LAWSUIT BUTTERMILK BLUEBERRY MUFFINS, ADAPTED

The title of this recipe got to me -- I had to try a recipe that generated a lawsuit. The story goes something like this: Marcy Goldman (The Best of BetterBaking.com), worked for and developed recipes for two bakeries and had to leave the recipes behind when she left both. She decided to take legal action to defend her rights as the person who had worked to create such a great muffin recipe. These muffins are purported to be so wonderful because of their moistness and flavor, and the fact that the recipe base will complement any fruit combination. I had blueberries in my freezer, so they were my fruit of choice. And I had leftover streusel from 3 different recipes also in my freezer, so I used that instead of making more. These muffins are really good; however, 1-3/4 cups of fruit (which is what the recipe calls for) is not enough. I like a lot of blueberries in my muffins, and these were sparse. I made a low-fat, lower-sugar version and used whole wheat flour. I also changed the baking temps, because I always start my oven at 500F and reduce to 350-400F as soon as the muffins go in, for a high, tender muffin. I found this recipe on creampuffsinvenice.typepad.com, but it was an adapted version, so I don't know what the original recipe looks like. If you go to Marcy's website, you'll have to pay for the recipe. BTW, this is a thick batter, so I don't think you'll have trouble with the blueberries staying where you put them. I usually put them on top of the batter after the muffin tins are filled and then just push them in. That's what I did, but the batter is so thick and spongy, you're really better off mixing them right in with the batter before filling the tins. The yield is supposed to be 12, but I got 16 standard-size muffins.


Lawsuit Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins, Adapted
Rating: 9 out of 10
For the Streusel Topping:
1 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a bowl, combine all of the streusel topping ingredients. With your fingers, combine until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside if using immediately, or store in the fridge.

For the muffins:
2-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1-1/2 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (or orange, or combination)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1-1/4 cup white sugar (I used 3/4 cup sugar + 2 tsp. Stevia)
1 tsp. molasses
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 large egg
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
2-1/2 cups blueberries (This is 3/4 cup more than the recipe calls for.)

Preheat oven to 500F. (Yes, 500, it's not a mistake. Trust me, this works great!) Line 16 muffin wells with paper cups, or spray with flour-added non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (first 5 ingredients); set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, applesauce, sugar, molasses, lemon juice and egg and beat with a whisk till smooth. Add the buttermilk and beat till smooth. Pour the wet batter into the dry ingredients and just whisk till barely combined. Gently fold in the blueberries with a spatula. The batter should be fairly stiff but spongy. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full. Divide the streusel topping evenly among the muffins. Place in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 350F. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Muffins will be done when they spring back when lightly pressed. Or use a toothpick to test for doneness. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

TOMATO-TOPPED SOLE....OR CHICKEN

Our local Harris Teeter had fresh sole fillets, and they looked too fresh and beautiful to pass up. I usually just do something simple with sole, like just saute them in some butter and wine and top with sliced almonds. But I decided to search for a new recipe. I found this one on allrecipes. As usual, I made some additions and changes to the recipe. But, may I say before we go any further, that this recipe would be much better suited to chicken fillets. The delicate flavor of sole was completely lost with all these heavy ingredients. The ingredients themselves were wonderful, but not with the sole, IMHO. However, fussy Guy loved it. Go figure. You decide whether you want this with sole or chicken (or catfish, or flounder).

Tomato-Topped Sole....or Chicken (for one or two)
Rating: (for the sole: 4 out of 10; for chicken: 9 out of 10)

1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. Smart Balance Lite (or olive oil), divided use
4-5 large whole mushrooms, sliced
3-4 fillets of sole (.4 - .5 lb.)
several nice pinches of sea salt (I used McCormick Sicilian Sea Salt)
few pinches of black pepper
1 fresh, ripe tomato, sliced
1 fresh garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. white wine
1 Tbsp. lemon juice + 3-4 thinly sliced lemon pieces
2-3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

In a small skillet, saute onion in 1/2 Tbsp. Smart Balance until tender. Transfer to a sheet of aluminum foil.
Saute the mushrooms in 1/2 Tbsp. Smart Balance and place them over the onions. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and pepper.
Add the last tablespoon of Smart Balance to the hot skillet, turn the heat to low and add the minced garlic; deglaze the pan with the wine. Off heat and stir in the lemon juice along with some of the sliced lemon pieces. Put the fillets on top of the veggies, and top with the tomato slices. Lightly salt and pepper the tomatoes and fish; sprinkle the garlic-lemon mixture over everything, then top with the chopped parsley.
Fold the edges of the foil up to make a "pan" for the fish, but do not cover it. Place on a 375F grill and cook with the lid down for about 10-15 minutes, or till fish and veggies are done.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-CHERRY COOKIES, AKA JOHN'S KITCHEN SINK COOKIES

Right now, my fridge, freezer and pantry are overloaded with leftovers of baking projects. Like the 2 cups of dried cherries soaked in creme de cocoa...and the tub of crumb topping in the freezer that's a combination of 3 different topping leftovers...the half-used carton of buttermilk... the bag of self-rising flour...etc., etc. Enter Martha Stewart (and many others on the internet) with John's Kitchen Sink Cookies recipe. If they're throwing in the kitchen sink, maybe I can use some of my leftovers. Hmmm. Martha says these cookies are chewy and rich, sweet and nutty, and that other dried fruits besides raisins would work. So I decide to give these a try with my drunken cherries and some white chocolate chips.

Let me say a word about white chocolate chips. Do not buy Nestle Premier White Chocolate Chips. Why? There's no cocoa butter in them, only partially hydrogenated palm kernel and palm oils. Read the label. Don't buy Ghiradelli white chocolate chips. There's no cocoa butter in them. Only palm kernel and palm oils. If you don't like white chocolate chips, you may be eating the wrong ones. Do yourself a favor and go to Wal-Mart: buy Sam's Choice white chocolate chips, made with real cocoa butter and no hydrogenated oils. They're delicious and quite inexpensive.

The flavor combination in these cookies is a real winner; white chocolate and creme-de-cocoa- soaked cherries are addictive. Bet you can't eat just one. Try these, and they'll be on your list of faves.

White Chocolate-Cherry Cookies, AKA John's Kitchen Sink Cookies (half recipe)
Rating: 8 out of 10
(for original recipe, go to http://www.marthastewart.com/ and do a search on John's Kitchen Sink Cookies.

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned and leveled
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. dark corn syrup
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup dried cherries soaked in 1/2 cup creme de cocoa for as long as you can (I put mine in the fridge, covered for more than a week; alternatively you can simmer the liqueur and cherries in a small pan on the stove for about 3-5 minutes, then drain the cherries.)
1/3 cup white chocolate chips (made with real cocoa butter, no hydrogenated oils)
1/3 cup toasted chopped nuts of your choice (I used walnuts)
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together first four ingredients; set aside.
Using an electric mixer, on low speed, beat together the butter, sugar, corn syrup and vanilla until well combined. Beat in egg until well incorporated, still using low speed. Gradually mix in flour mixture just till combined. Do not overmix. Fold in remaining ingredients.

Drop 2-inch balls of dough, spaced 2" apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten dough balls slightly. Bake 12-16 minutes, or till cookies are lightly browned and test done with a toothpick inserted in center. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: 12 cookies

COCONUT RICE

This is the rice that went with our chicken satay/peanut sauce/cucumber salad meal. It doesn't look like anything special, but believe me it was. The coconut milk does something magical to the rice. Coconut milk is high in fat, so it takes the place of butter here. It changes the texture of the rice. It doesn't clump together or stick to the bottom of the pot. You really have to try this to see how good it is.

Coconut Rice
Ratiing: 10 out of 10
1 cup coconut milk, regular or lite
1-1/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup Jasmine rice

Bring milk and water to a boil; add salt and rice; stir once. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook as package directs (usually 15 minutes). Turn heat off and let rice sit, covered, for 5-10 minutes before serving. Do not add butter, as the richness of the coconut milk is enough.

SARA'S SWEET HOT CUCUMBERS ( A JAD)

This dish is traditionally served with satay.

Sara's Sweet Hot Cucumbers (a jad)
Rating: 8 out of 10
1 cucumber, skin on, quartered lengthwise then sliced thin
1 small sweet onion, quartered then sliced thin
2 Tbsp. sugar
3-4 Thai chile peppers, thinly sliced (These are hot, so plan accordingly -- you can leave them out if you don't want any more heat.)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients and let sit, refrigerated, for at least 1/2 hour or longer if possible. (Note: Always taste after your dish is mixed, so you can adjust seasonings to your liking.)

SARA'S THAI CHICKEN SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE

I was in the mood for something different. I'm not huge on Oriental food, but chicken satay was on my mind, so I searched the internet for recipes and came up with 4 to try. But I was short on ingredients. I thought of my friend, Sara, who is Thai, and asked if I could bum some of the ingredients from her. She offered to show me her version of chicken satay. Since she's Thai, I thought, how could I go wrong? Sara came over with her ingredients, and we made chicken satay together. Sara's hubby, Tom, was working a wedding (he's a photographer), and she was going to be eating alone, so I invited her to eat with us. She brought tortilla-crusted pork and a Thai cucumber salad; I made coconut rice. It was a delightful meal of different tastes. Although I still want to try some other chicken satay recipes only because I like to experiment, I was totally blown away with this recipe, especially the peanut sauce. (Sorry, totally forgot to take a photo.) And so was fussy Guy. You may have to go to an Oriental store to find the red curry paste, but it's amazing stuff. Sara says you can make this spicy hot or mild and mellow, depending on how much of the curry paste you add. The recipe that follows is medium-hot. At first, you won't taste the heat, then after a minute or so, it will kick in. When you're done eating, there will just be a nice tingle in your mouth. Sara makes her peanut sauce thicker than others, because she says it sticks to the meat better. And here's another idea: Thin the sauce with lime juice and use it as a salad dressing. Or spread the sauce, as is without thinning, on crackers for a great snack. Peanut sauce is going to be a staple in my kitchen from now on.

Sara's Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Rating: 9 out of 10
Chicken Satay:
3/4 lb. boneless chicken breast, sliced crosswise into thin strips
1/8 tsp. turmeric
3-4 Tbsp. coconut milk
pinch of sea salt
4-5 wooden skewers

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup coconut milk (we used full-fat, but lite is ok)
1 tsp. red curry paste
1/4 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter (we used chunky)
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. sugar

Put the chicken satay ingredients in a small resealable plastic bag and massage to distribute ingredients well. Press out air and seal bag. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour or longer. Soak skewers in warm water.
In the meantime, make peanut sauce: Heat coconut milk with curry paste over low heat, stirring with spatula till smooth. Add remaining ingredients and continue stirring till it just starts to bubble. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more curry paste if it's not hot enough. Sauce can stay on the stove, covered, until it's time to eat.
Preheat charcoal or inside grill to 400F. Thread chicken on the skewers and cook till done, about 10 minutes, turning once. Spoon the peanut sauce into a dish. Guests spoon some sauce onto their plate and dip their chicken into it. Sauce is also good over coconut rice with chopped peanuts sprinkled on top.

SOUTHERN LIVING'S TORTILLA-CRUSTED PORK

My friend, Siri (we call her Sara), brought this dish over the other night. It's supposed to be cooked in a large skillet over medium heat, in some oil. Instead, we put it on our grill, over the middle burner that was turned off.
Sara said her grandkinds loved this, and they're not very adventuresome eaters. Fusspot Guy also liked it, so I think it's a winner. It's good cold, too. You're supposed to serve it with tomatilla salsa, and pico de gallo, but we served it with some jarred salsa I had in the fridge. We were also having chicken satay with peanut sauce, and we tried dipping the pork in the peanut sauce and actually liked it better. Maybe it's just that we went bonkers over the peanut sauce (that post is coming, stay tuned). Here's the recipe -- give it a try, I think you'll like it.

Tortilla-Crusted Pork
Rating: 8 out of 10
(Makes 6 servings; Prep: 20 min., Cook: 12 min.)
2 lb. pork tenderloin
1/2 cup finely crushed blue-corn tortilla chips
1/2 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
1 Tbsp. coarsely ground pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs

1. Remove silver skin from tenderloin, leaving a thin layer of fat covering tenderloin. Cut meat into 1" thick medallions.
2. Combine tortilla chips and seasonings in a bowl. Brush medallions with 1-1/2 Tbsp. oil, and dredge in tortilla chip mixture, pressing mixture into medallions on all sides to thoroughly coat. (Note: Sara used all 3 Tbsp. of the oil here because these were put on the grill, not in the skillet.)
3. Cook pork medallions in remaining 1-1/2 Tbsp. hot oil in large skillet over medium heat 6 minutes on each side, or until done. (Note: We placed them on a turned off burner, using the other two burners as indirect heat, closed the cover, and cooked them about 15 minutes, turning once. The grill was set at 400F.) Serve with salsas. Garnish, if desired.
This recipe is from Karin Jane Stern, Hutto, Texas
Per serving (not including salsas): Calories, 262; fat 12.5g; protein 32.4g; carb 4.1g;
sodium 262mg