Turn Me On, Muffin!

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF HAGE, GREEN FROG PHOTO

Once a most fashionable, on the go treat, the muffin has become the ugly stepsister to the flashier, sweeter, more complex cupcake. At one time, however, muffins were so sexy that they sold them without the bottoms. A “stud muffin” was popular slang for a hot guy, and more recently (and more intimately), a “muffin” was a cutesy way to talk dirty about our lady parts.

Now, the top of this cup-sized bread has become the rather undesirable bulge that hangs over our jeans. What has happened to the muffin?

A WEE CAKEY HISTORY

The muffin has been around for centuries with only a few key pivots in its culinary transformation, despite its colorful cultural As seen in Women's Lifestyle Magazine's March 2013 editionreferences. The English muffin dates back to the 10th century in Wales, and is a small, flat, yeast-raised bread that is cooked on a hot griddle. It began as a servants’ food of leftover bread, biscuit dough and mashed potatoes.  When the aristocracy tasted the English muffin, it became a popular teatime bite. In the 18th century, street vendors called “muffin men” put tins on their heads, or wooden trays around their necks, rang bells, and sold these nooks and crannies on the streets.

The American muffin appears closer to the 18th century, and is more of a quick bread made from a batter, rather than dough like the English version. American muffins were also a way to turn leftover bread, fruits, even meats into a tasty treat.

So, what is the difference between a muffin and a cupcake? Gluten-free Pastry Chef Kyra Bussanich says that cupcakes get their flash from the higher ratio of sugar to flour, and because of the creaming method of whipping the butter (or fat) until its light, and then adding in the sugar, and then the eggs, and then finally adding the flour. This method creates a tender cake crumb after baking.

On the other hand, muffin batter usually starts with the dry ingredients mixed in one bowl, and then the wet ingredients mixed together in a separate bowl before combining with the hands or spoon. This method creates a bread-like texture.

PALEO:  HEAR MUFFIN ROAR

Modern food allergies present new culinary challenges for the muffin, but I predict a muffin comeback. With over 20 million people developing gluten sensitivity and cross-reacting to different grains, people aren’t just going gluten-free, they are going GRAIN-free! This throwback to hunter-gatherer style eating is forcing yet another chapter in muffin history. The Paleo muffin. Now what could be sexier than a muffin in a loincloth?

One of the most popular flours to use in this Paleo diet is coconut flour. Here are a few tips on using coconut flour, and try this recipe for some yummy, grain-free muffins.

COCONUT CREAM MUFFINS

PREPARE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cups or heavily grease with coconut oil

Yield:  12 muffins
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-Free
 

INGREDIENTS

1 c. coconut flour (do not pack)

3/4 c. unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. coconut oil (melted, but not hot)

6 eggs (whisked)

15 oz. can of Thai East Organic Coconut Milk (with the coconut fat in the can mixed in to make the cream)

1/2 c. honey

1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla

1 c. chocolate chunks from Enjoy Life Foods (or chips, or mini-chips, or whole, raw cranberries)

COMBINE

In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, salt, and coconut flakes, getting out any lumps that might remain. It is a good practice to sift the flour before you measure it, so no lumps or packed flour can throw off the recipe. In another med/large bowl whisk the eggs, then add in the coconut oil, honey, coconut cream, and vanilla.  Slowly add in the coconut flour mixture to the egg mixture until well-combined.  It will be a thick batter.  Add in 1 cup of chocolate chunks or whole, raw cranberries.

BAKE

Place muffin cups into a muffin tin, or grease the tin well with coconut oil. This is a sticky, absorbent flour, so regular oil will get sucked into the batter and away from the tin. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin so that each cup is evenly full.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 30 min., or until the tops of the muffins are slightly brown and just firm to the touch. Do not overbake.

Enjoy!

About Elisabeth

Owner of Blue Pearl Strategies, Elisabeth is also The Tender Foodie. She started this blog and The Tender Palate, to help those food allergies and sensitivities.

Recipe: Roasted Radishes

Roasted Radishes sauteed with Fiddlehead Ferns

RECIPE COURTESY OF CHEF TINA MARIE GREEN of KISSING ROCK KITCHENS

Radishes bring back many childhood memories of my first garden. My dad was in charge of the corn, the beans and most of the garden, but I was, for some reason, in charge of the radishes.  Seeing this recipe by Chef Tina Marie Green brings me back to those days where I planted seeds and saw the miracle of the radish, and realized the power of nature.  It felt magical to plant a seed with my own two hands and watch this thing, this food, appear out of the dirt, and grow.

Radishes are also very good for you.  They support the stomach, urinary and digestive processes and the detoxification of the liver, and are so tasty when roasted.

Recipe

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Ingredients

3 pounds Radishes, (Watermelon radishes, if available)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – a Tablespoon or so
Sea salt

Method

Clean the radishes and cut them into quarters lengthwise. Place in a bowl and sprinkle lightly with the olive oil---just enough to each one a light covering. Place on their sides on a foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with the sea salt. Roast for approximately 20 minutes, depending upon size. When checking the radishes, look for a roasted side, a little soft but crispy on the inside. Taste to check!

Serve

Serve the roasted radishes warm and by themselves, or toss them with fiddlehead ferns!

Find Kissing Rock Kitchens

Kissing Rock Kitchens                             
www.kissingrockkitchens.com
616.987.9597

Recipe: Herbed Fiddlehead Ferns

RECIPE COURTESY OF CHEF TINA MARIE GREEN of KISSING ROCK KITCHENS

Fiddlehead ferns are the fronds of specific types of edible ferns. Usually, it is the ostrich ferns that grow in the northeast U.S. that find their way into fiddlehead dishes.  The flavor is a bit grassy, a little nutty, and even a little artichokey. They are a bit like asparagus, actually.  Look for them in spring (usually the first 3 weeks in May) at your farmers' markets and some grocery stores, like Whole Foods.  Not all ferns are edible (some are toxic) even though they look alike, so don't forage, unless you have a true expert with you.

This simple recipe from Kissing Rock Kitchens is a tasty way to experience these little fairy-like treats.  If you would like to learn more about them, here is a great post from VeganYumYum.com on fiddleheads.

Ingredients

1 lb. fiddlehead ferns

6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

4 or more tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs (such as basil, parsley, thyme, lovage)

Combination of olive oil and coconut oil (if you are not allergic to dairy, you can use butter or ghee)

Combine

Wash the fiddleheads, removing any fuzz found in the “curl” of the fiddlehead (easily done by running a finger gently through the curl or simply rinsing with plenty of water). Pat dry. This will help the fiddleheads to saute more appropriately.

In a large skillet, heat your oil/ghee, until hot and add the fiddleheads and garlic cloves. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fiddleheads are soft with just a hint of crispness left to them. I simply keep taking one out and eating it to find out if they were done. I don’t like them overly crisp, as I feel they are not as flavorable but when they are well cooked and tender, they are delicious!

Serve

In the last minute or two, add the herbs, salt and pepper to taste, and then serve while hot.  You can toss these with roasted radishes to make a wonderful warm salad!

Find Kissing Rock Kitchens

Kissing Rock Kitchens                             
www.kissingrockkitchens.com
616.987.9597

My MunchBug at The Chew? Tune in!

Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP

Well, look who's on the carpet at ABC's The Chew?  Tender Palate guest blogger and kid feeding expert Melanie Potock of My Munch Bug! 

Tune in tomorrow, Friday, February 22, 2013 at 1PM E, and 12pm P & C.

Melanie gets to try an Oscar party dish prepared by Daphne Oz and Michael Simon (a secret crush of mine) and Mel’s daughter Carly gets expert fashion and style tips from celebrity fashion hair & make up experts Carmindy and Ted.

Be True to Your Heart, Dear Celiac

A "hearty" welcome to new guest blogger, Brandy Wendler.  Brandy is an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner at a local hospital in Anchorage, Alaska. Before obtaining her master's degree from Emory University, she worked in one of the top cardiovascular ICU's in the nation.  She was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009, and has been promoting awareness for heart health & celiac disease as Mrs. Alaska 2012, and Mrs. Northwest International 2013.  Welcome Brandy!

~Elisabeth

BY GUEST BLOGGER, BRANDY WENDLER, RN, MSN, ACNP-BC

For many people, February is the month of love and romance but as a former cardiovascular ICU nurse, February is a month to raise awareness about all things heart related. The American Heart Association (AHA) chose February as National Heart Month because we tend to focus a little too much on our emotional "heart" this time of year and forget about the real organ nestled in our chest and how it is affected by our lifestyle choices. Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of men and women? 1 in 30 women will die of breast cancer but 1 in 3 women (as well as men) will die of a heart-related illness.
 

Celiac Disease & Heart Health

So, why write about this on an allergy-related blog? Well, Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder that is triggered by the ingestion of gluten proteins (like gliadin and glutenins), found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye.  Gluten proteins actually have a strong connection with heart-related illnesses. Celiac Disease is a genetic disorder that in general carries an increased risk for other illnesses but, research suggests that Celiacs are 30% more likely than the general population to die of an illness associated with the heart and vascular system. The reason behind this is summed up in one word: Inflammation.

Celiac Disease is an inflammatory disorder that occurs in the gut when gluten is ingested but that inflammatory response doesn't just stay in the intestines, it is carried by your blood throughout your body. When inflammation occurs in the blood vessels, whether it is due to conditions such as high blood pressure, inflammation, or smoking, damage to the vessel wall occurs. In an attempt to repair the damage, the body will send out elastin, fibrin, fat and cholesterol to make a patch on the damaged area. This is what doctors typically refer to as plaque (see the picture below.) and is the basis of most heart disease.

 

The plaque, once formed, can be “sticky” and attract more cellular debris and fatty cholesterol (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) which may deposit on to it further narrowing the arteries and making blood flow difficult. Blood, as you may know, delivers oxygen and nutrients that are vital for your muscles and organs to function. When a blood clot goes through these narrowed vessels, blood flow can be cut off completely. When a clot occurs in the smaller vessels of the heart, a heart attack occurs, and when it happens in the brain, a stroke may occur.

The good news for those with Celiac Disease is that once you are stable on the gluten-free diet, your risk returns to that of the general population. However, as mentioned above, 1 in 3 people will die of a heart-related disease. 

Care For Your Heart Beyond Gluten

So, how do you help your heart and decrease your chances of a heart-related illness? The first step is to know your risk factors. These are divided into two categories: modifiable and non-modifiable.

Modifiable	Non-modifiable
High Blood pressure	Age
High Cholesterol	Gender
Obesity	Genetics/Heredity
Physical Inactivity
Smoking
Poor diet
Diabetes
Stress

Look at the table above and focus on the left column. These are the items that you have control over and are within your power to change. We never got a choice on whether we wanted food allergies or not but we do have a choice about decreasing our heart disease risk. Notice how almost all the risk factors on the list can be traced back to diet? The next step to decreasing your heart health risk would be a proper diet. Diet is about 80% of our health and a proper diet will decrease blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight as well as control diabetes and help you manage stress.  If you think about it though, the majority of food found at the grocery store that is labeled or marketed as “gluten-free” (or even “allergen-free”) is high in sugar, fat, salt, and calories in order to compensate for lack of taste and a different texture. All of these added ingredients are bad for our heart and health in general.

However, as a person with food intolerances or allergies we are already programmed to analyze the food we ingest. This is good news because we have already gained the skills necessary to help us on our road to health and wellness. Try starting small. If you are craving something crunchy, try eating unsalted nuts instead of potato chips. Want something sweet? Have some fruit instead of candy, chocolate, or cookies. Use herbs and spices in place of salt to give food flavor and use natural sweeteners such as liquid stevia (powdered has too many additives), agave, maple syrup or honey instead of refined sugars. Prepare snacks and meals ahead of time as well. That way, when hunger hits you will be prepared and make better choices. You don’t have to make sweeping changes all at once but small steps and little modifications over time add up! After all, you didn’t learn what foods to avoid for your allergies all in one day.
 

So this month, be good to your heart in more than one way and make choices that will keep your heart happy for the rest of your life, not just on one day!

For more information on a heart healthy lifestyle visit www.heart.org.

About the Author

Brandy Wendler, RN, MSN, ACNP-BC, Mrs. Alaska 2012, Mrs. NW International 2013Brandy Wendler, Mrs. Northwest International 2013, is an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner at a local hospital in Anchorage, Alaska. Before obtaining her master's degree from Emory University, she worked in one of the top cardiovascular ICU's in the nation. She is married to the love of her life, Capt. John Wendler, a pilot in the United States Air Force. 

Brandy was diagnosed with Celiac Disease four years ago and has been honored to represent her platform "Against the Grain: Raising Awareness for Celiac Disease" for the past three years. She created a website,www.livingwithoutgrain.com, to support Alaskans on a gluten-free diet and organized the only support group in Alaska to encourage those living a gluten-free lifestyle. She also designs gluten-free menus for restaurants and has a personal blog, www.brandywendler.blogspot.com. You may remember her as Mrs. Alaska International 2012, a title she proudly held will promoting Celiac Disease awareness through her platform.

Additionally, Brandy is an active volunteer with the Heart Association and enjoys raising money for the organization as well as administering heart health checks and educating community members about a heart healthy life-style.