August 31, 2020

Recipe: Raspberry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins

Ingredients

2 ½ cups white whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup brown sugar (light or dark brown) loosely packed

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 large)

¼ cup full fat sour cream

1 large egg, beaten

¾ cup milk (any milk you prefer)

½ cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

1 ¾ cups fresh raspberries (frozen ok too)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit (177°C) with the rack in the middle. Grease a 12 count muffin pan with baking spray. If using muffin liners, spray them first so they don’t stick to the liners. This will make 15 muffins, if you have an extra muffin pan handy prep that as well.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and brown sugar getting out as many lumps as possible. Fold in the mashed banana, sour cream and beaten egg. Add the wet into the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Batter will be thick. Mix in the milk. Fold in the chocolate chips, then carefully the raspberries. Be very gentle with the berries so they don’t turn the batter pink. Do not overmix the batter as it will toughen the muffins.

Evenly divide the batter between the muffin tins, filling to the top. Top with more chocolate chips if desired. Bake for 17-18 minutes, until you see light brown edges. A toothpick inserted into the centers should come out virtually crumb-free. If you are using the same pan for the three extra muffins, fill the empty muffin time halfway with water so the muffins bake evenly and your pan doesn’t warp.

Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before removing from the muffin pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

~ Marla Meridith

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August 6, 2020

Recipe: Strawberry Almond Baklava

Ingredients

4 cups fresh strawberries, quartered

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, divided

¾ cup water

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbsp cornstarch (if needed to thicken)

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo pastry dough

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, melted

1 cup slivered almonds

½ cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

1 pinch salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit with the rack in the middle.

In a saucepan, heat the strawberries with 3/4 cup sugar, water, lemon juice, vanilla and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Bring to a boil then down to a simmer, cooking for 30 minutes until the sauce thickens into a jammy consistency. Whisk in the cornstarch if needed. Set aside to cool and thicken a bit more.

Brush the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish with melted butter, add a layer of phyllo pastry, brush with more butter and add another layer of dough. Do this until you have 6 layers of pastry dough lining the dish.

Layer on a thin layer of the strawberries and then the almonds. Place a layer of phyllo dough, then some melted butter. Do this for 5 layers of dough. Continue these layers until you have 3 layers of strawberries/almonds, always brushing melted butter in between layers of phyllo dough. For the top layer, use 10 sheets of phyllo dough brushing butter between each. Brush the top layer with butter too. Score/slice the dough with a sharp knife into desired portions.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Top with 1/2 of the syrup and let cool. Serve with more syrup.

While the baklava is baking make the maple sauce. Boil the remainder of the granulated sugar (1/2 cup) with the maple syrup, the rest of the cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves into the maple syrup forming a syrup.

~ Marla Meridith

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July 20, 2020

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.

Place the peanut butter, sugar and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment until well combine.

Make small balls (about 1 1/2 inches) with your hands and evenly space apart on the baking sheet. Using the back of a fork make a criss- cross pattern on each cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before enjoying.

~ Marla Meridith

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July 10, 2020

Recipe: Skillet Banana Bread with Double-Crumb Topping

Ingredients

Banana Bread

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg, room temperature

3 medium sized very ripe bananas, mashed (to equal 1 1/4 cups)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

Double-Crumble Topping

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350˚ with the rack in the middle.
Grease a 10″ cast iron skillet (or any heatproof skillet) with butter or vegetable oil.

For the Banana Bread

Melt the butter and let it cool to room temperature. Mix the cooled butter with the brown sugar in a large bowl. Mix in the egg, mashed banana and vanilla.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in another bowl.

Add the banana mixture into the flour mixture, combining well. Do not over mix.

Transfer the batter into the prepared skillet, smooth with top with the back of a spoon or spatula. Top with the crumble, pressing the crumble gently down into the batter with your fingers. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out virtually crumb free. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

For the Double-Crumble Topping

Combine the sugars, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add the flour and stir with a rubber spatula until mostly combine. Using clean fingers, mix until everything is well combined.

~ Marla Meridith

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July 2, 2020

Recipe: Skillet Brown Sugar Blueberry Cobbler

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp Kosher salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup whole milk

1 cup + 1 tbsp light brown sugar

juice from 1 lemon

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups fresh blueberries

Serve with

freshly whipped cream

vanilla ice cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit with the rack in the middle. Melt the butter in the oven in a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Remove from the oven when it’s melted.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl: the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl combine the milk, vanilla, lemon juice and 1 cup of the brown sugar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until smooth. Toss the blueberries with 1 tbsp of brown sugar. Pour the batter into the buttered skillet. Top with the blueberries.

Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool a few minutes then serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

~ Marla Meridith

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June 30, 2020

Recipe: Triple Berry Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp Kosher salt

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 ¼ cups whole milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

½ lb 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

1 cup fresh blueberries

½ cup chopped strawberries

½ cup raspberries

turbinado sugar for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with liners.

Whisk together the dry ingredients: both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl mix together both sugars, melted butter, milk, eggs and vanilla extract. Fold in the berries.

Place 1/3 cup batter in each muffin cup. Top with Turbinado (coarse sugar) Bake for 20-25 minutes. Insert a wooden skewer in the center and if it comes out virtually crumb free then the muffins are done. Let cool a few minutes then transfer the muffins to racks to cool completely.

~ Marla Meridith

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June 6, 2020

Recipe: Vegetarian Enchiladas

Ingredients

2 cups homemade enchilada sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 crown of broccoli, chopped into small pieces

1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped into small pieces

½ tsp smoked paprika

1 lime, juiced

5 cups baby spinach

1 (15 ounce) can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups mexican blend shredded cheese, divided into 1/2 and 1 1/2

½ tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

8″ whole wheat tortillas

freshly chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

Make the enchilada sauce.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ Fahrenheit with the rack in the middle. Spray a 9X13″ casserole dish with olive oil.

In a 12 inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once it’s hot add the chopped onion. Cook until fragrant about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, cook 5 minutes or until the broccoli is bright green. Mix in the bell pepper, smoked paprika and lime juice. Mix in the baby spinach, allow it to wilt about 2 minutes. Mix in beans. Cook another 2 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.

Assemble the enchiladas. Pour 1/4 cup enchilada sauce into the casserole dish and spread it around. Top each tortilla with some of the veggie mixture. Lay it down the center of the tortilla and roll the sides up over it. Place each stuffed tortilla with the seam side down into the casserole dish until you have used up all the veggies. You will end up with 8 or 9 enchiladas.

Top with the remainder of the enchilada sauce. Pour the sauce down the middle of the enchiladas keeping the edges bare. Top with the remainder of the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

~ Marla Meridith

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May 29, 2020

Recipe: Campfire Skillet S’mores Dip

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter

20 oz chocolate bars broken into pieces or chocolate chips, milk, semi sweet or a combo

⅓ cup heavy cream

10 oz (1 bag) large marshmallows

graham crackers for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Place the butter in a 10″ cast iron skillet. Melt the butter in the oven. Remove the skillet from the oven.

Place the chocolate into the skillet. Drizzle the cream over the top. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden brown.

Remove the skillet from the oven and serve hot with the graham crackers for dipping. *be careful around the hot skillet

~ Marla Meridith

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May 11, 2020

Recipe: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

¾ fl oz whole wheat pastry flour

¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 cups mixed chocolate, peanut butter & white chocolate chips

Directions

Brown Butter

Bring the butter to a boil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Swirl the pan a few times. The butter will bubble then foam. Once the foam subsides, swirl the pan and you will see brown flecks. The butter will have a nutty, toasty aroma. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer to a heat proof container. Let cool to room temperature.

Make the Cookie Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cooled brown butter on medium speed with the granulated and brown sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, peanut butter and vanilla. Beat on medium high speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle as needed.

Add the flour mixture to mixer bowl, beat on low until combined. Mix in the oats. Mix in the chocolate chip medley.

Transfer the dough to a clean work surface covered in plastic wrap. Divide the dough into two portions and pat them into disks. Wrap each separately in the plastic wrap. Cool the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes up to 4 days. This dough will become very firm if chilled over 1 hour. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before using it.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit with the racks in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners. Place 2 tablespoon portions of dough 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until slightly golden brown on top.

Let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to cooling racks.

~ Marla Meridith

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April 20, 2020

Recipe: Very Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients

1 lb brown rice lasagna pasta

1 (10 oz) package frozen, chopped spinach

1 (16 oz) container 4% milkfat cottage cheese

1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese (non fat or whole milk)

2 tbsp olive oil

½ yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 green zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 bell pepper (any color)

25 oz whole white mushrooms, sliced

1 32 oz jar your favorite tomato sauce

Kosher salt & pepper

1 chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

2 cups shredded mozzarela and cheddar cheese

Directions

Cook pasta to package directions. Drain then rinse in cold water.

Thaw the spinach in the microwave. Squeeze out excess water and place in a large bowl. Mix with the ricotta and cottage cheese. Season with some salt and pepper.

Add olive oil to a large skillet. Sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and bell peppers. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies soften. Mix the veggies as they cook. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir the tomato sauce into the skillet and 1/4 cup parsley. Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375˚ Fahrenheit with the rack in the middle.

Start with a thin layer of sauce in a 9X13 inch casserole baking dish. Add a layer of cooked lasagna noodles. On top of the pasta add a layer of the ricotta/cottage cheese mixture, then a layer of sauce and the noodles again. Continue layering finishing with a layer of the pasta then finally the sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the sauce.

Bake the lasagna for 35 minutes then broil on low for 5 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown. Top with 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Serve while hot.

~ Marla Meridith

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April 15, 2020

Recipe: Homemade Blueberry Pop Tarts

Ingredients

Pastry Dough

3 ¼ cups AP unbleached flour

1 tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp Kosher salt

¼ cup granulated sugar

8 oz unsalted butter

½ cup corn syrup

Fruit Filling

850 g fresh, frozen, chunks, sliced fruit

⅔ cup (75 g) light brown sugar or granulated sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon or ginger

1 pinch Kosher salt

2 tbsp (25 g) cornstarch

Egg Wash

1 large egg

2 tsp water

Glaze / Royal Icing

1 ¾ cups powdered sugar

34 tbsp milk

⅛ tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp any extract flavor (vanilla, lemon, orange, etc)

of color if desired

Directions

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sifted dry ingredients. Add the butter and mix until it combines with the dry ingredients. Add the corn syrup and mix until a ball is formed. Let the dough rest for 2 hours in a cool place.

Make the filling while the dough rests. In a saucepot, bring the fruit to a boil. Combine the dry ingredients. Once the fruit has released its juices and has come to a boil, add the dry ingredients. While whisking, bring the mixture to a boil and hold at a boil for 3 minutes. Let cool.

Roll the dough onto a floured surface until it is 3 mm thick. Cut the rolled dough in half. Cut one half of the dough into the 3 x 5 inch rectangles. Cut the second half of the dough into 3¼ inch x 5¼ inch rectangles – these slightly larger rectangles will be the top of the pop tarts. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the bottom pop tart dough rectangles on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. With a pastry brush, paint the egg wash around the outside edge of the dough. Put the cooled pop tart filling inside of the egg wash rectangle. Add the larger rectangle dough on top of the filling. On one side of the rectangle, press the two pieces of the dough together, fastening them with a fork. Brush the top of the pop tart with egg wash.

Combine the egg and water with a fork or a whisk.

Bake until a light golden brown 15-20 minutes. Let cool. Using a spoon, knife, brush, palette knife or hands, spread or dip the cooled pop tart. Let dry and enjoy.

~ Marla Meridith

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April 13, 2020

Recipe: Cream Cheese Lemon Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

4 oz full fat cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus zest from 1 lemon (about 1 tbsp)

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp Kosher salt

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the sugar and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes until fluffy and lighter in color.

Mix in the egg, vanilla, zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix for one minute until well combined, scarping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the coconut.

Turn the mixer to low and mix in the flour until just combined.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit with the racks in the middle.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place scoop 2 inches pieces of dough, rolling them into balls. Place onto the baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minuets or until the edges are lightly brown. Do not over bake.

Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.

~ Marla Meridith

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