Mini Lemon Hazelnut Muffins

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Lattes and Leggings

Lately, I’ve been craving something lemony and cake-like, but I didn’t want to make a full blown out cake left to eat all by myself. So I decided on muffins. These muffins, the flavor combination to be exact, was inspired by a lemon tiramisu recipe in one of my cookbooks. I just loved the idea of lemon and hazelnuts together. When I went to bake these muffins, I realized I had small paper cupcake liners in the pantry and no normal sized liners. No biggie. Mini muffins sounded even better.

These muffins remind me of the mini cupcakes from Baked By Melissa which is one of many cupcakes shop here in Manhattan, but they distinguish themselves with their bite-size deliciousness. The cookies and cream is my favorite.

The hazelnuts are roasted and chopped by hand. You could chop them in a food processor to speed things up a bit.

Extra virgin olive oil is used instead of butter which works well with the lemon and hazelnuts and keeps the muffins moist and light.

The lemon glaze enhances the lemon flavor, but is totally optional because these little muffins can stand alone on their own just fine. Wonderful for breakfast or a bite-size snack.

Mini Lemon Hazelnut Muffins
adapted from these Blueberry Coconut Muffins

The lemon glaze enhances the lemon flavor, but is totally optional. The muffins are delicious on their own.

makes 24 mini muffins

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, skins removed and chopped (see note below)
1 cup lowfat milk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 large egg

For the Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the toasted hazelnuts. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the milk, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg. Whisk together until well combined. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir together with a fork until just blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake the muffins for 8 to 10 minutes until light golden on top. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool. When the muffins have cooled, drizzle the lemon glaze on top. Store muffins in an airtight container.

To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth.

Note: To toast the hazelnuts, arrange the hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Toast in a 350 F degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The hazelnuts will brown slightly, and the skins will become flaky making it easier to remove them.

Linguine with Chile Pesto and Almonds

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Lattes and Leggings

How about a pesto with jalapeno and serrano chiles to really spice things up? We have made plenty of pestos on this cooking journey…tossed with pasta, on pizza and sandwiches, on meat and vegetables…you get the point. Pestos are great because there is very little cooking involved, the food processor does all the work, but most of all, they are packed with a punch of flavor. A little goes a long way. They are great for jazzing up any meal.

I have tried both Giada and Mario Batali’s versions of jalapeno pesto, and the winner? Giada. Mario’s version is filled with jalapeno and serrano chiles along with lots of red onion, but surprisingly it came out somewhat bland. Giada’s version contains a jalapeno along with spinach, arugula, and asiago cheese. But of course I put my own spin on it.

I wanted to use a mix of jalapeno and serrano chiles. Just one of each. Here’s where it gets fun. Do you like things mild, medium, or super spicy? It’s all in the seeds baby! The heat comes from the seeds. For a mild pesto, omit seeds altogether. For medium to medium-hot, add half the seeds. (That’s what I did, and I wished I had added all of them for an extra kick). Lastly, add all the seeds if you’re feeling uber spicy.

Another change I made to the pesto was to cut the amount of cheese in half. I felt two cups was way too much. Luckily, I was able to find a block of asiago and grate it myself, but pre-grated asiago is widely available now if you have trouble finding a whole piece. I also used roasted salted almonds instead of walnuts in the pesto. Again, it’s your preference. Both nuts are great options.

The arugula and spinach add body to the pesto, and of course lots of nutrients from the spinach and a peppery flavor from the arugula.

The pesto is somewhat thicker than other pestos which is what you want.

Because what happens is when you toss the pasta with the pesto, it creates a sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, the secret is in the pasta water. Ladle a bit of water over the pasta to thin it out. The glutens from the pasta water enable the pesto to stick to the linguine.

The linguine is finally topped with salted almonds and freshly grated asiago cheese. The cheese slowly melts into the pasta, and you a get a crunch from the almonds. Simple pasta packed with lots of flavor.

Linguine with Chile Pesto and Almonds
pesto adapted from Giada at Home

The seeds in the peppers contain the heat which will make this pesto spicy. (See note below). Also, this pesto is somewhat thick which creates more of a sauce when tossed with the linguine. The secret is in the pasta water to thin out the sauce a little if it becomes too thick.

serves 4

Ingredients
Pesto:
1/2 cup roasted salted almonds
2 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and chopped (see note below)
1 serrano pepper, stemmed and chopped (see note below)
1 cup freshly grated asiago cheese
2 cups spinach leaves
3 cups arugula
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pasta:
1/2 pound whole wheat linguine (such as Delallo)
1/2 cup freshly grated asiago cheese
1/4 cup roasted salted almonds, chopped

Directions
To make the pesto: Using a food processor, add the almonds, garlic cloves, peppers, and cheese. Pulse to roughly chop the ingredients. Add the spinach and arugula. Process until blended. Add the olive oil and process until mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pesto a large serving bowl.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the package. Using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta to the bowl with the pesto. Toss to coat. If needed, thin out the sauce with a bit of pasta water.

Add the cheese and almonds. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Note: The seeds contain the heat which makes this pesto spicy. Omit seeds for a mild pesto. Use half of the seeds for a medium to medium-hot pesto. Use all the seeds for a hot to super hot pesto.

Strawberry, Feta, and Kale Salad

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Lattes and Leggings

“When you cook, you never stop learning. That’s the fascination of it.” – James Beard. This quote appeared in my Twitter feed yesterday and really resonated with me. When I prepared this salad, I discovered kale to be my new favorite salad green. What also surprised me was how strawberries can work well in a savory salad with roasted kale and salty feta and almonds tossed in a champagne vinaigrette.

Roasting the kale was a spur of the moment decision. I’m not fond of raw kale or chard, but I had plans to massage the raw kale and give it another whirl in hopes of changing my mind. The thought of roasted kale tossed in olive oil and coarse salt sounded more delicious.

Only the edges of the leaves get crispy so they don’t turn into kale chips. So keep an eye out so they don’t turn brown either because the leaves are so delicate. Roasting brings out a depth of flavor in the leafy greens compared to raw kale.

If you don’t have champagne vinegar, no worries! White wine vinegar is the perfect substitute. I used a bag of roasted, salted almonds and roughly chopped them for the salad. Because, you know, I love salt with just about everything.

Strawberry, Feta, and Kale Salad
inspired by Food & Wine

Careful not to over-roast. When roasting the kale, only the edges should be crisp while the inner leaves should be soft to keep them from turning into kale chips. Don’t have champagne vinegar? No worries. White wine vinegar will work perfectly. I also prefer using lacinato “dinosaur” “tuscan” kale because the leaves are flat versus the curly leafed kind, but either one will work.

serves 2

Ingredients
1 bunch lacinato kale, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
kosher salt
1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup roasted salted almonds, roughly chopped

Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.

Arrange the kale on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Toss to coat. Roast for 6 to 8 minutes until kale is slightly crisp only around the edges. The inner leaves should still be soft. Remove from the oven to cool.

Meanwhile make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, add the champagne vinegar, dijon mustard, and olive oil. Whisk together until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad: Arrange the kale on salad plates. Top with strawberries, feta, and almonds. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and serve.