Recipes: Oatmeal muffins

I love baking. For someone who has always had long term goals (think years), baking is my instant gratification activity. I start baking and within an hour or two I can be enjoying the results. Baked goods are also great to bring over to someone’s home or to treat someone who is a little down. Of all the things I bake, muffins have become my standard production, and this is because they take only 20 minutes in the oven, so from the moment I walk into the kitchen until I am enjoying them it takes only 30-40 minutes! Awesome!

My husband and I have always been geared to healthy food, but as of the last year we have really pushed it a bit more and I have replaced a lot of the ingredients with healthier ones. For example, oatmeal replacing big part of the flour, the muffins are not as fluffy, but they are really tasty and they are an awesome ~200 cal snack on the go that will keep your blood sugar up for a couple of hours because of the high glycemic index of the oatmeal. These muffins have been a great success of mine and everybody loves them, if I don’t tell, they barely realize there is oatmeal there because the oats dissolve through the baking, so the muffins are soft. Let me share this recipe with you!

– 1 1/2 cup oat meal

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

– 3/4 cup flour

– 1 teaspoon baking powder

– 1/2 teaspoon salt

– 1/4 cup sugar

– 1/4 cup honey

– 3/4 cup milk

– 1/3 cup vegetable oil

– 1 egg

– goodies and spices! *

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Mix well the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Then add the honey milk and vegetable oil, beat one egg and add it to the mix. Add the goodies and spices. Mix everything until it becomes uniform and tacky.

Spray some oil in a muffin tray and fill the containers with the batter, you should get 8-10 medium size muffins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

*What about the goodies and spices? Well, that depends a lot on your taste, the possibilities are too many to list them all, but here are some examples that I use:

Brandy Apricot Oatmeal Muffins

– 1/4 cup chocolate chips, cinnamon, vanilla extract, all spice, rubbed sage. (The most popular ones!)

– 1/3 cup cranberries, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon zest.

– 1 pint blueberries, cinnamon, vanilla extract.

– 1 cup dried apricots that have been rehydrated in brandy (if you have porto wine all the better!), vanilla extract.

– 1 pint blackberries, sliced, cinnamon, vanilla extract.

Other things to try: Nutmeg, coriander, pepper, orange zest, cocoa, etc.

Delicious Pumpkin Pie

Hi there!

For this fall season I bring you my very famous Pumpkin Pie! I came up with this recipe by accident. I just messed up the proportions and the results were great! My pie has more pumpkin than others and that seems to be the key. People I know wait all year for me to finally buy pumpkins and bake and distribute pumpkin pies, since they are completely from scratch. That is also the reason why I make them once or twice a year… this is time consuming!!

A few things to consider… take your time. If you do not have about 2 hours do not start to do this. Choose fragrant small pumpkins, if your pumpkin is not ready, leave it out of the fridge for it to get nice and fragrant. I consider the pumpkin ready when it smells like nectar. I loooove the aroma of a good pumpkin! Enjoy the process, this can be a lot of fun!

This recipe makes for two pies.

Stock by Red Wolf 518 Stock http://redwolf518stock.deviantart.com/

For the crust you need:

300 gr (3 cups) of flour

150 gr (0.66 cups) of soft butter

100 gr (1/2 cup) of sugar

3/4 cups of milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a bowl mix the salt, baking powder and flour. Add the butter working it into the flour with your fingers until you get a grainy consistency. Then add the sugar and the milk with the vanilla extract. The consistency should be firm but not elastic and it should break when you pull from it. You will use this to cover a pie tray adding little pieces each time (like if it was play dough). Set aside.

For the fill in you will need:

1 small pie pumpkin

1 cup of sugar

1+2/3 cups of milk

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

1/2 teaspoon of cloves (I use several whole cloves)

You need to cook the pumpkin. For this cut in halves, take out the seeds (you can bake them too! Yum!!) and bake wrapped in foil for 1 hour or until the flesh is tender, or microwave for 10 minutes. You can do this while you are working on the crust. Wait until the pumpkin is not hot anymore and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Place in a colander and with the back of the spoon push, mashing the flesh through the mesh, this will give you a creamy pure with no fibers.

Then mix in a bowl your pumpkin pure (all of it) with all the ingredients and place this liquid mix in the pie crusts you just made. This will be enough for two pies.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450 F and then 45 at 325 F or until a knife comes out clean.

This pie is absolutely delicious and people will love it. Play with the spices until you find your unique combination!

Remember to have fun and let me know if you try it!

Halloween Merengue Ghosts

This is a cute sweet snack that is super easy and cheap to make and it really looks lovely.

For abour 12 large ghosts you will need:

3 egg whites

3/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.

 

Preparation:

Set the oven to 200 F (150 C). Separate the egg whites from the yolks and beat them adding the sugar gradually. Add the vanilla extract and finishe beating until the whites are stiff and make peaks when you lift the beaters.

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Prepare the ghosts by dropping two spoons of egg whites one on top of the other. Make sure that they don’t spread a lot, but let random shapes form. This will make each ghost unique and add personality to your snacks.

Place them in the oven and bake for 90 minutes. After they are done, turn off the oven, and crack open the door of the oven so they keep drying. Paint eyes and mouth with food coloring or get creative with decorative things you have in your pantry.

 

Well, let me know if you try these. They are super cute and yummy!

Easy ways of pimping your meals: part 2

So what about salads? How can you pimp your salad when you have only lettuce left? Well, an easy way of doing it is with a great dressing.

I never buy dressings, I dread the high fructose corn syrup and sugar that everything has here…. but let’s not get into that right now. I prepare my own. Often times it happens that I only have left lettuce or spring mix for a salad, everything else having been eaten, so I add a vinaigrette that I prepare and leave in the fridge for moments like that, and everything is good! 🙂

Emergency Vinaigrette:

Olive oil (3 parts)

Red Wine Vinegar  (1 part)

garlic cloves (2)

salt, pepper, pepper corns, coriander, oregano, rosemary, and any herb you like.

I add salt to the bottom of the flask where I’ll prepare my vinaigrette, then add 1 part of vinegar and dissolve the salt. Then add the oil, garlic cloves in halves, cracked peppercorns, coriander and herbs. Mix everything vigorously and keep in the fridge for at least one week before using it. Before dressing your salad, mix the vinaigrette, so it forms something similar to an emulsion before you spear it over the salad.

Fresh Herbs Vinaigrette:

Olive oil (3 parts)

Vinegar  (1 part)

Fresh herbs: marjoram, lemon thyme. (or anything of similar taste)

Coarse salt.

Wash the herbs and separate the leaves from the sprigs, then place them in the bottom of the bowl in which you will prepare your vinaigrette. Add the coarse salt and with a mortar (it can be a spoon too) push the salt into the leaves so they get bruised. Then add the vinegar, mix, and add the oil. Mix vigorously. This goes really well with spring mix.

I hope you try this easy recipes. They always get me out of trouble when the fridge is starting to look empty!

And you know, if you try, let me know what you think!

**stock image provided by http://thestalker.deviantart.com**

Easy ways of pimping your meals! :)

I am usually a rather busy person. I teach biology labs in the university, sometimes have to grade a lot (even until bedtime and then some more!), also I am a part time freelance artist, keep touch with the family (something fundamental for me), take care of the husband (another must in my life), try to keep in shape through exercising, take part in art communities, blog and cook. Cooking takes time and sometimes time is what I am missing, so along the way I’ve learned some ways of pimping your every day simple meal for it to taste as if you really put a lot into it.

Favored oils and vinegars. Parragon books.

Let me introduce you today to oils and vinegars. They are easy to prepare, they take some time but I usually prepare them in those days that time is not an issue. I prepare a few of them, usually two or three at a time and keep them in the fridge, when I use them through the weeks until it’s time to make some more.

I got a book “Flavored Oils & Vinegars” by Parragon books, and it has been an inspiration. It not only brings recipes to delicious oils and vinegars, but it also brings recipes that suggest how to use them. The recipes are simple, easy to follow and the photos are just beautiful!

Basil oil:

2 cups of fresh basil leaves.

2 cloves of garlic (I use more!)

1 cup of olive oil.

Wash the basil leaves, pass them through boiling water and blanch for 5 seconds. Scoop out the leaves ad place in iced water. Dry the leaves as much as possible. Chop them in big pieces and place them in a jar. Add the garlic cut in halves.

Heat the oil until warmed (don’t boil!) for 5 minutes. Pour the oil in the jar on top of the garlic and basil leaves. Let cool, cover and place in fridge.

This oil has a great flavor that is not too dominant, but it is very aromatic. I use this delicious oil to garnish pasta, pizza and some salads.

Rosemary and lemon oil:

Rosemary Lemon Oil

5 spprigs of rosemary (5 inches long)

zest of 2 lemons

1 cup canola oil

Preheat the oven to 300F (150C). Remove the leaves fromt he rosemary, cut the lemon zest into strips.

Pour the oil into an oven proof glass recipient and add the leaves and zest. Place the recipient in a pie plate in the center of the oven and heat for one and a half to two hours.

Let cool for 30 minutes and store in the fridge.

I use this oil to marinate meats and to seal chicken. Also I use it to stir fry veggies and chicken. It really makes your house smell wonderful and it gives such an extra flavor to your meals that people would ask about it!

Rosemary and garlic balsamic vinegar:

Ten 2-inch sprigs of rosemary

4 cloves of garlic (cut in halves)

1 cup balsamic vinegar

Wash the rosemary sprigs and separate the leaves. Combine the leaves and garlic in a jar.

In a saucepan heat the balsamic vinegar until it starts to bubble around the edges of the pan. Take out of the heat, wait until it cools down a little and pour into the jar. When it is cool, cover the jar and place in the fridge.

I use this vinegar to marinate meats and paint them before baking. It adds a great and unique flavor to them!

I hope you have enjoyed these ideas! If you have a new recipe on how to use them, please let me know!

Recipes: Fresh salads

Spring is here and the warm weather always makes me want to eat more salads! Salads are so good!

So today I bring you a few simple salads that are not your usual lettuce and tomato salad. Dare to try something new, they are delicious and I assure you that people will be impressed with them when you bring them to an event.

Oranges and Onions.

A salad that I refused to eat while I was a kid and I wanted to slap myself when I finally had the guts to try it. It is so

Orange and onion salad

good and so fresh! I really like it to go with red meats.

You need oranges, I rather the smaller juicier ones, and onions. Simple, isn’t it? Make sure that you don’t overwhelm the oranges with too much onions. I usually use about 4 small oranges and 1 small onion, but that varies according to your own taste. season with salt, black pepper and a dash of olive oil.

Spinach and Strawberries.

This one is a modified recipe from a recipe that my friend Pampa gave me. It is unusual and very good.

You need baby spinach leaves and strawberries. As simple as that. Slice the strawberries, add them to the spinach and season with salt and pepper, I like a pepper medley with pink, white, black and green peppercorns and coriander. The original recipe is dressed with raspberry vinaigrette, but I used olive oil and balsamic vinegar and it worked just fine.

Romaine and grapes.

Romaine and grapes

I am rather proud of this one because I came up with it myself  🙂 I later found some similar salads on line so I guess I am not so original but I’ll pass you my recipe.

You need romaine lettuce, green grapes, feta cheese (optional, but it goes really well) and nuts (walnuts, cashews and almonds go better). Slice the grapes in halves, toss them in the lettuce, add the nuts and then add coarse salt, pepper, juice from half a lemon and olive oil.

That is all for right now! Let me know if you try them and if you have a really cool salad you would like to share with me, please don’t hesitate in sending the recipe, I love salads!

Recipes: Corn empanadas

Hi! A few artists friends were interested in empanadas fillings, and I thought I’d share here one of my favourite ones: corn empanadas.
Now, you will need to prepare empanadas discs (a thin circle of dough) or you can buy them in some supermarkets. I’ve heard that in US you can get the brand “La Salteña”, which is my favourite brand, even at home 🙂
So how are we going to do the filling? It is very simple and I modify a base of Bechamel sauce.

You will need:
*Olive oil or butter (4 table spoons)
*flour (50 grams)
*chicken broth (as needed)
*1 onion
*garlic (I love garlic so I use a lot of cloves, make sure you use at least 2)
*1 small bell pepper
*1 can of sweet corn
*parsley or xilantro
*spices: salt, pepper, nutmeg

Chop the onions and peppers, mince the garlic. Cook them in a skillet in olive oil until the onions are transparent. Keep aside.

Bechamel modification:
In a skillet warm up the oil or butter, do not let it evaporate. Turn the fire low. Then start adding the flour, integrating with a wood spoon. Be careful not to burn the flour, this is very important.
Then you will start adding the broth very slowly, mixing it with the flour, do not add more broth until you’ve integrated the flour with the former amount of liquid.
Since this is a recipe for filling empanadas, you don’t want the sauce to become liquid. Keep it thick, so you can keep it in the empanadas discs when it’s cold. Bechamel sauce becomes thicker when cold, and more fluid when warm, so consider that when you work with it it will be less liquid than when you prepare it.
To the bechamel add the onions, peppers and garlic. Add a can of corn (drain the liquid before). Add chopped parsley or xilantro. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg as needed.

Once it is cold you will be able to scoop it into the empanadas discs. Close the discs and bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until slightly golden.

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Hola! Unos artistas amigos estaban interesados en rellenos para empanadas, y pensé que podría compartir una de mis favoritas, empanadas de choclo.
Para eso van a necesitar hacer los discos o comprarlor. Oí que en algunos lugares de USA venden discos La Salteña, que son mis favoritos.
Cómo vamos a hacer el relleno? Es muy simple, y yo uso una modificación de la salsa Bechamel (o salsa blanca, para los amigos)

Van a necesitar:

*Aceite de oliva (4 cdas)
*Harina (50 gramos)
*Caldo de gallina (lo necesario)
*1 cebolla
*Ajo (A mi me encanta, así que uso bastante, pero usen al menos 2 dientes)
*1 morron verde chico
*1lata de choclo amarillo
*perejil o xilantro
*condimentos: sal, pimienta, nuez moscada

Cortar las cebollas, ajo y pimientos. Cocinarlos en aceite de oliva hasta que las cebollas se blanqueen. Reservar.

Modificación de la Bechamel:
En una sartén calentar el aceite, pero no hay que dejar que se evapore. Poner el fuego bajo.
Comenzar a agregar el harina lentamente, integrando con una cuchara de madera. No hay que dejar que se queme el harina, es muy importante evitar ésto.
Luego comenzar a agregar el caldo lentamente, mezclando con el harina, no agregar más caldo hasta que se haya integrado el anterior.
Como esta es una receta para empanadas, queremos que la salsa sea espesa, así que no hay que dejar que la salsa se ponga líquida. La salsa se vuelve más espesa cuando se enfría, y más fluida cuando se calienta, así que consideren que va a estar menos líquida cuando rellenen las empanadas.
A la salsa agregar las cebollas, pimientos y ajo. Agregar una lata de choclo (escurrir el líquido antes). Agregar el perejil o xilantro. Agregar sal, pimienta y nuez moscada a gusto.

Una vez que se enfríe van a poder poner cucharadas de esta preparación en los discos de empanadas. Cerrar los discos y cocinar en el horno por 20 minutos o hasta que estén ligeramente doradas.

Recipes: Coffee Muffins

Hi there!

As some of you might know I love to cook and since a bunch of my artist friends share this love for cooking I thought it would be a good idea to share my recipes.
So today, I will pass you a recipe that I was experimenting with yesterday: Coffee muffins.

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 5 tea spoons of instant coffee
* 1/4 cup brandy

In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. In a small bowl, beat egg, milk, coffee, brandy and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

It is very easy and tasty. The way this recipe is you will feel the brandy flavour, if you don’t like it so much just diminish the amount or eliminate it. The coffee flavour is rather subtle, so you might add some more if you want a stronger coffee presence.

Hope you like it!!

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Hola!

Como algunos de ustedes sabrán, me encanta cocinar, y ya que varios de mis amigos artistas comparten este amor por la cocina, pensé que sería una buena idea compartir mis recetas.
Así que hoy les traigo una receta con la que estuve experimentando ayer: Muffins de café.

* 2 tazas de harina
* 1/2 taza de azúcar
* 1 cucharada de polvo de hornear
* 1/2 cucharadita de sal
* 1 huevo
* 3/4 tazas de leche
* 1/3 taza de aceite
* 5 cucharaditas de café instantáneo
* 1/4 taza de brandy

En un bowl se combinan los primeros cuatro elementos. en un bowl pequeño se mezclan en huevo, la leche, el café, el brandy y el aceite. Se incorpora el líquido a los elementos secos hasta que se obtiene una mexcla homogénea y húmeda. Volcar la mezcla en la bandeja para muffins. Cocinar en horno medio (2ooC) por 20 minutos, o hasta que el interior esté cocinado. Dejar enfríar por 5 minutos en la bandeja antes de remover.

Es una receta fácil y sabrosa. El sabor del brandy se siente, así que si no te gusta, se puede disminuir la cantidad o eliminar. El sabor del café es sutil, así que si lo preferís más fuerte, se puede agregar más café instantáneo.

Espero que les guste!!