Cornantine Muffins

It's now day 962,531 8 of quarantine, but it's also Monday which means it's time for #MuffinMonday! 

When I was trying to figure out which muffins to make for this #muffinmonday in quarantine I first started thinking about the word quarantine or bidud in Hebrew. I thought of what foods start with Q and B and also had to take into account what I have on hand. I thought of quinoa muffins, quiche muffins, banana muffins, and blueberry muffins and then as I was falling asleep last night it came to me - CORNANTINE muffins! 

I know it's super corny and yes that was super corny but these muffins are perfect for quarantine and the third lockdown that just began in Israel because these muffins don't have any fancy ingredients, just pantry staples. To take these muffins over the top I added a ton of blueberries to the batter and combined with the sweet corn flavor these muffins definitely make any day especially a day in quarantine so much better! 

One of the best food memories I have from growing up is my mother making corn muffins for a weekday breakfast. It made a regular Tuesday morning into something special. The batter comes to gather in minutes and they bake for about 20 minutes so we were able to enjoy these before we hopped on the bus to school. They are best served hot and fresh from the oven with a pat of butter and a little bit of jam.

Cornantine Muffins 

1 cup cornmeal - in Israel קמח תירס, not קורנפלור which is corn starch 

1 1/4 cups flour 

1 tsp salt 

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup sugar 

1/2 cup oil or 1 stick melted butter

3/4 cup buttermilk*

2 eggs

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)

zest of 1 lemon (optional)

2 Tbsp turbinado sugar to sprinkle over the top 

Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C

Grease a standard-size muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl mix together the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined. Add the sugar, oil/butter, buttermilk, and eggs and stir until just combined. If using blueberries and lemon zest fold them in now.
Fill the prepared muffin tin with the batter, sprinkle each muffin with sugar, and bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

*This recipe uses buttermilk which adds to the flavor and more importantly the texture of the muffin. If you want to make them dairy-free or only have regular milk on hand, no problem! Just mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the 3/4 cup milk or dairy-free milk of your choice and let it stand for 5 minutes and you're good to go. 

Yield: 12 standard-size muffins

Like all the muffins on this blog, these should be stored in a zip-top bag or airtight container on the counter for 2 days (if you don't eat them all before hand) they also freeze beautifully. 

Cauliflower Chickpea Soup

I'm on day 839,426 seven of quarantine, but that doesn't mean that #SoupSunday wouldn't happen! I made this soup using ingredients that I always have on hand and that to me is my favorite type of cooking. Opening the fridge/freezer and pantry to go shopping for ingredients instead of going to the supermarket means I can make soup without changing out of my pajamas and if that isn't living the life I don't know what is :)

Every time I use a bag of frozen cauliflower I always save the little crumbs that aren't suitable to serve as a side dish. I collect all of those cauliflower crumbs in a Ziploc bag in my freezer and after a while, I had enough to make this soup. I actually thought about making this soup before I went to NY, but then thought, no this is perfect pantry staple soup, a soup perfect for quarantine. It's also really perfect for the next lockdown that Israel is heading into tonight, but let's talk soup. 

This soup starts out by roasting the cauliflower and chickpeas with a good pinch of cumin. This step adds an amazing layer of flavor to the soup so please don't skip it. While the cauliflower and chickpeas roast the onion and garlic saute in a pot on the stove and then some white wine joins the party to deglaze the pot which releases any stuck-on bits of flavor from the bottom of the pot. The wine reduces and adds another layer of flavor to the soup in the form of acidity and slight fruitiness which is a great addition to the soup. The roasted cauliflower and chickpeas get added to the pot along with some water the soup then cooks for a bit and then gets blended until smooth and creamy. If you want to go all out you can add a good splash of heavy cream or coconut milk to the soup to make it really rich, but honestly, it doesn't really need that because the cauliflower and chickpeas make the soup really creamy on their own. 

See notes below the recipe about ingredient explanations and substitutions.

Cauliflower Chickpea Soup 

800 grams of frozen cauliflower  or 1 large head of fresh cauliflower broken down into florets 

1 can chickpeas drained 

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

Salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

3/4 tsp cumin 

1 medium onion, diced 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1/3 cup semi-dry or dry white wine 

5-6 cups of water 

Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F 

In a large pot add the cauliflower, chickpeas, 2 tablespoons olive oil, pinch of salt, pepper, and cumin. Stir to coat the cauliflower and chickpeas with the olive oil and spices. You can toss the cauliflower with the spices in a bowl, but why dirty a bowl when this pot is going to get dirty when you make the soup?

Place the seasoned cauliflower and chickpeas in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray. Roast for 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp around the edges. 

With 10-15 minutes left to the roasting time start sauteing the onion. Take that same pot that you tossed the cauliflower and chickpeas in and place it over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the diced onion along with a pinch of salt. Cook the onion for about 8 minutes until slightly tender and golden. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add the white wine and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. After the cauliflower and chickpeas have roasted you can reserve a few florets and chickpeas for garnish. Add the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas along with 5 cups of water. You don't want to add all the water at once because not all bags and heads of cauliflower are created equal and you might not need all 6 cups of water. When you blend the soup you can add more water if the texture is too thick for you, but you don't want to add all the water at once because you can always add more, but you can't remove it. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the flame and cover the pot. 

Simmer the soup for 20 minutes, remove from the heat and then blend until smooth using an immersion blender or work in batches in a stand blender. If the soup is too thick add some of the reserved 1 cup of water until you reach your desired thickness. 

Taste the soup and add more salt if necessary. Ladle it up and enjoy! 

Yield: 4-6 servings 

A few notes about the ingredients 

Cauliflower - fresh or frozen or even riced whichever you prefer. In Israel, the frozen bags are usually 800 grams and I've looked online and seen that in the States the bags are usually 24 oz or 32 oz you can use either size the soup will be just fine. 

Chickpeas - if you don't have use canned white beans instead 

Onion - you can use 3 shallots in place if you don't have an onion on hand just use 1 clove of garlic instead of 3 as shallots have slight notes of garlic. 

White wine - there is 1/3 of a cup in the recipe - please use a wine that you would drink, a wine that you enjoy because why would you add something that doesn't taste good to your soup? If you don't have any wine on hand you can use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or 2 tsp white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup of water.

Hot Cocoa Muffins

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, well not here. I just got back to Jerusalem and the weather here in Israel is sunny and warm, but last week in NY when I made these muffins the weather was quite snowy. 

I absolutely love the snow. Everything is sparkling white and last week NY really was a winter wonderland. 

After spending time in the snow all I want to do is have a big cup of hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows. That cozy cup of post snow cocoa was the inspiration for this week's #muffinmonday. A rich chocolate muffin with plenty of gooey marshmallows and a lot of mini chocolate chips. These muffins will definitely warm you up after a walk through the snow or you can enjoy these muffins in a warmer climate and think about the snow. Whichever weather scenario you choose be sure to make these muffins! 

and now that I'm back in Israel that means quarantine so since I've got no place to go so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! 

Hot Cocoa Muffins 

1 3/4 cups flour 

1/2 cup cocoa 

2 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp baking soda 

3/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup oil 

1/2 cup milk of your choice 

1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1/4 cup water 

3 eggs 

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup mini marshmallows / 6-8 regular sized marshmallows cut up 

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips plus a bit more for sprinkling on top before baking

Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C

Line a standard-size muffin pan with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In a liquid measuring cup mix together the oil, milk, coffee+water, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the brown sugar. Mix until just combined. Make sure not to overmix your batter or else your muffins will be dense and chewy. Fold in the mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips.

Scoop into prepared muffin pan and sprinkle each muffin with a few mini chocolate chips.

Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven. 

Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing and allowing to cool on a wire rack. 

Fluffy Cheese Muffins

On Chanukah there is a tradition to eat dairy foods. I know what you're thinking, isn't Shavuot the holiday that we ate dairy and Chanukah is the holiday with the fried foods? Well on Chanukah we have the custom to eat delicious dairy foods as well as fried foods because of the story of one heroic woman. During the Chanukah story, the brave Yehudit goes to the tent of a Greek general, she feeds him salty cheese which causes him to be thirsty, and she then gives him plenty of wine. While he is drunkenly asleep she kills him and upon finding out that their general had been killed, the Greek army fled. 

In memory of Yehudit's bravery, we eat dairy products. This should also prove as to why latkes should only be eaten with sour cream, but we're not here for latkes let's talk fluffy cheese muffins! 

I wanted to create a muffin that flavor-wise reminds me of cheesecake, but is texturally a fluffy muffin. This muffin is made with farmer cheese which a soft mild white cheese with a slightly crumbly texture. The batter has plenty of vanilla extract and a tiny pinch of cinnamon which gives these muffins a delicious flavor.  

These muffins are not overly sweet so they are perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee, but if you want to take these muffins to next level fold some chocolate chunks or berries into the batter or you can go full on Chanukah and make these into Muffganiot by adding a scoop of jam into the center of the muffin! 

Fluffy Cheese Muffins

2 1/2 cups flour 

1/4 tsp baking soda 

2 tsp baking powder 

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

4 Tbsp/55 grams butter, melted 

3 large eggs 

1 7.5 oz package farmer cheese (in Israel look for גבינת טוב טעם)

1 Tbsp vanilla extract 

2/3 cup milk (whole milk is best, but 1% is fine too)

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar plus more for sprinkling over the muffins before baking

Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C

Line a standard-size muffin pan with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and set aside. 

In a separate bowl mix together the butter, eggs, farmer's cheese, vanilla, milk, and sugar. 

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients making sure not to overmix. If you would like to add a mix-in like chocolate chunks or berries add them now. 

Scoop into prepared muffin pan and sprinkle each muffin with a pinch of sugar.

Bake for 18-20 minutes in the preheated oven. 

Allow the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing and allowing to cool on a wire rack. 

Dairy Potato Soup

My mother has been making this soup since before I was born. I remember having it for dinner on a regular weeknight and my for a dairy meal on Pesach. It's hearty, filling, and really simple to prepare. 

The recipe came about a long time ago when my mother was chatting with a friend about dinner ideas for the nine days. Her friend told her about a very basic potato soup recipe, but over the years my mother has changed it up and added more vegetables. The original recipe was just potatoes, onions, and celery. After the soup finishes cooking it is partially pureed which results in a thick and rich soup, but some of the chunks of potato are left whole so every few spoonfuls you also get a bite of creamy soft potatoes. 

A thick and delicious soup with chunks of creamy potatoes, what's not to love? Bonus, the soup is packed with vegetables, but even the pickiest eaters in my family were none the wiser and we scraped our bowls clean. 

My mother finishes the soup with a little bit of chopped fresh dill. It brightens up this rich soup and the dill flavor pairs well the creamy potato. 

Dairy Potato Soup 

1 Tbs butter 

2 tsp olive oil 

1 large onion, diced

1 rib of celery, diced 

1 medium carrot, diced 

1 parsnip, diced (if you are unable to find parsnip don't worry just leave it out) 

1 handful fresh or frozen* green beans cut into 1 inch pieces (if using frozen see note below)

3 medium russet potatoes (in Israel used red skin), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks 

1 cup milk (1% is fine, but it's eve better with whole milk) 

3 cups water 

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp chopped fresh dill 

Add the butter and oil to a large pot over medium heat and allow the butter to melt completely. Add the diced onion along with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat the onion in the fat and salt and cook for about 10 minutes until translucent - you don't really want to get any color on the onion. Add the celery and cook for another 5-8 minutes until slightly tender. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the dill. Cover the pot and cook over medium low heat for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Remove about a third of the potato chunks from the soup and set aside. Blend the soup until smooth and then add the potatoes back in to the soup along with the dill. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Ladel into bowls and top with fresh dill if desired.  

*If using frozen green beans add them about 5 minutes before the soup is finished cooking not when you add the rest of the ingredients. If you want to make this soup for Pesach and you don't eat green beans, just leave them out. 

Bourbon Maple Pecan Muffins

I often talk about inspiration in the kitchen. When I have no ideas of what to cook or bake I'll think about a childhood memory, an experience I had, or just take a walk around the shuk or supermarket to get inspiration for what to make. 

This week's #muffinmonday is also my brother's birthday so my brother is my inspiration for this week's muffin! To come up with the flavor I thought about what my brother loves to eat. I did not think a steak muffin would go over so well so I turned to his favorite dessert, pecan pie! I thought about what makes pecan pie so good and took the flavors from the traditional autumn dessert and translated them into muffin form. 

The buttery pecans pair really well with the flavors of strong bourbon and the sweet notes of maple syrup so why not enhance the pecan flavor by adding a little bit of both. 

My one issue with pecan pie is that it is a bit too sweet for me so for these muffins I scaled back on the sweetness, but the flavor of the muffin will remind you of a slice of pecan pie. If you would like to make the muffins a bit sweeter top each muffin with a little sprinkling of sugar before baking.

Happy Birthday Bro! 

Bourbon Maple Pecan Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour 

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda 

3/4 tsp salt

tiny pinch of cinnamon 

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup milk, of your choice

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla 

2 tsp bourbon

2 Tbs real maple syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 cup chopped pecans + 1/4 cup for topping the muffins

Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C 

Generously coat a standard-size muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a liquid measuring cup mix together the oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, bourbon, and maple syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the brown sugar. Mix until just combined. Make sure not to overmix your batter or else your muffins will be dense and chewy. Fold in 1 cup of chopped pecans.

Fill the prepared muffin tin with the batter and then top each muffin with a few chopped pecans. 

Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before popping out and cooling on a rack. 

Yield: 12 standard-size muffins 

Creamy Roasted Zucchini Garlic Soup

On Sundays, I try to cook with what I have on hand. I open my fridge and I take inventory of what produce is left from the previous week and I'll make my meals for the day from what's left or what's really on its way out.

I came up with this soup when last year when I opened my fridge and saw a few sad-looking zucchinis that I had bought and then forgot about. I thought, how I can use these up when I don't have much else on hand. I took the zucchinis out of the fridge along with an onion my last few cloves of garlic and a single potato and lo and behold this soup was born.  

What makes this soup extra creamy is the addition of chunks of potato that cook in the soup until tender and then everything gets buzzed up so the potato adds a really creamy texture to the soup. My secret to making the soup to be really decadent is the addition of a little more olive oil at the very end which gives the soup a really rich mouthfeel. 

This soup is very simple to prepare and only has 8 ingredients and I'm assuming you definitely have 4 of those ingredients already in your kitchen and the other 4 you most probably have as well. 

Creamy Roasted Zucchini Garlic Soup 

3 Tbs olive oil - divided 

2 large zucchinis, cut into chunks 

5 cloves garlic, smashed  

1 medium onion, diced

1 large potato, peeled and cut into chunks 

5 cups of water 

Kosher salt 

3/4 tsp pepper 

Preheat your oven to 425°F/220°C 

Place the zucchini and smashed garlic cloves on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 20 minutes until the zucchini is slightly golden around the edges. In the meantime heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion starts to become translucent about 5-8 minutes.  Add the roasted zucchini and garlic, potato chunks, and water. Add another pinch of salt and the 3/4 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and allow the soup to simmer for about 15 minutes until the potato chunks are tender. 

Remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup using an immersion blender. You can use a stand blender just be sure to work in batches and to remove the small plastic cap in the cover and place a kitchen towel over the top being very careful with the build-up of steam. 

Whichever method you choose blend until smooth, then add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and blend once more to mix that in and then taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. 

This soup is delicious as is, but I like to garnish the soup with some fresh parsley to compliment the zucchini and bring some freshness to a surprisingly rich soup.

Yield: 4 portions