Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Blueberry Bottoms

April 1, 2016April 1, 2016 / ktbuchs87

Told you this week was all about the Meyer lemons and poppy seeds. Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Blueberry Bottoms | Life Healthfully Lived

Of course, I had to make some lemon poppyseed muffins because who gets lemons and poppy seeds and DOESN’T make muffins? Psychos, that’s who. I might be crazy but I’m no psycho. Anyways….

I was a little worried that these wouldn’t turn out after I made my first batch and they were…. well, bland. They tasted like nothing and that’s not what you want from a muffin. So I switched a few things around and the second batch turned out much better. They even got the approval of my family at Easter, so that’s an even bigger plus! DSC_4509_00004 DSC_4507_00003

I used frozen blueberries because that’s what I had at the time but if you want to use fresh that’s good too. You might have to adjust your cook time, so keep an eye on them. Other than that this recipe is pretty straightforward and fairly simple to make!

After the recipe, you’ll find a quick poll. It will only take a few seconds and it will help me make this blog even better for you. Thank you in advance and have an awesome weekend!

Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Blueberry Bottoms

1 cup almond flour
6 tbsp tapioca starch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
3 tbsp Meyer lemon zest
1 flax egg (3 tbsp flax meal mixed with 6 tbsp water. Let sit for 10 minutes to gel)
scant 1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly oil each well.
Combine all of the dry ingredients, except for the lemon zest, into a medium bowl and whisk together so it’s light and fluffy.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and make sure everything is completely incorporated.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. With a spatula, fold everything together. Once mixed together, add the zest and stir a few times to combine.
Place 3 to 4 blueberries in the bottom of each muffin well and then spoon in about 2 tablespoons of batter. These won’t rise a ton, so you can fill them about 3/4 of the way up.
Bake the muffins for about 22 minutes (a little less if using fresh blueberries). Remove them from the oven and see if the middle is set. If not bake for another 2 minutes.
Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

DIY Wednesday: Lemon Poppyseed Vinaigrette

March 30, 2016March 29, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

Be prepared for all the lemon/poppyseed recipes this week. More specifically, be ready for Meyer lemon and poppyseed recipes. I found a whole bag of Meyer lemons at Aldi for $1.99 and since I had never tried them I picked them up and found a few delicious ways to use them.

Dressing was one of the first things I did with them, I also made muffins, marinades, smoothies, drizzled over fish and chicken for the husband, and even tried them in eggs. Yeah, that last one was not good. But gotta experiment right? Lemon Poppyseed Dressing | Life Healthfully Lived

If you aren’t familiar with Meyer lemons, they’re kind of like if an orange and a lemon had a baby. It’s a little sweet and a little sour and a lot yummy. It works really well in a lot of recipes because it doesn’t have the puckering effect of lemon but doesn’t end up overly sweet. Sadly, Meyer lemon season is short but that makes it even more special. So if you have seen these lemons in your grocery store but have never known what to do with them, stick around and try my vinaigrette today and some muffins on Friday!

Lemon Poppyseed Vinaigrette

1/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (please use fresh juice, it tastes so much better)
1 tbsp lemon zest (from those lemons you just squeezed)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced very small
1 small clove garlic, minced very small (more if you REALLY like garlic)
2 tsp poppyseeds
1 tsp maple syrup or honey
1/4 tsp salt (more if needed)

Place a fine mesh sieve or strainer over a large bowl or sturdy measuring cup. Squeeze your lemon juice over this so you can catch seeds and any pulp. Keep going until you have 1/3 cup.
Put the rest of the ingredients into a mason jar or other container with a secure lid. Shake everything together and use over your next salad or as a marinade for fish, chicken, or pork.

Make sure you store this in the fridge and use it within the next few days. Now, just so you know as this sits, the ingredients will separate into different layers. That’s fine, all you have to do is shake it up right before you use it. The olive oil also might solidify a bit in the fridge but that doesn’t mean it’s gone bad or anything, just let it sit out until it’s back to room temperature. Lemon Poppyseed Dressing | Life Healthfully Lived

Other than that, enjoy this refreshing and healthy vinaigrette!

Easter Sunday Best

March 28, 2016March 28, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

Hello and happy Monday! I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend and if you celebrate Easter I hope you had a hoppy…. I mean happy one!

Easter Sunday Best | Life Healthfully Lived

Please ignore my horrendous growing-out-my-pixie hair! We clean up pretty good

My weekend was a little busier than usual because I’m actually coming to you from Sycamore right now. I’m house/dog-sitting and get to romp about in my old town and enjoy the slow pace of “country” life. In case you were wondering, the minute you move to any big city like Chicago every other town becomes “country”. Yes, it’s snobby and pretentious but what did you expect from city-folk?

My sister always looks like this as she sets the table

Mom & D actually setting the table

I actually love coming out here not just because I get to cuddle and hang out with an awesome golden retriever but I get to take food pictures in natural light! There are like a gajillion windows here and when you’re used to two interior facing windows that maybe get 2 hours of sunlight a day, you revel in the natural light goodness. Expect beautiful food pics in the near future.

Cooking up the sweet potato hash

D cutting up the Easter ham

Speaking of food, my family had some good stuff at Easter brunch. My sister made this awesome quinoa/broccoli/cranberry/candied walnut salad that I could have eaten until my stomach burst. I need to replicate it like immediately. I made my sweet potato hash because everyone really liked it at Christmas plus it’s a good dish to feed a crowd. I also tested out some muffins on everyone and the feedback was pretty good so you should see those soon. There was also fruit, Irish soda bread, ham, hard-boiled eggs, deviled eggs, pasta salad, and mimosas. I don’t think anyone went hungry….

Jodie excited about the ham…

Me excited/terrifying about Easter

And Andy just excited about food

Overall, it was a great weekend and I’m glad that I got to spend time with my family. Now I’m looking forward to some good blog work and more spring-like weather!

Happy Easter from the Buchanans/Bullards/Dawsons/Meyers!

How about you guys? What did you eat for Easter?

Broccoli Rabe Pesto

March 25, 2016March 24, 2016 / ktbuchs87

I have another recipe for you today that uses up leftover vegetables and still tastes delicious. Broccoli rabe has been one of my favorite things lately. It’s a little bitter and earthy, but if you prepare it right and use all the garlic it turns into this amazing dish that I have been putting in my veggie noodle bowls every weekend.

It’s a vegetable-palooza up in here.

Well, last week I was not digging the greens and ended up with a pile of cooked broccoli that was just about to go bad. I was so tempted to throw it away because what can you do with almost mushy vegetable? Broccoli Rabe Pesto | Life Healthfully Lived

Turn it into pesto! Yes, you can use anything to make pesto and I will use any excuse in the book to make and use pesto because as Phoebe would say, pesto is the besto.

I kind of threw stuff together and hoped that everything would turn out and I got pretty lucky. I thought I was so revolutionary but then a quick internet search proved me wrong BUT my version is dairy-free so I think that counts for something. You can also make this pesto with regular broccoli if you haven’t jumped on the broccoli rabe bandwagon or can’t find it. Just make sure whatever you use is already cooked because raw broccoli rabe pesto would definitely not be the besto.

Broccoli Rabe Pesto

1 1/2 cup cooked broccoli rabe or plain broccoli
1/3 cup slivered almonds (you could use slices too)
3 tbsp nutritional yeast (if you do dairy you could use parmesan)
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 and spread the almonds onto a baking sheet and toast for about 5 minutes. Check often to make sure you don’t end up with burnt almonds. Remove from oven and let cool.
While the almonds are toasting, check your broccoli rabe and remove any pieces that are too brown or mushy (a little mushy is ok as everything will be blended up)
Put the garlic cloves into a blender or food processor and pulse a few times until it’s fairly minced. Add the almonds and nutritional yeast or cheese and pulse until you have a crumbly mixture.
Add the broccoli rabe and pulse again and then add the olive oil. Blend until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.

You can use this pesto anywhere that you would use regular pesto. Pasta, bread, vegetables, vegetable noodles, spoons, fingers… You know, the usual. It would be a great spring-like dish to bring to your Easter feast on Sunday and a great way to get in extra vegetables.

I hope you have a great Easter weekend and I’ll see you on Monday!

DIY Wednesday: Cauliflower Stem Cream Sauce

March 23, 2016March 21, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Ok, so if you read my post on Monday then you know that last week I was fighting off a stomach bug/virus. It really knocked me on my butt and I’m still trying to get back to completely normal. Because I couldn’t eat anything more than baby carrots and brown rice cakes (totally weird combo I know, but it’s the only thing that didn’t make me want to run to the bathroom) I ended up with a lot of vegetables that were just about to go bad.

Instead of throw them away, because I hate wasting food, I decided to come up with new interesting ways to use them. One of my biggest missions is to reduce the amount of food waste we create each year. There are so many things that we can do with food rather than throw it away but sometimes you have to get creative. If you want a few other ways to cut down on food waste, you can check out this post. DIY Wednesday: Cauliflower Steam Cream Sauce | Life Healthfully Lived

So today we have a recipe that uses a part of the vegetable that most of us throw away, cauliflower stems. Yup, you can eat the stem but because gnawing on a big old stem doesn’t sound too appealing, we’re going to make a creamy sauce that can go on pasta, vegetables, meat, or even used as dressing. The best part is it only requires a few ingredients and minimal effort.

Stop throwing away food that you think you can’t eat because I bet you can use it in a unique and delicious way!

Cauliflower Stem Cream Sauce

1 1/2 cauliflower stems, cut into chunks
1 tsp roasted garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 to 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (or 1/4 cup parmesan cheese if you do dairy)
1/2 to 1 cup reserved steaming water

Save the large main cauliflower stem from your bunch along with any other trimmed pieces you aren’t using with the cauliflower florets. Trim off the green leaves and the tough woody bottom of the large stem and then cut everything into bites size chunks.
Fill a medium pot with about 2 cups water and set up a steamer basket if you have one. If not, you can just boil the cauliflower right in the pot. Steam the cauliflower until very soft and easily pierced with a fork.
Transfer the cauliflower to a blender or food processor and save the steaming water. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and blend until you have a thick paste. Add the reserved water a few tablespoons at a time until you reach the consistency you would like. Thinner for things like dressing and pasta sauce, a little thicker for meat and vegetables.