A common misconception: muffins are only eaten for dessert. If I may, I would like to suggest an alternative. Muffins do not have to be sweet, and they do not have to have cups and cups of sugar. Personally, I find it to be an interesting and fun twist to the main course. So this week, I opted for cranberry orange muffins to complement the prune chicken, mushrooms-greenbeans, and white rice.
First and foremost, I implore you to use FRESH orange juice. It's so simple, and so much less artificial. And trust me, you can taste it in the final product. When you can, you should ALWAYS use fresh ingredients, be it vegetables, fruits, or juice.
But back to the recipe...
2 C gluten-free flour (I used brown rice flour), 1/2 C almond flour (delicious with the cranberries, as you can imagine), only half a cup of sugar, 1 tsp unflavored gelatin powder, 2.5 tsp baking powder, 1 C orange juice, 2 eggs, 1/4 C oil, 1 C cranberries (recipe calls for dried cranberries, I used fresh... it's up to you).
When you see a recipe like this, you feel immediately that something rings right. There are no enormous quantities, no bizarre ingredients, no ridiculous amount of sugar... It looks reasonable, and the ingredients feel right. The fun of this recipe is that you need not get too busy with it: simply mix the dry ingredients together, and then toss in the wet ones. At the end, throw in the cranberries, and there you go!
Bake them in the 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or so, until the top is golden-brown. For those who like it to be a bit more sweet (since the cranberries are definitely a sour touch), you can make a glaze. Simply boil some sugar with water or juice, let it thicken a bit, and pour over the muffins.
This recipe made 24 scrumptious cupcakes.
Muffins are fun. They're pretty. And they're delicious!
I know I recently talked about this, but it cannot be helped. This past Friday I made meringues. Except this time, I was in a foreign country. I thought it would be simple- the recipe calls for not much more than eggs, sugar, and chocolate. But here's the catch... When you're in a new country, the ingredients are new, too. I must say I was quite surprised. First of all, the sugar was far too sweet, as were the chocolate chips. The eggs were significantly smaller, and the salt absolutely DOES NOT salt! And the oven!! Converting temperatures from farenheit to celcius is of no use- you have to play around with the settings of the oven until you find a temperature that suits you. I'm embarrassed, but I'll admit- it was tough. The first batch was burnt on the outside and still raw inside, when I only left them in the oven for half the usual time. The second batch was unbearabley sweet, and the rest was ok... not amazing. Sure does something to the ego, let me tell you! But I hope to get used to the new food, new tools, new place...
I was sure that when I left the house to spend a year abroad, I would spend time cooking up a storm. But here I am, six months after graduating high-school, spending the year in Israel, and I find myself in the kitchen less often than at home! But I have been making more time for my hobby, so the past couple of weeks have been better. I think this blog will slowly transform into the student's guide to eating well even under time pressure and work-load. And it will encourage me to brave the exhaustion/laziness and cook.
Tonight, for example, I had a half hour break for supper. You can imagine that those moments, while rushing in between two classes, was not the ideal moment for making a nutritious supper. I was tempted to slouch in the living room with crackers, peanut-butter, jelly, and a book. But my inner chef refused. So...
One of the most useful inventions, a must have for all students: rice noodles- those that cook in under a minute. LITERALLY! Super thin, pretty plain, interesting consistency... I boiled water in a small pot. While that was happening, I took out a piece of salmon and prepared the plate. As soon as the water was boiling, I threw in some rice noodles, and within a minute, I had my meal! On the noodles I sprinkled some balsamic-olive oil salad dressing, and on top of that I put the salmon. Quick and easy. And so delicious. Felt like a home-made meal!
More to come. I will not let another six months pass without posting :)
It's been so long since last time I've posted. This school-year was hectic; completely draining physically and emotionally. But now that I'm back to myself, I'm back to my blog, too. Now without further adieu, I return to my food.
Meringues. It's basically only egg whites and sugar. But when done right, it'm magic. Today I made a batch of chocolate meringues with chocolate chips. I beat the egg whites (only three!) with vanilla until stiff and added the sugar gradually. Then I folded in the cocoa powder and the chocolate chips. I continued by spooning out the meringues and placing it gently on a greased pan. It stayed in the oven for about 25 minuted and came out splendid; a hint of gold around the edges, a peak at the tip, and a somewhat caramelized bottom.
Now, there are a few very important things to keep in mind when making this recipe.
First of all, stiff means stiff. And stiff means that you can turn that bowl with egg whites upside down and none of it will move, let alone slide or drop.
Second, when you beat the whites, quickly reach the highest speed on the mixer, and put a little bit of salt and a DROP of vinegar to keep the white and the stiffness. It works like magic.
And when you fold anything into the egg whites, be gentle, but assertive. Someone once told me to be the boss of my food. This is true: don't break the egg whites, but make sure the chocolate gets everywhere you want it to go. Its your dessert, it's your kitchen, it's your call.
Sometimes I find that the simplest recipes are the best. Of course, if you have time and energy and ingredients, go right ahead and make something a bit more exciting! But tonight I was short on time, so I made a quickie.
Tilapia. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Tilapia is easy; if you overcook a bit, it won't make a difference. So use it if you are unsure of anything...
I put fresh lemon juice and olive oil in the pan. I let that heat up and added a layer of tilapia (COMPLETELY FROZEN!). Then I sprayed that layer and added another three pieces of fish on top, covered the pan, and left it on medium flame for about ten fifteen minutes. When it comes out, the fish is soft, and the liquid will give you a great sauce. Now this sounds not so exciting, but serve it with brown rice and a salad (lettuce, tomatos, hearts of palm), and a soup at the beginning, and you have yourself a meal! I served this with a tomato soup to start the meal. Just know which cheeses to add, and use the freshest kind you have. So light, so easy to make... perfect for one of those busy evenings at home when you want to throw together something healthy and delicious.
We never actually celebrated thanksgiving. We never did the whole 'turkey' thing. But I had a few days off, and a nice dose of energy, and my mood was up, so I took advantage. I took SERIOUS advantage. Turkey and Pumpkin Pecan Pie and Minted Cranberry Orange Relish and Wild Rice... Where to begin!? Let's start by saying that turkey gives everybody a hard time; you have to move racks in the over for it, stuff it, turn it, leave it in the oven for hours... there is no reason for that! I made a dry rub, which consisted of about a dozen spices including turmeric, oregano, parsley, pepper, chopped bay leaves and more, and rubbed the turkey with about a cup of it. Then I put it in the pan with five cups of water, half a cup of olive oil, and a cup of orange juice. Yes, your turkey wants to be hydrated! Don't be stingy with the liquids! After only three and a half hours in 325 degrees, your turkey's ready! The pumpkin pie... well, I cheated a bit. I did not put pecans, since, very simply, I do not like pecans. Part of the fun of doing the cooking is being able to make only what you like. And I made the crust gluten free, so I used brown rice flour, since it does my bidding without hesitation. It's a very basic recipe, with the flour, margarine, eggs, and a few other ingredients. The filling was mixed with nutmeg and cinnamon, which was the perfect mix. As for the topping, I mixed agave, which is such a wonderful substitute for sugar or corn syrup, brown sugar, and eggs. Personally, I think this should be served with the main course, even though some people have it for dessert, since it complements the turkey so well. Now the minted relish was the best part, I think. It consisted of fresh mint, fresh cranberries, fresh oranges (whole, with the peel, and yes, it's strange to do, but gives a super result), and lemon juice. Become friends with your food processor- it will do all the work for you. Throw these in and pulse, until your get a beautiful mix of color but still see the small distinct pieces of fruit. It's very refreshing, and so delicious with the turkey! Remeber- you do not cook a relish, so it takes minutes to prepare. The wild rice was special. A taste you have to get used to, but very interesting. First you saute fresh shitaki mushrooms and shallots, and once the olive oil is absorbed, you add the wild rice. Before you do this, though, you should soak the rice in cold water for about an hour if you have time. It gives it a fluffier fuller taste (hard to describe, but it definitely makes a difference). Once the mushrooms are ready, add the rice and some turmeric. At the very end, add shelled chestnuts. Funny- I am not a huge fan of chestnuts, but here, they were perfect for the rice. Mouth watering yet? I also made a chocolate bread pudding for dessert, cimply by taking GF bread, adding dairy-free milk, eggs, cocoa powder, and a bit of coffee until it was well saturated. Let it sit in the oven while you marvel over the meal, and take it out forty five minutes later, served hot. Happy eatings! And don't be afraid to try any of these recipes! Go to your kitchen! Introduce yourself to the equipment! They'll be happy to help you!!
What to do with leftover chicken? I used to wonder the same thing. It's cooked, and has been served. So how can you re-serve it, but elegantly, and still delicious? I found a surprising answer in cooking class. Chicken soup. You can make chicken soup with cooked leftover chicken. It's pretty simple, and so convenient! I started by putting the chicken, diced, into the pot with the gravy of the chicken. I added a can of tomato sauce, and sliced carrots, celery, and zucchini. The water I added simply blended everything together and gave me a soup consistency. Of course, I added an herb, and I chose cilantro this time, as it is what I had in my kitchen. I let this simmer and boil for a minute or so, and then poured some corn-meal, lightly and gently and not all at once, to thicken the soup. This made a huge difference. Surprising, short, and quick. You can play with the recipe as you wish, and as you see fit. Add the herb you want, the vegetables you want (onions, bockchoy, frozen corn...), leftover cooked rice, a can of crushed tomato or a tomato cubed- really whatever you want. So that turkey that you are not going to finish tomorrow night... well, make a soup for the next day or two! Happy eating and thanksgiving!
