low-fat pear oat muffins

subtitle: a health conscious muffin for an otherwise carb obsessed office

toto, we aren't in kansas anymore. shocking how the food expectations rapidly decline from soho, ny to secaucus, nj. okay, maybe not that surprising. anyways, i decided the polite thing to do would be introduce myself with muffins (duh). i wanted them to have oats (more breakfast like to me), be low-fat (because, well, muffins can be scary), and have pears (because they're delicious and would add flavor in case everything else went to crap). clearly, i had a lot of requirements, so it may not be surprising that i had a hard time finding a preexisting recipe. it was easier to just take a base muffin recipe (bittman!) and make the adjustments that i wanted.

i subbed some of the fat with unsweetened applesauce, added fruit, and swapped out half of the flour for instant oats. what resulted was a deliciously sweet, flavorful and moist muffin. the only downfall was that i didn't have turbinado sugar to sprinkle on the top...


low-fat pear oat muffins
adapted from mark bittman's muffin recipe in how to cook everything

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup instant oats
• 1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tspn salt
• 3 tspns baking powder
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 cup low fat milk
• 1 cup pears, finely chopped
  

• preheat oven to 355 degrees
  
• combine dry ingredients
• combine wet ingredients and mix into dry
• stir until just combined (don't overmix! lumps are good)
  
• bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top and cooked through
  

red wine poached pears

i've been craving poached pears lately. it must be my stomach's winter solution to a summer stone fruit dessert. i realize that many people might not exactly be excited by this idea but really, they're super easy and versatile. in this instance they were dessert but they just as easily could have been a snack or yummy breakfast paired with granola and yogurt (my original plan...)

the opportunity to actually make these guys presented itself as a celebratory brunch where a "warm" dessert was requested. perfect! i had never actually poached a pear myself, so there were some nerves involved in the group effort that came to be. we ended up slicing the pears in half and placing them face up in a baking dish. then we mixed together red wine, orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, fresh grated ginger and nutmeg, and poured it over the top. it may be argued that the pears were actually baked and not poached, since they weren't completely immersed in the cooking liquid. i'm going to claim that it was a combination of the two. since the stove was already too crowded during brunch preparation, the oven had to do.

it might also be argued that i should have started with the pears face down--at least these are the things i think about. when i decided to stop stressing about it, the pears were face up in the baking dish. you should probably flip the pears at some point, or at least cover them (neither of which we did) but they still tasted damn good. another one of those almost fool proof and impressive items.

closer to my original vision: poached pear with granola and yogurt at anella, before they changed chefs. don't even go trying to find this thing. sadly, it no longer exists.

apple crisp topping (csa week 12)

subtitle: why can't potatoes do this?
also known as: the reason i have no trouble getting through 5 lbs of apples in one week.

when i heard the chatty csa members discussing the types of apples this week at pick up, i almost wished i hadn't. rome apples. i had been lucky to be getting apples that were downright fuji like. large, crisp, sweet. not a mealy one in sight. it had actually been rather remarkable, or so i thought as i crunched daily at my desk. so when this week's apple yielded a less than perfect snacking option, i knew i was going to have to stew the suckers. then i wouldn't know the difference.

i had already done oatmeal with apples and a number of crisps. i decided it was time for a fall frozen dessert topping: apples with a crispy oat topping, over frozen yogurt. kinda like a deconstructed apple crisp. the goal was to make it as quick as possible (so that i could eat it, obviously). lots of contrast in flavors and textures here: i used tart frozen yogurt which went perfectly with the sweet apples and the crispy topping went nicely with the soft apples.

stewed apples with crispy oat topping

cut up apples, put them in a small saucepan, add some fat (i admit, i used earth balance and not butter), some brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little bit of water. a little bit of lemon juice is good too, if you have it. cook over low heat until the apples reach desired level of softness and the liquid reduces and becomes syrupy.

for the topping, mush together oats with some more fat and brown sugar. i cooked mine in the toaster oven and obviously didn't watch them as carefully as i should have as per the visual below...

put on top of ice cream, frozen yogurt, regular yogurt, oatmeal, should I keep going?

a note on summer (watermelon margaritas)

i love frozen treats but they are of course just a tad more enjoyable during summertime. now that we're post labor day and the weather here has taken a definite turn towards fall, i wanted to extend the feeling of the season a little longer.

visiting my family the other week, i failed to cook an actual meal but what did result might have been even better. the original plan was to make regular margaritas but as we started to notice an abundance of watermelon around the kitchen, an idea began to form:

watermelon margaritas

• blend pieces of watermelon and watermelon juice (i like the mixture a little pulpier rather then blended completely smooth).
• add simple syrup (see below) and fresh lime juice to taste.
• add ice and tequila. stir.
  

simple syrup

• combine 2 parts sugar to 1 part water in small saucepan.
  
• bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture slightly thickens.
  

strawberry and blueberry shortcake

if you've been reading the blog, you know i'm all over the fruit desserts. i honestly just can't help myself. and even better, all of them are so easy and quick, it's simple to just whip something up when the mood strikes. if you're like me, the dessert mood strikes several times a day...this dessert is no different than the rest in its easiness and speediness. kinda dangerous, actually. THIS is the reason america should be fat, people!

i always shy away from biscuit related things because i anticipate a lot of kneading and rising and rolling and cutting. not so! really, this couldn't be easier. there are three components here: the shortcake, whipped cream (don't let me catch you using anything out of a can!), and the fruit. the shortcake came from, no surprise, mark bittman. i chose his recipe over the others because he actually stated it was okay to use lowfat milk (i would have done it anyways). even though i used spelt flour, which tends to have a denser texture than other flours, the biscuits were perfectly crisp on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. i enjoy my whipped cream with some sugar and vanilla. DO NOT use lack of an electric mixer as an excuse not to make it yourself. make sure the cream is extra cold and use a metal bowl, it really doesn't take long, i promise. the fruit (you can get creative but we used strawberries and blueberries) should be stirred together with some sugar (amount depends on the sweetness of the fruit). allow it to sit until it gets all juicy and happy looking. we added some lemon zest to the fruit (thank you, friend number two & co.) and it really brought it all home.

new name: better than sex shortcake.

mark bittman's real strawberry shortcake

• 6 cups cleaned and sliced strawberries (or a combo of other fruit; we used strawberries and blueberries)
  
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• Pinch salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 tablespoons cold butter
• 7/8 cup milk (low-fat is all right)
• sweetened whipped cream

• preheat the oven to 450 degrees. toss fruit with 1 cup sugar (use less if the fruit is particularly sweet). mix remaining sugar with flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
  
• cut the butter into bits, and cut into or run with your fingers into the dry ingredients, until the mix is crumbly.
• slowly add the milk to the bowl, stirring it in with a large spoon until the mixture forms a ball. the mixture should be sticky; use a little more or less milk if necessary. drop mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet, one heaping tablespoon per cake.
• bake about 10 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown. (keep an eye on them; once browning starts, it goes quickly.) let cool a bit; top with strawberries and their juices and the whipped cream.

yield: 12 servings.

boozy peaches (csa week 4)

i was thrilled to see peaches show up in the csa bounty this week but they weren't quite at their prime. when becky crocker came over for a surprise visit the other night, it was the perfect time to employ the following method for some yummy but underdeveloped peaches.

we were just going to cut up the peaches and throw them in a pan with some butter and brown sugar but then the discussion took a turn towards alcohol. bourbon, to be more specific. so, into the pan it went. what resulted was a deliciously perfect topping for some frozen yogurt (yes, it's in my freezer at all times, in case you were wondering). the butter and sugar caramelized beautifully and the bourbon flavor was slightly there just to add to the butterscotchiness of it all without being too strong.

boozy peaches

• peaches, sliced
• a couple of tablespoons of butter (enough to keep the pan moist)
• some brown sugar
• splash of bourbon

• melt butter in pan, add brown sugar and stir
• let sugar melt and reduce slightly, then add peaches and toss
• add a splash of bourbon (off the heat!) and allow to cook for a few minutes
  

blueberry crisps, cobblers and crumbles (csa week 3)

as a threw a handful of blueberries on my morning cereal, i couldn't help but contemplate cobblers, crumbles, and crisps. don't get me wrong, i love my blueberries plain as much as the next person but i was just itching for another fruit dessert. so what's the difference between the three anyways? the crisp was always popular in my house growing up. it's pretty hard to screw up, easy to make without a recipe and naturally wheat-free since the grain/starch involved is oats. according to an online article, a crumble is quite similar but the british version. so the real difference is with the cobbler. a cobbler is more like a pie as the topping is much more dough like. given that i had gone the cobbler-ish route lately, i decided to go for the crisp. ok, the real reason i went for the crisp is that i got frustrated looking up blueberry recipes, researching the difference between various types of fruit desserts and threw my laptop aside in a fit of fury. all so that you, dear reader, would not have to walk down this same road! then, i went to the kitchen to bake. this really is my favorite part about most fruit desserts. you can do just about anything and the thing's still gonna taste good.

go go zoe's fit of fury blueberry crisp no, i will not give you amounts or specific instructions here.

• fruit (i used blueberries and as always, threw in a nectarine to fill in since i had already consumed most of the blueberries on cereal)
• cornstarch
  
• oats
• butter, cold and cut into small pieces
  
• sugar: brown and regular
• lemon juice
  

• stir together fruit, a bit of sugar (depending on the fruit's sweetness), some lemon juice, and a liiiiittle bit of cornstarch.
• make the topping: combine butter, oats and brown sugar. mush together with a fork or hands until it's crumbly.
• put topping on top of fruit.
  
• bake until bubbly and slightly browned (20-30 min) on 350.
• serve with some whipped cream, ice cream, frozen yogurt, heavy cream, or nothing at all.
  

wheat-free strawberry dumpling (csa week 2)

subtitle: a dessert to rock your socks off--seriously!

it really pays to stay on top of the food blogs. especially one of my favorites, thekitchn; i've mentioned it on more than one occasion. in this particular instance, a recipe review of gourmet's strawberry dumpling caught my eye. it looked so good, simple, and seemed like the perfect use for my overabundance of csa strawberries. what's more, this week's strawberries weren't particularly sweet, so i hadn't gobbled them all up plain quite yet. it seemed much better to use them in a recipe that would enhance their flavor and sweetness.

so this recipe is sort of obvious in a few ways. by that, i mean that it makes complete sense and once you understand it, it's one of those method things that you could apply to almost any food. how, you ask? forget the strawberries, use your favorite berries. or go with all stone fruits. or, hell, i bet it would work with apples as well. or let's get really crazy, and go back to the dumpling roots. now we're on a completely different page but in addition to the classic chicken and dumplings, you could make this with any vegetables you wanted (no meat necessary).

don't be scared by the way it looks here. we can't all be as beautiful as gourmet magazine. that and my nectarine and spelt additions made the colors much more, shall we say, earthy??? i made a couple of minor modifications to the recipe below. first, i used a combo of strawberries and nectarines because i happened to have a nectarine on hand. second was using low fat milk instead of whole. and i'm glad i did. i'm not into the super rich dairy items (hence the froyo preference) and i really don't think that this negatively impacted the dumplings. the whole dessert is so good and substantial but not too heavy that i was glad the dumplings didn't feel like they were going to sink to the bottom of my stomach. that and spelt tends to be a little denser, so i figure they canceled each other out. i even plan on trying soy next time.


strawberry (or any other kind) dumpling

• 1 quart strawberries, trimmed and thickly sliced (about 4 cups)--or any other combination of fruit of your choosing!
• 2/3 cup sugar (you certainly don't have to use this much. adjust according to how sweet your fruit is)
• 1 cup spelt flour (or your preferred gluten-free baking mix)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2/3 cup milk (the original recipe calls for whole; i used low-fat)

• stir together strawberries and sugar in a 4-qt heavy saucepan and let stand, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 15 minutes. bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. blend in butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. stir in milk until just blended, then add mixture to boiling berries and stir once or twice (thekitchn recommended just dropping the dough in on top and not stirring, which is what i did). tightly cover saucepan and reduce heat to low.
• cook, undisturbed, until dumpling looks dry on top, 15 to 18 minutes. let stand off heat, uncovered, 5 minutes before serving.
• serve with heavy cream, vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, regular yogurt--something creamy. or not.
  

my new favorite thing: balsamic reduction (csa week 2)

the awesome thing about a balsamic reduction is that it's super quick, easy, and a welcome addition to just about anything. and there's really nothing like letting everyone know a balsamic reduction is involved to sound like you really know what you're doing. it's easy, i swear! especially the little thing i put together the other night. say hello to your (and my!) new favorite summer dessert: strawberries with balsamic reduction over frozen yogurt. what resulted was a yummy, tart and slightly sweet cool and refreshing treat. and call me crazy, but i just think it might hold up to chocolate (some chocolate pudding thrown into the mix, in my case).

strawberries with balsamic reduction over frozen yogurt

• balsamic vinegar
• strawberries, sliced
  
• plain frozen yogurt (i used trader joe's nonfat)

• pour balsamic vinegar in a small pan and cook over low heat for a few minutes until it reduces. it will bubble slightly, become thick and coat the pan.

• pour over yogurt and strawberries.
  

csa week 2

csa week 2. ladies and gentlemen, we already have kale! so please, send me some kale recipes because otherwise i will be lost (aka be cooking it with olive oil and lots of garlic). it's been another 2 rainy, non-spring like weeks in new york. outlook not so fabulous for the week's bounty but here we go.

1. the bounty

• 1 lb spinach
  
• 1 bunch kale
  
• 1 pint snow peas
  
• 5 garlic scapes
• 1/2 lb mesclun
• 1/3 lb baby bok choi braising mix
• 2 small zucchini

• 2 quarts strawberries
  

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect):

veggies:

• spinach: $3/lb (organic)
• kale $3/bunch (organic)
  
• snow peas $4 (not organic)
  
• garlic scapes: $1.50 (as per csa estimate)
  
• mesclun: $4.50 (as per csa estimate)
  
• baby bok choi: $1.99 (not organic)
  
• small zucchini: $2 (csa estimate)

= $19.99
actual csa cost per week = $22

fruit:

• strawberries: $3.50/quart (organic)
  

= $7.00
actual csa cost per week = $11.67

fingers crossed for better weather! come on, summer tomatoes!

csa week 1: strawberry rhubarb crepes

truth be told, before last week, i had never actually had rhubarb before. i know some of you out there are probably in disbelief and i'm really not sure why this was. we were a cookie, brownie and cake family. not a lot of pies. maybe that explains it?! i thought there was a good chance of getting some with the first week's csa pickup and was excited to take it on. cooking it down with sugar seemed like the obvious solution but i didn't want to completely stew out the flavor of the rhubarb. however, it did seem like a dessertish recipe would be a good first introduction to it. after tasting the rhubarb raw, my thoughts were confirmed. someone please tell me, sour and bitter, what? i don't get it. couldn't do it.

although i went the classic cooked with strawberries route, i tried to make my version a bit more on the savory side. not too much sugar and i added some orange, ginger and apple cider vinegar. i also didn't cook the strawberries but just folded them into the cooked rhubarb mixture at the last minute. no need to cook or sweeten a perfectly good strawberry, i say!

strawberry rhubarb crepes

the filling:

• 2 rhubarb stalks, trimmed and chopped
  
• 1/2 pint strawberries
• large piece of ginger, quartered (so you can remove it at the end)
  
• zest of an orange
• juice of 1/2 orange
• 1/4-1/3 cup of sugar (depending on your desired sweetness): part brown, part white
• 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• throw everything except the strawberries into a pot with a little bit of water. stir.
  
• bring to a simmer, let the rhubarb soften and the liquid reduce.
• remove from heat, fold in strawberries.
  

the crepes (from the food network and alton brown):

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk (or soy milk)
  
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup flour (i of course used spelt)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

• whisk ingredients together (yes, i put all of them into the bowl together and mixed. no separation here).
• alton says to refrigerate the batter but i didn't do this...
• grease a pan of desired size.
• pour enough batter into the pan to thinly coat it. swirl the pan around to cover the surface.
• cook 30 seconds and flip. cook another 10 seconds and remove.
  

csa week 1

the long awaited first csa pickup! sadly, i couldn't actually pick the bounty up myself due to a prior engagement but lucky for me, i have willing friends who are happy to be paid in strawberries. so, without further adieu, CSA WEEK NUMERO UNO!

1. the bounty

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 large leeks
• 1 small head red lettuce
• 1 bunch pea shoots
• 1 bunch arugula
• 1 bunch radishes (french breakfast and easter egg)
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 quarts strawberries
  
• 2 stalks rhubarb

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect):

veggies:

• asparagus: $4.99/bunch (organic)
• leeks: $3.99/bunch (organic)
  
• red lettuce: $2.99 (organic)
  
• pea shoots: unavailable
  
• arugula: $1.49/bunch (organic not available)
  
• radishes (french breakfast and easter egg): $0.99/bunch (organic not available)
  
• cilantro $1.99 (organic)

= $18.44 (assuming $2/pea shoots)
actual csa cost per week = $22

fruit:

• strawberries: $3.50/quart (organic)
  
• rhubarb: $3.99/ 3 stalks (organic not available)

=10.99
actual csa cost per week = $11.67

so i came out a little short this week but the weather around here has been cold, rainy, and not spring like at all. it seems the season is just off to a late start. what did i do with all of this yummy produce? stay tuned. i'll post recipes of what i made in the upcoming days. don't see a recipe for a particular veggie or fruit? chances are it didn't make it to an actual formal dish and i just had to eat it plain.

csa time!

after a couple of years of hesitation, i finally took the leap to join a csa. if you're saying "cs-what?" let me take a moment to explain.

csa stands for community supported agriculture. it is a partnership between a farm and a group of supporters. basically, you invest a certain amount of money in this local farm at a time when costs are the highest for them (at the beginning of the season). in return, you receive oodles of fresh, local produce weekly (full share) or biweekly (half share). in addition, the csa brings together a community of people, often hosting events, including farm visits. my CSA is the greenpoint williamsburg CSA via the garden of eve farm, on long island. i have a half vegetable (7-10 items per pickup; $265), fruit (2-3 items per pickup; $140), and egg share (1/2 dozen per pickup; $35).

for a couple of years i've toiled with the idea of joining a csa but i was nervous about the cost and the amount of food i would be getting. it seems expensive when you look at it upfront but given that my weekly grocery shopping involves mostly fruits and vegetables, i figured now was as good a year as any to try it out. the most exciting thing about this, to me, is that i will have to use all sorts of items i never usually buy. i imagine ramps, rhubarb, turnips, and kale, to name a few. i will learn to like kale!

every other week, i'll post the week's pickup, try to give a cost analysis (is it REALLY worth it?!) as well as let you know how i use each item. i'm going to try my darnedest not to just enjoy each fruit or veggie in it's natural, unadulterated, raw state, just for kicks. although, these versions seem to usually taste the best...

so get ready for week number 1!

stone fruit means summertime!

finally, stone fruit! the abnormally cold spring weather seems to have delayed the crops but at last, my beloved nectarines are back. my first spotting was at the grocery store last week so i grabbed some of them along with some apricots. then, due to a hectic week, i wasn't home enough to be eating them. last night i decided to eat them in one go, as a dessert. grilled seemed like the perfect method here. now, i do not have a grill, bbq, or grill pan. what i do have is a george foreman grill (which can be problematic when you don't want flavors/grease/marinade dripping off of your food item), which seems to get the job done. i mean come on, yummy fruit, grill it, bake it, freeze it, it's all going to be good.

after i grilled the fruit sprinkled with some brown sugar, i gave it a good few minutes on the grill. sadly, the brown sugar didn't really caramelize, it just kind of melted. maybe because it has more moisture? the heat was off? live and learn but at least it still tasted good. i choose to serve my grilled fruit over vanilla yogurt with a little more brown sugar sprinkled on top (you could also use honey here). but really, between the sweetness of the fruit and yogurt, it probably didn't need it. and then once i settled in front of the tv, i maaaay have tossed in some chocolate chips...gotta have my fix.

a brief announcement

i have been accepted into the greenpoint williamsburg csa!!!! (after lots of poking, prodding, and wait-listing).

get ready for a veggie/fruity summer, everyone!!! it's gonna be awwwwwesome.

my perfect swiss meal

i was eager to fall into the eating trends of switzerland but alas, as one who does not eat red meat, wheat and limits their dairy intake, this was rather difficult. it wasn't until my last day in geneva that i experienced a true swiss meal that i could eat and enjoy (with the aid of lactaid, of course)! where did this magic happen, you ask? at the restaurant les armures, at les armures hotel in old town. it's the oldest restaurant and hotel in geneva and is the perfect place to go for swiss specialties.

we ate a deliciously fresh green salad and small portions of raclette. raclette is a white cow's milk cheese that is melted and served with small potatoes. it's portioned in small amounts so that you can get just a taste of it or eat a large amount, for those more dairy inclined. the cheese is melted so that there's almost a thin crust formed and tastes delicious with a good amount of fresh ground pepper. raclette is eaten with white wine--no water because it can form cheese balls in your tummy! there's some information about making raclette at home here. if you're looking to go out and try this dish in new york, the best option (based on internet research alone) seems to be swizz, where you can choose to order an appetizer or full size portion. according to their online menu, you can also get raclette at the bourgeois pig, which is a small fun restaurant to go to with two downtown locations.

to finish off the meal, i had pear sorbet with williamine, a pear liqueur. the sorbet was quite fresh and had chunks of pear. as i am somewhat of a lightweight, it tasted best when it was all mashed together. i picked up a bottle of williamine to bring back home. i plan to either drink it neat, serve it over sorbet or try it on top of vanilla ice cream.


and a closing note about chocolate: because what would switzerland be without it? besides gorgeous...although most supermarket brands are supposed to be good (coop and migros) you can also find more gourmet brands in all of the train stations. the best kind i found was laderach, which can be purchased by weight from giant sheets of all different kinds of chocolate. according to their website, laderach chocolate can be found at the trump palace food emporium at 3rd and 68th street but this is yet to be confirmed. the other brand of chocolate that was recommended to me is villars. it comes in many different flavors and fillings, including liquors of the area: kirsch and williamine.