better aperture control too. Oh well.

Cold Pepper Mustard Pasta Green Salad With Cheesy Toasts
Serves 5
Pasta Salad
6 ounces uncooked high-fiber spiral shaped pasta
1 orange bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt

green salad
3 cups mixed greens, washed and dried
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, sliced into thin rings
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

cheesy toasts
4 slices bread, toasted
2 slices cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika


1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. After pasta is cooked, drain, and mix in orange bell pepper, garlic, brown mustard, and salt. Let cool.
3. Mix together greens, tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, and onion in a large bowl.
4. Whisk together vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, dill weed, and black pepper and add to greens. Toss salad.
5. Top toast with cheddar, sprinkle with paprika, and place under broiler for 1-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
6. Portion salad onto plates, top with pasta, and serve with a cheesy toast.

Experiment and eat it too!

I felt like trying something new.
I don't quite remember exactly what went into it, since it was made Sept. 3rd, but I'll try.

It had leftover basmati rice from the night before pressed into a pie plate about half an inch thick, topped with a spinach-egg-milk mixture mixed with leftover grilled tomatoes and peppers that were chopped up and topped with cheddar cheese, baked in the oven at 350 degrees for around 20 or 30 minutes.
Whatever I did, it turned out pretty good. I wish I remembered.

Grilled Peaches!

Nothing says summer like the grill!
So what better thing to have for a labor day dessert?

Grilled peaches topped with ice cream and fresh blueberries!

And super simple. Halve and pit the peaches, grill them (or in my case, have Dad grill them), and you're done!

Un-Spicy White Bean and Tomato Soup

I was originally going to make this on Thursday night, but we ended up going out for a not-so-spectacular dinner instead.
I made the soup Friday instead, for 7 people, so I had to stop at the store and get more ingredients. This was pretty simple, and now that I know how to make it, it makes a good weeknight dinner. Though it was a bit light since I originally only portioned half of grilled cheese sandwiches.

White Bean and Tomato Soup
Serves 8

28 ounces vegetable broth, divided
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 (15-oz) cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium poblano chile, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1 pint grape tomatoes
10 ounces small vine tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to garnish
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
5 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine 2 cups stock, chili powder, cumin, and beans in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Combine remaining broth, poblano, and onion in a food processor; pulse until vegetables are chopped. Add onion mixture to pan.

Add tomatoes and cilantro to food processor, and process until coarsely chopped. Add tomato mixture to pan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; stir in juice, olive oil, and salt. Garnish with cilantro.

For a meal, I served them with grilled cheddar and provolone cheese and spinach sandwiches that Tiff helped by making. I just failed to make enough.

Raspberry Scones

I came across a recipe for Rasperry Scones in September's issue of Food And Wine, and since I've been wanting to make scones, and this recipe sounded simple,and different, I thought I would give it a try. They were yummiest straight from the oven.

I want to go to BabyCakesNYC next time I'm in New York City, whenever that may be.

An Uncle Larry Meal

As usual, it was delicious.

Peach Chicken Salad with Mint Vinaigrette

There was leftover grilled chicken in the house, and Dad wanted me to find a way to incorporate it into dinner.
So my plan was some form of chicken salad. But I wanted to try something new. My search led me here, to a salad that sounded perfect for summer.
Of course, being me, I didn't walk over to the fruit bowl until it was time for me to wash the fruit and dice it. It turned out that they weren't nectarines at all, so that's how the salad came to be different. From the original recipe that is.

Peach Chicken Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
Serves 5

Dressing:
1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup clear balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 cup chopped seeded cucumber
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons minced red onion
3 peaches, chopped
5 boston lettuce leaves

To make the dressing: place mint and sugar in a food processor; process until finely chopped, scraping sides of bowl. Add vinegar, juice, salt, and pepper, and process 30 seconds to combine.

To prepare salad: combine chicken, cucumber, pine nuts, onion, and peaches in a medium bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss well to coat. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each of 5 plates; top each serving with 3/4 cup salad.

Serve with toast or crackers.

Beet Salad

Dad had roasted some beets, and so he wanted me to do something with them.

We ended up having some torn Boston lettuce leaves topped with beets, red wine vinegar, and orange segments.
We did have some other recreated leftovers later, but they didn't turn out how I wanted them to.