My muffin experiments have coincided with my obsession with whole grains. Aside from the health benefits of whole grains, which have high fiber and protein, whole grains taste good, especially in breads and muffins.

At the moment, amaranth rules my muffin world. The ancient whole grain, native to the Americas and once prized by Aztecs, adds a remarkable moistness and lightness to muffins. The grain, when cooked and stirred into the batter, softens the dough giving it a spongy quality while amaranth flour lightens it, adding an airiness.

I make these in advance for the week, store them in the fridge, and then reheat them in the morning on a panini grill (the single best way to reheat a muffin). Since I munch on them daily for breakfast and like a healthier alternative to the standard sugar-packed muffin, I limit the sugar in this recipe and serve them with a drizzle of raw honey. If you like a sweeter muffin, add another quarter cup of turbinado sugar.

 

Whole Wheat Amaranth Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon and Walnuts

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup amaranth grain, cooked (one part amaranth to three parts water)*
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
4 tablespoons of coconut oil
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I like Arrowhead Mills organic stone ground whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup amaranth flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon Madagascar vanilla bean paste (use vanilla extract if you can't find the paste)
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
6 ounces blueberries
½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the amaranth grain according to the instructions on the package. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing or KitchenAid bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. If using a KitchenAid, mix with a paddle attachment. If using a mixing bowl, use a hand blender. Blend in the cooled amaranth grain and the coconut oil (if the oil is solid, warm it for 10 seconds in the microwave so it's liquid and room temperature).

In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, amaranth flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, and mix well, making sure there are no clumps of baking powder.

Slowly blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until mixed through. Do not over mix; this can result in a denser muffin. Blend in the blueberries and walnuts. Grease a 12-muffin tin with butter or canola oil spray. Divide batter into a muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes.

*The amaranth grain takes about 20 minutes to cook. You can cool it quickly but spreading it on a plate and putting it in the freezer for a few minutes, then adding it to the batter.

After a week of tight deadlines, doctors appointments, bills, and last minute travel preparations, I needed good food to restore me. Even more: good wine, a nice steep pour. You know the kind of week?

This is my go-to dish to return to center state. It’s healthy enough to make me feel virtuous and rich enough to serve as an indulgence. It’s also wine-friendly and pairs well with anything from pinot noir to Cotes du Rhone and Corbières.

I use wild caught coho or sockeye cut from the tail, which has no discernible bones, eliminating extra work. Wild caught salmon offers cleaner, richer flavor than its farmed counterparts, not to mention more nutrients and omega-3s.

Broiling the salmon, skin up, produces a deliciously crispy skin that Paul and I call “salmon bacon” (it's THAT good). Topped with tomato-caper vinaigrette and served over pancetta-braised lentils, the cumin-rubbed salmon shines.

I’ve been making it for years, without variation, and am amazed every time how good it is and how it centers me after a long, stressful week.

Crispy Cumin Salmon and Braised Lentils with Tomato-Caper Vinaigrette

For 2

Crispy cumin salmon
3/4 pound wild caught salmon, cut from the tail
2 tablespoons dried cumin
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil such as canola or grapeseed
2 wedges of lemon or fresh lemon juice (to serve)

Score the salmon skin with a sharp knife, making diagonal cuts about an inch apart. Mix the cumin and a generous amount of salt and pepper with the oil to form a paste. Place the salmon on a broiler pan and slather the paste on both sides so it coats the salmon evenly. Place the salmon, skin up, under a broiler (above the middle mark of your oven but not too close to the flame) with the thickest part of the salmon under the flame. Broil for 6 – 7 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crisp.


Braised lentils
1/2 cup Puy lentils
2-1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 small celery stalk, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 slices pancetta or 1 slice of bacon, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic, onions, carrots, and celery and sauté about 3 – 4 minutes. Add lentils and chicken stock. Season generously with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 30 – 35 minutes until the lentils are soft. Taste to adjust seasoning again before serving.

Tomato-caper vinaigrette
3 vine-ripened tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons walnut oil (I prefer Spectrum brand; it has a simple, clean flavor)
4 – 5 sprigs of thyme, stems removed
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, mix well, and set aside.


To plate
Spoon the lentils onto two plates. Slice the salmon into two pieces and place over the lentils. Top with tomato-caper vinaigrette. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top or serve with a wedge of lemon on the side. Top the dish with a sprig or two of fresh thyme.

 

Spicy, fatty North African Merugez lamb sausage combined with caramelized onions, Bel Paese (semi-soft Italian cheese), mint pesto, and crispy kale, create a gobsmackingly good pizza.

I first posted a photo of this pizza on Facebook where it got several thumbs up, including one that came with a caveat: “but for the kale,” this person wrote. “I know it’s good for you but…” I get it. I might have said the same thing a few years back. After several attempts at a number of preparations, I finally learned to transform the tough, leafy green into some surprisingly tasty dishes, and I’m not turning back. When kale is good, it’s really good.

Oven-baked kale is one of my favorite preparations. If you roast it with oil, salt, and pepper, it crisps up nicely and tastes more like a potato chip. The slightly bitter flavor provides a nice counterpoint to the Merguez sausage, a combo that came to me while staring at my computer screen at the office, wishing I were in the kitchen instead of editing documents. I’ve been combining these flavors in various ways for several months now and the pizza seemed like a natural progression. I scribbled it down on a notepad and saved it for the weekend (despite how simple it looks, it does take some time to prepare). The experiment, partly improvised on the fly, proved so flavorful, I had to memorialize it on the blog so I could remember it for next time.

Merguez Lamb Sausage Pizza with Mint Pesto, Caramelized Onions, and Crispy Kale

1 whole wheat pizza dough recipe, below (or dough recipe of your choice)
1 mint pesto recipe, below
1 crispy kale recipe, below
2 links Merguez lamb sausage, casings removed, sautéed for 8 – 10 minutes, and then drained of excess fat
5 ounces or so of Bel Paese cheese, diced
1 red onion, thinly sliced and slowly cooked on low heat for 35 – 40 minutes
3 – 4 heirloom tomatoes (enough to cover the pizza), thinly sliced
½ cup balsamic vinegar, reduced in saucepan until it becomes a syrup

Whole wheat pizza dough
1 packet dry yeast
1-1/2 - 1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour (plus more for kneading)*
1/2 - 3/4 cup warm water (120 – 130 degrees)*
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

*Start with the minimum amounts, then add and adjust until your dough is smooth and firm, not sticky.

In a food processor, blend the dry ingredients. Then, slowly drizzle in the water and the oil until the dough starts to form a ball. Empty the dough onto a floured cutting board and knead for three minutes, sprinkling in more flour on the dough if it's sticky (you want a nice smooth texture that does not stick to your hand or the board). Grease a bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for one hour. Once risen, knead for another 3 – 5 minutes, then roll out onto a pizza stone or cast iron pizza pan greased with olive oil. I love the pure whole wheat flour but if you like a more traditional pizza dough, add half whole wheat, half all-purpose or use an all-purpose recipe of your choice!

Mint pesto
1 cup mint leaves
3/4 cup parsley leaves
1 small chunk (about 2 tablespoons) parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of pine nuts
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except for the oil and salt and pepper in a food processor. While blending, pour in the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Crispy kale
1 bunch of kale, washed, stems removed, and sliced into strips
3 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine kale, oil, and salt and pepper. On a baking sheet, spread out in an even layer so the kale does not overlap. Bake for 30 minutes or until the kale is crispy and slightly browned.

Assembling the Pizza
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll out the dough onto a cast iron pizza pan greased with olive oil. Top the dough with slices of heirloom tomato, seasoned with salt and pepper. Bake for 7 minutes. Add the Bel Paese cheese, caramelized onions, and sausage. Bake for another 7 minutes. Top with a drizzle of mint pesto, crispy kale, and the finest drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.

Oh, and P.S., my flash of inspiration coincided with National Pizza Month! How cool is that?

This kid never changed. I still enjoy lingering over sweets. Rice pudding with aromatic spices has the same effect on me. It's deliciously rich and time-consuming to make, which makes it worth lingering over.

There are endless variations of rice pudding. I like semi-sweet rice pudding with fragrant spices cooked on the stovetop. Here’s my version, inspired from a Saveur recipe, which uses basmati rice. My creamy Arborio version adjusts the amount of milk and adds vanilla bean, black peppercorns (just a hint of heat!), and finishes with a touch of sweet, raw honey.

Rice Pudding with Cardamom, Pistachio, and Rose Water

Serves 2 hungry adults for breakfast or 4 for dessert

4 cups of milk
1/3 cup Arborio rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons sugar
6 cardamom pods
2 vanilla beans
4 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon rose water
2 tablespoons pistachios, toasted
Raw honey, to drizzle on top

Place the rice, milk, cardamom pods, vanilla beans, and black peppercorns in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer on low heat, stirring once every 2 – 3 minutes for about 35 minutes.  With a small strainer, scoop out the cardamom pods and peppercorns when the mixture is still milky. Add half of the pistachios.


Continue stirring until the mixture thickens to a pudding. Served chilled or warm, straight from the sauce pan. Sprinkle the remaining pistachios and drizzle the honey on top to serve.

I first tried baked oatmeal in Alaska, a place even heartier and more staple-oriented than Oregon. I ordered it at a small little breakfast café in Ketchikan. The waitress brought the dish to my table steaming hot and crispy golden on top and served it with a small pitcher of cold milk. Sweet, crunchy, and soft in the center, it was delicious. Here’s my version. Enjoy!

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups milk
1 egg
1 pint blueberries
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup real maple syrup
1 tablespoon refined coconut oil (for medium-high cooking up to 360 degrees) or melted butter

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees (many conventional ovens are not set properly; always test the heat with a heat thermometer and adjust accordingly). In a glass 8 x 8 inch baking dish, fork-whisk the dry ingredients together: oatmeal, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and baking powder. Then stir in the milk, egg, maple syrup, blueberries, and coconut oil.


Bake for 45 minutes to one hour until all the liquid has been absorbed and it’s golden brown on top. Serve piping hot with cold milk (I love vanilla almond milk) and extra maple syrup if you like it sweeter. Drink coffee, and have seconds!

 

Lately, I keep coming back to a Joanne Weir dish that delivers just that experience. It combines the sweetness of dates with chicken braised in stock, shallots, cinnamon sticks, and a ginger-cumin-turmeric-cayenne spice blend. When topped with crunchy toasted almonds and fragrant cilantro and served over fluffy couscous, this dish is transformed into the perfect weekend indulgence.

I cycle, run, and weight-train six days a week so a high-protein diet is important to me. While a lot of work-out junkies munch on flavor-flat protein bars, I say skip the bars, EAT REAL FOOD.

It's actually not difficult or time consuming to get the protein you need and eat deliciously. Take an hour on a Sunday, and presto, you have lunches for the week. So here it is, folks, my #1 power lunch: black quinoa with turkey, cranberries, and lime.

The color of this dish alone makes me want to nosh on it endlessly. But the bright flavors of lime, cilantro, cumin, and cranberry make this worth eating every day. Quinoa, a fiber-rich relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach, is a complete protein packed with all nine essential amino acids. The added low-fat turkey gives this dish a one-two protein punch.

For the cilantro-averse, like my good friend, Lou, replace with parsley. It's fabulous both ways.

Black Quinoa with Turkey, Cranberries, and Lime

1 cup black or red quinoa
1 medium red onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bunch of chives, minced
1 small bunch of cilantro, minced
1 pound turkey deli meat, sliced from the deli ¼-inch thick, and diced
Juice from 1 lime
½ cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-sized sauté pan, heat the olive oil with the cumin seeds until seeds start to sizzle. Add the red onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 2 – 3 minutes. Meanwhile cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package. Let red onion mixture and quinoa cool completely. Toss together with the cilantro, chives, cranberries, and diced turkey. Top with the lime juice, season, and mix well.

When it comes to delicious, easy-to-make dishes, I'm a serial monogamist. I'll make the same dish again and again. Some might call it boring; I call it smart.

Cod paired with grape tomatoes, shallots, olives, and thyme simmered in balsamic vinegar topped with a squeeze of lemon is one of those dishes from which I’ve never strayed. Served with fluffy wild rice, it’s a satisfying and tasty weeknight dinner.

When I first started making it more than five years ago, cod served as a cheap, weeknight protein. Now, at nearly $17 a pound at Whole Foods, the sustainably caught variety is a splurge.

Due to the declining populations of cod, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program says to avoid trawl caught Atlantic cod from the U.S. and Canada. Hook-and-line caught cod is more sustainable, especially if it’s from Iceland, which garners a “best choice” rating.

Cod with Grape Tomatoes, Olives, and Thyme

 For 2 people

1 pound of cod (hook-and-line caught Icelandic, preferably)
1 large shallot, diced
1-1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup olives (kalamata or nicoise work best), halved
6 sprigs of thyme leaves, plucked from the stem
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 – 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 lemon wedges, one per plate to serve

In a medium size sauté pan add the olive oil and shallots and sauté over a medium flame for about a minute. Add the tomatoes, thyme leaves, and olives.

Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven and turn on the broiler to high. Brush the cod with grapeseed oil and season it with salt and pepper. Place the fish on a broiler pan and center it under the broiler flame. Cook for 7 minutes (this may vary depending on thickness). Serve with wild rice and lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.

Granola? Forget it.

Avocados? No way.

That was my teenage brain. Thankfully, I finally got the good fat-bad fat concept through my noggin. (What, you mean good fats like coconut, sesame, and walnut oil actually control your weight, protect your heart, and support your physical and emotional health? Yep, it's true!)

With that past me, I can finally enjoy a guilt-free handful of almonds and tasty bowl of granola. What a relief, because I always loved those foods but was too afraid to eat them. This recipe is inspired by one in Nigella Lawson’s “Feast." She uses brown rice syrup, which is a great alternative sweetener to refined sugar to curb those blood sugar spikes. And of course, with rolled oats, this granola is loaded with good carbs. But forget about health, this is one great bowl of cereal. The husband agrees.

Pistachio Cherry Granola with Cinnamon and Ginger

4-1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup toasted salted sunflower seeds
¾ cup sesame seeds
¾ cup apple sauce
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup raw honey
5 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups shelled pistachios
1 cup chopped dried cherries
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together everything but the cherries so that all the ingredients are evenly coated. Spread the mixture out on one large roasting pan or two medium-sized baking sheets (you want to make sure it spreads in an even layer). Bake for one hour, stirring the mixture mid-way through to get an even crispiness throughout. Remove from the oven, cool, and mix in the cherries.

I will use my jar of preserved lemons. I will. I will. I will. If I say enough, it will happen, right?

The unique flavor and pungent taste of lemon preserved in salt make it one of my favorite flavor-enhancers but finding new ways to use it in everyday cooking requires thought.

The first time I made preserved lemons a few years ago, I tried a few recipes but then lost momentum. The jar languished in the pantry, half used, for months. I recently made them again and swore to myself I would use the entire jar. To my surprise, it's been easier and fun. My stash is nearly gone!

I've loosened my grip on the ingredient, releasing it from confines of the recipe. Instead, I've come to think about it as a way to elevate and enhance an already great dish. I add it to tartar sauce to smother on a sardine panini or sprinkle it, minced, on pastas or salads to brighten the flavor.

This dish, inspired by a Cuisine at Home recipe, combines Moroccan spices with the bright, clean flavor of preserved lemon, giving this already tasty dish a little something extra.

Moroccan-Spiced Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemons

10 chicken boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cinnamon stick
1/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can of diced tomatoes
¾ cup chicken broth
2/3 cups pitted kalamata olives
2/3 cups chickpeas
1 tablespoon honey
2 quarters of preserved lemon peel, sliced thinly (see recipe below)
1 small bunch of cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Spice rub
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Pinch salt

Combine all the spices well. Rub the mixture over the chicken thighs and let sit for about five minutes. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and brown the chicken, about five minutes per side. Remove the chicken. Add the onion and sauté for three minutes. Add minced garlic and ginger, cinnamon stick, red pepper flacks, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Deglaze with white wine. Add tomatoes and chicken stock, then add the chicken back into the pot. Add the olives, preserved lemon, and chickpeas and simmer on low for a half hour.

Season with salt, and top with cilantro. Serve with focaccia bread or couscous. 

Preserved Lemons

1 wide-neck sterilized jar with lid (see photo, above)
About 4 - 5 lemons (or enough to fill the jar) plus one for juicing
6 tablespoons rock salt
1 bay leaf
1 rounded teaspoon peppercorns

Quarter the lemons and add the quarters to the jar one layer at a time, sprinkling salt over each layer. Continue until you fill the jar. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the top and fill the jar with boiling water. Add the peppercorns and bayleaf. Put the washed skin from a squeezed out lemon half on top of the lemons (beneath the lid) so that if any mold forms, it can be easily discarded. Seal and store in a cool, dark place for four weeks, gently shaking the jars for the first few days to distribute and dissolve the salt. (Adapted from Cooking Moroccan by Tess Mallos.)