These are not your healthy weekday muffins!  These are sexy Sunday morning indulgences.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen raspberries

2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 TBL separate

1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4  cup milk

4 ounces semisweet chocolate (optional for garnish)

1.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Use convection heat and a baking stone if you have them.  Grease a 6 muffin tin (large muffins) or line with muffin cups.

2.  Set aside a few raspberries for garnish (optional.)  Toss the remaining in the 1 TBL flour and set aside.

3.  In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

4.  In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer to beat the butter and sugar until butter is fluffy, then add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth.

5.  With a spatula, fold in dry ingredients and milk, alternately, until batter is well combined.  Gently fold in raspberries.  Don’t worry if some fall apart because this is a stiff batter,  but be careful not to over mix.

6.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Check that an inserted toothpick comes out dry.  Cool the on wire rack.

7.  Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, about 40 seconds on high.  Stir, and melt in 10 second increments until the chocolate is the consistency that drizzles gently off of a butter knife.   Drizzle over the muffins and top with the raspberries set aside earlier.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

One of my favorite shows on the Food Network is Throwdown with Bobby Flay, where the chef challenges a specialist to a judged contest to see who makes the better dish.  It’s all in good fun and I learn a lot from watching the show.  A recent throwdown about eggplant parmesan inspired me to revisit my favorite summer comfort food!

August is the perfect time to make anything eggplant.  Unfortunately it’s not available locally most of the year.  This dish calls for baking which can be unpleasantly hot, so I make it in an 8×8 pan and use a convection toaster oven to bake.  It works great!  You can use the same time and temperature if you’re using a conventional oven.

You can see the recipe for Bobby Flay’s multi-cheese (with roasted red pepper sauce) eggplant parm here and the more traditional version that Italian deli owner Dave Grecco made here.  And, here’s mine… 

EGGPLANT PARMESAN (serves 4)

1 purple eggplant

2 cups tomato sauce (homemade or jarred)

1 ball mozzarella cheese, freshly grated (about 1 to 1/2 cups)

2 slices toast

2 TBL flour

1 TBL dried thyme

1 TBL dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 egg, whisked

olive oil and butter

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

fresh chopped basil

(if you’re using a conventional oven, preheat it to 400 degrees.)

1. Make your breadcrumbs:  add the toast, flour,  herbs, and garlic powder into a small food processor and pulse until you have small crumbs.  Pour the crumbs onto a plate.  Put the egg on another plate.

2. Slice the eggplant into rounds.  I leave the skins on but you can remove them if you like.

3.  Coat the eggplant rounds in the egg, then dredge through the breadcrumbs.

4. Heat a medium saute pan or flat cast iron skillet on medium heat.  Add 1 TBL of olive oil and 1 TBL of butter.  The oil will lower the burning temperature of the butter and keep it from browning.   Make sure you have enough fat to coat the bottom of the pan, if not add more olive oil.  Brown the eggplant rounds in the pan, about 1 minute on each side.  Make sure you add more butter and oil for each batch of rounds.

5.  Grease a glass or metal 8×8″ pan.  Add 1/3 of the sauce, 1/2 of the rounds, another 1/3 of sauce, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, then the rest of the rounds, the rest of the sauce, and the rest of the cheese.  Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.

6.  Bake in a convection toaster oven or regular oven for 30 to 35 minutes on 400 degrees.  Sprinkle with basil.

Serve with additional sauce over pasta and a green salad for a dinner, or tuck between two slices of toasted Italian bread for a sandwich.

Prep time: 30 min  Cleanup time: about 10 min

I ate this with a toasted whole wheat roll, avocado slices and some fresh corn on the cob.  Bean salad is great when it’s 90 degrees out and you want something super easy to prepare.  You could also stuff it in a pita and have it for lunch. It’s also a great side dish for a more ambitious meal.

I used:

1 can or drained and rinsed cannellini beans (2 cups cooked dried beans if you like)

1 TBL olive oil

1 TBL balsamic vinegar

2 cloves minced garlic (use one if you’re not a garlic addict like me)

1/2 of a small vidalia onion, finely chopped

seasoning to taste:  Mrs. Dash Italian Blend, kosher salt, and shredded fresh basil or whatever you feel like.  Parmesan cheese is also optional.

To prepare, stir everything in a bowl and serve.  You can even serve it in the mixing bowl (as I clearly did!)

Like many people, I’m always on the lookout for food with health benefits.  And, like many more people, I absolutely love love love garlic and put it in practically everything I make.  So I was delighted to find out that not only does it ward off vampires, but it is good for you too.

Certain culinary traditions, such as some Asian and Mediterranean diets, have often been promoted as healthy.  In addition to having lots of plant based ingredients in common, these diets are rich in garlic.  Recently, scientists pointed out that garlic consumption stimulates the body’s natural production of hydrogen sulfide which relaxes blood vessels.  Further study is needed, but the connection between hydrogen sulfide and garlic has many positive implications for cardiovascular health; it may lower blood pressure and protect cells during heart attacks.

The research was done on the equivalent of two cloves a day.  That is no problem for a garlic addict like myself, but, for a garlic novice that might seem like a daunting amount.  Here are three garlicious ideas for getting more garlic:

• STUFF IT!  I can’t get enough garlic stuffed olives (pictured above).  In fact, when my local Wegman’s decided to no longer offer them at my olive bar, I called around until I found a Wegman’s that stocks them.  I now shop in the next town over.  With gas at $4 a gallon, this is a serious garlic/olive commitment!  Find them in your supermarket’s olive bar (hopefully nearby!) and you can probably source them jarred at your local Italian foods market.
• PICKLED GARLIC?  My brother recently got some as a gift.  Even my garlic loving self was hesitant to try a pickled garlic clove.  But one bite put my fears to rest.  The pickling vinegar definitely mellows the garlic’s tanginess, making the cloves smooth and delicious.  And they’re surprisingly kid friendly!  Available online here or you can make some.
• GARLIC SPREAD.  1 head garlic, roasted.  2-3 TBL olive oil.  Pinch salt.  Freshly grated parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil.  Squeeze the cloves and mix with the olive oil using a mortar and pestle or a mini food processor.  Stir in cheese and basil to taste.  Spread on fresh Italian bread for a snack or appetizer.

Don’t forget to brush your teeth!

I live in the western part of New York State, and yesterday at the farmer’s market there was a little sign, “last of the cherries.”  I am a cherry addict and was duly saddened by this announcement.  However, I was cheered by the fact that they were only $4 for at least two pounds, which is why you should shop at the farmers market because they would cost at least twice that at the grocery store.

See you next year, cherries!  Coming soon:  peaches, raspberries, blueberries, local corn…I LOVE this time of year!

Back in April I posted about how my elderly dog needed to lose a few pounds, and details of his diet.  Since then Beau has lost six pounds!   He’s a little quicker getting up off the floor, for sure.  He still needs to lose about five more but we’re doing just fine.  And the best thing is that Beau’s meals are satisfying enough that he doesn’t walk away from his dish hungry.  Yay!

I have a few ideas to help with the pain. Let’s assume you’re a savvy shopper who has the basics covered. You know how to compare unit prices, you buy store brands, watch for sales, cut coupons, shop in bulk, and save your leftovers. (If you don’t do these things, I highly recommend them.) Here are a few more ideas to help you shave a few bucks off of your grocery bill.

1. Save your receipt and get out your red pen. You know when it’s spring cleaning and you need some room in your closet? And you must decide what stays and what goes? You pick up a garment and ask yourself: when was the last time I wore this? Keeping a grocery receipt and revisiting it a few weeks later can give you some feedback about what you’re actually consuming. Did those cold cuts end up a in a moldy pile in the back of the fridge? Circle them with your red pen. How about the cereal that your kid just had to have? One bowl and then left for stale? That gets circled too. When you’ve circled all of the things that ended up being thrown out, consider the list again. Is there anything on there that’s non-essential or could be replaced with a less expensive option? You like to buy the fancy dental floss but could you get by on the cheap stuff? Put a check mark next to it and write in an estimate cost of the cheaper replacement. Finally, go through the circles and check marks and calculate how much you might have saved. Addendum: one problem I encounter is finding ways to use leftover ingredients. Here’s a website that help you find recipes for what you have in the fridge.
2. Eat cheap meals. OK, this sounds totally obvious. But do you know how much your favorite meals actually cost per plate? This is another time when a shopping receipt comes in handy. Add up the cost of each ingredient per meal (I usually exclude the seasoning since the amount is marginal) and divide by the number of servings. Now you have a basis for comparison.  Consider adding meals to your repertoire that are a little more modest in price. Casseroles, stews and other one dish meals are not only often healthy but great bargains. When I was growing up my mom had to feed six people on a budget and I remember eating a lot of baked pasta, red hots with potato salad and goulash. You can declare that chili night will be once a month, or make Fridays sandwich night. (That doesn’t have to be peanut butter and jelly. Make paninis with leftover grilled vegetables or curried egg salad on toast.) Don’t let the picky eater in your family be a dictator. If everyone’s down with chili night except for one person, help him/her think of a substitute.
3. Eat a meatless meal now and then. I’m a vegetarian and it pays off at the supermarket. I can easily feed myself on very little money using items from my pantry (whole grains and legumes) supplemented by fresh and frozen produce. However, I recall that my first meatless meal was rather nerve wracking as I was ingrained with the idea that eating meat is necessary for good health. (It’s not.) Substituting a wholesome protein source such as beans or tofu is not only good for your wallet and body, it’s good for the earth. Producing meat requires a significant amount of grain, fuel and water resources, while growing bean plants actually replenish the nutrients in soil! Look for meatless recipes (there are many here on cookerati) and use the formula in #2 to determine if they would save you money. Recently I made a Mexican stew with corn and beans. Using prices from netgrocer (excluding the cost of spices) it came out to $1.35 a bowl! If you aren’t eating occasional meatless meals, they’re well worth investigating.
4. Use your kitchen: time vs. money. I love to make things at home that cost a lot otherwise, such as granola and pizza. As long as the preparation is quick and simple, this is a great option. Sometimes, though, the time investment may not be worth the few bucks you save. I was in the cookie aisle the other day and after a quick mental inventory I realized that I had most of the ingredients for cookies at home. Choosing to make cookies instead of purchase them lightened up my grocery receipt, but I did spend about forty minutes in the kitchen prepping, baking, and cleaning up. I enjoyed this time but for other people it might be better spent on other things. If you like to cook and bake this option may save you quite a bit.
5. Eat seasonally. When I started shopping and cooking for myself, I had no idea about seasonal eating. It took me a while to catch on that strawberries were a lot cheaper when they came into season locally. Buying apples in the fall, asparagus in the spring, and peaches in the summer not only saves cash but you really get the best food that way. If you’re not sure what is available seasonally where you live, try looking here.

I hope this list has inspired you to save some money!

Grilled Peppers Stuffed with Black Eyed Peas

4 red, orange or yellow bell peppers

1-2 TBL olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow squash, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, sliced

1 TBL cajun seasoning

½ tsp cayenne pepper or ground chipotle (omit if you don’t like spicy)

pinch salt

¼ cup dry red wine or cooking sherry

2 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 tomato, chopped (or few small tomatoes if you’re using canned)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Slice the bell peppers and discard the seeds. You can either slice the peppers lengthwise into halves, or remove the top and leave whole. Boil the peppers for five minutes.

On medium heat, sauté the onion in oil until translucent. Sprinkle the garlic on top and allow to heat for two minutes, then add the squash, carrot, and jalapeno. Saute until everything is tender, about another five minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and allow the liquid to cook off.

Stuff the peppers and grill on LOW heat for about 15 minutes.

Serve with rice.

This healthy soup is made up of inexpensive, simple ingredients and relies on spices and herbs for flavor. It’s adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks and has been in my cooking repertoire for years.

Moroccan Chickpea Soup (serves four)

About 3 cups of prepared chickpeas (soaked overnight or boiled for a minute and left to sit in the water for an hour.)

4 cups vegetable stock

spicy “butter”

2 garlic cloves

1 TBL paprika

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander (best if you can get the seeds and grind them yourself)

pinch of cayenne or chipotle powder

1 TBL dried parsley

2 TBL fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

3 TBL lime or lemon juice

8 TBL olive oil

Puree the ingredients for the spicy “butter” in a small food processor, or grind with a mortar and pestle until you have a thick paste. Add the paste into a saucepan with the chickpeas and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes (or until the chickpeas are soft.) Thicken with an immersion blender or pour half into a food processor and pulse a few times, then return to the pot.

Serve with toasted pita wedges and a green salad.

Canned beans are fine with this recipe. Drain and rinse two cans of chickpeas, and reduce the simmer time to 15 minutes.

You can increase the recipe for the spicy “butter” and freeze it for later use.