Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins!

 Keeping with my Lemony theme this week I  have found the most unbelievably delicious muffin, the Fresh Blueberry and Lemon Ricotta Muffin!! 

 Right now the blueberries are coming in so big and flavorful that it is hard not to bake with them and by adding the Zest of the Lemon you are just brightening the flavors. Using Ricotta Cheese in the muffins guarantees that they will be moist and dense, do not expect these muffins to rise too much. These muffins will keep fresh for a few days but, they are so good they deserved to be shared!

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Adapted from The Curvy Carrot!

Servings: 16 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup Supreme Ricotta Cheese*

1/2 cup Low Fat Milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) Sommermaid Butter, softened

2 large Eggs

Zest of 2 Lemons

1 cup fresh Blueberries* (washed)

1/4 granulated sugar for garnishing the tops of the muffins

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with desired paper liners, or spray with cooking spray. (I use a silicone muffin tin, it protects from burning and works great without using liners just greasing.)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt, mixing well.  Set aside. In your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the ricotta cheese, milk, and butter at low-speed, mixing well. Add the eggs, one at a time at medium speed, mixing well after each addition.

 On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, until just combined. Do not over mix; this should take just one to two minutes.

Blueberries should be folded in by hand. If you add them in the mixer they will break apart and cause your muffins not to rise properly.

Evenly divide the batter between your prepared pans and sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar. Bake until the muffin tops are golden brown on top, about 25 minutes. If you do not have a convection oven setting rotate you muffins after 15 minutes for even baking. When using convection bake check your muffins at about 20 minutes, sometimes they will cook sooner.

Let cool for 10 minutes in muffin pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

* Part Skim Ricotta can be substituted for the Whole Milk. Add extra butter, 1 tablespoon, for moisture.

**Word of warning do not go too crazy by adding extra blueberries, this can cause you muffins to be overly dense and not rise much. If you do want to add extra make sure to also add a little extra flour and baking powder to the recipe. 

Lots and Lots of Lemons In My House

I have lots of Lemons in my house and I am in heaven. With Spring looking like it is just around the corner, even though there was snow this morning, the fresh scent of lemon gets me in the mood of warmer, longer and sunnier days and having them in my kitchen and the scent around my house make things even brighter.
 Most people think that lemons are used just for cooking in the kitchen and in beverages. However, they have so many more uses in all rooms of the house from cleaning, refreshing and decorating. Lemons are a great all natural alternative cleaners that do not contain any of the harsh chemicals that conventional sanitizers, air fresheners, and household cleaners do and often do a much better job at the task at hand removing some the toughest stains from the the most delicate materials!

Cleaning:

1. Stain Remover on Linens - Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into a glass dish and use a q-tip to blot the stain on delicate linens like sheets, tea towels, tablecloths, napkins, and placemats. (Also, great for removing underarm stains from cotton shirts.)
2. Remove Stains on Marble, Polish Brass & Silver - If you have stain on light colored marble mix some baking soda with lemon juice to form a paste. Rub the paste on the stained area and let sit for 20 minutes, then wipe away the paste and the stain. 
3. Clean and Freshen Up Your Microwave - If you have a sticky and food cake microwave clean it quickly and easily with half a lemon. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a bowl with 1 1/2 cups of water and microwave on high for at least 7 minutes and more if it is really dirty. The lemon and water will steam the inside of the microwave softening the caked on food. Once the steam has condensed on the inside of the microwave wipe it away with a warm sponge or cloth. 
4. Make Your Chrome & Aluminum Sparkle - Just rub your chrome fixtures and aluminum pots and pans with some lemon slices to bring out their shine. Wipe after with a clean dry cloth. 

Freshening:

1. Garbage Disposal - If you have leftover halved lemons or rinds toss them down the garbage disposal to freshen it up (works with other citrus fruits too!) The bright citrusy scent with fill the whole kitchen.
2. De-funk a Room of Off Scents - Commercial Air Fresheners do not last long to help with unpleasant smells and most often smell fake and unpleasant themselves. The high end fresheners that lack all the chemicals are often expensive and perfumey. If you put a few slices of lemon in a bowl and leave it in a room within minutes the room will begin smelling fresh and the scent will last for hours and into the next day. This is great for rooms where animals and dirty laundry may linger. 
3. Brighten and Freshen Up a Cutting Board - About once a month or so I clean all of my wooden cutting boards with some fresh lemon before cleaning them with mineral oil. I will also freshen up any of my plastic boards with lemon juice between uses to remove any stains from the boards. 

New Ideas & Uses in the Kitchen:

1. Lemon Salt - If I have extra lemons in the kitchen that I know will not get used in a timely manner I will the zest for lemon scented salt and juice the lemon freezing the juice for future use. First you zest the whole lemon(s) and spread the zest out on a dish. Pop the dish into the microwave for 30 - 45 seconds to dry it out and then let it sit on the counter for 1 hour. Once the lemon zest is dry add it to 1/4 cup of sea salt per lemon in a glass mixing bowl. Combine the zest and salt and store in a glass jar or container in your spice cabinet. It is great to use in just about any dish 
2. Lemon Juice Ice Cubes - Often you have recipes that call for just the zest or juice of half a lemon. If I know I will not be using the juice of the lemon before it goes bad I will freeze the juice of the lemon in an ice cube tray in the fridge and use the cubes when needed for cooking or cleaning. Once the cubes are frozen I transfer them to a freezer bag that is labeled lemon cubes in the freezer, this way no one will get a lemon surprise in their drink!
3. Keep Your Rice Free - If your rice clumps up when cooking add a few tablespoons of juice to the water and it will remain free of clumps.
4. Keep you Fruits Fresh - If you are slicing up apples or pears for a lunch bag or cheese board spray the fruit with a bit of lemon juice to keep the slices from turning brow. You can do the same thing to keep and avocado or bowl of guacamole fresh too. 

Bake Me a Pasta Dish Tonight!!

"Lazy Man Lasagna"

 My husband absolutely loves any type of baked pasta dish that is out there and Sunday being the day before Valentine''s Day I figured why not make him something that he would really enjoy. (We always go out for Valentine's Day!) I had some Backyard Tomatoes that were good and ripe, Supreme Dairy Ricotta Cheese, and  some of the NEFF Ground Beef in the freezer. Mr. Linny likes to call this dish lazy man lasagna but, there is nothing really lazy about making your sauce from scratch!
 What is so great about baked pasta is that it is flexible. You can change it as much as you want adding and subtracting ingredients making it a little different each time. If you have sausage or turkey instead of beef it works perfectly. You can add chopped spinach, mushrooms, zucchini or any other vegetable to spice it up of in place of the meat for a vegetarian dish. Oh and holy leftovers... We had enough to share the next day with our friends!

Ingredients

What you will need:

 Large Pot (8 quarts)

 Large Baking Dish

 Medium Mixing Bowl 

 Cutting Board & Knife

 Measuring Cups

 Wooden Spoon

Ingredients:

4 Backyard Tomatoes

1 Yellow Onion (diced)

6 Cloves of Garlic (chopped)

2lbs of Ground Beef (defrosted)

1 Egg

1 bag of Supreme Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 container of Supreme Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

1/2 stick of SommerMaid Butter

2 cups Penne Pasta

1/4 cup of chopped Fresh Oregano

1 cup of chopped Fresh Basil 

1 cup Dry Red Wine or Beef Broth

2 tbs. Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

 First I boiled a large pot of salted water and when it came to a rolling boil I dropped in the whole tomatoes for about 3 minutes, or until there skin started to slightly peel back. Once this happened I immediately transfered them to a cool stainless bowl and right to the fridge to keep them from cooking. Once they have cooled chop the tomatoes into 1/2 pieces or crush them ( I prefer the crushing method, it is messy but more fun!)

* I used the same water and pot to cook my pasta in effort to save on time and pot usage. Boil the Pasta to an al dente status. That is when the pasta still has a slight hardness to it but is not hard, it will finish cooking in the oven.

After boiling the pasta strain it and set it to the side. Do not rinse the pasta (reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.)

In the same pot you cooked the pasta in add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and warm the pan up over medium high heat. Once the oil is warm (just before it starts to smoke,) add the beef and spread it evenly over the bottom of the pot so it can brown. Allow the beef to brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes, before stirring the beef. Once the beef is browned add the onions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions are clear. 

 At this point you should have a nice brown bottom on the pan. This is flavor so you do not want to waste it. By adding some liquid, in this case wine, you will bring the flavor off the pot and into the food. After adding the wine use your spoon to scrap off the remaining pieces. Once you have scrapped the bottom of the pan add the tomatoes, butter & oregano. Once the butter is melted turn the heat down to simmer and let it cook for 30 minutes covered. Add the reserved pasta water if it thickens to much (or more wine/ broth.) After the thirty minutes turn the heat off the burner.

In a separate bowl combine the ricotta cheese, basil and egg, incorporating the two together. Spoon in the ricotta a little at a time incorporating it into the sauce after each spoon full. Once fully incorporated you can add the pasta to the pot and toss together. Once all the pasta is covered pour the pasta in to a baking dish evenly and cover with the shredded mozzarella. Bake the pasta in the oven  for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve!

Broiled Citrus Salmon for a Cold Winter Day

February is the American Heart Association Go Red month for the awareness of Heart Disease and how it affects everyone through someone. Our hearts are what keep us here and what allow us to be who we are. Yesterday being Valentine's Day, a day dedicated to the heart, I felt it was befitting to use today as a start of a platform for foods that are good for your heart.
 Salmon is an amazing source of protein, has all the right fats and it also high in Omega's. What most people do not know is that salmon is very easy to cook as well (and it will not stink up you kitchen!) One of my favorite go to Salmon dishes is a very simple citrus marinade that you can spice up and dress up for any occasion.

Broiled Citrus Salmon

2 8 oz Fillets of Salmon Thawed

1/4 cup of Munroe Dairy Orange Juice

Juice of 1/2 Lemon  

2 tbs of Olive Oil

zest of 1/2 Lemon

1/2 tsp of Thyme

Salt & Pepper to Taste

 Combine all ingredients in a glass baking dish with the salmon. Cover and return to the refridgerator.

Marinade the Salmon in the citrus and olive oil for at least 30 minutes before cooking. 

 Place the marinaded salmon onto a parchment covered baking sheet. Sprinkle the salmon with the lemon zest, thyme, salt & pepper. Place the cookie sheet on the top rack of the oven  under the broiler (high) for 8 to 10 minutes. When you can seperate the flakes of the salmon with a fork it is done.

 The other half of the lemon can be cut into wedges and served as a garnish! 

*Linny's Tip

 Asparagus is a great accompianment for Salmon and can be broiled in the oven on the same pan, saving you one less dish to wash!

Spice Up the Night with Coconut Chicken Curry

 A few years ago we had gone to a friends house for dinner on a cold winter's night and as soon as we had walked in the door we were welcomed by the warm and inviting aroma of curry and coconut. On the stove was a wonderful dutch oven full of Coconut Chicken Curry. She had noticed my spike of interest in what was brewing and followed with and explanation of how easy the dish was to make! My friend being a school teacher who always stays in the classroom long after the last bell has rung knows the importance of flavorful yet time saving dinners for weekday nights. 

 Every since first having this version of Chicken Curry it has become a staple in my house and is often made in abundance with hopes of visiting friends and leftovers for lunch. 

Coconut Chicken Curry:

Serves 6-8

8 pieces of Chicken Breast cut into 1/2" cubes

2 Yellow Onions Diced

1 Green Bell Pepper Diced

2 Carrots sliced into rounds

2 cup of Chopped Cauliflower

2 cloves of Garlic crushed

1 cup of Peas

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 cups of Chicken Stock or Broth

1 can of Low Fat Coconut Milk

2 tablespoons of Curry Powder

Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven or 6qt stock pot warm the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is warm add the chicken spreading it evenly over the bottom of the pan. Let the chicken cook for 4 minutes and then turn in the bottom of the pan, cook for another 3 minutes. Next add the all of the remaining ingredients bring to a boil. Once the pot comes to a boil turn the burner down to low/ simmer and cover for 30 minutes. 

 This dish can be dressed up with a wedge of lime and chopped cilantro! Serve it over Jasmine Rice for a heartier dish.