Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

My favourite on-the-go breakfast is a pastry of some sort and a coffee. And though I'd love to be able to enjoy buttery croissants, pains au chocolat, and cherry strudels daily, I don't exercise nearly enough to justify the indulgence. So I tend to limit the fattening stuff to weekends and make some attempt at healthy eating through the week.

These muffins, from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite cookbook, satisfy my carb cravings, while being loaded with nutritious ingredients -- banana, blueberries, whole wheat flour, and buttermilk. There's also butter, but only 1/3 cup for the whole recipe, which makes a dozen. As for sugar, a good part of it comes from the banana.

These also keep nicely for a few days -- although I transferred them to the refrigerator after a day to prolong their shelf life.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12

2 very ripe large bananas
Scant 2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of fine sea salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Scant 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup light olive oil or melted butter
7oz blueberries, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp raw brown sugar

Heat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with muffin cases. Peel the bananas and mash in a bowl, using a fork.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk, egg, olive oil or butter, and bananas. Quickly fold the ingredients together until just incorporated, taking care not to overmix. Tip in the blueberries and give the batter one or two stirs.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and sprinkle with the raw brown sugar. The cases will be quite full. Bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and golden brown on top; a skewer inserted into the center of the muffin should emerge clean.

Let cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Healthy Appetite, Gordon Ramsay, Key Porter, 2008.

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Banana Oat Muffins

Muffins are one of those indulgences I couldn't give up if I tried. My morning coffee just isn't the same without one, and I love all kinds: blueberry, raisin bran, carrot (my all-time favourite), cranberry, morning glory, zucchini, pumpkin (threatening to unseat carrot at the top of my list).


Probably the best muffin I ever ate was in Lake Placid, New York of all places. It was from a little hole-in-the-wall bakery, and the flavour was lemon-raspberry. There was a dusting of superfine sugar on top that contrasted the tartness of the lemon and raspberry perfectly, and also served to give the surface a slight crunch. It was fresh out of the oven, and to die for. And one day, I'll recreate it (or attempt to).

Most recently I baked a batch of banana oat muffins from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite cookbook. They were a snap to whip up -- especially since I had four over-ripe bananas sitting on the counter. These aren't as moist and dense a muffin as some I've had, but they're also healthier than most, with oats and walnuts included in the ingredients. I added a pinch of cinnamon because banana and cinnamon is such a wonderful combination. If you're in the mood to bake muffins but don't want to feel guilty when you eat the whole batch yourself, try this recipe out.

Banana oat muffins

1 1/3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 large ripe bananas
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350F. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.

In a large bowl combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Mix well and make a well in the center.

Mash bananas in another bowl with a fork. Stir in beaten egg and butter. Add to the dry mixture along with the walnuts and fold through until just combined. Don't overmix.

Spoon mixture into paper cases and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite, Key Porter Books, 2008

If you find that after a couple of days the muffins start to get stale, I heat them up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds just to get them warm and soft again. I've also heard brushing the tops with milk and popping them back into a warm oven (200F?) works.

I like to serve these slathered with peanut butter and honey, although that ups the fat and sugar content a bit!

Salut!

Suzanne

Email comments to suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Leftover roast chicken delish in salad

Determined not to waste a morsel of the whole chicken I roasted Tuesday night, tonight I used the leftover meat in a green salad. I had two thighs' worth, which by the way is the most flavourful meat on the bird and still tender after a few days. I cut the meat into bite-sized chunks and tossed it with salad greens, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese.



I whisked together a simple white wine vinaigrette to go with it, and was very satisfied with the results. I've had chicken breast on salads many times and the thigh meat is just so much tastier. It was buttery, and still had that oven-roasted taste even after being in the fridge for a few days. When I spoke with Chef Gordon Ramsay recently he mentioned that one of the ways he's been cutting down on food costs is by buying chicken thighs instead of chicken breast, and I see why. It's much more durable than the breast, which dries out so quickly and doesn't have a fraction of the flavour.

As for the picked-clean carcass, it's currently sitting in a pot of burbling water on the stove where it will stay for a couple of hours until I have some golden, flavourful stock.

Salut!

Suzanne

Comments? Email suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Braised pork with leeks and bok choy

When I was at the market on Saturday I picked up a pork tenderloin, thinking it's been a long time since I made a pork dish. Initially I'd planned to stuff it and roast it whole, but I also craved something light and healthy.



I came upon a simple-looking recipe for Braised pork with leeks and bok choy and decided on that. The recipe also allowed me to employ one of the new cooking techniques I've learned in my George Brown class, which is steaming dishes with the use of parchment paper. It's not quite "en papillote," which refers to a dish cooked in a sealed envelope or package of parchment, but it's close. When it came time to cover my frypan to steam the bok choy during the last three to four minutes, I realized I didn't have a lid big enough. So I used parchment.



There's a method of cutting parchment so it fits your pan, but explaining folds in text is difficult -- you really have to see it, to get it. Basically though, you want the circle of parchment to cover the food, cutting a hole in the centre so steam can escape. It worked perfectly - my greens cooked, everything else stayed moist and tender, and the parchment even helped keep the food warm on the stove in case I wanted a second helping. And I did want one, but opted to save the rest for next day's lunch instead.

Braised pork with leeks and bok choy

1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
1 large leek, white part only, thinly sliced
1 1/4 inch pice of gingerroot, peeled and cut into thin sticks
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 3/4 cups water
3/4 cup dry white wine or rice wine
2-3 tbsp light soy sauce, to taste
3 tsp superfine sugar, or to taste
2 large heads of bok choy, about 8 oz

Cut the pork into bite-sized chunks, trimming away any fat or sinew. Heat a heavy skillet with a little olive oil. Lightly season the pork pieces and brown in batches for about a minute on each side, until golden brown all over. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add a litle more oil to the skillet and stir in the leek, ginger, and garlic. Stir frequently over medium high heat for 4 - 6 minutes until the leek begins to soften. Add the water, wine, soy sauce, and sugar, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze.

Return the pork to the pan and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pan with a lid and gently braise for an hour, stirring from time to time, until the pork is very tender and the sauce has been reduced by half.

Cut the bok choy into quarters lengthwise and place on top of the pork. Cover the pan with the lid and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the bok choy is just tender. Serve the braised pork and vegetables with steamed rice.

Courtesy Healthy Appetite, Gordon Ramsay, Key Porter, 2009

Some personal notes on the recipe:

1) I chopped up the bok choy because I wanted the pieces to be close to the same size on the plate. I didn't want big hunks of bok choy dwarfing everything else.

2) I used Jasmine rice for its fragrant aroma and flavour. Really enjoy cooking with Jasmine, particularly in winter.

3) The white wine really added a depth of flavour to the recipe. Make sure you use a good quality one. I used some Oyster Bay sauvignon blanc, which is one of my favourite white wines to drink.

Salut!

Suzanne

Email your comments to suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Got chickpeas? A simple but delicious supper

I'm currently taking classes three nights a week and on those evenings I barely have an hour to make and eat dinner. And while I have gone the meal replacement bar route on occasion, those never really satisfy me.



So I'm trying out a few recipes that can be made quickly, from pantry staples, and which taste delicious and fill me up. Here's one I've made a couple times now, from Gordon Ramsay's latest cookbook Healthy Appetite. I really enjoy how the flavours come together at the end -- you have to like chickpeas though, as they're the main ingredient.

Flatbread, feta, and chickpea salad

2 large, thin flatbreads or pita breads
1/2 tsp paprika
4 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 red chile, seeded and minced
14oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
generous squeeze of lemon juice
large handful of Italian parsley leaves
sea salt and black pepper
5oz feta cheese

Heat oven to 350F. Split the breads horizontally. Mix the paprika with 2 tbsp olive oil. Brush each piece of bread with the mixture and place on baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden brown and crisp, just 2 to 3 minutes for the flatbreads, 4 to 5 minutes for pita bread.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a pan, add the onion, and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and chile and saute for another minute. Tip in the chickpeas and stir to mix. Squeeze over the lemon juice , add the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Warm the chickpeas through, then tip into a large bowl and let stand for a few minutes. Crumble over two-thirds of the cheese and toss well. Divide between serving plates and crumble over remaining feta. Break bread into smaller pieces and serve on the side.

Serves 3-4

Courtesy Healthy Appetite, Gordon Ramsay, 2008

Salut!

Suzanne

Comments? Email suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Interviewing Chef Gordon Ramsay

This morning I interviewed Gordon Ramsay - the many-Michelin starred culinary dynamo and arguably the world's most famous chef. Was I nervous? Um, yeah! As I read over my questions and prepared to head into the CityNews boardroom, where I was conducting the interview, my palms were sweaty and I think I was actually shaking a little bit. My colleague and friend Brian, who was filming the interview, tried to calm me down, but I could tell he was nervous about it too.


We didn't know which Ramsay to expect - the charming, wisecracking regular guy that you'd love to have a few pints with at the pub, or the angry, expletive-spewing beast from the shows Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares.

Thankfully, it was the former. Chef Ramsay was clever, funny, and eloquent in answering my questions about food, cooking, and his new book Healthy Appetite, which contains some mouthwatering recipes I've yet to try. He also came out with some hilarious Ramsay-isms over the course of our 16-minute chat, including, "That's pants." He was referring to the organic movement and how silly it's become, saying that buying local is better. I guess 'pants' is a bad thing.

When talking about the immense pressure involved in becoming a chef, and how demanding it is, he said something along the lines of having chosen to be amongst the top tier of chefs in the world. "I'm a chef, not a cook at T.G.I.Fridays," he noted vehemently at one point. Or something along those lines. T.G.I.Fridays got a few smackdowns in the interview as I recall. Hilarious stuff. Here's the full interview on CityNews.ca.

Chef Ramsay was also kind enough to pose for a picture (see above), and when I told him I was taking a cooking course at George Brown Chef School, where he'd done a demonstration earlier in the day, he wished me luck in it.

All in all, it was a great experience and a great interview. I can see how, for those who get it, who have that true passion for food and cooking, Ramsay would be a source of huge inspiration, not someone to be feared. You want to rise up to meet his challenge, not shrink away from it.



In fact I'm feeling pretty inspired myself - I'm going to have to come up with something extra special to cook next weekend.

Salut!

Suzanne

Comments, questions, suggestions? Email suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com.