Ginger Pear Muffin

I know I just had a recipe for muffins but I don't care. These muffins are just great and healthy and what's even more spectacular, they can be made with so many different kinds of fruit. Don't like pear and ginger? Fine, make them apple with cinnamon, blueberry, banana walnut, etc. The versatility combined with the healthfulness of these muffins and the wonderfully moist texture makes this recipe a home run.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 bartlett pears, peeled and diced into small chunks

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray, or line with papers. However, if you are lining with papers, due to the extremely low fat content these bad boys will absolutely cling to the wrappers like a preschooler on his or her first day of school so be sure to spray them with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, agave and applesauce and beat until completely incorporated (you can use a mixer or hand held mixer). Add the egg and mix well. Finally, add the almond milk and vinegar and mix until combined. Now, make a well in your dry ingredients and fold in the wet ingredients and the pear chunks (it's easier to mix the wet first until almost combined and then adding the pears). Leave the batter alone - NO SCOOPING YET.

I know some of you must be thinking I forgot to tell you what temperature to pre-heat the oven. False, I didn't forget; you need to now preheat the oven to 375. The reason I left this direction to here is because the muffin batter needs to stay completely untouched for a half hour, and that does mean no touching (scooping your finger in the batter does in fact constitute as touching). By letting the batter sit, these muffins will develop an immaculately golden crown resembling the work of your local bakery.

Once you've allowed your batter to go untouched for at least a half hour, scoop the batter evenly into your prepared muffin tin and bake for about 25 minutes (check around 23 with a toothpick to see if they're done - i.e. it comes out completely clean).

Place the pan on your cooling rack and cool them in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, remove them from the pan and finish cooling on the cooling rack.

Vanilla-Chai Tea Muffin

I have always been a big fan of muffins because you don't feel guilty eating them, even though they are essentially cupcakes without the mountain of frosting. On top of that, I've been on the search for quick breakfasts that give me some carbs and sugar before my intense exercises.

These spectacular treats are healthy (about 120 calories) and great on-the-go breakfasts with an apple or a banana. They're also easy enough to make that a well-trained monkey would have no problem putting them together.

Makes 12 muffins

224 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups if you are scale-less)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
2 chai tea bags, cut open (**if you can't have caffeine like me, make sure it's decaf chai tea)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup dairy-free butter (earth balance, etc.), melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 375 and line a muffin pan with 12 muffin papers and spray each with a bit of cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine your flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut open the tea bags and pour the contents into the flour mixture and whisk together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remainder of the ingredients (almond milk to the egg). Create a well in that now beautifully perfumed flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Fold gently and once the flour is incorporated, STOP. A few lumps and flour pockets are ok. Over mixing will inevitably result in a muffin tougher than a 6"10 bouncer with forearms bigger than a Volvo.

Evenly distribute the batter in your muffin cups and bake for about 15 minutes. My suggestion is to check around 13 minutes because your oven may be a little different, and let's face it, no one enjoys a dry, over-baked muffin. Once they are cooked (inserted toothpick comes out clean), put the pan on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes and then remove the muffins from the tin and finish cooling.

Arugala Salad with Spiced Walnuts, Pears, Strawberries, and Poached Egg

I love this meal for a number of reasons. It certainly appeases anyone taking a stab at a healthier life by combining nutritious dynamos like arugula and fresh fruit while simultaneously quenching the hunger for the "bad for you but oh so tasty" foods with a small portion of candied nuts (and bacon if you so desire). Even better is that it includes that beautifully unctuous runny egg yolk whose reputation, though previously dragged through the mud, is now making a gallant come back in the medical community. Furthermore, as Anhony Bourdain, the man whose persona juxtaposes eloquence and cynical bad ass stated, "you could put a runny egg on just about anything and I'd enjoy it".

Serves 4
Ingredients:
6 cups arugula
2 bartlett pears
8 medium sized strawberries
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
4 eggs
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Start with the walnuts, which can absolutely made ahead of time in a large batch and kept in an air tight container. Preheat the oven to 350. Then, place the walnuts in a large bowl and cover with water. Drain the walnuts in a sieve and then return them to the large bowl. Cover them with the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and chile powder and stir until they're completely coated. Take a cookie sheet and cover with parchment paper and then scatter the coated walnuts in a single even layer. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until they're beautifully caramelized and the spectacular smell of candied walnuts has permeated your kitchen and the rooms beyond.

For the eggs, take a shallow pan (I use my Calphalon 10" non-stick) and fill about 1/2-3/4 with water and then pour in the apple cider vinegar. Bring to a gentle simmer and then very carefully place the egg in the water, cooking for about 3-5 minutes until the whites are just set. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and place on a plate.

To assemble the salad, combine the chopped pears, strawberries, and arugula and divide evenly among the plates. Then evenly distribute the walnuts and place an egg on top of each plate. I personally love this salad without much dressing. Simply a squeeze of lemon and drizzle of good olive oil is perfect and allows the assertive ingredients to stand up for themselves rather than being washed over by a tidal wave of pre-made mediocrity.

Valentine's Day Dinner

Instead of the usual post where I include one component of a meal, I've decided to post a few possible valentine's day menus. This first one is spectacular if both you and your special someone enjoy salmon. Ironically, my special someone who I cook everything dairy free for hates salmon so I will not be using this on valentine's day. However, I love this meal so much I'm preparing it for myself! I'm going to post several different possible meals including the one that I am preparing but this is the first and the truly spectacular part of this is that a lot of it can be done ahead! Also, don't think I've forgotten about those dairy free desserts. Those will be coming soon.

The menu:
"Grilled" (winter grilling = broiling for me) Wild Sockeye Salmon with a balsamic port reduction sauce
Wild Rice with red wine poached pears

Okay so the first thing I suggest doing for this meal is making the reduction sauce. Reduction sauces are great for a few reasons. They are extremely easy to make and can be easily rectified if a mistake is made. Since reduction sauces are boiled to evaporate the water and concentrate the flavor, they pack a huge flavor punch. Finally, whereas a good number of sauces have a fat base (such as a roux), reduction sauces are lower in calories and fat.

You need:
Olive oil for the pan
1/2 onion VERY FINELY diced
2 cloves of garlic diced into almost a puree
2 cups port wine
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Balsamic Port Reduction:
Get out a sauce pan and heat over medium-high heat with enough olive oil to coat the pan. Once the pan is hot, put in the onions and cook until golden and translucent. Then, add the garlic, stir, and cook for a minute just until that intense garlic aroma hits you. Increase the heat to high and pour in the port and chicken broth and boil for about 20 minutes or so until the liquid has substantially reduced (about half) and is beginning to thicken. Now, pour in the balsamic vinegar and continue to boil for another 5-7 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Taste to make sure it is flavorful enough. If it is still lacking in intensity, boil a few more minutes. If it is too strong for your liking, you can simply add a little more chicken broth and reduce until it is where you want it. Once it's ready, take it off the heat and strain into a glass bowl. Then, when the sauce has come to room temperature you can cover and refrigerate until ready.

Red wine poached pears:
3/8 cup red wine (6 tablespoons)
1 bartlett pear
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Peal and halve the pears and remove the cores. In a small pot, add the red wine, cinnamon stick, and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and add the pear halves. Simmer for about ten minutes and then turn and simmer for an additional ten minutes.

Remove from heat and put the pears in an airtight container with the poaching liquid and refrigerate until you're ready to assemble dinner.

Wild Rice:
Cook your rice according to package instructions. When the rice is cooked, dice the pears and stir into the rice (about 2/3 cup of rice for two people). Add a little of the liquid for taste and keep warm until dinner.

Salmon:
I love grilled salmon but since we have had an impressively aggressive winter, I'm going to refrain from brushing the ice and snow off the grill and stick to broiling. Place a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler. Place the salmon filets on the broiler pan and brush with the balsamic port reduction. Depending on the size of your filets, cook until the fish is just firm basting once again in the middle of the cooking.

Sweet and Sour Brown Rice with Green Apple

Yeah it's a long name but it is a really great side dish. It packs a lot of flavor and goes well with seafood or chicken. You can also make this a main dish by adding a little roasted tofu or chicken.

This recipe serves 4

2 cups brown rice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 medium green apple diced in 1/2" chunks
Juice from 1/2 lime
Cook the rice according to directions.

Once it's cooked, in a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, vinegar, lime zest, garlic powder, and ground ginger. Stir in with the warm rice.

Once you've diced your apple, pour on the lime juice and stir together. Add the apples to the rice and you're ready to serve.

Chile Rubbed Tilapia

This is my own version of a spice rub for fish. Those of you stuck inside from this colossal winter storm would enjoy this recipe because it'll certainly warm you up from the biting cold outside. Keep in mind though that there is no salt in this recipe because I'm on a very low salt diet but if you are not, you can add 1 teaspoon of salt to this recipe.

This mixture will make a lot but it keeps well so store it in an airtight container at room temperature. When you're ready to cook the fish, liberally coat both sides and cook like normal.

3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspon ground ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For my meal, I paired this with the sweet and sour rice with green apple. It's a nice culinary vacation when you're getting especially tired of baked chicken and rice.

Quinoa Salad

Serves 6-10

1 1/2 cups red quinoa
1 sweet onion
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 medium apple, diced into 1/2"
1 medium pear, diced into 1/2"
3 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup diced strawberries (about 5 medium)
4 ounces spinach

Dice the onion. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat with a little bit of olive oil. Once the pan is hot, stir in the onion and cook until lightly brown for 5-7 minutes. Then pour in the balsamic vinegar and cook until most of the liquid evaporates (no more than a minute or so). Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar and the dijon mustard. Stir in the diced apple, bear, celery, cranberries, and strawberries. Stir in the cooked onions as well.

Now it's quinoa time. Rinse the quinoa with water, running your fingers through it for a few seconds. Strain out the water and put the quinoa in a large pot. Pour in 2 1/2 cups water and to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium low and let simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender but still has a little bite to it, should take between 10-15 minutes.

Take the quinoa off the heat, pour the spinach in the bowl with the vinaigrette and then pour in the still warm quinoa and stir to incorporate everything. The heat from the quinoa will make the spinach soft and make the other flavors come together. You can eat this salad warm or cold because it's great both ways.

If you're a fan of a little extra heat, I like to put some thai chile sauce around the plate and then mound the salad in the middle of the plate so when you start eating, you get a little chile sauce in every bite.