The Taste Traveller

two berry muffins

It's so wonderful to eat fresh berries, especially when they are local or you've been able to pick them yourself. My daughter loves them and it has to be one of the best 'mom moments' when your child is devouring a bowl of fresh berries. When we were visiting my mom and stepdad this summer my mom could not believe how many berries my daughter could eat in one go! My husband likes to blend up frozen berries with plain yoghurt for her and call it ice cream. She calls it the "pink one".  

These could be blueberry muffins but when I had just bought local strawberries for likely the last time this year I decided two berry muffins were in order. The name sounds pretty cute and tasty too! Not only do these muffins have a lovely little berry mix going on but I added a bit of ground flax and whole wheat flour for good measure. Not too much as I didn't want to have them come out too heavy, but just enough to up the good-for-you count. Of course frozen berries would work fine here too, but if you can, do throw in some fresh ones. One additional note is I cut the sugar just a bit from the original recipe I referenced. Not a lot, about 1/4 cup. I have listed the full amount here in the ingredients and I leave it to you to decide whether or not to reduce it. I also cut the salt measurement in half. 

Today my daughter starts preschool and this brings to mind school or after-school snacks, easy and healthy breakfasts and lunchbox ideas. This muffin is quite filling and has some good nutritional ingredients (primarily the berries). Served with a few slices of apple or banana, a serving of yoghurt, and a cup of milk or water - and you've got a pretty good breakfast or mid-morning snack. Add a hard-boiled egg and you've got some good protein to go along with the other ideas.

I'm hoping to get out blackberry picking before they are all gone, but looking at the week ahead I'm not sure this will happen. We do have a pretty good supply of frozen raspberries, strawberries and blueberries from a local farm. Do you have a favourite way to use your berries? Smoothies? Pancakes? Biscuits? Crumble? If I do get more fresh ones before we're well into our fall season here, I'll be sure to post another recipe featuring them.

Recipe adapted from Muffins and More (Company's Coming) 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) whole-wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) ground flax seed
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) salt
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) butter
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar (try less)
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) milk
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) strawberries, chopped, fresh or frozen
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) all-purpose flour

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C)

In a large bowl combine the flours, baking powder, flax and salt. 

Stir thoroughly. Make a well in the centre. 

In another bowl cream the butter and sugar. 

Beat in the egg until smooth. 

Mix in the milk and vanilla. 

Pour into the well and stir just to moisten. Batter will be lumpy. 

In a small bowl or large measuring cup gently stir the blueberries and strawberries with flour to coat. 

Fold the berries into the batter gently. 

Fill the muffin cups 3/4 to all of the way full. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Check at 20 minutes or even a bit earlier, as ovens vary. 

Makes 11 to 13 muffins depending on how much you fill the muffin cups. 

Remove from oven and cool on rack for a few minutes. Good served warm or room temperature. 

Printer-friendly Recipe

tasty and easy long weekend eating

I've got a few things up my sleeve to make and get on here to tell you about, but in the interim I thought I'd come up with a list of some ideas I've already written about that might inspire you for the upcoming long weekend (or any weekend for that matter!). 

If it's a little on the chilly side why not try a different twist on your usual chili and try an Asian-inspired version? Or, dream of somewhere exotic and hot like Morocco and whip up some chickpea and turkey meatballs to serve inside pita bread, or alongside some egg noodles, rice, couscous or quinoa. Or make these veggie and turkey meatballs to go inside a pita pocket with some hummous or yoghurt, or alongside a crunchy salad. 

Here are some fun salads I shared with you previously:

Quinoa with Sundried Tomatoes, Chickpeas and Lemon

Sweet Potato, Feta and Tomato Salad

Curried Rice with Celery and Almonds

Here's a tangy and tasty homemade BBQ sauce that can easily double as a sauce over grilled chicken breasts, legs or thighs.

Fish Tacos anyone? 

 

If it's grilling weather for you, here's a few variations on hummous to serve alongside your main course. 

 
Finally, drift off in thought to Hawaii and try this salsa for a tropical variation. 

 

Have a great long weekend and watch out for a few more easy, tasty and fun recipes coming your way. 

 

low fat granola

I love to have a snack of muesli or granola with yoghurt or milk at night. For the purposes of this post, let’s talk granola. It’s good in the morning of course, but at night - well, it’s simply great comfort food without the guilt. In principle anyway. The thing is, with store-bought granola you get ingredients you don't need and often don't want and the not-so-good stuff really cancels out the good stuff. I know what I like - a bit of crunch, but not too sweet and I want to know what’s in my granola. So, I like to make my own. I prefer more seeds than nuts and a good amount of dried fruit.

I have looked at a lot of recipes to see what other people found worked and gather any useful information - and I did get a few ideas. At Smitten Kitchen I got an idea I have yet to try - using pumpkin butter mixed in with the granola and also storage tips (freeze it!).  I got the idea for adding molasses from Martha Stewart. I love molasses in my bran muffins, but they’re rich, so I just suggested a hint here. I also included a little water in my liquid ingredients. Go ahead and substitute apple or orange juice here if you like, but I suggest using unsweetened if you do.

Lastly, I’m a big fan of homemade apple sauce. By applesauce I mean just plain apples, simmered until soft and puréed. Here, they serve as added moisture and a natural sweetener. I’ve listed a few of my sweeteners as optional to give you the wiggle-room to make this even less sweet if you prefer. Tweak to personalize and have fun! Storage: airtight container (glass jars are ideal). It will keep well for several weeks. Alternatively, freeze in an airtight container. It will last for a few months (if you can make it last that long!). 

Ingredients:

Dry:

• 4 cups (1000 ml) old-fashioned oats (not quick or instant)
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) ground flax
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) sea salt

Dry (optional)

• 1 cup (250 ml) coconut flakes (shredded, unsweetened coconut)
• 1 cup (250 ml) almond slivers
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) sesame seeds
• 1 cup (250 ml) pumpkin seeds, not roasted (green (hulled) pumpkin seeds, sometimes called pepitas)
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) of any kind of dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, dates, apricots). I like to chop some of this portion to disperse them further.
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped banana chips or your favourite nut or combination

Liquid:

Note: I consider most of these optional so play around with the amounts and which ones you use. I do something different almost every time I make my granola. I would recommend adding a little of one of the sweeteners and one or two of these that add a liquid element to the mixture. For instance, at least a little maple syrup, agave nectar or honey, a touch of oil and the vanilla. If you add the apple sauce you may find you want to bake it for longer to get it drier and crunchier. 

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups (250 to 375 ml) apple sauce (preferably homemade, sugar-free – just plain ‘ol apples), Optional.
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) or 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) brown sugar (optional)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) or 1/8 cup agave nectar (if you have it and you can use this in place of the maple syrup and honey if you prefer). Optional.
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable, grapeseed or sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) blackstrap molasses (optional)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) orange zest (optional)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 325° F (162° C/Gas Mark 3). Feel free to adjust this - baking for longer at a lower temperature. Ovens vary so please use my guidelines as just that and check your granola often. What takes 30 minutes to reach the desired crunchiness in my oven may take more or less in yours. 

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Mix all the dry ingredients together except for the dried fruit, coconut and almonds. 

In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients. 

Gradually add the liquid to the dry ingredients, stirring well after each addition. 

When all the dry ingredients are coated, spread out evenly on the parchment paper-lined baking sheets using a rubber spatula. You may need to bake in batches depending on the size of your oven. 

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, removing the pans every 10 minutes to stir.  

At about the 25 to 30 minute point, remove the pans from the oven and add the coconut and almonds. Place back in the oven and continue to cook until golden brown, checking every ten minutes.

Let it stand for 20 to 25 minutes to cool then add the dried fruit. 

To serve: I'm sure you have a favourite way to eat your granola. I like mine best with a little plain yoghurt and a bit of fresh fruit. Mmmm! 

Printer-friendly Recipe