Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Have you ever cooked/baked something only because you really wanted to try a new ingredient, or perhaps cook in your new pot or pan, use your brand new ice cream maker, creme brûlée torch, or some other appliance? Well, this muffin was inspired not by an ingredient or a cooking utensil/appliance, but by a beautiful ceramic dish that I wanted to present it in! I was determined to make something pretty to put on this dish as soon as I received it in the mail. A fresh citrusy muffin adorned with little chocolate flowers seemed perfect to go with the lovely red mushroom decoration on the plate.

 

A little bit background on this plate that I’m raving about - My friend Maitreyee makes beautiful ceramic kitchenware & decorative pieces, and she was nice enough to customize this plate for me. You can check out her shop, YayClay (love the name!) on Etsy, or Facebook.

Ingredients: (Makes 18)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

¼ cup canola oil

1-1¼  cup white sugar

Zest from 2 lemons

1tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs
4 tsp poppy seeds

(Oil + Applesauce can be substituted with ½ cup butter)

 

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

 

Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Add salt, mix and set aside.

 

In another bowl mix milk, lemon juice and sour cream, and set aside.

 

In a large bowl, cream together oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Add eggs and beat well. Alternately add the flour mixture and the wet ingredients, mixing gently as you fold in the flour. Do not overbeat. Fold in poppy seeds.

 

Pour batter into the lined muffin tin (~¾ full), and bake in preheated oven for ~20-25 minutes until golden brown in color with tops that bounce back when touched.

 

If you want to get a little fancy and add a glaze, mix ½ cup powdered sugar with just enough lemon juice (or milk/water) to get a thick paste. It only takes a couple teaspoons of liquid. Spread or drizzle the glaze on the muffin while it is still warm. Sprinkle some lemon zest and poppy seeds on top for a beautiful presentation and an extra boost of citrus flavor.

~Gayatri

 

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Sauteed Broccolini

Broccoli is almost a staple in my kitchen, and gets used many different ways. But on days when I just want to fix a quick dinner, my go-to recipe is to saute it with different spices for a variety in flavor. For a change, I decided to get a little fancy and bought some broccolini instead of reaching out for broccoli at the grocery store. The tender stems of broccolini are just as delicious (and nutritious) as the florets. A quick saute with garlic and lemon juice was all it needed to make the fresh broccolini a lovely side dish. I decided to take the flavor up a notch with some pine nuts and Feta cheese. Not only did it help the taste, it also really enhanced the textures of this simple dish.

Ingredients: (Serves ~4)

8 oz broccolini - thick stems removed.

1 tsp lemon juice (adjust to taste)

2 cloves of garlic - minced

1 Tbsp pine nuts

1-2 Tbsp crumbled Feta cheese

Salt (optional - I didn’t use any as Feta cheese was salty)

Ground black pepper (optional)

½ tsp oil for sauteeing

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a few seconds until fragrant. Add broccolini, stir to coat with garlic and cover and cook for a couple minutes. Remove lid, add lemon juice, salt and pepper, stir and cover for another minute until broccolini starts browning. Add pine nuts, and saute uncovered for a couple minutes until the broccolini has softened to your liking. Remove from heat and stir in Feta cheese. Serve warm as a side.

~Gayatri

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Chicken Lemon Rice Soup

Sometimes on a rainy, grey day, there’s nothing better to eat than a nice hot bowl of soup, whether it’s tomato bisque, chicken noodle, beef stew, minestrone, or this delicious take on vegetable soup. Even though they seem pretty easy (broth plus veggies plus protein, right?), I’ve never been particularly good at making soups - most of the time they end up too bland and watery. But I can be a rather stubborn person, and am determined to master at least one variety! I found this Greek-style chicken lemon rice soup in my mother’s recipe box, and it looked right up my alley with only a handful of ingredients. I made some minor tweaks and ended up with a deliciously flavorful soup!

Ingredients: (makes 4-6 servings)

4 cups chicken broth

4 oz (~½ cup) uncooked rice

~½ - ¾ lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded or diced (see this post for instructions on cooking chicken)

3 eggs

4 TBSP lemon juice

salt, pepper to taste

In a 2-quart pot, bring chicken broth to a boil over med-hi to high heat. Add rice and cover, reducing heat to med-lo, and simmer until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Add chicken to the pot.

In a small bowl, beat eggs and lemon juice. Then, stirring constantly, add about 1 cup of hot water from the rice to the egg/lemon mixture, a little at a time so the eggs do not curdle.

Slowly add the egg mixture back into the soup. Cook and stir over low heat until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Take care not to boil or the eggs will curdle. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

~Karla

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Lemon Pepper Tofu

In addition to beans, nuts, and leafy greens, tofu is an excellent protein supplement to salads and sandwiches for vegetarians.  My favorite way to eat tofu is to squeeze out as much liquid as possible, rehydrate the tofu with a marinade, then cook it until firm and slightly crispy. Typically I use soy sauce and/or vinegar based marinades, but I wanted to try a different flavor this time. I decided to use just two simple ingredients and make lemon pepper tofu. I’m not a huge fan of extreme lemony flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious this turned out! While there is a noticeable citrus flavor, it isn’t overpowering, and one can always add more lemon juice on top for extra tanginess.

Ingredients:

7 oz extra firm tofu

~2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

2-4 Tbsp water

Ground black pepper to taste (I used about ¾ Tbsp)

Salt to taste

Prepare marinade by mixing all ingredients in a microwave safe container.

Slice the tofu into ¼” thick slices. Using paper towels, gently squeeze out moisture from the tofu. Add the slices to the marinade and ensure that all the tofu is coated by the marinade. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

I used the microwave and stovetop method for this one, however it can all be done in the oven if you prefer.

Microwave the tofu with the marinade for ~8 minutes on high until most of the liquid is soaked/evaporated but not completely dried.

In a nonstick pan over medium high heat, arrange the tofu slices in a single layer. Cook one one side until browned, then flip gently and cook on the other side. Use a couple drops of olive oil or a dab of butter if required (I generally don’t use any, but that requires wiping the pan off between batches of tofu).

Squeeze more lemon juice over the top and serve with some delicious basil pesto or spinach walnut pesto sauce.

Lemon pepper tofu is a delicious way to add protein to your salads, sandwiches, wraps or pasta.

~Gayatri

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Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Ginger, Honey and Lemon Glazed Carrots

Carrots are not one of my favorite foods, but I’m a sucker for beautiful fresh vegetables. So when I saw these lovely carrots at the Original Farmers’ Market in Indianapolis last weekend, I was drawn to them. The vendor offered me a carrot to taste, and I was sold after just one bite!

 

These were very sweet and tender carrots, unlike what I typically buy from the produce section of a store. I decided to keep them whole and roast them in a pan with a ginger, lemon and honey glaze. The quantities for these ingredients can be adjusted to your taste. Since I was cooking these on the stove top and not in the oven, I steamed the carrots first to tenderise them before pan roasting.

Ingredients:

4-6 fresh carrots

1 tsp olive oil

1-1.5 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Salt, ground black pepper for seasoning

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Trim the stems close to the carrot top. Wash the carrots well and use a knife to scrape off any impurities from the surface. Steam the carrots until tender (~10 min).

Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add ginger and the carrots. Drizzle honey and lemon juice. Season with salt & pepper. Toss well to coat the carrots. Cover and cook for a minute or two until the the carrots are browned on one side. Turn them gently, then cover and cook again until browned on the other side. Take the pan off the heat, squeeze more lemon juice on top if you’d like, and serve garnished with chopped cilantro.

~Gayatri

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Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Thursday, December 17, 2015