Blueberry Cornmeal Scones

I happened across this recipe for berry-cornmeal scones when we lived in Colorado. My husband is an avid outdoorsman and he loved to take a few of these hearty treats with him on his mountain climbing expeditions.

Cornmeal gives this recipe a satisfying crunch and succulent blueberries pop with juicy sweetness.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup margarine

1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel (you could also use lemon or orange)

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or raspberries), thawed

2/3 cup sour soy milk (*see instructions below)

1 tsp. vanilla

*To make sour soy milk: For each cup of sour milk required, place 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal 1 cup total of liquid. Combine and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using in your recipe.

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Using a fork, cut in margarine until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add lime or lemon peel. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture. In another bowl combine blueberries, milk and vanilla. Add all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and quickly knead dough about 10-12 strokes until nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough into an 8-in. circle on an ungreased baking sheet. Cut dough into 10 wedges, cutting only about halfway through to score.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut the wedges and serve warm. Icing is optional.

I drizzled a bit of lime icing over the top of the scones this morning and my daughter loved it! She kept remarking how much she enjoyed the sourness of the lime juice. :0)

*Original recipe in Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book, copyright 1998.

Cranberry Orange Bran Muffins

My husband visited some of our dear friends for the weekend recently and returned home raving about the delicious bran muffins they had for breakfast one morning. I asked my friend for the recipe because if something is THAT good, I have to try it! These are moist and not too sweet, and the addition of slightly tart dried cranberries and the brightness of orange zest make them irresistible!

Ingredients:

1 cup white flour

1/4 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tb. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups All Bran Original Cereal (the twigs!!)

1 1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup dried cranberries

a healthy pinch of fresh orange zest

Instructions:

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cranberries in a small bowl. Set aside. Mix All Bran, milk, and oil in another bowl and let stand for about 5 minutes, or until cereal has absorbed most of the liquid. Stir together the dry and wet ingredients until well incorporated and add the pinch of orange zest. Stir until combined. Spoon batter into sprayed muffin tins and bake for about 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees.

The original recipe called for baking for 20 minutes. My muffins weren't done until about 30 minutes, so you'll have to take into consideration that oven temperatures vary.

Thanks to Kellie May for sharing the basic recipe with me! I hope you'll enjoy the additions ~

Yield: 12 muffins

Southwestern Potato Corn Chowder

So, my family are huge fans of southwestern style food. My husband and I spent some time in New Mexico and came to appreciate the versatility of chiles. We've always enjoyed corn chowder, but one day I thought to include some green chiles....WOW! That added a new dimension to an old favorite. Today I spent some time actually writing the recipe down as I made it. (Unfortunately, I rarely do that. Then when something actually turns out, I can't remember how to replicate it!)

Ingredients:

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 medium-large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 can yellow sweet corn (I used the creamed variety, but regular will do just as well)

4 cups cauliflower

1 4-oz. can green chiles

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. cumin

2 1/2 scant tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a medium stockpot, cook cauliflower. Peel potatoes and cube, then cook in a large soup pot with just enough water to cover (about 3 cups). Spray a small saute pan with cooking spray and saute onion. When cauliflower is tender, place in a blender with sauteed onions and about 1 1/2 cups of water. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add cauliflower mixture to potatoes in pot, then pour in drained corn and green chiles. Add seasonings and combine well. Simmer soup for about 20 minutes until it begins to thicken slightly. Serve hot!

You can adjust the seasonings to taste.

Enjoy! :0)