The first time I ate an oatmeal muffin was when we visited my husband’s grandmother over 30 years ago. She made them for breakfast for us. I really liked it after I took the first bite and I have been making them ever since. I served them for breakfast when my parents came to visit us from Hungary and they were equally impressed. I remember my mom returned to Hungary with a muffin tin so she could make these delicious muffins.
These apple oatmeal muffins are easy to make and are delicious. The oats give a nice texture and important nutrients. They are packed with raisins and nuts and infused with apple spice. I also added some grated apples to satisfy my autumn cravings and make the muffins moist. Also, because the apples made the muffins moist, I was able to remove the milk. I forgot to squeeze the juice out of the apples and didn’t add the milk … and my new recipe was born! I believe this recipe is even better than the original!
RECIPE
Serves 11 – 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2 tsp apple cinnamon spice or cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4-1/2 cup sugar (plus more for the top)
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter or coconut oil, melted
3 eggs, lightly whisked
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 heaping cups grated apples with the liquids (any baking apples like Fuji, Granny smith, Harlson would work well)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a muffin pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, apple cinnamon spice. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream the melted butter, vanilla, sugar and eggs. Set aside.
Grate the apples. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and the butter mixture. Fold in the apples, nuts and raisins. Mix just until combined. Don’t over mix, otherwise the muffins will be tough not tender.
Scoop the dough into a regular 11 – 12 cup muffin tin. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups. Sprinkle sugar on the top. (If there is an empty cup, fill the empty space with water).
Let the mixture sit for 1 hour if you have time.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Allow the muffins to cool for 10 – 15 minutes before taking them out of the tin. Then transfer them to a wire rack and wait for 10 minutes to completely cool.
Serve at room temperature.
Store on the counter covered with a cloth or in an airtight container.
This is a lovely dish for the autumn! The sweet and buttery pears work nicely with the sweet and tangy berries … and this delicious fruity mixture is covered with the nutty oatmeal topping. Serve it with caramel sauce to satisfy your autumn cravings. It can be a fancy breakfast or a simple, quick dessert!
TIP
This is a sweet dish so ideally sugar should be used. I included a range for the sugar content. Please feel free to use as little sugar or as much sugar as you’d like. Of course, the amount will depend on your sweet tooth and how sweet your fruits are.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOPPING
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup white flour
1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, melted
1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar + 2 tbsp for the top (regular sugar is fine)
1/8 tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
1 tsp apple pie spice or 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp nutmeg + 1/4 cloves+ little mace or 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts + more for serving
caramel sauce for serving
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FRUITS
4 ripe (about 2 cup) but firm fresh pears , cored and chopped (I used Bartlett)
2 cup organic berries, fresh or frozen (I used raspberries and blackberries)
o – 1/2 cup of brown sugar (I didn’t use any as my fruits were sweet enough but if you have a sweet tooth or the fruits are not very sweet, feel free to add sugar)
2 tbsp flour or 1 tbsp corn starch
1 lemon’s juice (use the lemon from earlier)
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp grated dried orange peel (optional)
1 tsp apple pie spice or 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp nutmeg + 1/4 cloves+ little mace or 1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp graded fresh ginger or 1.5 tsp dried ginger (cut and sifted)
2 tbsp whiskey (optional)
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Have baking rack in the lower third of the oven.
2. Make the topping. Cream the melted butter with the sugar. Add oats, flour, apple pie spice, salt and lemon zest. Mix well. Fold in the nuts. Let it sit for an hour.
3. Wash, core and cut up pears into small cubes. You can peel them if the skin is tough, otherwise if they are soft no need to peel them. Set aside.
4. Assemble the fruit base. In a larger bowl, mix the chopped pears, berries, sugar, 1 tsp apple spice, salt, flour or cornstarch, orange peel, ginger and whiskey (if used) together. Spread evenly in a 2 qt size baking dish.
5. Put topping on the top of the fruit base. Sprinkle the top with some sugar (optional). I also graded a little nutmeg on the top.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the middle portion becomes hot.
7. Serve with caramel sauce. Add some extra nuts if you wish.
I could eat this whole dish in one sitting … seriously it is so delicious! It is rich, crispy and cheesy! This savory casserole dish is great to serve for breakfast or any time of the day. It is especially useful if you have to feed many people all at once. Best of all, it can be prepared ahead of time! Just prepare the dish the day before your event and bake the next day. The main ingredients are shredded potatoes, cheese and eggs and I also added spinach and mushrooms. Feel free to make doubles, triples …
Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a casserole dish (11 x 8 x 1 inch).
Grade the potatoes on a cheese grader. I used the larger holes.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Fry the potatoes for 10 minutes. (The potatoes should be cooked to perfection so they are ready to eat). Set aside.
In a separate skillet, fry onions on medium high heat until translucent. Add the sliced bacon for 5 minutes (omit if not using bacon). Add the sliced mushrooms and continue frying them for another 5 minutes. Add paprika and garlic, stir for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup cold water, stir. Add the spinach. Cook for 5 minutes covered. Turn off heat. Add the whisked eggs, milk, cream, salt and half the cheese. If using, add the chopped jalapeno peppers. Set aside.
In a medium sized casserole dish, spread the cooked hash-browns on the bottom of the pre-oiled dish. Pour the egg/vegetable mixture on top of the potato layer. Spread the remaining cheese on top.
Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. (Increase temperature to 400 F for the last 10 minutes if you want a crispy edge). The dish is done when the top has a nice golden color.
Add pepper and salt to taste.
Serve warm with salsa or ketchup. You can also add sausage, ham etc. In the summer, I like to add seasonal vegetables like lettuce, asparagus. In the winter, I like to add pickles.
Surprise your mom for breakfast with these delicious, fluffy pancakes for Mother’s Day or just treat yourself any time!
These pancakes are a happy marriage of the traditional American buttermilk pancakes and the Russian buckwheat pancakes (blini). The mixture of the buckwheat and the tapioca gives these pancakes a fluffy and tender texture with a sweet and nutty flavor. This pancake recipe is naturally gluten-free.
I wanted to replace the white flour in the traditional American pancake recipe with something healthy as white flour is tasty but is not very nutritious or filling. I remembered the Russian pancakes called blini; however, blini on its own is too dry for me. Furthermore, many of the flour alternatives can be lesser quality. So after using buckwheat and tapioca over the years, I decided to experiment. I have to say the result quickly became a family favorite.
Buckwheat is an ancient plant but has been forgotten. It has recently become popular again in the West because it lacks gluten. Gluten can cause gastrointestinal problems in so many people. Buckwheat is a staple food in Russia, in fact, the Russians have survived on it for centuries to help them get through difficult times. Eating buckwheat might have been their secret.
So why should we eat buckwheat on a regular basis? Even if there is no crisis, buckwheat can be included in our diet as it is incredibly nourishing.
Buckwheat is very healthy. It is not a grain but it is the seed of the buckwheat plant. It does not cause digestive problems like wheat does. Instead, it actually nourishes the digestive tract. Its neutral thermal nature and sweet flavor are an indication that it is a tonic food. It is rich in protein. It also has intestine cleansing, strengthening and appetite improving abilities. Rutin, a bioflavonoid in the grain strengthens the capillaries and blood vessels, hinders hemorrhaging and promotes circulation in the hands and feet. Rutin also has the ability to protect against radiation.
To improve the texture of the pancakes, I added tapioca pearls. Tapioca is a type of starch that’s derived from the starchy vegetable called cassava root. It is a popular flour to use for its starchiness when replacing wheat flour but it doesn’t provide many important essential nutrients. Combining tapioca with the nutritious buckwheat solves this issue though.
You can serve the pancakes with anything your heart desires. I think nuts and maple syrup are essential. In the summer, I like to serve them with fresh fruits, rhubarb sauce and in the winter apple compote or apple sauce. Please check out my rhubarb sauce recipe that I had posted earlier.
TIPS
This is my well tested pancake recipe, I have been making them for many years regularly on the weekends. I tested the recipe with butter and with coconut oil, both worked great! Also, I used milk and almond milk, both worked well as well.
The trick to making these pancakes is to grind both the buckwheat groats and the tapioca pearls in a blender fresh before you make the pancakes. It is worth it! I have a Vitamix but any blender will work. The store-bought flour yields a lesser quality in texture and flavor in my opinion. Of course, you can make the recipe with flour that you get at a store.
Another trick is when you grind the grains, leave the flour a little coarse. This gives the pancakes a bit of texture. Keep checking the flour to figure how much time you need for grinding. I grind the buckwheat for about 3- 5 seconds and the tapioca for about 30 seconds. Hint: stop grinding them before they become a fine flour consistency.
Also, I like to use buttermilk. Traditionally, buttermilk is used in pancakes. I like using it because it makes the pancakes taste better. You get this really nice buttery flavor and soft texture. Also, it makes the pancakes healthier as it helps digestion.
I used to buy buttermilk but since I found this simple hack, adding apple cider vinegar to milk, I don’t buy buttermilk anymore. Try it, it works well. This method can be used with almond milk as well. Check out my recipe on how to make buttermilk.
If you make the recipe please feel free to share how you liked in the comment section.
RECIPE
Makes about 21 pancakes
I created this recipe so please don’t share it without giving proper citation.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup freshly grounded buckwheat groats or buckwheat flour (please read note above)
1 cup freshly ground tapioca pearls or tapioca flour (please read note above)
2 whole eggs, lightly beaten or 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 Tbsp of melted butter or coconut oil
oil for the pan
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar (optional)
Chopped nuts, for serving
maple syrup, for serving
fruits, for serving
yogurt, for serving
Ground buckwheat flour
ground tapioca flour
METHOD
Grind buckwheat and tapioca. Grind buckwheat on the highest setting for about 3-5 seconds. Grind tapioca on the highest setting for 30 seconds. Of course the time will depend on how strong your blender is. Please check for more info in the introduction and pictures above. (Omit if using store bought flour).
Put buckwheat and tapioca flours in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, mix. Let the mixture sit overnight but at least for 4 hours. (I leave it on the counter overnight. If you put it in the fridge, make sure the batter is at room temperature before making the pancakes).
Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, eggs, corn starch or arrowroot, melted butter or oil and sugar (optional). Mix well.
Heat a skillet or griddle over low to medium-high heat and grease with oil if need be. When skillet is hot (if you flick water onto the skillet, it should sizzle), take a ¼ cup of batter and pour onto skillet. Let cook for a couple of minutes (until the pancakes begins to bubble slightly). Flip and let cook for another 1-2 minutes until pancake are a slightly brown .
Serve hot with your choice of yogurt, rhubarb sauce, maple syrup, nuts, fruits, jam etc.
Berries are ready! An easy way to use these delicious berries for breakfast is to make a dutch baby. Dutch baby is made with three basic ingredients: milk, eggs and flour. Watch it puff up in the oven and wow your friends and family with this delicious breakfast. Make sure your guests are seated at the table when you bring it out because it settles pretty fast.
RECIPE
4-6 servings
You will need a 10″ (2″ deep) oven proof skillet or something similar in size.
Ingredients
1 cup white flour
1 cup of milk
5 eggs
2 handful of berries (2 cup), sliced
4 Tbsp butter, divided
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp sugar
Methods
1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Mix milk, flour, eggs, salt, melted 2 Tbsp butter, vanilla extract until no lumps remain. You can use an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute if you wish.
3. Let it rest for 1 hour. You can make it the night before too.
4. Gently warm up the remaining butter in the oven proof skillet. Pour in the batter. Make sure the batter is at room temperature if after taking it out of the fridge.
5. ATTENTION! Do not open the oven door until the dutch baby is done. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown.
6. Let it cool for 5 – 10 minutes. Serve warm.
7. I served it with the berries, maple syrup and chopped nuts.
If you are like me and just can’t get enough of rhubarb right now, try these delicious, filling muffins. The tangy rhubarb works nicely with the whole wheat dough. They were gone fast in our house …
RECIPE
Ingredients
2 cup whole wheat flour (or white flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
With a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just barely combined, then add 2 cups of the fresh rhubarb and fold until evenly distributed.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes until a toothpick poked into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around each muffin to release from the tin and turn out onto the rack. Put the muffins on a wire rack and let them sit for another 10 minutes.
These sweet potato muffins are lovely autumn muffins! They are packed with nutritious ingredients of the season and get their special flavor from the spices: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, mace and cloves. enjoy!
RECIPE
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
2 cup / 240 gr of whole wheat flour (white flour is fine too)
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice ( China cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, mace and cloves)
1 stick (8 Tbsp) of butter (115 g) at room temperature
1 cup of sweet potato, mashed (1 medium sized sweet potato)
This morning, I was craving something delicious made with apples … most likely because yesterday we went out to an orchard to pick some apples. Of course, we have a lot of apples now. Then I remembered I could easily make Dutch baby and put apples in it.
Dutch baby is made with three basic ingredients: milk, eggs and flour and seasoned with vanilla and apple pie spice. I also added apples to satisfy my autumn cravings. Watch it poof up in the oven and wow your friends and family with this tasty filling breakfast. I served it with caramel sauce that further satisfied those ‘autumnish’ cravings … Oh and I still have raspberries growing in my back yard so I had to use some raspberries too.
RECIPE
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk milk
5 eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbsp butter, divided.
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon or apple pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp sugar
2 larger apples peeled, cored and sliced (sour, baking apples like Granny smith, Fuju, Harlson are the best)
caramel sauce, whipped cream, maple syrup, all optional
nuts for serving
Directions
You will need a 2 inch deep oven proof skillet that is 10″ in diameter or something similar in size to bake this dish.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Have an oven rack in the middle position.
Mix flour, milk, eggs, salt, vanilla, 3 Tbsp melted butter, cinnamon and sugar until no lumps remain. You can use an electric beater for 1 minute but it can easily done by hand too. Let it rest for 1 hour if possible. (The batter can be made the day before and stored in the fridge, just let it warm up to room temperature and mix the batter to get some air in).
Caramelize the apple slices on both sides for 10 minutes with a little butter. Set aside.
Heat the baking dish for 5 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Put 1 tablespoon butter in the hot baking dish and bake for 5 minutes or until the butter is melted. Be careful not to burn the butter.
Take the baking dish out of the oven. Pour the batter in and place the dish in the oven. (IMPORTANT !!! Do not open the oven door before the dutch baby is done). BAKE for 20 – 30 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown. The pancake will puff up but will settle after 5 – 10 minutes.
Serve with the prepared apples. You can add powdered sugar, ground walnuts and caramel sauce – of course all optional.
It is plum season in our neck of the woods (Midwest) right now. Whenever plums show up at the farmers’ market, I can feel the summer is about to come to an end. This is my last chance to indulge in summer fruits so please join me. Oh no not just with any dish … I’m going to say farewell to summer … with a French dish.
This is a fruity dish that is made with a thick flan like batter baked in a dish. Traditionally, it is made with cherries and is called cherry clafoutis or simply clafoutis in French but when made with any other harder fruits like plums, it is called flaugnarde. So technically, this dish is called flaugnarde. It was made in France first, more exactly in Limousine, in the central region of France.
Clafoutis is a simple rustic dish. It is not meant to be beautiful, delicate looking like what you expect a French dessert to be but it is more of a peasant food. So go ahead and pack your dish with the plums, berries and the batter, don’t need to worry about the appearance that much … Also, it is like a crepe just thicker and you should have all the main ingredients in your kitchen already … milk, flour, butter, eggs, sugar … and I think it is a lot tastier than crepes …
Sugar content. The recipe includes a range, 1 tablespoon to 1/2 cup depending on your taste. I suggest to use minimum 1 tablespoon for the fruit mixture and 1 tablespoon for th dough.
Please also check out my plum gnocchi recipe if interested in another plum dish.
RECIPE
Serves 4-6 people
INGREDIENTS
1/8 tsp nutmeg for the plums + 1/8 tsp for the batter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried ginger, cut and sifted or use 1 tsp fresh chopped ginger
9 pieces of smaller plums, less if bigger, sliced
1 cup sweet berries
3 Tbsp cognac or brandy (optional)
2 tablespoon -1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp melted butter, divided
3 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup cream (I have used kefir before too)
2/3 cup of flour
1 tbsp almond extract
handful of almond slivers
pinch of salt
powdered sugar for serving
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METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the rack in the middle of the oven.
For the batter, mix milk, cream or kefir, eggs, almond extract, salt, 1 Tbsp – sugar, cinnamon and 1 Tbsp melted butter and add the flour and continue mixing for another minute. Make sure there are no clumps left but do not overbeat. You can use a whisk, handheld mixer or blender. (Yep, kind of like a crepe mixture). Set aside for an hour if you have time.
Cut up the plums and take out the pits. (I leave the pits in). Put plums in a medium sized bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon sugar and the brandy (optional) on the plums. Give it a toss. Let plums macerate for about 10 minutes. Then add berries, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the plums. Mix. Set aside.
Use a 10″ inch baking dish (like a quiche dish). You need a dish that has a larger surface area and will hold 6 cups of food. Pour in the melted butter and spread it evenly on the surface of the dish making sure that you coat the sides too.
Evenly spread the plum mixture from earlier on the buttered surface. (I added the marinate liquid, too).
Pour batter (from earlier) over the plum mixture and sprinkle the top with the shaved almonds.
Bake for 45 – 55 minutes or until cake is puffy and has a nice light brown color. An inserted tooth pick should come out clean but the middle should be soft. The texture of the baked clafoutis should be like a sturdy custard.
Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.
When ready to serve, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Serve warm.
It can be stored in the refrigerator covered for 24 hours but best eaten the same day.
This is a recipe that I borrowed from my daughter. She has been making it for herself so she doesn’t have to eat my pancakes. Then I realized it is actually good. The pancakes are very simple but nutritious and delicious. Basic ingredients are oatmeal, eggs, bananas … oatmeal, eggs, bananas … oatmeal, eggs, bananas … that is it and just add a few things to make it taste better. Of course, this is a very kid friendly recipe.
Dairy free and gluten free with the substitution of gluten-free oats.
RECIPE
Serving: generous portion for 1 adult
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 cup of old fashioned oatmeal, coarsely ground (use gluten-free for gluten free version)
1 1/2 crushed ripe banana
1/2 tsp cinnamon, I used apple spice (optional)
pinch of salt
lemon zest (optional)
oil for baking
1/4 tsp baking soda
syrup of your choice
fruits (optional)
Preparation
Lightly beat eggs in a medium sized bowl.
Mash the banana and add to the bowl.
Add 1/2 cup of oatmeal to a blender and blend until you get a coarse flour consistency. Add to the bowl.
Add baking soda, cinnamon, lemon zest, salt. Mix.
Just like any other grains, I like to let the mixture soak for a few hours. However, it can be baked right away.
Bake in a preheated oiled pan on medium low heat on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Flip over and bake for a few minutes. Both sides should be nice and golden brown in color.
You can add fruits on top of the pancakes while baking in the pan.
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