Month: August 2024

Pumpkin Protein Muffins Deluxe

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment
Autumn in a delicious package

Fall is in the air. Kids are back in school and the days are already growing shorter. Halloween decorations abound in stores (too soon!) and Jack-o’-lanterns are being designed. When people think of autumn in the United States, the mind conjures up pumpkins. So I thought it was time to take another look at my Pumpkin Protein Muffins.

Pumpkin Protein Muffins Deluxe are quick to assemble and bake, freeze well, are packed with protein and are simply delicious. One muffin carries me all morning with no sudden spikes from sugar. I won’t fool you – there is sugar in these muffins, although not a huge amount.

But most importantly, you get protein from the almond flour, protein powder, peanut butter powder, eggs, pecans and nut butter. Despite the different kinds of nuts, it is only the nut butter and chopped nuts that stand out. And if you don’t like or have pecans, you can add walnuts or even toasted pumpkin seeds.

Due to the unprovoked, criminal and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Israeli and Palestinian civilians by Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis and against the Ukrainians by Vladimir Putin and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the links below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters. This list is not exhaustive but is a good place to start.

My original recipe was good, but these are even better. They are wonderful even if you weren’t considering adding protein to your mornings, but simply love muffins with your coffee or tea. Like my other muffins, they are lumpy and bumpy with dried fruit and nuts, but these also have a surprise center. I now make my pumpkin and my Apple Protein Muffins with a spoonful of almond butter in the center. However, peanut butter or other nut butters will also work.

While I am not ready to let go of summer, these muffins will take the sting out of fall. Any leftover pumpkin can be used up in a stew or frozen for another batch. I have found that by freezing the muffins, they will retain their freshness. I zap one in the microwave for 15 seconds, if I have defrosted the muffin or about 17 seconds if it is straight from the freezer. If you don’t choose to freeze Pumpkin Protein Muffins Deluxe are best eaten up within 3 to 5 days.

Recipe

Yield: 12 regular size muffins

Ingredients

1/3 cup dried cranberries or dried fruit of your choice (I have used dates, prunes and raisins in my Apple Protein Muffins)

1/3 cup lightly pan-toasted and coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup brown sugar (I like to use dark brown sugar but light is fine)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 rounded teaspoon sweet hawaij or pumpkin seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons peanut butter powder

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons natural ground almonds or almond flour (preferable super fine for the lightest, most tender muffins)

3/4 cup of blanched almond flour (superfine)

1/2 cup vanilla protein powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

3 large eggs at room temperature

2 rounded Tablespoons of good quality orange marmalade or apricot jam (choose one with more fruit and less sugar)

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly (I prefer refined coconut oil, but virgin coconut oil also works)

About 1/4 cup of almond or peanut butter (Smooth or crunchy is up to you. Choose one that does not have added sugar)

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. and line a standard muffin pan with parchment muffin cup liners.

Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a medium large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, marmalade, sweet hawaij and cinnamon with the pumpkin puree.

Melt the coconut oil. It take 30 seconds in my microwave. Whisk the melted coconut oil into the egg mixture until smooth. Then add this to the dry ingredients and mix well, but only until combined.

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, add enough of the batter to fill each cup about 1/2 way full. Then spoon about 3/4 of a teaspoon of the nut butter in to the center of each muffin. Scoop the remaining batter over each of the muffins until it is used up, making sure that every muffin gets some nuts and dried cranberries. I find that I have exactly enough batter for 12 muffin cups.

Bake for 5 minutes in a preheated 400 degree F oven. Then without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F and continue baking for another 10 to 12 minutes.

Place the baking pan on a rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then remove the parchment muffin cups out of the pan and allow to continue cooling on the rack. If you are serving them immediately, 10 to 15 minutes of cooling total is sufficient. If you are freezing them or storing them, allow them to cool completely before placing in plastic freezer or stasher bags. These are best served warm from the oven or zapped in the microwave. That way the centers of nut butter are soft and gooey!

Fresh Fig Salad with Blue Cheese and Candied Pecans

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

People seem to either love fresh figs or they simply don’t. I am definitely in the camp that loves both fresh and dried figs and I always have a bottle of a good fig balsamic vinegar in my pantry. I will always remember the scene from the movie Women in Love based on the book by D.H. Lawrence. The actor Alan Bates explains the correct way to eat a fresh fig and it is one of the most erotic scenes in a movie and not a single piece of clothing was shed!

Fresh Fig Salad with Blue Cheese and Candied Pecans is a composed salad that looks and tastes decadent but which takes just minutes to prepare.

We take Shabbat and Shabbat dinner seriously and I always try to make something truly special for this important holiday which separates the quotidian from the heavenly. Since we have just moved back to our partially renovated apartment, my days are spent unpacking boxes and trying to figure out where to put things. And then, trying to actually remember where I put things! So when Friday rolled around, I knew that I wanted something special but was not prepared to make a big fuss. Broiled salmon was the chosen main protein because it is readily available and so quick to prepare. And most importantly, it’s delicious. Since most of our weekday meals are vegan or vegetarian, Shabbat is the one day when we eat meat, poultry or fish.

Now my husband likes to do math problems when he has a few moments of time to spare. But I like to build meals and recipes in my head.

Once my veg and carb were sorted, I needed some salad to round things out. I thought that a composed salad would be perfect. Normally, I make four or five middle eastern salads and dips which we enjoy all week. But this week I just didn’t have the bandwidth for that. However, fresh figs have just come into season in our markets.

I’m a big fan of blue cheese – Roquefort, gorgonzola dolce, Point Reyes etc. – and figs and blue cheese make for a harmonious paring. So I started to build my salad. I wanted either fresh, slightly peppery watercress or baby arugula for the green. It would be a nice base for the figs and cheese and the color is beautiful against the cut figs. And I chose a lovely ripe Roquefort for the cheese. It is creamy and sweet but with just enough of a bite to be really interesting. But something was missing. I needed a crunchy texture with some nuttiness as a counterpoint to the creamy cheese and ripe figs.

I don’t believe that you have to make everything yourself, particularly when you are short on time and/or energy. Thankfully, my market sold some delightful caramelized pecans and walnuts from Spain. I chose pecans but you could use walnuts if you prefer. If you choose to make your own, I’m sure that there are numerous recipes online.

Due to the unprovoked, criminal and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Israeli and Palestinian civilians by Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis and against the Ukrainians by Vladimir Putin and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the links below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters. This list is not exhaustive but is a good place to start.

Fresh herbs make such a difference to salads and this one cried out for fresh tarragon. It’s sweet and has a slight anise flavor, which I happen to love and goes perfectly with blue cheese. Fortunately, I was in luck and more store had some lovely tarragon. The fig vinegar and a nice grassy olive oil were in my pantry as were salt and pepper. I was ready to compose my salad.

In just minutes I had two beautiful bowls of salad as a first course for our Shabbat meal. It was an elegant and delicious starter that whet our appetites for the rest of the meal.

I made the salad for the two of us, but it can be doubled or tripled as needed. Below is not an exact recipe because none is needed, but I will tell you what I did and approximate amounts.

For two other delicious fresh fig recipes:

Frangipane Fig Tart

Fresh Fig and Walnut Bread

Recipe

Yield: for 2 servings but can be doubled or tripled as needed

Ingredients

4 ripe fresh figs, any variety (I used brown figs, but green or black would also work)

About 2 ounces of a creamy, ripe, slightly sweet blue cheese such as a Roquefort or Gorgonzola Dolce

About 2 to 3 ounces of fresh watercress or baby arugula (More if you like)

About 16 candied pecans or walnuts

One branch of fresh tarragon, leaves removed from the stem and chopped

kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Fig Balsamic Vinegar, drizzled

A grassy EVOO

Directions

Choose your serving dishes and set them out. Place your watercress on the plates.

Remove any stems from the figs. Cut two figs per person into quarters down vertically from the stem end. Place the quartered figs over the watercress in a pleasing array. Scatter the blue cheese and candied pecans over the plate of figs and watercress. Sprinkle the chopped tarragon over everything.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the salads. You don’t need much because the watercress and cheese add a peppery saltiness of their own. Drizzle with the Fig Vinegar and EVOO and now enjoy!