Lemon Ginger Zucchini Muffins

As I sit here writing this at about 9:30 pm, it is still 93 degrees out.  Wow.  I have been craving raw foods and ice cream like crazy and trying to use my oven and stove as little as possible since it tends to heat up my apartment even more. 

You are probably wondering why I am posting these muffins, considering that:
(a) it's damn hot out and the thought of turning on your oven makes you want to scream
(b) it's swimsuit season and you can't bear the thought of having to eat sweets if you want to buy that bikini (or speedo) you've been eyeing
(c) you have better things to do like swim, barbeque, and work on your healthy tan

...but I baked them last week right before the temperatures climbed up and the days were still relatively pleasant.  I think it's safe to say that these muffins will be the last recipe for a while that involves an oven if only for my own sanity and unwillingness to sweat more than is absolutely necessary.   

If you get a chance (i.e. a cool enough moment in your day), you should definitely consider making these muffins.  They were born out of an excess of zucchini from the farmer's market and the desire to want to improve upon the typical zucchini bread.  I added a good bit of lemon zest to brighten things up and some crystalized ginger to give it zing and a bit of spice.  If you think you don't like zucchini, not to fear.  It only lends a hint of earthy vegetal flavor that is more than balanced out by the lemon zest and ginger.  I promise you won't be disappointed if you make these.   

Lemon Ginger Zucchini Muffins
makes 12; adapted from here

3 cups almond flour (or hazelnut flour if you would prefer)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey)
1 tsp pure almond extract (opt.)
3 eggs
zest of 2 lemons
1/4 to 1/2 cup minced crystalized ginger (depending on how ginger-y you want it)
2 cups grated zucchini

Preheat your oven to 350 and line 12 muffin/cupcake cups with liners or parchment paper.  Whisk together the dry ingredients and lemon zest in a bowl and set aside.  Whisk together the wet ingredients in a bowl until smooth, then add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Add the zucchini and ginger to the batter and fold it in until evenly distributed.  Fill your cups 2/3 full and bake 30 to 35 minutes until the tops are golden and a tester comes out clean.  Enjoy!

Mixed Berry Crumble with Spiced Coconut Yogurt

It's officially summer.  The solstice came and went and now it's 100 degrees all of the sudden.  It's as if mother nature was waiting for that precise moment to turn the heat up to unbearable.  I've been dreading it for several weeks, but I'm a Texan born and raised so dealing with the heat is in my blood.  Time to quit whining about it and just take it as it comes. 

After I get past the initial shock and drenching sweat it brings, I remember all the things I love about summer.  Summer produce (arguably the best all year round) explodes at the farmer's markets.  I buy way too many blueberries and peaches, but I always seem to end up eating them all or making them into jam before they go bad.  Ominous storms roll through in the summer, bringing beautiful grey clouds and a welcome temporary drop in temperatures.  Sometimes there's nothing better than a good summer storm to drench the earth and cool it off for a bit.  Life seems to become less complicated and focused on simpler things like good ice cream and lounging in the shade. 

 

Although I tend to rely less on my oven and more on raw foods and un-fussy preparations during the summer, I couldn't resist making up a quick crumble with the trio of berries resting in my fridge last weekend.  I had a lime lying around, so I combined the zest with the berries to give it an extra punch of flavor.  And, to cool things off a bit, I served it with a spiced coconut yogurt.  I baked up the crumble just in time to enjoy a fleeting summer storm, rolling through and offering a bit of relief from the sun. 

Mixed Berry Crumble with Spiced Coconut Yogurt
notes: I made my crumble in my cast iron pan, but feel free to use any baking dish of a similar size.  Just make sure to lightly grease it with oil.  You may have some crumble topping left over, but don't throw it out!  You can freeze it and save it for the next crumble or for adding to the top of muffins, pancakes, etc.  The crumble should serve 6 people. 

crumble
3 1/2 to 4 cups mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, and cherries)
6 tbsp coconut sugar, divided
zest of 1 organic un-waxed lime
3/4 cup whole rolled oats
1/2 cup of oat flour (or any flour of your choice)
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
heaping 1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup coconut oil at room temperature (solid)

spiced coconut yogurt
1 6 to 8 oz container plain coconut milk yogurt
1/2 to 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey if not making it vegan)
1/8 tsp each of ground cloves and ground cardamom

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toss the berries, 2 tbsp of the coconut sugar, and lime zest together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, flour, salt, sugar, ground cloves, and pecans until combined. Add the coconut oil and mash it into the dry mixture with a fork or your fingers until the crumble topping forms. Pour the berries and their accumulated juices into a seasoned cast iron pan (or a lightly greased baking dish) and spread them out into an even layer. Spread the crumble mixture over the top of the berries in an even layer (you may have some left over). Bake the crumble at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly.

While the crumble is cooling, combine all of the ingredients for the spiced coconut yogurt. Taste and adjust for sweetness or spices. Serve along side or on top of the crumble. Enjoy!

Latest Jammy Addition

Howdy!  Just dropping in to share the latest jam addition to my etsy shop :

Rosy Peach Jam                           

Head on over to the shop to check it out, or perhaps take a gander at the other lovely jams and treats available. 

Simple Things & Grilled Peaches with Cashew Cream

I've been noticing lately that I take pleasure in the simple things, whether it be occurrences in the day to day or in the foods that I put into my body.  Today I've enjoyed the beauty of a cloudy day, the rainbow of offerings at the farmer's market, a juicy, ripe peach, and exploring a different route home. 

I used to really dislike the small city in which I call home, but I've come to realize recently that it's what I've got.  I may pine for better cities or locales, but this city of mine will have to do.  Relishing in the small things every day is what allows me to be able to enjoy this place.  It may seem silly to some that taking a different route home or going for a walk on my nice, shady trail would bring me such joy, but it really does. 

Since I've been enjoying an abundance of local peaches lately, I decided to enjoy them in a rather simple, yet delicious way.  I grilled them with nothing but a bit of coconut oil and them topped them with a vegan cashew cream and a couple of sweet raspberries.  An effortless sweet treat for a lovely warm day.

Grilled Peaches with Cashew Cream
Since I'm not allowed to have an outside grill at my apartment, I use a grill pan on my stove.  Feel free to use whichever is readily available.  If you do use a grill pan inside, be prepared to open a window or two.  I had some raspberries available so I garnished the peaches with them, but feel free to garnish with whatever you have on hand.  This recipe makes enough for 8 servings with a bit of cashew cream left over.  

1/2 cup of raw cashews (not roasted and un-salted), soaked in water for a couple of hours
1/4 cup (or a bit more) of coconut milk
1 tbsp pure maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener of your choice
small pinch of sea salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

4 ripe peaches, halved and pits removed
coconut oil for brushing on peaches

fresh raspberries to serve (optional)  

Make the cashew cream: drain and rinse the cashews and then add them to a high-speed blender or food processor.  Add in 1/4 cup of coconut milk, the maple syrup, the salt, and the cinnamon.  Process until the mixture is smooth and relatively thick.  If it is too thick, add a bit more coconut milk.  Set the cashew cream aside in the fridge to chill while you grill the peaches.  (you can make this a couple of days ahead of time, just make sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge)

Grill the peaches: rub the flesh side of each peach halve with a bit of coconut oil (just enough to coat it).  Grill the peaches flesh side down on a grill pan set over medium to medium-high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes total.  I grilled mine for 1 minute, then rotated them about 90 degrees and grilled them for an additional minute in order to get lovely cross-hatched grill marks.  You want the peaches to soften and release their natural sugars, but not turn to mush. 

Assemble: top each peach halve with a good dollop of the cashew cream and a couple of raspberries.  Serve immediately (or chill for later) and enjoy!

2 New Jammy Additions to the Shop

I was able to pick about 5 pounds of dewberries several weeks ago before the weather turned to scorching hot.  Since I had so many, I decided to go with two different types of dewberry jam.  Lemony Dewberry Darjeeling Jam and Wild Dewberry Bourbon Jam are now available in my etsy shop in mini 4-oz jars for $4 each!  Here are a few pictures to make you drool...

Salted Honey Walnut Butter & A Blog-iversary

Amidst all the traveling and working that seems to be the norm as of late, I almost forgot about the anniversary (or blog-iversary) of my blog!  I started it exactly one year ago today, not really knowing what to expect.  It's been an interesting challenge and something I've really grown to love.    

I've said here before that I'm not the best photographer (and don't have the best camera), but I can at least say that I've improved a bit over the past year.  To me, photography is the most complicated thing I do for this blog.  I can sit here all day coming up with new recipes, but when it comes time to photograph them, I feel way out of my element.  I can gladly say that the past year has made me more comfortable behind the lense, but I still have a loooong way to go! 

I wish I could share some sort of anniversary cake or dessert in honor of this little corner of the web I can call my own.  Perhaps that will come this weekend when I can spend a few days in my kitchen.  But, for now, I'll leave you with something that requires less than 5 ingredients and tastes pretty amazing.  If you've never had walnut butter, well, it's like peanut butter only better!  To add to the already awesome walnutt-y flavor, I added in a bit of fleur de sel and a good dollop of honey.  This is the kind of nut butter you can stand in your kitchen eating with a spoon.  I feel confident in saying that because it is how about half of the walnut butter I made was enjoyed...

Salted Honey Walnut Butter
notes: this makes about 1 cup of walnut butter and can be made in either a food processor or a high speed blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix.  Once made, the walnut butter can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.  If you don't plan on using it up within a week, place in the fridge and it will last several months.  

2 cups raw walnut halves
about 1 tbsp of raw honey
good pinch of fleur de sel or other sea salt
neutral tasting oil, if needed

Process the walnuts in a blender or food processor until a smooth, nut-butter forms (it will take a bit of stopping and scraping down the sides).  If your walnuts seem to be a bit dry, you can add a bit of oil until the nut butter looks creamier.  Add the honey and the fleur de sel, and blend once more until everything is combined.  Taste the walnut butter, and add more salt or honey if desired.  Enjoy! 

Peachy Guacamole

You know how I mentioned in my last post that it's peach season here in Texas and that I bought around 10 lbs at the farmer's market?  Well... it might be peach madness around here for the next few weeks and I'm kind of not sorry about it. 

It seems like the majority of my thoughts lately are occupied with ways I can incorporate peaches into things.  I've already been eating one every morning atop my granola and have made a batch of peach jam for my shop.  Last weekend I was thinking about how good it is when you add fresh fruit to guacamole, and then a lightbulb went off and peachy guacamole was born. 

Maybe guacamole purists will scoff at this idea, but it was pretty dang good and it made me wish I had more once I had finished it off.  I ate some of it with some homemade baked tortilla chips, and the rest went on some leftover squash tacos I made from Kelsey's recipe over at happyolks.  I'm pretty convinced you could put this guacamole on anything and it would taste amazing.  So, seek out some local peaches and get to it!

Peachy Guacamole
notes: I would suggest making this right before you want to serve or eat it since avocados can turn brown rather quickly.  You probably won't have to worry about leftovers because it will be hard not to finish it once you taste it! 

2 small avocaods
1/2 of a small red onion, diced small
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
1 small peach, diced
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
pinch of sea salt

Dice the flesh from the 2 avocados and add it to a small mixing bowl.  Gently mash the avocado (I like mine a tad chunky) until it's the consistency you want it.  Add a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice, and then the red onion, cilantro, peach, and a small pinch of sea salt.  Toss everything together and then taste for seasoning.  This will make around 1 cup of guacamole and should be served or eaten immediately.  Enjoy!

If you would like to enjoy the guacamole with homemade baked tortilla chips like I did, simply take any tortilla of you liking, rub a bit of olive oil over both sides, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden and crisp.  When you bake them, make sure they don't overlap or they won't crisp up completely.