“A book reads the better which is our own, and has been so long known to us, that we know the topography of its blots, and dog’s ears, and can trace the dirt in it to having read it at tea with buttered muffins.” ~ Charles Lamb, English poet, critic, and essayist (1775-1834)

Some of you have written that you enjoyed the post for Cornmeal Muggies on June 16th and two readers asked if I could come up with a similar chocolate muffin. The trick is to give the treat some redeeming nutritional value but keep it fast and tasty, and still deliver just a single serving.

Since it is easy to disguise whole grains in a muffin, this was the obvious way to go — and work out, it did! Whole grains are better for us because they contain the dietary fiber that helps with weight loss, fighting cancer, and lowering cholesterol.

For those of us who were raised on white bread with soft crusts, whole wheat can be an acquired taste. If you have the desire but can’t seem to get past the difference, muffins are a good place to start because they lend themselves well to including a variety of textures. However, if you’ve already given up on whole wheat, the good news is that Chocolate Oatmeal Muggies work equally well with refined white flour. Or, you could use half white, half wheat, and then say, “These aren’t half bad!”

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL MUGGIES

Serves 1
Time: 5 minutes

2 teaspoons canola oil
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoons flour (whole wheat is best)
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon quick cooking oats
2 teaspoons chopped walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt

Measure ingredients in the order given into a microwave-safe mug that can hold 10 to 12 ounces of liquid. Stir with a fork to blend ingredient into a smooth batter, about 15 strokes, being sure to scrape the bottom edges. Immediately place into microwave oven and bake on high for 1 minute. Allow to rest for 3 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the Muggie and tipping it out onto a plate.

There are worse ways to start your day! If you are feeling adventuresome, try making your Chocolate Oatmeal Muggie with cold coffee in place of water, then let us know what you think.

“Now the house of Israel called its name manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” Holy Bible, Exodus 16:31

Coriander seeds come from the coriander (a.k.a. cilantro) plant, small round beads (the fruit) that can be easily crushed with the bottom of a drinking glass to release their distinctive, aromatic scent that is a familiar component of dishes from India. I find it to be a very soothing aroma.

In my garden, I allow the cilantro plant (the leaves are often used in Mexican dishes) to bolt into flowers. The flowers eventually dry up leaving the globular fruits we refer to as coriander seeds. I cut the dried flowers and bring them indoors to finish drying, then collect the seeds for use in breads, curries, chutneys, and in dishes made with red wine.

Cypriot and Greek restaurants serve mushrooms stewed in wine and coriander seeds as an appetizers to be lingered over. The coriander doesn’t dominate this dish, but it does lend a complexity that is greeted with “Mmmm… What’s in this?”

Occasionally, I like to serve this as a vegetarian main dish over steamed short grain brown rice. I add a little chopped zucchini (as in the photo) when browning the onions and mushrooms as a way to brighten the otherwise dark color. Many people don’t realize that mushrooms are high in protein (5g/cup) and Vitamin B6, as well as being a good source of dietary fiber.

Next time you want to serve stuffed mushrooms at a party, re-think the idea for something far simpler and healthier.

MUSHROOMS IN WINE SAUCE

Serves 2 as an entrée, 4 as appetizers
Time: 20 minutes

½ pound small mushrooms
¼ cup very thinly sliced onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup red wine
2 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds

Clean mushrooms and remove stems (reserve for another use). Sauté the mushroom caps and onion in the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until the onion has softened and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the coriander seeds, pour the wine over all and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and allow the wine to reduce for about 8 minutes, until only a few tablespoonfuls remain.

Spoon onto a platter and serve with crusty bread, red wine, and good conversation.

“He (singer Prince) reeks of lavender. It turned me on, actually.” ~ Madonna, American actress and singer (1958 – )

Lavender is beautiful to look at, has a nice aroma, and is even tasty to eat. What more could we ask from a flower? It is also a natural moth repellent!

If you don’t grow and dry your own lavender, you can buy it already dried from bulk food stores or craft stores. I would not use the type purchased from craft stores to use in food, however, unless it is labeled “culinary” because some lavender is grown with pesticides that may be harmful if ingested.

My favorite non-culinary use for lavender is to turn it into sachets for the closet and drawers. They chase away moths and prevent clothes from getting a musty odor. Using those little organza pouches that hold mints at bridal and baby showers makes a really quick job of it. You can get the pouches at craft stores in packages of 10 for about $4.99, and it takes just 2 tablespoons of dried lavender to fill each one.

When it comes to culinary uses, the French nailed lavender in Herbes de Provence, a blend of dried thyme, lavender, rosemary, oregano, and sage – with some room for adding other herbs. Like curry, it is a blend that is intended to be a unique product of each chef, so you can play around with proportions if you want to blend your own.

In my opinion, baking is where lavender shines. I’ve used it in making breads, cookies, scones, and biscuits, and nothing describes it better than “lovely.” Biscuits laced with lavender are easy and the perfect choice for an impressive tray to go with tea when friends stop by.

LAVENDER TEA BISCUITS

Makes 12 small biscuits
Time: 20 minutes

½ cup milk (non-dairy is fine)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried lavender
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat oven to 400°.
Mix milk and lemon juice together and allow to stand while combining dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add milk/lemon mixture and the canola oil, then stir with a fork only until the mixture is evenly moist.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in 400° oven for 10 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom. Remove and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Sitting in the rocker on the front porch with a tall glass of iced tea and some lavender biscuits with jam sounds like a beautiful way to spend the afternoon. Don’t you agree?

“We know if you bring home gold covered strawberries, things are going to be good.” ~ Mike Fitzgerald (not sure which Fitzgerald or in what context, but he’s right!)

There is something about ripe strawberries, still warm from the sun, still dripping from a short cloudburst that was enough to give the field a dewy look but not enough to scatter the workers, that entices me to inhale deeply. Nowhere on earth is there such a beautiful scent as a combination of strawberries, sunshine, rain, and the earth.

I thought I would bring these small treasures home and make a recipe to share with you, but then was suddenly humbled by the perfection of this little berry. I cannot make it better. I cannot see it more perfectly than sitting in the palm of my hand. These are not the big, bright berries trucked in from California. These are locally grown, dark red through to the center, and consumed within hours of separation from the plant. These are sumptuous!

Of course, after you pick those strawberries, you’ll be too tired to invest a lot of time in making supper. Here is an quick little number you can throw together in about 20 minutes. Using whole wheat pasta makes it especially filling, so the serving sizes are a little smaller than with semolina noodles. When my kids were young, sometimes I would add chicken nuggets or pieces of leftover roasted pork. Now, we just throw in some cashews and call it, “Mmmmmm!”

ORANGE-SESAME STIR-FRY

Serves 4
Time: 20 minutes

8 ounces whole wheat linguini
+ water to cook

SAUCE:
½ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar (optional – to taste)
1 tablespoon minced orange zest
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch

STIR-FRY:
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup snow peas
1 cup cashews
1 cup mandarin orange segments, drained
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Cook the linguini according to package directions, about 8 minutes in boiling water, until tender. Drain well.

Meanwhile, begin stir-frying the onion and celery in the canola oil in a wok or large non-stick pan. When the onions are soft, toss in the celery and zucchini and continue to stir-fry until they are almost tender. Add the broccoli and snow peas, cooking only until their colors have brightened, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

While vegetables are cooking, measure orange juice, agave nectar, orange zest, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch into jar with tight fitting lid or blender container. Shake or blend until there are no lumps of cornstarch.

Push the vegetables to the side of the wok or pan and pour the well-blended sauce into the center, stirring constantly for about 10 seconds to allow it to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in the cashews and mandarin orange segments. Toss in the cooked linguini.

Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds after putting the noodle mixture onto plates.

May all your endings be as happy as this one!

After dinner, spoon up a bowl of Turtle Mountain’s So Delicious Coconut Milk non-dairy frozen dessert and top it up with some of those gorgeous, sliced strawberries. It turns out my favorite flavor, Coconut Almond Chip, was a perfect companion to them, and worth hiking to the grocery store to pick some up because we were out… again.

May all your endings be as happy as this one.

“A stockbroker urged me to buy a stock that would triple its value every year. I told him, ”At my age, I don’t even buy green bananas.” ~ Claude Pepper (1900 – 1989), Lawyer and Florida Politician

Do you remember frozen bananas from your childhood days? When I was a kid, there was a frozen banana stand at the Northland Shopping Center in Southfield, Michigan, and my father used to buy one for me every time we went there. I don’t know for sure if it was because he was amused that I preferred them to ice cream, or if it was because I couldn’t eat the whole thing, so he would have to help at the end. Someday I’ll ask him.

Every once in a while, I see a dark chocolate coated frozen banana at a gourmet chocolate shop or in the specialty frozen foods case in a grocery store. When I see the prices they are charging, I shake my head in disbelief. How can they get away with $3 or more for something that can be made equally as good at home for mere pennies and almost no work?

Another advantage to making them at home is that you can make them whatever size suits you. I generally use ½ bananas just because we don’t need to be gorging ourselves, do we? I use the Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips because they use cocoa butter instead of dairy butter to create their smooth richness.

FROZEN BANANA POPS

Makes 2
Time: 7 minutes prep + freezing time

1 medium banana
(2 wooden or plastic ice-treat sticks)
¼ cup Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon chopped nuts

Cut the banana in half cross-wise and insert a popsicle stick at the cut so it travels up the length of the banana.

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe 8-ounce measuring cup. Heat in the microwave oven at half-power for 40 – 60 seconds, stirring every 20 seconds, until the chips are mostly melted. Remove from the oven and stir until they are completely melted and smooth.

At this point, you’ll have to do a mixture of dipping and spooning the chocolate onto the banana to coat it, holding it by the stick over the measuring cup (to catch drips). Try to make it a fairly thin coat or it will be hard to bite through when frozen. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t a perfect job because the nuts will make imperfections less noticeable.

Immediately after dipping, sprinkle the banana with nuts if you wish (NOT over the cup of melted chocolate!), then lay it on a piece of parchment and place it into the freezer to harden.

Way better than ice cream, don’t you agree?