Muesli

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For me breakfast food has to be quick and easy, something I can put together while the coffee is brewing and I am still half asleep, it takes me a little while to actually wake up.  Weekends are exceptions and I might be more inclined to spend time making a skillet pancake. But for everyday breakfast, a bowl of muesli and a cup of black coffee is just what I need.

Muesli (sometimes referred as mueslix) is a type of cold cereal, more like an uncooked oatmeal, if you will. There are many ways to make your own version of muesli at home. I like to keep it simple, using oats, wheat germ and yogurt. I make this mixture the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, all I have to do is add the nuts, fruits and thin the muesli with some sort of liquid, usually soy milk.

I normally put a lot of effort and thought on what foods I eat to make sure I am eating healthy, but the less decisions I  have to make before my cup of coffee in the morning, the better. This muesli ensures me a healthy breakfast every time and I can vary it by adding different nuts, fruits and dairy as I please.

Muesli Recipe:

makes 4 servings

This recipe is highly adaptable, use different nuts and fruits that fit your taste. I like to use pears when they are in season. Grapes are a wonderful addition too. The nuts I use are normally whatever I have on hand, usually Brazil nuts, almonds and walnuts. If you like almond milk, this is a perfect place to use it. You can make this recipe richer by using half and half or a mix of milk and cream. There is no added sugar on this recipe and I like it that way, but feel free to sweeten it up with sugar, honey or maple syrup.

makes 4 servings

You will need:

1 cup of plain yogurt

3/4 cup of oats (not quick cooking)

1/2 cup of wheat germ

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

a pinch of nutmeg

about 1/2 cup of soy, almond or regular milk, plus more for serving

a handful of  sliced almonds

6 Brazil nuts, chopped

a handful of raisins

1/2 an apple, chopped

red and green seedless grapes, sliced

 

Mix the yogurt with the oats and wheat germ, cover and refrigerate overnight.

On the next day, thin out the oat mixture using your choice of milk until you get the consistency of thick oatmeal. Add the spices and stir well. Mix in your choice of nuts and fruits (dried and fresh). You can do this on individual bowls adjusting to each person's taste. Serve extra milk on the side.

Enjoy it!

 

Fruit-on-the Bottom Yogurt

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I love yogurt. But what I don't like so much is how they are flavored. Most of the time I find flavored yogurts to be too sweet and they never really taste like the fruit pictured on the pretty package...So what I like to do is to buy plain yogurt and dress it up with whatever I feel like at home. Most times I just use honey or maple syrup. This one posted here is my take on the "fruit-on-the-bottom" type of yogurt. It is easy to do and it can be assembled in advance and kept in the fridge.

The recipe bellow is for the fruit mix. The only sweetener used here is the natural sugar from the fruits, so don't expect an overly sweet fruit compote. If you want something sweeter, try using maple flavored yogurt or stir in some honey. Feel free to substitute any kind of dried fruits you have in hand or your favorite ones. Topping the yogurt with some chopped nuts would make this snack or breakfast item even more wholesome.

 

Fruit-on-the-bottom Yogurt Recipe:

makes about 1 cup of fruit mix

4 tablespoons of mixed dried fruits, chopped *

2 tablespoons of prunes, pitted and chopped

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

 

Place all ingredients in a jar and top it with water by an inch. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to use, place fruit mix on the bottom of a cup and top it with plain yogurt.

Enjoy it!

 

* Use any dried fruits you like: raisins, apples, berries, mangoes, pineapple, persimmon.

Skillet Pancake with Strawberry

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I simply cannot make  good pancakes on the griddle.  My past attempts on pancakes have been disastrous, I either burn them, or brake them, or both. And the house is covered with smoke and burnt  smell, not pretty... I personally don't care for pancakes very much, but Andrew does, and so I make this every once in a while, normally on the weekends. This is also known as Dutch Baby Pancake. The batter is blended, transferred to an oven-proof skillet and baked in the oven. Almost impossible to mess up, and certainly less messy than making regular pancakes on the stove. The batter puffs up a lot, but it falls down as soon as it's removed from the oven, so it is important to be ready to eat it when it's finished baking.

To make it more interesting, I like to add fruits to the pancake. Here I chose sliced strawberries which were added to the batter in the skillet. I also added a list of possible variations for this same recipe, so try out a few. For toppings, I normally just use good Canadian maple syrup, but powdered sugar and lemon juice are popular options as well.

 

Skillet Pancake with Strawberry Recipe:

makes one 8 inch skillet

 

You will need:

 

3 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup of flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 cup of strawberries, sliced

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix all ingredients except for butter and strawberries in a blender. Make sure the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the blender if necessary.

Melt the butter in a oven-proof skillet (I like using cast iron). Add the batter and the sliced strawberries. Transfer skillet to hot oven and bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 minutes.

Serve immediately with maple syrup.

 

Variations:

Cinnamon: add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter. Skip strawberries.

Apple: slice 1/2 an apple and cook it on the melted butter until lightly golden. You may add a pinch of cinnamon to it. Skip strawberries.

Blueberry: use 1/2 cup of blueberries instead of strawberries.

Banana: add 1 sliced banana to the melted butter and cook it until golden, but still firm. You may add a pinch of cinnamon to it. Skip strawberries.

Chocolate chip: add 1/2 cup of your favourite chocolate chip to the batter in the skillet.  Skip strawberries.

Chocolate: add 1 tablespoon of cocoa to the batter.

Plain: skip strawberries and top baked pancake with a squeeze of lemon juice and powdered sugar.

 

 

Whole Wheat Banana Loaf with Prunes and Brazil Nuts

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I made this banana loaf out of nostalgia, really. It's what I call "hippie food "and it reminds me of the times my parents were on a macrobiotic diet. All natural, whole wheat, "no-white", strange types of sweeteners, home made yogurts, the whole nine yards. This loaf is exactly the type of food we would bring home from the natural food store my mom used to shop at. It's great for breakfast with a cup of coffee or as a mid afternoon snack with a dollop of yogurt on the side.

I love Brazil nuts and I try to use them whenever I can. They are full of mood-boosting selenium and lend a great crunch to this recipe (just look at them poking out of the loaf in the photos...) Any other nut would work well too. The prunes, on the other hand make the loaf moist and with chewy bits of natural sweetness. If prunes are not available, raisins would be a good substitute.

I used a food processor to combine the dry ingredients and later the butter, but it can be made without one, just whisk dry ingredients and then cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or two knives. The muscovado sugar can be lumpy at times and that is when the processor comes in handy.

Whole Wheat Banana Loaf Recipe:

makes 1 loaf (9 x 5 )

1 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour

2/3 cup of muscovado sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup of ripe, mashed bananas (about 2 large bananas)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup of prunes, chopped

1/2 cup of Brazil nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour (or spray) a standard 9 by 5 inches loaf pan. Set aside.

In a bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg just until combined. Add the butter and pulse again until you have small pea-size crumbs. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in the bananas and eggs and stir to combine. Add the prunes and nuts and mix until well combined, do not over mix it.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake it for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Wait 10 minutes to unmold and cool it completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Enjoy it!

Note: For those who can read Portuguese and have a Google account (necessary to view the page), here is the recipe that inspired me to bake this loaf:

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=72472&tid=2557974664148461437&kw=bolo+de+banana+e+ameixas

On another note...

Last week I received a blog award from Sally of Pink Bytes. Yes, we have almost the same blog name! Sally blogs from Australia though, a place I can only dream of visiting some day...

This is the first Blog Award I receive so I want to thank Sally (Thank You!!) and pass it on to a few other adorable blogs:

Wandering Chopsticks

Life's Ambrosia

Not Another Omnivore

Pig Pig's Corner

Closet Cooking

Keep making yummy foods, our eyes and our tummys say thank you too... :)

Potato-Buttermilk Rolls

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The reasons that lead me to bake or cook something are many, but very often it is to use up ingredients that are becoming long-stay guests of  my pantry or fridge. I had  an open cartoon of buttermilk in my fridge that I don't even remember what I bought it for originally. I also have a 10 pounds bag of russet potatoes that were on sale last week. I normally don't buy that much potatoes, but for less than 2 dollars a bag,  I couldn't pass on it. Although this recipe only uses 1 large potato (or 2 smalls), I thought it was a perfect opportunity to try it out. Oh my, I am so glad I did! I loved this rolls so much. They are soft, airy, and not that hard to make actually. It just requires a little time and patience for the few risings to take place.  Using a stand mixer with a hook attachment makes it that  much easier as well.  I made larger rolls and used them to make sandwiches.

 

This recipe is from the book Essentials of Baking from Williams-Sonoma which was a great bargain I found at a discount store a while ago. It's a great book, but I don't really pay full price on books, specially cookbooks. The link shows a new version though, the one I have is an older one.

Potato-Buttermilk Rolls Recipe:

makes 16 dinner rolls or 12 sandwich buns. You can make this recipe without a stand mixer, just knead dough by hand until it is elastic and smooth.

 

1 large russet potato (or 2 small ones), peeled and cubed

1 1/2 cups of water

1 1/2 cups of buttermilk

2 packages (5 teaspoons) of active dry yeast

6 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and dusting the rolls

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon of salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature

 

In a small saucepan bring the water and potato to a boil, cook for 10 minutes until potatoes are soft. Transfer potatoes and water to the bowl of a stand mixer and mash the potatoes with a fork.

Add the buttermilk and check the temperature, it should be close to 110 F/43 C. If it is too hot, let it cool. If it is not warm enough (the buttermilk may have been too cold), take a cup of the liquid and microwave it for 30 seconds, return liquid to bowl and test for temperature again. Once the temperature is right, add the yeast, stir and let it rest for 5 minutes. Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Place the bowl on the mixer, attach the hook dough and knead on low speed. If needed, add more flour a little of the time for the dough to come away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for about 5-7 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly buttered bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the middle. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

Punch out the dough and turn it out onto a clean work surface. Cut the dough into 16 pieces if making dinner rolls or 12 larger pieces if making sandwich rolls. Cover it with a clean towel and let it rest for 5 minutes before proceeding. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place it on prepared baking trays, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Cover the trays with a clean kitchen towel and let rolls rise again in a warm, draft-free spot until they doubled in size, about 15-30 minutes. If making sandwich rolls, let the dough rise until spongy and pillow-soft when gently squeezed, 30-45 minutes.

Dust the tops of the rolls with a little bit of flour and bake them until the are puffed and lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Depending on the size of your oven you might need to bake it in two batches.  Let it cool slightly before serving (if you can!!!)

Hope you enjoy it!

 

Brazilian Açai in the Bowl (Açai na Tigela)

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First things first. It is pronounced a-sigh-EE, with the emphasis on the EE. Not a-SIGH-ee, as it is in a certain TV juice commercial. Well, now that we got that straight, let's talk about açai.

Açai is a berry that grows in certain palm trees in the Amazon rainforest. Considered a super food, açai is low in sugar, high in antioxidants, good fats, protein, vitamins and carbohydrates. This little fruit has it all. It is not a surprise that it became so widely popular here in the States where people continue to look for good-for-you, healthy foods.

Brazilian indigenous tribes have been using açai for centuries to cure many health problems. Over the centuries, this berry made its way from the tall trees fromthe jungles of Amazon to Brazilian's modern kitchens. What you see on this post is the açai in the bowl (açai na tigela), which is the most popular way of eating açai but Brazilians, specially from the north region use açai in various ways including with fish dishes.

Here in the U.S. we can find frozen pulp of açai in many supermarkets. Of course there are also juices, ice creams, smoothies and sorbets flavoured with açai, but if you really want to take as much advantage as possible of it's nutritional value, try using the concentrated frozen pulp. Here in Seattle I buy Sambazon frozen pulp. They come in packages of 4 individual portions of 100 grams (3.53 oz) each called smoothie packs.

Here is how it looks like:

In Brazil the typical açai bowl is mixed with guarana syrup which is loaded with caffeine. I normally have my bowl of açai for breakfast and so I figure my coffee (which are also Brazilian beans) have enough caffeine for me.

To make my version of the Açai in the Bowl you need:

1 individual (100 grams) package of frozen açai pulp

1 banana

a splash of soy milk

granola

Break up the frozen açai pulp in large pieces and place it in the bowl of a blender. Add half of the banana and the soy milk. Blend it until smooth. Pour into a bowl and top it with the remaining banana, sliced and granola. This makes enough for one bowl. The recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

Useful Notes:

• The same açai bowl can be made with different fruits like mangoes.
• You can make a drinking smoothie by adding more liquid to the recipe.
• Açai stains. It's colour is very strong so you will end up with a dark tongue and perhaps even lips (depends on how much you have I guess). Not recommended on a first date.
• This is NOT a sweet treat (unless you load it with sugar, of course).

Blueberry Muffins

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I feel really good every time I eat blueberries. Even if they are tucked inside a muffin. And I feel even better if  they are home made muffins. Blueberry is considered a super food due to its high amount of anti-oxidants. I use fresh ones when they are in season  and frozen ones when they are not. In fact, I actually freeze fresh ones during the end of summer when the prices are cheaper and they are abundant.

I guess most people might already have their own recipe for blueberry muffins, but I will share mine anyway. The recipe is adapted from a Martha Stewart baking book, surprisingly named Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook :)

Here it goes:

 

Blueberry Muffins Recipe: (makes 12 standard size muffins)

You will need:

 

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature (see note)

2 cups of all-purpose flour, or 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 1/2 white

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of blueberries, fresh or thawed if frozen

1 cup of sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of milk (I normally use 2% because it is what I drink)

 

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin pan by either using cooking spray (I use the butter with flour kind) or by buttering and flouring them, tapping out excess.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Using an electric mixer (with the paddle attachment) beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla.

Turn mixer speed to low and add flour mixture slowly until incorporated. Add milk slowly and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix batter (if you feel you did it, just let it rest for about 15 minutes before moving on).

Sprinkle the blueberries with a little bit of flour, no more than a teaspoon, just to coat them. Shake off excess flour. This step will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

Fold in blueberries carefully into the muffin batter. Use your softer spatula and be gentle not to break them.

Pour batter into prepared muffin cups. (At this point you can choose to sprinkle them with some sugar to give an extra crunch and sweetness to them. I tried both ways and I prefer it without the extra sugar).

Bake for about 30 minutes. Test it by doing the toothpick test, it should come out clean if inserted in the center of a muffin.

Let cool and remove from pan.

 

Note: I am pretty good at planning ahead what I want to bake, but sometimes I still forget to leave the butter outside for softening. On that case, I put it in the microwave and heat it in 5 seconds intervals. It normally takes 3-4 times to get to the right consistency.

Banana-Date Smoothie

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I was going to start this post by saying that this is a healthy smoothie recipe that is also very easy and fast to make....and then I though, ghee I am becoming repetitive.... But that is a good thing! When it comes to finding easy-quick-healthy recipes, the more the better!

So here you go, another smoothie/snack that's good for you!

Banana-Date Smoothie Recipe:

For one smoothie:

1 cup of buttermilk (you can use regular milk but the tangy taste of the buttermilk contrasts very well with the sweetness of the dates)

1 banana

2 dates, pitted (or as many as you like)

ice

Blend it all and you have yourself a great smoothie!

Maple Syrup and Brazil nut cookies

Pin It The name of these cookies might be a little deceptive. The only Brazil nut in it is the one on top. Other than that it is a pretty simple cookie, but made with maple syrup instead of some of the sugar, which makes it healthier (if a cookie could actually be healthy...) But let's just say it's less bad for you! Brazil nuts are know for being a superfood. They are loaded with unsaturated fat, minerals, vitamin E and selenium. So we don't have to feel too bad when reaching for the cookie jar... Unfortunately I do not know the name of the book where I got this recipe from because I photocopied the page only and forgot to write down the name of the book....

Maple Syrup and Brazil nut cookies Recipe:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
about a dozen of Brazil nuts, split in half lengthwise
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Melt butter, syrup and sugar over medium-low heat and let it cool.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix well.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. This will make it easier to shape the cookies later.
Make golf size balls with the dough, placing them 2 inches apart on a oiled-sprayed baking sheet.
Press one half Brazil nut into every cookie and bake it at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until done. They will still be soft when you take them out of the oven, don't worry. I tried to bake it longer and they became a little too hard.

Watermelon, Ginger and Honey Juice

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Here in Seattle we are still having nice days. Yesterday afternoon it was almost 80 degrees! Sure, the leaves are getting yellow and they are starting to fall from the trees and cover the sidewalks, but the temperature is still warm around here. I think of it as Mother Nature's way of making it up to us Satellites for the late start of spring (or completely lack of it...)

So that means I am still enjoying summer-type foods. I still use my outdoors BBQ pretty much daily, have chilled soups and refreshing salads. I actually haven't cooked any "fall food" yet. Today it was warm, and I decided to make this juice which is very refreshing on a warm day. I actually make this drink every summer, several times.But that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed when the mercury drops a little bit.

Besides, if you are getting a typical fall-entering cold or flu, the ginger in this juice will help you feel better.

Watermelon, Ginger and Honey Juice Recipe:

I used one of those personal size seedless watermelons. It doesn't mean they are really seedless, it means it has less seeds than a regular watermelon.

I chopped the watermelon into chunks. Peeled and grated a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger. Blended it all with a teaspoon of honey.

If you want to, you can strain the juice, I normally don't bother, unless there were a lot of seeds in the fruit.

Refrigerate and serve very cold.

This a great healthy snack, a good addition to the breakfast table and for me it also works as a decaffeinated pick-me up drink. I thinkit's all the frsh ginger in it, it really wakes me up!

Upside-Down Lemon Muffins

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I think there is something special about upside-down desserts. I am not sure exactly what is it. Maybe it's the suspense on the time you remove it from the pan (there is always a little hesitation.... is it going to be just perfect? Is it going to fall apart?) Or perhaps it's the fact that you can see the main ingredient right on top, on this case, lemons.

These muffins are better served warm, and of course, upside-down. The lemon slice on the top (or bottom?) is edible, but some people might not like it. On this case, it can simply removed. I suggest trying it, the lemons are super sweet and just melt in your mouth.




And since this month's challenge from Leila and Cris is about muffins and cupcakes, I am submitting these little guys!

Upside-Down Lemon Muffins Recipe: (this recipe is adapted from an old Williams-Sonoma book I have called Muffins & Quick Breads)

3 lemons

1 tbsp water

1/2 cup sugar

6 tbsp unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teasp baking powder

1/2 teasp baking soda

1/2 teasp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400'F. Spray a standard 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

Finely grate the zest of the lemons, removing only the bright yellow portion. Set lemons aside.

Combine the zest, water and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the butter and stir until it' s melted, about a minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove all the remaining peel from the lemons (just like you would do with an orange or a grapefruit). Cut crosswise into slices, you will need 12 slices. Pour about a teaspoon of the remaining sugar on the bottom of each muffing tin and top it with a slice of lemon.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a larger bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and reserved lemon mixture until smooth. Add the combined dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Spoon batter into muffin tins, bake for about 15-20 minutes. Immediately invert muffin pan into a wire rack and lift it away.

Tropical Parfait

Pin It Normally you see this type of parfaits with a medley of berries, but it can be done with pretty much any type of fruits.


The mango I used was really ripe and sweet, just perfect for this kind of recipe. If the mangoes are not quite ripe, it might be better to wait a day or so to make the parfaits.

Coconut-Mango Parfait Recipe:
from the Martha Stewart website

2 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 ripe medium mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup sweetened coconut, lightly toasted *

*To toast the coconut, place it on a baking tray and toast it in the oven at low temperature. Be careful so it doesn't burn. It starts toasting around the edges, so shake the pan every once in a while.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and maple syrup; set aside. Divide 3/4 cup mango cubes between 4 parfait glasses. Top each with 2 tablespoons of coconut. Place 1/2 cup yogurt in each glass. Divide the remaining 3/4 cup mango between glasses. Garnish each glass with 2 tablespoons coconut.





This is also my entry for this month's edition of Weekend Wokking, hosted by Precious Pea. The secret ingredient for September was coconut!

Carrot, Walnut and Chocolate Cake

Pin It This cake turned out very nice. I adapted a Brazilian recipe for carrot cake and added walnuts and chocolate chips in the batter.

As usual I didn't make use of any frosting or icing. I believe they are for special occasion's cakes only, and this was a weekday cake I made when a girlfriend of mine came over for coffee.
So here is the recipe:

3 small carrots, chopped (about 1 1/2 cup) **
4 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
3 cups all purpose flour, or use 1/2 wheat, 1/2 AP
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a blender, combine carrots, eggs, oil and sugar and blend it until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Sprinkle some of the dry ingredient mix in the chocolate chips so they are lightly coated (this prevent them from sinking in to the bottom of the pan). Slowly add dry ingredients to carrot mixture until incorporated. Do not over mix it. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
Pour batter into a prepared (buttered and floured) cake pan and bake it at 350 until done, about 35-40 minutes.

** You can add up to 2 cups of carrots, it will make the cake colour brighter and the carrot taste more evident.

Notes: try a piece of the cake while still warm, when the chocolate chips are still melted. Yuuuumm
Other variations for this cake include raisins, shredded coconut (all added to the batter) or skip the chocolate chips and top it with a chocolate frosting instead.

Pineapple-Mint Juice, the "goosebump" drink (Suco Arrepio)

Pin It I have yet to understand why here in the U.S. as well as in Canada you see a smoothie shop in every corner and every mall, but can't find places that sells fresh fruit juices. To find just a simple freshly squeezed orange juice is almost impossible, and when you do find, it is really expensive.
I love having a glass of fresh juice, I have it with my meals, as a snack, or as a dessert alternative sometimes. I will try to post more fresh juices here and perhaps inspire more people to try them.

This juice is commonly known in my hometown as "Goose Bump" and I think it's because of the combination of mint and pineapple. It makes your mouth tickle. It is so refreshing. I like serving this juice when friends come over because I know everyone loves it.

Pineapple-Mint Juice:

2 slices of fresh pineapple, cored
1 tall glass of cold water
a handful of fresh mint leaves
ice cubes
sugar to taste

Blend it all!! Adjust sugar to your liking.

Basil and Blueberry Cornbread

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Susan from FoodBlogga had posted this quick bread recipe a short time ago. I love anything corn, and cornbread is definitely on my favourites list. I found myself with some blueberries and basil seating in my fridge for a while. I never seem to use my basil fast enough, it gets dark so quickly...
Anyway, I thought it would be a perfect time to try Susan's cornbread recipe. I normally bake some sort of bread (quick or yeast ones) or some kind of muffin every other week (I would like to do it every week, but my jeans wouldn't like that so much....)


This recipe is very easy, and you know that's my kind of cooking. I never thought of mixing blueberries with basil, but the result was great, and the basil was very subtle.
I didn't change a lot of things from the original recipe, but I didn't have all the ingredients on the list. The main thing I made different on my bread was probably not using lemon extract and using some lime juice instead. I suppose if you used extract you would get a lot more of the lemony taste.


Also, Susan suggested a basil butter to go with it. As much as I like compound butters (or just butter in general), my jeans again reminded me that perhaps I could skip that... The recipe for the basil butter as well as the original cornbread recipe post from Susan and can be found here.

This was a great bread to have around the house and snack on it in the afternoon, eat it for breakfast or serve with coffee to a friend. Thanks Susan!


Basil and Blueberry Cornbread Recipe:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup medium coarse stone-ground cornmeal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
1 cup buttermilk **
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon lime zest
2/3 cup fresh blueberries (dusted with some of the flour mixture)
1/3 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Combine all dry ingredients together in a bowl and whisk it.

In a separate bowl, whisk oil, butter, buttermilk, eggs, lime juice and zest. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture in batches, combining well before each addition. Don't over mix it. Fold in blueberries.
Pour batter into buttered and floured loaf pan and bake it at 375' for about 35 minutes, until cake tester comes out clear.
Let cook 5 minutes and invert it into a cooling rack.

** I don't normally have buttermilk at home, and I don't like buy something just for one recipe, specially if it is an item I know I won't use it again so soon. Because of that, often times I use the "dry buttermilk" (which I keep in the fridge) and follow the instructions on the package when needed in a recipe.