Strawberry Muffins

 

It’s been awhile since I actually sat down and wrote a blog post.  I haven’t been totally absent from the online world though, I’ve been posting on the FB page for the blog.  So if you think I’ve gone amongst the missing hop on over and like the FB page.

Back to work after a very soggy Canada Day long weekend.  There wasn’t too much excitement here, Saturday started with a trip to the market.  I was on a mission to find local Valley strawberries.  Nothing says summer than some juicy fresh strawberries.  I found some spray free berries from Annapolis and oh my they were good.  Notice I said were…that would be because they are all gone.

We have a few Farmers Markets around here Alderney Landing, Halifax Seaport Market, Musquodoboit, and The Brewery Market.  Farmers Markets are bursting with fresh local produce this time of year.  Besides the local produce  being far more flavourful than what you pick up at the grocery store, shopping at local markets supports our local farmers.  Why would you choose to buy flavourless hard strawberries from the US or Mexico that were picked, who knows how long ago, when our local berries, the best berries you can find, are in season. 

My friends brother posted this recipe on FB and they looked so yummy I had to make a batch.  I changed up a couple of ingredients ( coconut sugar for some of the white sugar, coconut oil for half of the butter and almond milk for cows milk)  I wanted to use spelt flower but I couldn’t find it.  I’m assuming it’s at the bottom of the deep freeze and I couldn’t be bothered to dig everything out to find it.

STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup organic sugar
• 2 cups organic unbleached flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
• 3 tsp organic sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture. Add vanilla. Gently stir in strawberries.

Spoon batter into muffin pans. (It will be a thick batter)

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes (makes 12 muffins)

So head on out to your local farmers market this weekend and support our local farmers!

 

~ Jackie

Cumin Scented Black and Basmati Rice with Cumin Coriander Lamb Chops

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there!

Wow it’s been a month since my last post.  Time sure does fly!  It seems Spring is being a little elusive this year.  We had a pretty good week weather wise last week so the radishes and spinach are starting to poke their way through the dirt. Still waiting on the beets and carrots and this dreary rainy weather isn’t helping.  I’ve been asking hubby for a cold frame for a little while now so the other night he whipped this one together for me.

The plan is to plant in late summer, early fall and have fresh veggies for some of the winter….Hopefully we’ll see some nice greens and carrots in November.

I thought I would try my hand at growing potatoes this year, so I was going to pick up some seed potatoes that is until I went to visit my parents yesterday.  Here’s what I found in their cold room.

You’re not seeing things, that would be little baby potatoes already growing on the wrinkled old sprouting potato.  Apparently it’s pretty easy to grow potatoes, no sun, no dirt just a dark cool room.  Hopefully I don’t kill them when I plant them.

I made this recipe a few weeks ago using black rice.  As some of my friends will attest to I have a “rice cupboard”.  I have them all red, black, wild, basmati, brown basmati, rice mixtures…. you get the idea. Strangely enough I really don’t eat rice all that often.  I have had the black rice in the cupboard for a while now so I figured it was about time I gave it a try.

Black rice,  also know as “Forbidden Rice” because it used to only be available to royalty.  Ancient emperors believed it would lengthen their lives and secure their thrones longer.  I don’t know about securing their thrones but it does appear to have some health benefits.  The purplish black pigment of the rice tells us it is rich in antioxidants known as anthocyanins .  These would be the same anthocyanins found in blueberries.  Black rice may actually contain more antioxidants than blueberries.  It is also high in fibre, lower in sugar and higher in vitamin E than other rice.  If you want to find it around here (HRM)  you can buy organic black rice at the Bulk Barn.

Cumin Scented Black and Basmati Rice with Cumin Coriander Lamb Chops

Lamb Chops

• 2 lamb chops
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Rub both sides of the chops with the spice mixture.  Bring to room temperature.  Preheat skillet (cast iron works well) over medium heat.  I cook my lamb till it is done to medium.  When cooked through let stand for a few minutes so the juices can be absorbed back into the meat.

Cumin Scented Black and Basmati Rice

I cooked the rice in separate pots but you could probably do them together. I would increase the amount of brown butter though if you cooked them together.

• 1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup black rice, rinsed and drained
• 1 – 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Finely chopped fresh cilantro to taste
• 1/2 small red onion chopped
• 2  cloves of garlic chopped
• water or chicken broth
• lemon slice

Cook black rice in water according to instructions.

For the Basmati

Melt the butter in your pot until it turns a light brown.  Keep an eye on it, once it turns brown it will quickly burn.  Add rice, onion and garlic. Stir until your rice is nice and toasty.  Add the cumin to the rice mixture, toast for about 15 seconds or so. Add the broth and bay leaf.  Cover tightly reduce heat and cook till liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat and let stand for 10 mins or so.  Fluff with a fork, stir in cilantro, black rice and a squeeze of lemon juice.

 

You really should give black rice a try.

~ Jackie

 

 

 

 

Homemade Hazelnut Spread–aka Nutella

 

It always amazes me how quickly the weekends go by, and how my workdays seem to drag on forever.  I’ve said it before, but I would love to know who came up with the idea of a 5 day work week and 2 day weekend…. seriously what were you thinking!?

 

I’m sure many of you have had a jar of Nutella in your cupboards at one time or another.  I’ve had the odd jar of Nutella here and there but it was never a staple in my diet.  When I started seeing their commercials about how nutritious it is and how you should start your kids day off with a breakfast that includes Nutella I was skeptical.  I had never looked at the ingredients so the next time I was at the grocery store I checked.  Yes it does have hazelnuts, skim milk powder and cocoa but surprise they left a few out and guess what the first ingredient on the list is….. SUGAR !  This sugar would be processed white sugar of course. Then we have modified palm oil, whey powder, lecithin and vanillin.

PALM OIL – is not the same as coconut oil which is cold pressed and minimally processed.  Palm oil uses solvents in their processing.

LECITHIN –  When obtained from natural sources, Non GMO Soy (plant source) and Eggs (animal source) they are a good thing.  Lecithin contains choline which is a micronutrient the body requires and is important for heart health and brain development.  The problem is the lecithin used in processed foods is almost always derived from soybeans which are most likely genetically modified unless stated otherwise. The lecithin is extracted from the soy beans either mechanically or chemically using hexane (a solvent made from crude oil).

VANILLIN – Synthetic vanilla flavouring.  Today, most of the synthetic vanillin comes from various processes using guaiacol. It is derived from wood creosote (a yellowish, greasy liquid.)

So if you’d prefer to avoid these things you can make your own hazelnut spread. 

Hazelnut Spread

• 1 cup raw hazelnuts
• 2 tsp pure vanilla
• 3 tbsp cacao powder
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp fine grind sea salt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup milk (almond, hazelnut, milk any will work)

In a food processor or high speed blender process nuts till they start to form a paste.  You may have to scrape down the sides.  Add coconut oil and process till it starts getting smooth.  Add remaining ingredients.  Add milk in increments and process till it reaches the desired consistency.

That’s all there is to it. 

 

Even though all of the ingredients are natural you should think of it as treat not an everyday staple in your diet.

Have a good week!

~Jackie

Moroccan Lamb

The calendar is telling me it’s Spring but I’m just not feeling it.  Snow last night, and it’s cold and rainy today.  If this is Spring can we just skip straight through to Summer please! So in an attempt to bring some Spring inside I picked up a pretty bunch of tulips.  Fresh flowers just brighten up a room and who says they should just be for special occasions, so when you’re out and about today pick yourself up some pretty spring flowers.

I made this dish last weekend.  It was quick, easy, flavourful and best of all a one pot meal. 
Moroccan Lamb with Chickpeas

• 1 lb ground lamb
• EVOO
• 3 large leeks, thinly sliced and rinsed or 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 4 medium carrots thinly sliced (I used my mandolin)
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups chicken broth/stock
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup red wine (optional)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries  (golden raisins would work too. I would eliminate the soaking step if using golden raisins )
• 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest (organic is best)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 /2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper (sea salt or Himalayan salt)

Soak the dried cranberries in hot water and maple syrup.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb to pan cook till no longer pink. Remove from pan and discard any drippings.  Add oil to pan, sauté leeks and carrot till soft add garlic; saute for a minute or so.  Add cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne; and tomato paste sauté  briefly to wake the spices up, about 30 seconds or so, stirring constantly. Add lamb, broth, wine, salt, pepper, drained cranberries, and lemon zest bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice
Serve over brown rice, or quinoa topped with more fresh cilantro, toasted pine nuts, and goat feta.

If you’re a little unsure about lamb I urge you to try it. I get mine from Getaway Farms.  Their livestock is 100% grass fed and delicious.  If you would have told me a year ago or even 6 months ago I would be loving lamb I would have told you that you were crazy.  I’ve learned how important good quality meats are to my health.  Our Thyroids need good quality protein (veggie protein doesn’t cut it) My Thyroid, in particular needs as much help as it can get.  I would have to say lamb would be my meat of choice right now.  That being said the beef products from Getaway Farms are amazing as well.  Their farm is in the beautiful Annapolis Valley but they have a storefront at the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market and are open 6 days a week.
Have a great weekend everyone!
~ Jackie