Blueberry-Corn Muffins - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...They're back. My Texas grandsons have grown like weeds and in six short months have crossed that invisible line that separates little boys from more serious works in progress. I'm a bit sad, but also thrilled and proud. Their years become them. On a more practical note, I have to feed these gangly guys and my dainty breakfast muffins will no longer suit this crew. So, I surrendered and bought a pair of jumbo muffin pans, and began a search for a batter with which to fill them. Martha Stewart had just what I was looking for. She developed a muffin that contains corn meal and blueberries. The proportion of corn meal to flour in her recipe is slight, so the end product tastes like a muffin with a really interesting texture rather than cornbread. I didn't make the paper molds she suggested and while my muffins lacked her striking presentation, the jumbo muffin pans worked well. I do have one suggestion to make to you. Use frozen blueberries. This recipe makes a really stiff batter and fresh berries will be mangled when you fold them into the dough. This is a really nice recipe that's a bit unique. You'll also love the aroma of the muffins as they bake. The only downside to this recipe is that the muffins don't keep well. They are, of course, best eaten warm. I hope you'll try these. They really are good. Here's the recipe.

Blueberry-Corn Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
3 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray one jumbo muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2) Place softened butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and honey in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs; beat 1 minute more.
3) Whisk flour, cornmeal, and baking powder together in a medium bowl; add to butter mixture in mixer bowl. Beat until combined. Slowly pour in milk, beating on low, until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Divide dough among muffin cups. Brush tops with cold water; sprinkle 1 teaspoon of reserved sugar over each.
4) Bake until tops are browned, centers are set, and a cake tester inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes. Serve at once. Yield: 6 jumbo muffins.

You might also like the recipes:
Raspberry Streusel Muffins - One Perfect Bite
Morning Glory Muffins - One Perfect Bite
French Breakfast Puffs - One Perfect Bite
Chocolate Chip Muffins - The Purple Foodie
Blueberry Lime Muffins with Ricotta - Savour Fare
Pumpkin Muffins - Whisk: A food Blog
Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Muffins - Food Gal
Very Berry Muffins - Kristen's Kitchen
Orange Marmalade Muffins - The Food Addicts

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Spoon Bread with Leeks and Gruyere Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I rarely make fish and chips, but I had some catfish fillets that had to be used and thought a Southern-style fish fry would be a nice change of pace for our supper. Bob and I completed the river walk at a brisk pace this morning, so I felt less guilty about frying than might otherwise have been the case. I did rule out French fries, but only because I had two other Southern recipes that I wanted to try. We Northern gals rarely have spoon bread. As a matter of fact, I'll wager there are some Northern gals who have never had spoon bread. I'd only had it once before tonight's dinner. Although it's called a bread, it's really more like a cornmeal souffle or savory pudding than a bread. It has a moist, custard-like interior. That interior is probably what led to the practice of always serving the pudding with a spoon. I'm told Southerners wouldn't dream of using a knife and fork to move a serving from the casserole to a plate. The true history of spoon bread is not well documented, so I think some conjecture is fair. Corn was used because it was more readily available than flour. Leaveners, other than yeast, were not generally available until the middle part of the 19th century. Yeast breads take time to make. Cooks, early on, discovered that eggs could be used to quickly leaven certain dishes. Early versions of spoon bread used eggs as a leavener and that moved it into the category of a colonial quick bread. Quick breads, then and now, are popular. This recipe takes spoon bread to another level. It is flavored with leeks and cheese and it is altogether delicious. It's also very easy to make. If you like polenta, I think you'll love this. While Gruyere cheese adds a lovely nutty flavor to the dish, Swiss cheese can also be used. Here's the recipe.

Spoon Bread with Leeks and Gruyere Cheese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, adapted from Savoring America

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped leeks (white and tender green of 3 leeks)
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
2 scallions (white and tender green), chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 1-1/2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add leeks and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add milk, water,salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in cornmeal and return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to stir until mixture thickens and pulls away from sides of pan. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
3) In bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs until thick and pale lemon yellow in color, about 5 minutes. Stir 1/4 cup of cornmeal mixture into eggs. Then fold egg mixture into remaining cornmeal mixture, stirring constantly to prevent eggs from scrambling. Fold in cheese and scallions.
4) Scrape mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve at once directly from casserole. Yield: 6-8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread - One Perfect Bite
Three Savory Quick Breads the French Way - One Perfect Bite
(Almost) Irish Soda Bread - One Perfect Bite

Mămăligă Baked with Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Mămăligă (pronounced mer mer li ger) is a polenta that many call the national dish of Romania. While once thought to be peasant food, it has slowly made its way to homes and the tables of upscale restaurants around the world. Romanian's combine cornmeal with butter and cheese to produce a unique polenta that is wonderful with eggs, cheese, mushrooms or the soured cream they call smântană. I learned how to make it several years ago while at a cooking competition in New York City. The event was held at the Institute of Culinary Education and because we had to prepare our entry 5 times, each contestant was assigned an assistant to help with the work. The rules were a bit out of the ordinary in that we had to make the first of the entries by ourselves but the remainder could be completed with the help of the assistant. I was really fortunate. My assistant, who really knew her stuff, was from Romania and we got along famously. Towards the end of a long but lovely morning, I asked about the food of Romania and that's how I came to learn of mămăligă. I suspect that you'll have a problem finding kashkaval cheese, but provolone or mozzarella can be substituted. If you're looking for something that's different but delicious, give this a try. Preparation is simple but the baked mămăligă should sit for several hours before serving.

Mamaliga Baked with Cheese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons coarse ground cornmeal
4 cups water
1/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup kashkaval or provolone, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
Bacon and scallions, sliced lengthwise

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
2) Place cornmeal in a large, heavy skillet and dry-fry over medium heat until it changes color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Slowly add water, stirring constantly to combine. Add a pinch of salt. Return to heat. Continue to stir until cornmeal begins to thicken. Cover, reduce heat and cook for 25 minutes, stirring often. When a spoon leaves a trail in the mixture it is done. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and feta cheese. Season well with salt and pepper.
3) Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Bake until firm, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool. Let sit for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight. Sprinkle with provolone, bacon and scallions. Serve with a mushroom ragu, sour cream or a chunky tomato sauce. Yield: 6 servings.