Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers

Years ago there was an Italian Bakery in our neighbourhood where we always went to purchase our bread and I would  usually go accompanied by my daughter who is the youngest in the family.
Our outing always proved to be a real treat in more ways than one.

The bread that makes the trip from a central bakery to local  grocery store shelves is no comparison to the fragrant fresh loaves that were baked there daily.

The aroma of the personal size focaccia coming from their oven was only surpassed by the ones baked at home but upon entering the small shop it was useless to think that you could escape without making a purchase.

As if that wasn't enough reason to make many return visits there, the absolutely incredible aroma of  peppers baking for their veal pannini was almost irresistible. It was hard to leave without one but you could be sure that peppers would be on the dinner menu that week.

Fried, pickled, grilled, roasted, stuffed and stir fried are only a few ways we’ve prepared and enjoyed the numerous varieties.  But apparently only Peter Piper can pick his peppers by the peck already pickled!

Over the years a couple of bushels of peppers could always be found among the tomato bushels at harvest time.  These were destined for the freezer to be enjoyed during the coming winter months. This is another tradition that is most likely on its way into the pages of history since peppers are now so readily available in the grocery stores throughout the year and most times at very affordable prices.

This is not to say that I don’t take advantage of a good sale in the winter and purchase a few extra pounds to freeze for those times that the pepper prices rival that of a choice rib eye steak.

Even though Bell Peppers are the variety more commonly stuffed, I prefer the thin fleshed, aromatic Cubanelle for this recipe. The tender flesh of this pepper seems to just melt in your mouth.

In a recent conversation with my mother she asked me what I had made for dinner. After telling  her that I had made these stuffed peppers she looked at me as if I had concocted some strange dish.

I told her not to worry and that this recipe had come to me a while back from a very reliable source…herself!


Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers

6 to 8 smaller size Cubanelle peppers
1 pound ground meat (pork, veal, chicken or any combination)
2 eggs
½ cup grated cheese
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
Corn or vegetable oil for frying
Marinara Sauce

1. Wash and thoroughly dry peppers.
2. With a paring knife gently remove tops.
3. Clean pepper out and discard any seeds. 
4. Fill with meat filling making sure to totally fill, replace tops.
5. In a skillet, fry peppers on low heat until golden turning to brown all sides.
6. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
7. Prepare Marinara Sauce and just as it comes to a boil gently place peppers into sauce. If possible use a pan that will accommodate the peppers in one layer.
8. Once it comes up to a boil again lower heat to simmer and cook 30 to 40 minutes.

Meat Filling

1. Beat the eggs with a fork.
2. Add eggs, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper to meat.
3. Thoroughly mix together and fill peppers.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Tops of peppers are optional and only for presentation purposes.  If they fall off while frying replace just before serving.  Omit if you want.
• Add the Marinara sauce( which will be filled with the delicious taste of the peppers) to pasta such as Linguine, otherwise locate a good Italian Bakery and by a loaf or two of crusty fresh bread and dip!
• Buy peppers that are on the smaller side as they are a more appropriate serving size.
• Once again, a pastry bag with a large plain tip makes filling the peppers fast and neat.
• Measurements of the ingredients are just a guideline as amounts will vary depending on the size of peppers purchased.
• Delicious!

Apple Streusel Muffins

I appreciate a really good muffin. To date I have never purchased a commercially baked muffin from a coffee shop or grocery store and intend to keep it that way for as long as I can.

Of all baked goods, muffins could be one of the most effortless to make with such rewarding results. Muffins cater to most tastes being the vehicle in which anything from fruit, vegetables, cheese or even meats such as bacon and ham find their perfect place. Sweet or savoury, they can be most satisfying.

Occasionally, I get an irresistible urge to bake something…anything… and sometimes it seems at the strangest time of the day. The strangest time could possibly be at the end of the day when the kitchen is finally tidy from the day’s activities and the “closed for the day” sign needs to go up.

When all efforts fail to resist getting something into that oven I think of an easy muffin recipe or remember that I've actually taken my own advice and measured out a double batch of dry ingredients the last time I baked some.

A few minutes is all it takes before the aroma satisfies that baking urge at the same time providing something yummy for breakfast or even a mid day snack.

Remembering a few simple rules when making muffins is all it takes to ensure pleasurable results.

But above all remember, a muffin without an impressive muffin top… is just a cupcake!

Apple Streusel Muffins

In one of my previous posts I mentioned still being on the quest for an Apple Muffin recipe that had long been lost.
I wasn’t just telling stories as I have tried at least three more recipes for Apple Muffins since then hoping to end my search and celebrate.
A celebration may be in order for the discovery of these Apple Streusel Muffins.

2 cups sifted all purpose flour (sift before measuring)
½ cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter or margarine
1 cup peeled, cored and finely diced apple ( approximately 1 large or 2 medium apples)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
¼ cup chopped walnuts (for topping)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for topping)

1. Sift together sifted flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
2. Cut in butter or margarine with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.
3. Measure out ¼ cup of the mixture and reserve for topping.
4. Stir apple and 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest into mixture in bowl.
5. In a blender, blend together egg and milk then add all at once to apple mixture and stir just until moistened. ( batter will be lumpy)
6. Spoon into paper lined muffin tins. Blend reserved crumb mixture with remaining teaspoon lemon rind, walnuts and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and sprinkle over each muffin.
7. Bake in a 425 degree F. oven for 20 minutes or until golden and tops spring back when pressed with fingertip.
8. Remove muffins from tin and cool on a wire rack.
9. Makes 7 or 8 for large muffins or 12 small muffins.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Substituting brown sugar for the granulated sugar in the muffin recipe in my opinion gives better results.
• Don't be tempted to omit the lemon zest, it really adds a lot of flavour.
• The recipe didn’t call for cinnamon but the addition of 1 teaspoon blended in very well.
• I forgot (accidentally on purpose) to add the 2 extra tablespoons of granulated sugar to the 1/4 cup of reserved topping and didn't miss it at all.

Funneling Your Energy into Better Results…

When making muffins that include a topping like streusel, chocolate chips or nuts to be added before baking, most of that topping usually ends up on the counter or on the muffin tin.

After so many years came a wonderful discovery making it easier for the topping to end up exactly where it’s supposed to. This was by no means a heavenly revelation but came to me at a moment of total frustration!

 

While cleaning streusel topping that had landed everywhere but on top of the muffins, I wondered what could possibly make this step a little easier. While looking around the kitchen for an idea my eyes were drawn to a canning funnel nestled between some measuring cups inside an open drawer. Acquainted with this tool only at tomato harvest time a new appreciation immediately developed and I just knew that we would become the best of friends.

After filling the muffin cups with batter, hold the funnel over each cup as close as possible without touching the batter and add the topping with a spoon or fingers. The topping will only fall onto the muffin batter and nowhere else, no waste no mess!

They say "necessity is the mother of invention” however, this saying does not stipulate a time frame in which there will be an invention.

“Better late than never” is yet another saying.

Very Ripe Banana Muffins

When buying bananas I prefer to get a few from different stages of ripeness.

An entire bunch of green bananas tend to ripen at the same time while a bunch of very yellow bananas present a different problem as they usually all become over ripe in just a few days.

Either way I usually end up with some very ripe bananas that are past their prime and basically not enjoyable to eat.

A few very ripe almost neglected bananas had been sitting on my counter for several weeks patiently waiting to become the star ingredient in some delicious recipe.
When I finally gave them some attention they were very close to giving up waiting for me to come to their rescue.
Almost convinced to add them to the compost bin I was compelled to spare them from such an ill fate.

Perhaps a tasty banana cake could have rescued them but that idea quickly faded as I thought of how much of that cake I would end up eating. A wonderful banana loaf may have been their way of escape but there weren’t enough bananas for that. A mental image of some very tasty banana chocolate chip cookies came to mind but unfortunately there were too many bananas for that idea.

A batch of muffins seemed be the answer to their plight but I still didn’t have a favourite banana muffin recipe to fall back on.

The lack of a very good recipe was quickly resolved as I visited my recipe book collection and came across a cook book titled 500 Muffin Recipes. Skimming through the index a recipe for Very Ripe Banana Muffins caught my eye and seemed to hold some possibility.

Quickly running out of options it was certainly worth a try.

There is now a very delicious recipe for Banana Muffins in my permanent recipe file that I’m more than happy to share with you.

Only four hundred and ninety nine recipes to go!


Very Ripe Banana Muffins

1 cup mashed over ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
3. In a blender place banana, oil, brown sugar and egg and blend only until well mixed.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients.
5. Stir until mixed, being careful not to over mix.
6. Gently add nuts if using. Sprinkle a few on top.
7. Fill paper lined or greased muffin tins to the top with batter.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.
9. Makes 8 to 9 large muffins.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• It can’t be stressed enough that the bananas need to be very, very ripe for this recipe.
• Totally blackened peels are a good indicator of the right stage of ripeness.
• The original recipe didn’t call for putting the first four ingredients through a blender; however this method gives a fluffy, light texture to the muffins you wouldn’t otherwise get with the original method.
• The absence of milk or any other liquid is not an omission, I had to reread the recipe a few times before realizing that there was no other liquid added.
• Blueberries or chocolate chips could be good alternatives for the nuts.
• If you absolutely can't deal with over ripe bananas before it is really too late, remember that they freeze very well. Please leave their skins on as it can get pretty cold in that freezer.

Pineapple Cornmeal Muffins

I can’t give credit to anyone for this handwritten recipe that has been in my collection for years without any recollection of where or who it came from. This is unfortunate because it is truly a very good muffin recipe.

I don’t make them often and can’t say why but it’s usually while looking for another recipe that I come across it once again. Before long a batch is baking in the oven just to remind myself how good they are.

Cornmeal is usually a staple in my kitchen and used to make a dense corn bread to accompany minestrone or bean soup. It seems the denser I make this bread the more everyone likes it.

These Pineapple Cornmeal Muffins are anything but dense. In fact they are soft, fluffy and wonderfully moist due to the addition of crushed pineapple and a smaller ratio of cornmeal to the amount of flour used.

When baking the muffins for this post and never having done this before, I crowned each muffin with a large juicy piece of fresh pineapple that was initially on its way into a fruit salad.

To think these muffins could taste any better was inconceivable but one bite into that juicy pineapple chunk baked on top cannot be described…only experienced!


Pineapple Cornmeal Muffins

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup corn meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup crushed, undrained pineapple
½ cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
½ cup sugar
1 egg
pineapple chunks (optional)

1. Sift flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt and sugar into a medium sized bowl.
2. In a blender, blend together milk, oil and egg.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the ingredients from the blender.
4. Stir in the crushed pineapple only until dry ingredients are moistened.
5. Place paper liners in muffin pan and spoon batter evenly into cups
6. Place pineapple chunk on top of each muffin if using
7. Bake at 375 degrees F. 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
8. Yield 8 to 10 muffins.

Notes, Tips and Suggestion

• These muffins freeze well.
• When measuring out the dry ingredients measure out an extra batch, and store in a zip lock bag . Only the wet ingredients need to be assembled the next time you bake.
• Placing the wet ingredients into a blender was not in the original recipe but I usually use this method for my muffin recipes since it does produce a lighter product.
• Once the dry ingredients are added make sure not to over mix, over mixing will produce a tough textured muffin.