Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

Hey there! Hi there! Ho there! Jenni of Jenni's Dish reporting live from the great land of LaLa, where people buy convertibles and refuse to put their tops down. And in this neck of the woods it seems like the blinker, yeah, that thing attached to the steering wheel that's actually meant to let the cars around you know what which way you're headed, is as antiquated as I am, being that on recent birthday I turning 39 . . . AGAIN.

But there's something here in the land of swimming pools and movie stars that is extremely popular right now which at first seemed to me to be borderline ridiculous. But I have since come to think it is such a great concept that I have been sucked into the vortex of advocating for it just like every Tom, Dick and Hayley in this town who believes in the healthier alternatives. It's gluten-free baking, and I, my fine friends, am, as they say "on it"!!!

The goodies at hand came out of nowhere after a trip to Whole Foods, where I delved into the land of alternatives to wheat flour. Remember the gluten-free cake I made not long ago? Well, I got such great reviews on it that it has become one of my basic recipe mainstays. I won't bore you with the scientific details; all you have to do is follow some simple rules of thumb and success can be yours.

First things first: Brown rice flour when used alone tastes like sand, yes, sand -- I mean majorly gross. So I've switched to a mixture of white rice flour and tapioca flour and now, Voliá, I have figured it out. Using these basics will bring the house down every time, so don't be afraid, the water's wonderful, jump right in!

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line or grease 16 muffin tins, set aside, gather your ingredients:

Dry:

1-1/2 cups white rice flour

3/4 cup tapioca flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup Splenda or sugar or a blend of both

Wet:

1/3 cup honey

3/4 cup milk at room temp

1/2 cup applesauce

2 eggs at room temp

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups fresh blueberries, cleaned and tossed with 1 tbs. flour

Mix all Dry ingredients and set aside

Mix all wet ingredients well and slowly add to Dry ingredients until well combined. Fill tins 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in tins, continue to cool on rack, serve warm.

And as always, Enjoy!!!

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!

© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

Applesauce Cranberry Bran Muffins

I ask you, who doesn't like muffins? They are a perfect little food, just like the cupcake, plus I really love that it's a non-share item. I love having a light snack, and these are IT!!! This whole recipe calls for just two tablespoons of oil -- I'm using canola -- so the muffins are very low fat, and they are sweetened with a mixture of Splenda and honey, so they are free of processed sugar, with a low calorie count all around. And moist? Well, you'll find the applesauce takes care of that, not to mention the cranberries, with which  they are loaded!!! I use only the best ingredients which I buy at Whole Foods. The Red Mill products are all natural and spectacular. The wheat bran is some of the best I've ever used in baking. You can use whole wheat or unbleached white flour; the result is a little lighter with the latter but otherwise it's just a matter of taste.

Also, recently while rockin' around Jenni's Dish Test Kitchen to the sounds of my fave '60s and '70s tunes, I was suddenly inspired to add some spices to the muffins. I was struck by the idea of adding a small amount of nutmeg, and then a little bit of ground ginger and lastly I turned to that tasty ingredient that's also a great blood sugar regulator, cinnamon. Not only did this improve the taste, but it also bumped up the nutritional value. I am appalled at the size of so many of the muffins available today and how they're made -- these behemoth atrocities are a contributor to our growing population, and the growth I'm talkin' 'bout is the measure of their girth!!! The baby muffins I make are well under 100 calories apiece, so enjoy one with your morning coffee and/or have one as a snack, and you can still stay within your guidelines for a healthy diet, feeling good about yourself and looking good as you do it!!!

Applesauce Cranberry Bran Muffins:


Preheat oven to 350ºF grease or spray or line a muffin tin and a 1/4, this makes 16 muffins, put a little water in the rest of the muffin cups which are not being used, so they don't get burned.
In a lg. bowl mix well all dry ingredients,
1 1/2 cups whole wheat or unbleached white flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Splenda or Granulated Sun Crystals Stevia (they came out with one for baking)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tsp. fresh ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a lg measuring cup mix,
1 cup skim or lowfat milk
2 eggs
2 TBLS. Canola Oil
1/4-1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup all natural applesauce, I use the unsweetened and chunky, breaking the bits of apple a little as I stir this mixture, mix well and add to dry ingredients just until moistened, over beating will produce a tough muffin.
Spoon into muffin tins 3/4 full, bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean and the muffins spring back when gently pushed.
Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, hen remove to a rack to finish cooling.

And as always, Enjoy!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© jennifer Green Alger 2010

Lemon Thyme/Pineapple Sage Roasted Chicken with Arugula Salad and Purple Asparagus

I'm visiting for a few days here in Big Sur at the house of Kim, my best friend of many years, and of course I'm going to cook for her, because, well, that's a big way I show my love for people: I cook for them. It's a lovely little house on the Old Trout Farm at Garrapata Beach, set back in the beautiful redwoods, surrounded only by the sounds of nature, like the wind which is whipping everything into a frenzy! That wind only adds to the beauty but is making me glad to be indoors cooking and looking forward to yoga, and to Kim's beau Lucas lighting a fire later.

But this is about more than just being here and the gorgeousness of it all: After we drove to the Whole Foods in town (Carmel/Monterey) to get supplies, we went by my mom's old favorite beach -- and mine too -- to fill this cool glass bottle with sand from there. I've wanted to do this for a long time as I do not have my mother's ashes, but collecting a little of this sand makes me feel I have something of her and gives me closure. And after that we came back down the coast, which is so special to me -- hey, it's just plain special, period.

This visit is so easy to take! Kim, who is a yoga teacher, is immersing me in yoga. I'm out-of-shape sore all over, but it's that good kind of sore, from stretching out all the kinks of winter and feeling the spring/summer coming to life inside me -- it feels great to be moving and grooving this way again, in a perfect place for this transition take place. The long, cold months of winter seem far behind me now as I walk the property here, and I just had to share all the beauty of this with my readers so you could experience a taste of it with me.

Speaking of taste, I picked herbs for cooking from the little garden Kim and Lucas had planted, and in a store I found this terrific Himalayan pink salt. I'm whipping up a fresh herb roasted chicken and an arugula salad with sharp cheddar, Pink Lady apples, and Trader Joe's Sweet and Spicy Pecans, with a delicious tangelo/lemon thyme vinaigrette, and steamed Purple Haize asparagus (yes, purple!). Why Purple Asparagus, well because it was there!!! Cooking good food and and absorbing the beauty surrounding me have put me into a state of euphoria, like a dream only better because I'm wide awake, with my dearest friend, and Big Sur pulsing through my veins -- this is living life to the fullest!!!

Herb Roasted Chicken w/ Pineapple Sage , Lemon Thyme and Rosemary:


In a large plate put:

1 whole chicken, washed and dryed
Rub with:

Olive Oil
Juice of one Lemon
Season w/:

Himalayan Pink Salt (or any gourmet salt, kosher will do)
Fresh ground pepper
Paprika
Pinch of Cayenne (or if you are like me, a lot of Cayenne)
Seasoning of Choice, (I used Spike because I was in Big Sur and it's a old tradition w/ me)
1 Tbls chopped fresh Pineapple Sage
1 Tbls. chopped fresh Lemon Thyme
1 Tbls, chopped fresh Rosemary


In a small bowl put:

1 Good quality apple, cut up
1/2 red Onion cut up
2 sprigs Lemon Thyme
2 sprigs Pineapple Sage
1 Sprig Rosemary
3 cloves Garlic roughly cut up


Season with:

A little Olive Oil
2 Tbls. Lemon juice
Salt and Pepper and Cayenne
Mix to coat and stuff into cavity
Place Chicken on a rack in a pan and roast at 400ºF for 1 1/2 hrs, basting after 40 minutes and then every 20 until done, remove from oven and let rest for 20-30 minutes. While chicken is resting, steam asparagus.

Arugula Salad w/ Tangelo and Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette:

1 package Arugula
4 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese of choice sliced into triangles
4 oz. Sweet and Spicy Pecans (I used Trader Joes) cut in half lenthwise
1 Pink Lady or Fugi Apple sliced on the diagonal

Dressing:


1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lg. Tangelo(or more if necessary) should make a 1/2 cup
2 Tbls. Lemon Thyme chopped fine
Salt and Pepper to taste, again I used this fabulous Himalayan Pink Salt and it really makes a difference what salt you use!!!
Fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne
1 Tbls. Lt. Brown Sugar
Mix well and dress salad right before serving.

Always the right side!!!!

And as always, Enjoy!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

Raspberry Linzer Thumbprint Delights

Cookies are one of my favorite things in the world -- which is why I don't make or eat them often; if they are around they usually end up in my mouth, then my stomach and eventually on my butt!!! So I keep these little fellas for special occasions, as they are definitely not (repeat: NOT) diet food!!!

BUT (not butt) . . . my niece Maxine was in the hospital recently and she's one of my favorite people, niece or otherwise!!! After leaving her one evening I came home thinking about cookies, since Maxine makes some of the best (it's that cooking gene from her aunt Jenni!!!) . . . and this girl needed some cheering up. So I was gonna make some to bring to the hospital the next day and I wanted them to be awesome!!!

I didn't want just any cookies, I wanted Linzer cookies, but I also wanted raspberry thumbprint cookies, and who's to say I couldn't have both? It was just me and the dogs and the XM radio on the 60's station, and unless one of the dogs spoke up soon, I was bound and determined to combine the two and make what have christened a Raspberry Linzer Thumbprint Delight!!! Very simple recipe, and such a incredible thought I decided to make a real thing of it!!! These little bundles of buttery, nutty, jammy goodness will melt in your mouth, take all your troubles away and leave you feeling very happy, satisfied and full of hope (if you ignore the calorie count)!!! They are magically delicious!!!

Using will power borne of a Higher Purpose, I was able to lay off 'em (mostly) and bring them to the hospital the following day. Maxine loved them and the nurses were thrilled to have something homebaked: What with their high-stress jobs and overload of patients they deserved more than pre-packaged cookies from some supermarket aisle!!! If you really wanna impress someone or have a lovely afternoon tea cookie for yourself, this is your answer!!!

Raspberry Linzer Thumbprint Delights:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease 2 cookie sheets. Mix together in a lg bowl:

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

When they are well combined, add:

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

Then gather and measure:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup walnuts, finely ground

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam or the raspberry Simply Fruit, which is what I use (set aside)

Sifted powdered sugar -- enough to sprinkle, maybe 1/2 cup (also set aside)

Combine all ingredients except the powdered sugar and raspberry jam and chill for 1/2 hr. Make dough into 1" balls and press with your thumb or the back of a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon and bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely and, using a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon or a small melon baller, place little dollops of raspberry jam in the center of each cookie. Sprinkle with the powdered sugar several times, and always right before serving.

And as always, enjoy!!!

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!

© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

Spicy Greens w/ Lots of Great Stuff and Balsamic Dijon Fat Free Vinaigrette

Sticking to my plans had never been one of my strong suits before I got sober. But since then, and especially since I started this blog, follow-through has become a powerful part of me. Even when I don't feel like it, I only have to consider my loyal followers and suddenly I'm inspired!!!

Moving to back to L.A. was a trip and a half, and launching www.showbizzle.com has been very time consuming (particularly with the addition of my newest and favorite project, So Very L.A.). With all of this, I have found every so often that I have neglected my beloved blog. Now, the other day my sister and I just stopped everything and decided it was so beautiful out that we simply must stop and smell the roses. We pulled on our swim suits, grabbed some magazines, sunscreen and the new pool floats she had ordered, and we just went for a little impromptu pool therapy. We added towels, chaise lounges and a whole lot of sun, and voilà, the perfect recipe for relaxation! We couldn't have planned it any better, or if we'd tried it could never have been as delightful and delicious!!! Just floating -- no words, no music, just peace and tranquility, a mini "stay-cation" if you will . . . and as I lay there on my float, a salad started assembling in my head!

At first I tried to fight it off and told myself it would go away, but as usual, like with all the recipes that come to me out of the blue, I knew this one simply would not be denied. It was based on a salad I often have at the Urth Café; I changed a few things and there it was, virtually staring me in the face!!! I pulled my chaise to the side of the pool and went to the kitchen almost in a trance-like state, and here's what happened next. Enjoy, I know we did!!!

Spicy Greens Salad With Lots of Great Stuff:

1 package Spicy Baby Greens from Whole Foods

1 bunch watercress, washed off and dried in a salad spinner

1 can hearts of palm

1/2 can garbanzo beans, rinsed well

1/2 package of light feta cheese

10-15 cherry, pear, or grape tomatoes

10-15 olives of choice

1 rotisserie chicken (I use about 4 oz. of meat per portion)

Build the salad as you like it!

Balsamic Dijon Fat Free Dressing:

Any type of store-bought fat-free Italian dressing will do. I used Kraft Balsamic Vinegar Dijon mustard

1-2 cloves of garlic

Fresh ground black pepper

Adjust all of this depending on how many you are feeding and according to your own likes and dislikes. Experiment until you find the right mix for you! I do about a tbs. of dressing per portion, but I like my dressing on the light side, so proceed accordingly.

And as always, Enjoy!!!

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!

© Jennifer Green Alger 2010