Chicken parmesan, also known as chicken parmigiana, originated from Italian immigrants in the US in the 1950s. The original version made with eggplant was adapted to use chicken breast instead.
The dish has become a ubiquitous mainstay in Italian American cuisine. Variations exist, but the core ingredients remain the same: chicken breast, breadcrumbs, Italian seasonings, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf combines the best of both worlds—the comforting appeal of meatloaf with the irresistible flavors of Chicken Parmesan.
Meatloaf is elemental. It’s enduring, served without undue fuss or expensive implements …. comfort food without a doubt. I think an easy meatloaf recipe is something every home ‘chef’ should have in their arsenal. This particular one consists of seasoned coarsely chopped chicken thighs nestled under a zesty tomato sauce and cheese topping. I find chicken thighs make such a nice tasting option as opposed to regular ground chicken.
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Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with foil & spray with cooking spray.
In a saucepan, sauté onion & garlic in olive oil until softened. Cool completely.
In a large bowl, mix all meatloaf ingredients just until combined. Place mixture in loaf pan. Using a fork flatten then top with marinara sauce.
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Combine topping ingredients. Top meatloaf with mozzarella & bread crumb topping. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until center reaches 165 F.
Cool 10 minutes before slicing.
The other day Brion & I were in a ‘Winners’ store and were looking through the gourmet food section. A couple of Pol’s Gourmet Preserves caught our attention. One was the Strawberry Chia Preserve. The preserve combines ripe strawberries with chia seeds, date juice, and lemon juice, cooked in vacuum boilers. It is marketed as a healthy and natural product with a focus on natural flavor and consistency. Pol’s utilizes vacuum technology to maintain the strawberries’ natural qualities during the cooking process. They also emphasize the use of natural base ingredients and the absence of additives beyond the natural components.
We purchased a jar even though I wasn’t sure at the time what I would use it for since neither of us use a lot of preserves on toast. Of course, it didn’t take long to find a way to incorporate it into a recipe.
I have childhood memories of my mother making an orange bread loaf. I always thought it was so unique because it used the fresh orange zest from two whole oranges. The flavor was so distinct along with the bread being wonderfully moist. This recipe was one that has remained with me over the years, long after I had left my parents’ home. I used it numerous times over the years in my food service career in different applications.
Today I decided to swirl some of this interesting preserve into my mother’s orange bread loaf and the flavor was even better than I thought it would be. This orange loaf recipe is perfect for when you need a make-ahead dessert. I like it even more on the second day because the orange aroma (and flavor) becomes even more vibrant.
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Orange Bread w/ Strawberry Chia Preserves
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter or line an 8" x 4" x 3-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Peel oranges thinly & finely chop peel. Boil with sugar & water for 10 minutes: cool. Pour into a large bowl & add egg & butter.
In a small bowl, combine flour, salt & baking powder. Add dry mixture to wet mixture alternately with milk.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Top with dollops of strawberry preserve. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, swirl preserve into batter making sure not to over stir so it creates a marbled effect.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until bread tests done. Remove from oven & cool on wire rack. As I mentioned in the blog, the bread tastes better the second day if you can wait that long to try it.
When it comes to comfort food, meatballs have a special place in the hearts (and stomachs) of many. This meatball & barley dish takes the classic comfort food to a new level. The unusual blend of herbs and spices used in the recipe give the meatballs a unique and complex flavor that sets them apart from other meatball recipes.
In savory dishes like meatballs, cardamom can complement the richness of the meat and other spices. It adds a warm, aromatic, and slightly sweet flavor, enhancing both the savory and sometimes subtly sweet notes of the dish. It’s often used in combination with other spices to create complex flavor profiles, especially in dishes inspired by Moroccan or Scandinavian cuisine.
Cardamom is a tropical perennial plant belonging to the ginger family. Originally native to south India and Sri Lanka, as of today Guatemala is the world’s largest producer. The cardamom plant has long sword-shaped leaves, white and purple streaked flower petals and yellowish-green pods which contain the seeds.
Cardamom should generally be used sparingly due to its potent and intense flavor. A little goes a long way, and a subtle hint of cardamom is often more desirable than a strong, overpowering taste.
This recipe was one of those that started with these tasty little meatballs then along came some barley, veggies and gravy and it turned out to be an amazing meal.
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Meatballs & Barley w/ Sun-Dried Tomatoes
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Instructions
Meatballs
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a baking tray.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for meatballs & mix well but do NOT overmix.
Measure out 20 meatballs approximately 40 gm each & place on baking tray. Bake for about 15 minutes. You only want to bake them partially so they can finish baking with the rest of the casserole. Set aside.
Other Ingredients
Cook barley in vegetable broth until tender. Set aside barley & any vegetable broth that might still remain when removed from heat.
In the microwave, cook whole potatoes SLIGHTLY then slice into 1/8-inch slices. Slice red onion into wedges. Slice zucchini. Drain sun-dried tomatoes from seasoned oil. Grate cheese.
Sauce (Gravy)
In a saucepan, melt butter; add flour & garlic powder to make a roux. Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add beef broth, stirring until sauce thickens. Season to taste. The gravy should be thin so the casserole can bake in it. If you find it is too thick, add more beef broth to thin it out.
Assembly
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Lightly spray a 9 x 13 -inch baking dish with baking spray. Spread the red onion wedges over the bottom of dish. Next layer the sliced potatoes on top then the zucchini & sun-dried tomatoes.
Top with the meatballs & cooked barley then carefully pour gravy over top all. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover casserole with a piece of foil paper
Cover casserole with a piece of foil paper & bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked.
Many cultures have embraced the apple pie and put their own spin on it, so why is it known as the quintessential American dessert. German immigrants brought over the modern hamburger and Italians were the first to combine cheese with macaroni. Apple pie—a dish that commonly follows the words ‘American as’ —has a reputation for being one of the rare dishes the country can fully claim. But as it turns out, the history of the iconic American dessert isn’t so simple.
The phrase ‘as American as apple pie’ emerged in the early 20th century. It gained widespread popularity during World War II, when soldiers were asked what they were fighting for. The response often included apple pie, alongside other symbols of American life like mom and baseball. This association cemented apple pie’s status as a quintessential American food.
For some cooks, grated apple pie was a practical alternative to the traditional sliced version. Grating or shredding the apples creates a pie with a tender, uniform, and almost custard-like filling, unlike the chunkier texture of a standard pie. Shredding the fruit reduces the cooking time required to soften the apples, which was an advantage for home bakers. As shown in some historic recipes, eggs and melted butter were often mixed into the grated apples, creating a richer filling.
This pie reminds me of an experience I had that seems quite comical when I think of it now. Before I had ever studied in the commercial food industry or made any number of pies, a friend gave me a recipe for a ‘Swiss’ apple pie. Her instructions were to place the shredded apple in a pastry lined pie pan. Next, pour vanilla pudding over the apples and bake. It sounded great! I purchased a box of Jell-O brand vanilla pudding & pie filling, made a crust and filled it with shredded apples. I assumed you were supposed to cook the pudding before covering the apples with it for some reason. Wrong!! What resulted was apples baked in a pastry shell with a ‘rubber top’. I guess we all have to start somewhere, right?!
Today, I wanted to revisit the grated apple pie idea being fall with all the wonderful apples that are in season right now.
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Grated Apple Pie w/ Salted Carmel Topping
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Instructions
Pastry
Sift flour, sugar & baking powder into a bowl. Add salt & rub butter into flour with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar & water. Sprinkle the egg/water mixture over the flour mixture & combine ONLY until dough comes together. DO NOT OVERMIX. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap & refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Apple Pie
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Grate apples & combine with lemon juice.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with chilled pastry. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Sprinkle 3 Tbsp evenly in the bottom of the crust & set the rest aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the remaining sugar mixture & beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla & eggs. Beat until mixed well & the mixture turns lighter. Stir in the apples.
Pour the filling mixture into the crust & spread out evenly. Place a pie ring or one made out of aluminum foil around the edges of the crust.
Bake at 450 F. for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 F. & bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. If the crust is not brown enough, remove the pie ring for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Place the sugar & water into a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook, stirring, over a low heat until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat & bring to a boil for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a deep amber color.
Remove from heat & immediately add the heavy cream & stir. Be careful as it will bubble up quite a lot. Once the caramel has dissolved into the cream, add the butter & salt. Place in a small blender & blend for a few seconds until mixture comes together nicely. Place into a small container & cool.
Finish
Once pie is at room temperature, brush or drizzle sauce over the apple filling. Chill further & serve.
Recipe Notes
The purpose of putting some of the sugar mixture into the bottom of the pie crust is to absorb some of the liquid that forms when sugar & fruit are mixed together.
If the apples produce a lot of juice, drain them BEFORE adding them to the batter. If you pour off the juice after adding the apples to the batter, you will lose a lot of the spice flavor.
Using a deep dish will help avoid it from running over in the oven.
Today we are celebrating my husband Brion’s birthday. Family birthdays forever bring me back to my childhood days. My mother always made the birthday person’s favorite meal on their day along with a cake. Although she excelled at cooking in general, her creative talent was put to good use when she decorated our birthday cakes. As I follow her tradition, I wanted to bake something that was unique for Brion’s birthday.
One of the easiest ways to dress up a basic roll cake is with a design. This technique is one that originated in Japan. The cake rolls are also known as ‘deco rolls’, as the cake rolls are decorated with patterns and baked. Rather than decorating the cake after it’s been baked, this technique pipes it directly onto the cake with batter.
In Japan, the roll cake tradition has continued, with unique flavors like matcha (green tea) and various cream fillings. The use of ‘inlay’ design creates an artistic presentation. The incorporation of unique flavors and decorative techniques continues to evolve and expands the appeal of this iconic dessert.
With summer in full swing, our backyard is bursting with all its glorious flowers and foliage and even though he would rather I didn’t add his picture to my blog today, I wanted to share this garden view with you. I think it’s a great backdrop for a birthday picture, right!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY LOVE … YOU’RE THE BEST
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Chocolate Blueberry/Lemon Inlay Roll Cake
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Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
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Instructions
Lemon Curd
Combine sugar & lemon zest in a saucepan. Either with the back of a spoon or your finger tips rub the zest into the sugar. This will coat the sugar crystals with fragrant oils from the lemon peel, adding a whole new dimension of intense lemon flavor to the curd.
Add the whole egg & extra egg yolks to the saucepan with the lemony sugar & whisk until smooth. Mix in lemon juice.
Add butter then place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk gently & continuously for 6-9 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not walk away because it will transform very quickly. Once you see a bubble emerge from the surface, this indicates that it is thick enough. Do not let it boil.
Immediately pour the hot curd through a fine mesh sieve to remove any pieces of lemon zest or cooked egg white into a dish. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly in contact with the surface & refrigerate until thoroughly chilled & ready to use.
Blueberry Filling
Place all blueberry filling ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat on medium high until blueberries soften & mixture thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat & allow to cool for 5 minutes or so then place in a blender & puree until smooth. This makes it easier when slicing the cake roll. Place in a small dish & cool until ready to use.
Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
For best results, place bowl of the electric mixer & whisks in the freezer for a few minutes to make them real cold. When chilled, place cream cheese & powdered sugar in the bowl & beat together until smooth. Scrape down the bowl as needed. With mixer running on low, add the vanilla & stream in the whipping cream. Turn the speed up & whip until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Roll Cake Pattern
Cream together butter, flour, sugar & egg white with a whisk until smooth. Place batter into a piping bag. Trace or free hand your pattern onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want a specific part of the image to appear on the top of the roll cake, place that part of your pattern about 3/4 of the way down the paper.
Before putting the template onto a 10" x 15" jelly roll pan , using a pastry brush (or your fingers), grease the bottom (but not the sides) with vegetable oil. Line the bottom of the greased pan with the template, pressing down to remove any air bubbles. Set aside. By NOT greasing or covering the sides of the pan, the cake sticks to the sides of the pan, helping the cake to rise while baking.
Pipe out your design, keeping in mind that the cake will be viewed in reverse. Place the pan in the freezer until the batter is frozen solid, for about 20 minutes.
Chocolate Cake
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In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder & salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, whip egg whites until foamy, gradually adding HALF of the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. In a third large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick. Add remaining sugar, vanilla & water; beat until very thick. Gradually fold in flour mixture then egg whites gently folding JUST until fully incorporated so as not to deflate the eggs.
Remove the jelly roll pan from the freezer & pour the cake batter over the frozen design. Gently tap the sheet against the counter to make sure that the batter gets down into all the little nooks & crannies of your design.
Bake in the center of the oven until cake for about 15 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick. Loosen edges & immediately turn cake onto a piece of parchment paper. REMOVE the parchment that was on the bottom of the cake (while it was baking). Starting at the narrow end, roll up cake in the parchment (you just turned the cake out on to) & cool completely.
Assembling the Cake Roll
Once fully cooled, gently unroll the cake & separate it from the parchment paper.
Spread an even layer of lemon curd onto the cake, leaving about an inch of space around the edges so the filling doesn't ooze out. Next, drizzle a wavy line of blueberry filling over the lemon curd. Then lastly, pipe some of the cream cheese filling in between your blueberry lines. Try to not OVERFILL the cake roll BUT giving it as generous amount of filling as possible.
Very gently roll the cake back into its spiral shape. Set the cake on a platter with your design on top. Cover with plastic wrap & chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or longer.
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The thumbprint cookie’s roots trace back to Sweden, where it is traditionally called Hallongrotta, which translates to ‘raspberry cave’ in Swedish. Made since the 1800s and probably earlier, they are a versatile cookie that can be made with any kind of dough you can shape into balls and press down in the center.
Thumbprint cookies, also known by various names in different cultures, are a timeless favorite.
- In Germany, thumbprint cookies, are called Engelsaugen (angel’s eyes)
- In Romania, they are called ochi de pisica (cat’s eyes)
- In France, they are known as niçois suns.
- Polish thumbprint cookies, or teacakes, are typically filled with jam or fruit preserves.
- Swiss thumbprint cookies are named vogelnestli (bird’s nests). The jam-filled centers resemble little nests.
- Eastern European Jewish bakeries offer thumbprint cookies known as butter balls.
- In the United States and Canada, thumbprint cookies are simply called thumbprint cookies.
It’s one of my favorite times of the season when rhubarb becomes available so bring on the rhubarb recipes! These cookies combine the classic thumbprint cookie concept with the seasonal goodness of rhubarb. The cookie dough is flavored with cardamom, a spice commonly used in Swedish baking and desserts. The jam filling is a rhubarb compote, which adds a tangy and fruity flavor. What’s not to love!
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Rhubarb Cardamom Thumbprint Cookies
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Instructions
Rhubarb Compote
Place all compote ingredients in a saucepan & simmer covered 3-5 minutes. Remove cover & stir, continue stirring for another 5 minutes making sure to avoid scorching the pan. Set aside to cool.
Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, place softened butter, brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom, salt & vanilla. Using a hand mixer, beat until light color & fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed with a spatula, about 2 minutes.
Add egg & beat until combined. Fold in flour until just combined.
In a shallow bowl, place the sugar, cinnamon & remaining 1/2 tsp cardamom. Mix well to combine.
Scoop the dough out by level Tbsp & roll each into a ball. Roll each ball in the cardamom sugar & place on the baking sheets, spacing them evenly apart. Make an indentation about 1/2-inch deep with your thumb into each ball.
Bake 7 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet from front to back. Bake until the cookies take on a tiny bit of color (they don't really brown) & are dry to the touch, 5-7 minutes more. If indentations have lost their shape, remake them with the handle end of a wooden spoon. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
Fill each cookie indentation with the cooled rhubarb compote. Let sit until the filling sets slightly, about 20 minutes, before serving.
Strawberries — loved for their sweet taste and heart shape, have symbolized purity, perfection, love and passion throughout the ages. It is very common for us to give little thought to where our food comes from and the back breaking labor that it took to get it to our various parts of the country.
Travel can always be filed under the category ‘learning experience’. I find it so important to set oneself outside our ‘bubble’ to fully understand and not become complacent about the many things we take for granted.
Over the years, Brion and I have spent many holiday hours travelling along the Big Sur coast of California, USA. While there we would use Monterrey as our ‘home base’ and make little day trips to the surrounding area. Just inland from Monterrey is the agricultural jewel known as the Salinas Valley. This is one of the major valleys and most productive agricultural regions of California. Having a unique coastal environment with its western ocean exposure (less than 10 miles away) provides moderate temperatures year-round. Warm sunny days and cool foggy nights are the perfect combination for growing strawberries.
I find myself going back to those years I was raised on the farm when Brion & I were driving along looking at the fields of produce growing. I have often felt much appreciation and compassion for the farm workers standing, bent over in the heat of the blazing sun for hours tending these crops.
I have many memories of my own parents working long, hard hours to provide for us on our family farm. I am grateful to have learned to appreciate the efforts of others that make life good.
These strawberry mousse ‘domes’ celebrate those wonderful strawberries as well as satisfying the chocolate lover.
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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mousse Domes
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Instructions
Brownie
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Lightly butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan & line with a 9-inch strip of parchment paper (the two short ends will be uncovered); lightly butter parchment.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat & add chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth (the residual heat from the pan should be plenty to melt the chocolate.)
Stir in sugar; mixture should be lukewarm, no longer hot to the touch. If it's still pretty warm, let it cool for a minute or two.
Whisk in eggs until batter is smooth & shiny.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder & salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chocolate mixture & fold with a spatula until just incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan & spread into an even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes or until top is set & a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out with moist crumbs (not gooey batter). Set pan on a wire rack & let cool completely. The brownie layer can be made a day ahead of time; once cool, cover pan tightly and refrigerate overnight until ready to use.
Lift the cooled brownie out of the pan using the parchment overhang as handles. Cut off the edges, then cut into six 2-inch squares.
Strawberry Mousse
Place water in a small dish; sprinkle gelatin over top & set aside to bloom for at least 5 minutes.
Heat milk in a small saucepan set over low heat until it just starts to steam (try not to let it boil).
Mix together egg yolk & sugar in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Slowly spoon some of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until the paste thins out a bit. Drizzle in the remaining milk & whisk until smooth.
Return mixture to the saucepan & return to low heat & cook, stirring & scraping the bottom of the pan consistently, until the mixture thickens slightly to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat & whisk in gelatin until smooth. Transfer to a medium-large bowl & set aside.
Meanwhile, purée strawberries & lemon juice in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1/2 cup purée, if you have more than that save the excess for another use). Whisk strawberry purée into lukewarm custard mixture, then place bowl in refrigerator while you whip the cream.
In a clean bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat heavy cream until it holds soft peaks. Add 1/3 of cream to the cooled strawberry mixture & fold to lighten, then add remaining cream & fold until fully incorporated & no white streaks or lumps remain.
To assemble your cakes, spoon or pipe the mousse into 5- (4 oz) silicone dome molds (they’re just over 3 inches in diameter), about 2/3 of the way full. Gently press a brownie square into the top of each mousse-filled mold. Scrape with an offset spatula to make the top perfectly level with the top of the mold. Freeze at least 3 hours or overnight until completely firm.
Before you make the glaze, remove cakes from molds and place on a frozen cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Return to freezer until just before glazing.
Glaze
Place chopped chocolate in a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl and set aside.
Heat cream & corn syrup in a small saucepan until it just starts to bubble (do not let it boil).
Pour over chopped chocolate & let sit for 30 seconds, then gently whisk, starting in the center & moving in gentle concentric circles until an emulsion forms, then working your way out to the edges until the entire mixture is smooth & emulsified.
Remove cakes from freezer & place on a cookie sheet, elevated off the sheet using small jars or cookie cutters (ideally something smaller in diameter than the cake itself so the glaze can drip off). You may also want to cut out small rounds of parchment to place under each cake to make them easier to transfer.
Pour glaze generously over cakes, taking care to ensure there are no bare spots left. Gently scrape the edges to remove any remaining drops, then carefully transfer cakes using a small offset spatula to cardboard cake rounds or small pieces of cardboard for easy movement. Any leftover glaze can be scraped up & refrigerated in an airtight container for another use.
Glazed cakes will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Black sesame seed cookies are enjoyed for their unique combination of nutty, earthy flavor and visually appealing dark color. They offer a different flavor profile than white sesame cookies, with a richer, more pronounced taste that can be balanced with sweetness. Additionally, the black sesame seeds contribute to a subtle crunch and visual appeal.
Black sesame seeds are a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine used in sweet and savory dishes. In traditional Chinese and Japanese cooking, these seeds are often ground into a paste and used as a filling for pastries and dumplings. They are also sprinkled on rice dishes, noodles, and vegetables for flavor and crunch.
Black sesame seeds hold significant positive symbolism in many cultures, particularly in Asian traditions and Hinduism. They are often associated with longevity, good health, prosperity, and spiritual purity.
The ‘Open Sesame’ phrase that originated from the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves from One Thousand and One Nights, where the words ‘open sesame’ were used to open a cave containing treasure. The phrase refers to the sesame seed pods feature of splitting open to reveal its contents, symbolizing the unlocking of treasures and knowledge.
Today, I had originally started out to bake some quick little flaxseed cookies but when I realized I was out of flaxseed but had some black sesame seeds on hand, they became one of those ‘the same only different’ type cookies. Brion & I were pleasantly surprised at how nice they tasted.
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Black Sesame Seed Cookies
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Instructions
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In bowl, beat together butter with brown & white sugars until light; beat in egg & vanilla.
In separate bowl, whisk together flour, oats, black sesame seeds & baking soda; stir into butter mixture until soft dough forms.
Drop by level tablespoonfuls, 2 inches (5 cm) apart, on ungreased rimless baking sheets. Bake in top & bottom thirds of oven, rotating & switching pans halfway through, until golden, about 8 minutes. Let cool on pan on rack for 2 minutes.
Transfer cookies to rack; let cool.
I love chutneys so I’m always looking for a new way in which to use them. Originating in India, chutney is made from fruits and/or vegetables and preserved with vinegar, sugar, and spices. It is a wonderful way to balance or highlight flavors in a recipe.
You may be a bit apprehensive of rhubarb and mango together, but it transforms nicely into a mildly spicy condiment. Combining the tart rhubarb with the sweet fresh mango and a variety of spices produces a fabulous flavor combination that wavers between the sweet and savory.
More than any other fruit or vegetable, rhubarb to me is a sign of the changing season. It is the signal that summer is arriving in those ruby red or speckled green & pink stalks. I snap up what I can in the garden and when I see it at the supermarket. I take all I can and more, slicing and freezing the excess for rhubarb cravings that come in winter.
Because of our love for rhubarb, I’m always looking for new ways to use it. I had never thought of pairing rhubarb with mango much less putting it in a chutney and using it in a savory muffin. So here you go – check this out!
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Rhubarb & Mango Savory Muffins
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Instructions
Chutney
Combine all chutney ingredients in a small pot, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat & cook for about half an hour, until everything is soft & it resembles a chutney consistency. Cool on a plate until ready to use in batter.
Muffins
Heat oven to 350 F. Line 12 cup muffin pan with paper cups.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients EXCLUDING cheese & mix well, add the grated cheese & mix again.
In a smaller bowl, combine oil, milk, egg & chutney, mix until combined.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry & mix until just combined, do not overmix.
Divide batter evenly between the 12 muffin cases & top with the 30 gm grated cheese & 1/2 tsp poppy seeds.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested. Remove from oven to a wire rack. Top with a dollop of chutney.
Muffins can be served warm or cold. If not eating them straight from the oven its best to warm them for 30 seconds in the microwave before serving to enjoy the best flavor.
Recipe Notes
You will have extra chutney, but it can be used served with chicken, pork or beef.
Blackberries, with their juicy and sweet-tart flavor, have a fascinating history that spans thousands of years. The history of blackberries is a tapestry woven with ancient uses, cultural symbolism, and artistic inspiration. These delectable berries have captivated people across different cultures and have been cherished for their taste and medicinal properties. From their medicinal properties in traditional medicine to their role in folklore and literature, blackberries have left an indelible mark on human history.
Blackberries have held symbolic meaning in various cultures throughout history. In some European folklore, blackberries were associated with protection against evil spirits and were often used in rituals and ceremonies. They were also believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to those who consumed them.
In Celtic mythology, blackberries were associated with the changing seasons. It was believed that the blackberries gained their rich color when the fairies and spirits of the ‘otherworld’ would bless them during the summer months. Eating blackberries after a certain date, often referred to as ‘Old Michaelmas Day, also called Devil Spits Day’, was considered bad luck, as it was believed that the devil had claimed them according to old British folklore.
Their journey across continents and their ability to adapt to different environments speak to their resilience and popularity.
Brion & I became aware of these wonderful berries several years ago. Now, every chance I get I try to incorporate them into something I’m making whether its sweet or savory. Today they are front and center in these cookies adding loads of flavor.
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Blackberry Cookies
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the old-fashioned rolled oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon & salt. Set dry mixture aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugars until the mixture is light & fluffy.
Add egg & vanilla to the wet mixture & beat until well combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a cookie dough forms.
Scoop cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between each cookie.
Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb or the back of a spoon. Fill each indentation with 3-4 blackberries. If they are large cut them in half.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
