Photos from Westborough Farmers Market July 7, 2011

Summer is finally here in the Northeast. The growing season is short, so visits to the local Farmers' Markets are extremely special and well worth visiting.

As you will see from my photos from today's visit to the local Farmer's Market, the choices of fresh fruits and vegetables were plenty. The fresh baked breads were so beautiful as well as home baked goodies.

Everyone was so friendly and helpful. I am going to prepare fresh Russian Kale this evening for a side dish: saute with olive oil, chopped fresh garlic and pinch of red pepper flakes.

Definitely will have a slice of the fresh, five-grain bread I chose at the market.

And of course, I already cut into the Yummy Mummy Brownie wedge...oh so moist as you can tell from the brownie sticking to the knife :)

Enjoy my photos. They speak for themselves. Hope you are inspired to visit your local Farmers' Market soon.

The Souper

Strawberries

Raspberries

Zucchini

Honey

Onions

Hot Pepper Jelly

Bread

Bread II

Bread III

Russian Kale

Sugar Snap Peas

My Yummy Mummy Brownie Wedge (before)

My Yummy Mummy Brownie (after digging in) Oh, so moist :)

Can't wait for next week 'cause I am going back to this Farmers' Market.

Steak and Summer Salad

Grilled Steak with Fresh Summer Salad - July 2011 - Guest Photo/Recipe
By Alexa for Prep2eat

Imagine being a newlywed couple about to celebrate your first wedding anniversary. Your first year of marriage included new jobs, grad school and a recent move into a new apartment. Ah, more space to live in and a shiny new kitchen with stainless steel appliances.

When and what will be the first homecooked meal after the unpacking? With pots and pans and small appliances all set to perform culinary magic, the inspiration came for Alexa to surprise her husband, Rob, with a juicy steak. Who wouldn't hurry home with that vision stimulating the tastebuds?

Along with the mouthwatering protein as the star on the dinnerplate, the supporting side of a fresh, summer salad completes the show.

The first homecooked meal in the new apartment was a huge success! Here is how the magic began with Alexa creating a marinade of flavor sensations for the awaiting steak.

As I like to say, "Nobody in the world is eating this meal. I created it just for you." This steak dinner is the homecooking-magic Alexa prepared for her husband, Rob.

The Souper

What you will need for this meal:
Fresh steak, cut of choice
Large plastic ziplock bag for marinating the steak
Measuring cups and measuring spoons
1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed or minced
One teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Kitchen supplies and utensils:
Tongs
Large frying pan or grill pan. (Option, outdoor grill)
Large platter for cooked steak
Aluminum foil for covering the cooked steak on the platter
Large salad bowl
Wooden salad utensils
Vegetable peeler
Kitchen knife
Serving fork for cooked steak

Add the steak and seasoning ingredients mentioned above into the large ziplock bag, close tightly, and shake all the ingredients completly to cover the steak.
Place the ziplock bag with the marinating steak into the refrigerator for about an hour before grilling.

Cooking process:
If pan searing, cook the marinated steak on medium-high heat. Medium-rare will take about 4-5 minutes per side depending on the temperature of your stove-top burner. Option: grill the steak on an outside bar-b-que grill on medium setting for heat. Check the steak often to see how it is cooking.

Testing doneness of meat: Press your finger into the center of the cooking meat. If your finger dips into the center it is cooked very rare. If your finger does not dip into the center of the cooking meat, the meat is well-done. Anywhere in the midpoint of dipping your finger into the cooking meat will mean medium-rare to medium-well doneness.

When the steak has been seared or grilled to your liking, pick up the cooked steak with clean tongs and put the steak onto a large platter. Cover the cooked steak with aluminum foil so that the steak will rest, allowing the juices to settle back into the meat. Rest the steak on the platter, covered with aluminum foil for about 20 to 30 minutes.

While the steak is resting, prepare the summer salad:

Ingredients for this salad are:
Romaine lettuce, 2-4 large leaves, enough for two people.
One carrot, shaved
Fresh cherries, pitted and sliced (amount is up to you)
Cranberries, dried (amount is up to you)
Avocado, cut in half and taken out of covering, cube the flesh of avocado
Feta cheese, fat-free (optional)

Combine all the ingredients for this summer salad into a large salad bowl.

Dressing for summer salad
Pyrex glass dish or bowl, safe for microwave oven
Large spoon or whisk
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/2 cup
Balsamic Vinegar, 1/4 cup
Orange Marmalade, 1 tablespoon

After putting the above indredients for the salad dressing into the Pyrex glass dish or bowl, whisk gently to blend.
Take the whisk out and put the Pyrex glass dish or bowl into the microwave oven for just about five seconds, on high setting. This will heat the ingredients a little in order to blend better. After taking the Pyrex glass bowl or dish out of the microwave oven, use the whisk to blend the indredents again.

Just before serving the summer salad, pour the dressing over the salad and mix lightly with wooden salad utensils.

To plate the meal:
Slice the steak and put a few slices on an individual dinner plate. Serve a portion of the salad along with the steak on the same dinner plate.

Vegetable Dip - Roasted - Mixed with Hommus and Goat Cheese

My Vegetable Dip

Inspired by an appetizer served in a local restaurant, I created my own version of roasting vegetables and combining them with plain hommus and French goat cheese. Wow, this took a dip to a much higher, complex level.

Definitely not boring and very healthy served with cut fresh vegetables and a hearty chip or toasted whole grain bread slices. Impress yourself with a nutritious snack or appetizer.

Optional: Save even more time in preparing this dip by purchasing roasted red peppers or eggplant from your supermarket or specialty food store.

What you will need for this recipe:

Cutting board
Kitchen knife
1 Red pepper, fresh and sliced with seeds removed.
1 Eggplant, cut in half.
1 Garlic clove, whole and not peeled.
1 Tbs. Kosher salt
2-3 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.
Oven mitts
1/2 Cup Chavrie Goat Cheese (or goat cheese of your choice)
2 Cups Cedar's All Natural Hommus, original flavor (or hommus of your choice.)
Food processor or immersion blender
Large spoon
Parsley, fresh, chopped

Ingredients for my Vegetable Dip

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle area of the oven.
Preheat oven at 410 degrees F.
On the cutting board and with a kitchen knife, slice red peppers.
and cut the eggplant in half lengthwise.
Put the vegetables with the garlic on the lined baking sheet.
Drip the olive oil all over the fresh cut vegetables before roasting in the oven.

Before roasting

Roasted vegetables

Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven until a little brown color is appearing and vegetables are soft. This will take about 20 minutes.
Let the roasted vegetables cool and then cut the red pepper into small pieces on the cutting board with the kitchen knife.
Add 1/4 Cup roasted red peppers to the food processor.
Spoon out the inside of the roasted eggplant and throw away the skin of the eggplant.
Add 1/4 Cup roasted eggplant to the food processor also.
Peel the whole roasted garlic. Put the roasted garlic flesh into the food processor with the other roasted vegetables.
Add the hommus and goat cheese to the mixture in the food processor.
With the cover on the food processor, blend the mixture at slow speed until a desired texture is reached.
The goat cheese should be blended into the vegetables and hommus with few large lumps of cheese. Leave lumpy if desired.
With the food processor off, take the lid off and take a spoonful of the vegetable dip to taste.
Add a little more salt if you want a saltier flavor.
Put the top back on the food processor, and blend slowly for another minute to mix thoroughly if you added more salt.
With food processor off, take the lid off and spoon out the vegetable dip into a serving bowl.
Sprinkle chopped parsley on top of the vegetable dip for a garnish to add some color on top.

Pita Chips - Baked

Pita Chips - Preparation before baking.
Pita Chips - Baked - Photo below this recipe.

What you will need:
Round pita bread, small size
Cutting board
Bread knife
Large baking sheet
Parchment paper
Pastry brush (optional)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Tarragon, 2-3 tablespoons,dried

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut each whole pita bread into halves, then each half into halves.
Continue cutting until the desired size.
Open each section and separate.
Place the sections on a lined baking sheet with parchment paper.
Either brush or drip olive oil on each pita bread section.
Sprinkle Kosher salt all over the pita bread sections.
Sprinkle tarragon over all the pita bread sections.
Put tray of prepared pita bread sections into the oven until they brown.
(about 5 min. depending on your oven.)

Goat Cheese Chip Sandwiches

Goat Cheese Chip Sandwiches

How simple is this crunchy, creamy snack or appetizer? Aren't they cute?
After a weekend of entertaining, I found myself left with a bag of my favorite chips/crackers and goat cheese. It took less than one minute to place some goat cheese directly onto the chip and top it with another chip. Dipping the chip into the goat cheese would result in breaking the chip therefore leaving a messy, crumble in the goat cheese.

If you want a totally satisfying snack for yourself, your kids or for a tray of appetizers to serve guests, this is the no bake, no cook, no fuss solution for your tastebuds.
Option Mix goat cheese with cream cheese for a little different flavor.

My chip/cracker of choice is from the collection of Food Should Taste Good, called Multigrain. This is a gluten-free chip that has many healthy grains creating a hearty, satisfying flavor.

My favorite goat cheese is Chavrie, also gluten-free.

Ingredients:
Food Should Taste Good Chips - Multigrain
Chavrie Goat Cheese
Option: mix goat cheese with cream cheese

Directions:
Spread some goat cheese onto one chip.
Put another chip on top of the goat cheese.
Press gently to make a chip sandwich.

Strawberry Banana Almond Smoothie

Strawberry Banana Almond Smoothie

Saying the word “smoothie” makes me smile and crave a cool, thick mixture of healthy ingredients sliding slowly down into my tummy. I get a chilling sensation now on my skin just imagining the pleasure and taste of a good smoothie. Finding relief from the heat and humidity is always on my mind during the summer season.
Yes, I call myself “The Souper” because I do have a passion for homemade soups, in cold weather. But when the dog days of summer are here, my food interests turn to less cooking on the stove and more toward fast, cool meals. My smoothie recipe makes an excellent breakfast or late afternoon snack. This recipe is filled with good nutrition. Ingredients in this smoothie include fruits and proteins packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
It is my pleasure to share with you my favorite smoothie recipe. If a cool, thick and rich drink is your goal for easy-eating on a hot summer day, then this is a drink for you.

Prep time about five minutes
Servings: Two adult portions

What you will need:
•Cutting board
•Kitchen knife
•Blender
•Large spoon
•Two tall serving glasses

Ingredients:
•Crushed ice, three cups
•Greek yogurt, 6-8 oz, plain, strained (example - FAGE Greek strained yogurt)
•Banana, one peeled and sliced
•Strawberries, one cup fresh, washed and sliced
(save one whole strawberry for garnish on the glass)
•Milk, 1/3 cup fat-free
•Honey, Two tablespoons (or more during the blending process.)
•Vanilla extract, one teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•Almond butter, two tablespoons from jar (similar to peanut butter)

The Process:
•Put all of the above ingredients into a blender.
•Put the cover on the blender tightly.
•Pulse with on and off settings of the blender to mix the ingredients.
•With the blender off, take the top off to push down the ingredients in order to blend the mixture better if needed.
•Put the top back on the blender and continue blending the mixture with a steady speed until the desired texture is reached.
•With the blender off, take the cover off and taste the mixture with the spoon before pouring into two tall serving glasses.
•Adjust flavor of the smoothie by adding more honey if needed.

Turkey Cutlets - fresh, thin with Panko Crumb Coating

Turkey Cutlets - fresh, thin with Panko Crumb Coating

Another surprise from Plainville Farms poultry products. No, I am not being paid to mention these products. I happened upon my first split-breast, fresh turkey breast at my local supermarket and raved about it in one of my blog posts recently. So when I went back to my supermarket to get another split-breast turkey breast they were featuring instead fresh, thinly sliced, turkey cutlets. These are packaged and just looked so inviting I had to purchase them.

My mind was racing with ideas for preparing these healthy poultry options. And now you can see how I cooked and presented my new favorite food. Oh, did I mention yet how quickly these little cuties cook up? It took about a minute or two on each side and...done.

I encourage you to see for yourself how fresh and easy-to-prepare these products are from Plainville Farms. Here is the link to the website:
http://plainvillefarms.com/
A reminder on my poultry and meat personal qualities: No antibiotics, No growth hormones, only vegetarian fed and humanely raised.
Plainville Farms satisfies my fresh food quality standards.

One tip worth a mention for this recipe: Panko Crumbs brown much better and produce a nice crunch to the cooked cutlet. The Panko crumbs can stay firm during the frying at high heat. (A couple of turkey cutlets were prepared, but no photo) with a coating of white flour and they did not look good after frying nor did they taste as well as with the Panko crumbs.)

If you are calorie counting: a serving of fresh turkey (4 oz. or 112 g.) has 120 calories. Depending on how you prepare the turkey, depends on the calorie count.

Preparation time for this recipe is about ten minutes.
Cooking time for all the cutlets is about 15-20 minutes. (time depends on the size and count of the cutlets.)

Here is a photo of the ingredients used in this recipe mentioned:

List of Ingredients:
Eggs, three whole eggs
Water, one half cup of cold water
Kosher salt, one tablespoon
Panko Crumbs, four cups (approximately, depending on number of cutlets.)
Black pepper, crushed, enough to sprinkle a little bit on each cutlet,
so about one half of a tablespoon, again, depending on the number of cutlets.)
Oil, one quarter cup vegetable or canola oil to begin with; add a little more if frypan gets too dry during the cooking process or the cutlets.
Parsley, one quarter cup, chopped, of fresh flat-leaf parsley

What you will need:
One medium bowl
One large bowl
One large baking sheet
Parchment paper or waxed paper
One large fry pan
One pair of tongs
One serving platter

Photos during the preparation process:

The process:
In the medium bowl, mix the eggs with water and Kosher salt.
In the large bowl, put the Panko Crumbs and spread around.
Put each turkey cutlet into the egg mixture.
Put the egg-coated turkey cutlet into the Panko Crumbs and cover all over the cutlet.
Repeat with each cutlet:
Place coated cutlets on a lined baking sheet with either parchment paper or waxed paper.
Let the cutlets dry a bit before beginning the frying process.
Pour the oil into the large frying pan and turn heat under the frying pan up to medium high temperature.
Add the dried coated cutlets into the hot frying pan with the cooking oil.
Sprinkle a small amount of the crushed, black pepper while cutlets cook.
Let the cutlets brown on one side, then with the pair of tongs, turn the cutlets over to brown on the opposite side.
Cooking time is about two minutes per cutlet side. (time depends on the heat of the cooking oil.)
Do not burn the frying cutlets.
Place the cooked turkey cutlets on to a serving platter.
Sprinkle the chopped, fresh parsley on top of the cutlets before serving.

Meatloaf - with new spice combinations

My meatloaf recipe with new spice combinations - a very nice surprise.

Everyone has a special meatloaf recipe. Fantastic when it is a family tradition passed on to the next generation. I have my favorite, go-to, family recipe also.
Last night, though, I was looking through my spice collection and I chose a combination of spices that attracted me because of the warmth of each ingredient. Wow, what a surprise to find that this blend of spices created a new version of my family's recipe for meatloaf. Can't wait to share this with you, too.
Along with our meal highlighting this new meatloaf recipe, I served a side green salad and for the comfort carb sidedish, I prepared my new go-to grain: Roasted Brown Rice Couscous (gluten-free). Oh, and it does come in a convenient box, is organic brown rice and cooks-up in 15 min. How easy is that? (As Ina Garten, "Barefoot Contessa" would say.)
Hope you will try this healthy grain as your sidedish when you have comfort on your mind at mealtime.
Thank you Lundberg Family Farms for Roasted Brown Rice Couscous. Gluten-free, Vegan and 100% whole grain. Kosher product, too. Here is the link to their product: http://www.lundberg.com/Products/Roasted_Brown_Rice_Couscous.aspx

Preparation time of this recipe: about 15 minutes.
Cooking time for this meatloaf: about one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes, depending on the calibration of temperature in your oven.

Preparation:
Loaf pan coated with Canola Oil spray on bottom and all sides.
Large mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Oven mitts
Place oven rack in the middle portion of your oven
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Kitchen knife
Large spatula
Serving platter

Ingredients:
Ground beef, one pound
Egg, one whole egg
Ketchup, one half cup; a little more also to spread on top of the meatloaf before cooking.
Worcestershire sauce, one quarter cup
Cumin, one teaspoon
Paprika, one teaspoon smokey version if possible, if not then plain paprika
Cinnamon, one teaspoon
Kosher salt, two teaspoons
Black pepper, one teaspoon, crushed
Parsley, one quarter cup fresh, chopped (or one tbs. dry parsley)If using fresh parsley, save a few pieces to put on top of the cooked meatloaf for a pretty pop of color as the garnish.

Assemble the meatloaf mixture:
Put the ground beef into the large mixing bowl
Crack one whole egg into the mixing bowl with the ground beef
(option: crack the egg into a small bowl first to make sure the egg is fresh and then empty the egg into the ground beef.)
Add the ketchup into the mixing bowl with the groundbeef and egg.
Add the Worcestershire Sauce into the above mixture also.
Add the cumin, paprika and cinnamon into the mixture above.
Add the salt and crushed black pepper into the mixture above.
Add the fresh, chopped parsley into the groundbeef mixture, too.
Mix all the ingredients in the mixing bowl with the wooden spoon using a light, turning-over stroke, so all the ingredients remain loose.
The goal is to have a mixture with some air in the combined groundbeef texture.
Add the meatloaf mixture into the greased loaf pan.
Spread some ketchup on top of the uncooked meatloaf.
Place the loaf pan into the preheated oven at the middle section of the oven.
The meatloaf will be ready when it is browned on the top of the meatloaf, and the meatloaf has pulled away from the sides of the loaf pan.
Depending on the amount of fat in the groundbeef used, you may want to pour off some of the liquid fat that remains in your loafpan. Use your oven mitts to carefully carry the cooked meatloaf in the loafpan to the sink to pour-off the fat into the drain of your sink.

Serving suggestion:
Using your kitchen knife along with a large spatula, cut wide sections of your cooked meatloaf and carefully place on the serving platter.
Put a few pieces of whole, fresh parsley on the top of the sliced meatloaf for the garnish.

Prep2eat: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep2eat: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: "When I smell these cookies baking in my home my mind wanders back to memories of a tummy-warming breakfast of oatmeal as well as my love..."
Click on name of cookie for this recipe.

Roasted Turkey Breast - any day of the week.

(Uncooked split-turkey breast ready to go into the oven.)

What a wonderful surprise to find a small, fresh split-turkey breast in my supermarket. This special find fulfilled my goal of purchasing poultry that fits my criteria: Humanely Raised; Vegetarian Fed; No Antibiotics; No Growth Hormones. Thank you, Plainville Farms. www.plainvillefarms.com Check out their website or on Facebook.

The simplicity of my recipe for roasting the fresh split-turkey breast on a bed of cut veggies made up of carrots, celery and onions creates a magical sauce in the bottom of the roasting pan. The flavor dripping off of the cooking turkey into the vegetables under and around the turkey breast makes a gravey that is sweet and light in texture and flavor.
If you want to enhance and thicken this gravey, just add flour mixed in some cold water, add it to the gravey in a small saucepan, heat and stir until the gravy is your style. That's it. All done.

(Cooked split-breast turkey breast)

Preparation time before cooking is about 15 minutes.

Cooking time about one hour and forty-five minutes, depending on oven temperature accuracy and size of the turkey breast. The size of this split-turkey breast is 2.58 ounces and will serve six to eight people if serving about 4 ounces per person. (or cook and freeze small portions for fewer numbers of people eating.)
Test for doneness: A meat thermometer should read 170-175 degrees F. or
until juices flow clearly with a prick into the turkey breast meat.
During the cooking process, if you check the turkey breast and see that it is browning on top, cover lightly with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent further browning and drying out.
If you notice the vegetables have very little water around them, just add a bit more for the duration of the cooking process.

Ingredients:
Carrots, 2 medium, peeled and sliced
Celery, 1 stalk, peeled and sliced
Onion, 1/2 sweet onion, sliced
Split-turkey Breast
Salt, 1 teaspoon
Black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon, crushed
Paprika, 1 teaspoon
Olive oil, 1/4 cup dripped over the turkey breast
Water, 1/4 cup cold

Preparation:
Have oven rack in the center of the oven
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Wash and pat dry the turkey breast
Wash and dry carrots and celery. Peel and slice
Peel and slice the onion
Put all uncooked vegetables in the bottom of a roasting pan
Put the turkey breast on top of the uncooked veggies
Sprinkle salt, pepper and paprika on top of the uncooked turkey breast
Drip olive oil on top of the turkey breast
Add water around the vegetables in the roasting pan
Put the roasting pan with the uncooked turkey breast and vegetables into the oven on the center rack placement.
Roast the split-turkey breast until done.

Take the roasting pan out of the oven, cover the turkey breast with some aluminum foil and let stand without cutting for about 15 minutes to let all the juices remain in the turkey breast, leaving each slice moist and flavorful.

Calories, Carbs and Fats Repost from Tips and Tricks for the Everyday Cook

Important Nutrition Info and Why you should read food labels.
Posting this link from the foodblog Tips and Tricks for the Everyday Cook.
Vegetable picture from mentioned blog as well as my own Fruit photo from this blog.
Appreciate all the research that went into this informational nutritional post: please take a moment to view the following link:

The Souper

http://tricksforcooking.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/nutritionlabe/

19

Guacamole - Homemade

Ingredients for Guacamole

















My personal favorite recipe is from Williams-Sonoma's Recipe posted below. Give homemade guacamole a try...you won't be disappointed in the quality of flavor from making it fresh.

Note: If you own a Molcajete (a mortar and pestle carved from volcanic rock)then prepare homemade guacamole the authentic way. If not, a bowl with a fork to mash the ingredients together works just fine. Do not be intimidated in preparing this fresh recipe.

Note: When slicing or chopping chilies, use a plastic glove or gloves to prevent oil from the chilies staying on your hands. The oil is very irritating if you touch your eyes with oil from the chilies on them. If you are not wearing gloves during the cutting of the chilies, be sure to wash your hands immediately with warm soapy water to remove the irritating oils from your hands.

Hint: a ripe avocado is slightly soft to the touch. Not too mushy soft.

My recipe makes two cups of fresh guacamole.

Ingredients:
1 ripe tomato, finely chopped
2 Tbs. finely minced white onion
2 Serrano chilies, finly chopped
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt or Kosher Salt, plus more as needed
2 large avocados, preferabley Haas brand.
2 Tbs. finely minced fresh cilantro or fresh parsley if you do not care for the taste of cilantro.

Garnish on prepared, fresh guacamole:
1 Tbs. small fresh cilantro or fresh parsley leaves
1 Tbs. finely chopped white onion
1 Tbs. finely chopped tomato

Directions to prepare fresh guacamole:
Put the tomato, onion, chilies, lime juice and 1/2 tsp. salt into a molcajete or small bowl, and mash with a pestle or fork to a coarse paste. There should be little bits or chunks in this mixture, not creamy smooth consistancy.
Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits and scoop out the flesh of the avocado into the tomato mixture.
Add the minced cilantro or parsley and mash into the tomato mixture, leaving the mixture a bit lumpy.
Taste this mixture and add more salt if you think it will make the flavor better, more balanced.

Keep at room temperature for up to an hour before serving, covering with clear plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the prepared guacamole.
If refrigerating for up to three hours before serving, do not add the cilantro or parsley until just before serving the guacamole. Keep the plastic wrap on the guacamole as mentioned above when keeping the prepared guacamole in the refrigerator.

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

Picture and Recipe from Lemon Drop Foodblog
Posted by Linda @ Lemon Drop
http://lemondropsfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/04/raspberry-lemon-muffins.html?showComment=1303308411354#c6473407120005969861
This recipe comes from Leila Lindholm’s cookbook A Piece Of Cake.

NOTE: most of the recipe ingredients are measured in grams
so haul out your kitchen scale and get baking!

This recipe made exactly 12 glorious, golden muffins.

WHAT YOU NEED

100g unsalted butter, melted
200ml milk ( I used 2%)
zest of 1 lemon
2 organic eggs at room temperature
150g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla sugar
240g all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
36 fresh, cleaned raspberries

MAKE IT

Line muffin tin with 12 liners
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In Medium Bowl, combine melted butter, milk and lemon zest.
In Separate Large Bowl, with electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla 2-3 minutes MED speed
Blend butter mixture into egg mixture.
Sift together remaining dry ingredients and fold into batter with a spatula. DO NOT OVER-MIX
Stir the butter mixture into the egg mix. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt and carefully fold into the mixture.
Add 1/2 batter to each muffin cup.
Top with 3 raspberries
Cover with batter so muffins nearly reach the top of the liner.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.

Caramelized Chocolate Covered Matzah

Thank you Gabby (Food Chowdown Blog)for this inspiring Passover photo and recipe. Can't wait to prepare this treat for those celebrating the holiday of Passover.

Note: If preparing this recipe for those strictly observing the dietary regulations for "Kosher For Passover", please use only ingredients marked "Kosher For Passover." All can be found in most supermarkets.

Note: Omit any nuts if preparing a nut-free treat. Or, choose one nut choice for a topping to enhance this recipe.

Also check out how David Lebowitz makes a similar recipe by adding vanilla and toasted almonds, says Gabby on her blog. This will give you choices on the way you would like to make this recipe for pleasing your tastebuds.

Now here are various ways of spelling the name of this unleavened bread:
singular: matzo, matzoh, matza or matzah
plural: matzos , matzohs , matzas, matzahs or matzoth

Ingredients:

■3-4 boards matzoh
■3/4 cup margarine or butter
■1/2 cup brown sugar
■1-1/2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips
■1 cup chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans (optional)
■1/4 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
2.Spread the matzohs in the pan in a single layer, breaking them to fit if necessary.
3.Heat the butter or margarine and brown sugar in a medium saucepan to a boil. Pour evenly over matzoh, spreading with a knife to make sure the matzoh is well covered.
4.Bake 10-15 minutes, until the caramel is a golden brown. Turn off the oven, and remove the matzoh.
5.Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the matzoh. Return the matzoh to the oven. Let it sit in the warm (turned off) oven for 2 minutes. Remove and spread the chocolate evenly with the back of a flat spatula or a knife.
6.Top with nuts, if using. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Fresh Fruit with Lime

Spring is here in the Northeast and the colorful fruit and berries are coming into the markets. My eyes are attracted to bright colors and my mouth waters anticipating the burst of flavor from my favorite fruits and berries. This is a very happy pick-me-up fruit salad and so full of nutrients and vitamins. You can't help but smile when you are eating healthy like this :)

Here is my favorite antioxident fruit salad, inspired by Nigella Lawson's version which included pomegranate seeds.

Fruits in my fruit salad: wash and gently dry all fresh berries first.

One pint of fresh strawberries, sliced
One fresh mango, cut into small pieces
One pint of fresh blueberries
One half fresh lime

Put all the cut fruit and berries into a serving bowl.
Squeeze the fresh lime juice all over the cut fruit and berries.
Gently mix all the fruit and berries together to distribute the lime juice.

Serve the fresh fruit salad into your favorite dessert bowls.

The Souper