Blueberry Muffins

A couple years back, we spent a wonderful weekend at a B&B in New Hampshire. It was amazing, and one of the best B&Bs we've ever been to. One of the huge pluses was the breakfast, which was made completely from scratch every morning for us and that was different every day. Apparently, over the years others like us have requested the recipes because they were so good!

These blueberry muffins are bursting with flavor and were one of the many highlights of the trip. And when they're warm and fresh out of the oven, oh man, there's almost nothing better. Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

Yield: 16 muffins
Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat 400F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the blueberries and toss.
3. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix quickly with a fork, until flour disappears. Do not overmix. Batter should be lumpy.
5. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins about 3/4 full.
6. Sprinkle each muffin with a little sugar, up to 1/2 teaspoon.
7. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Serve warm.

Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca, or Pasta alla Puttanesca, literally means "whore's-style pasta." You may think that ladies of the night would whip this up to lure customers to them, but that isn't true.

Now if that doesn't make you want to chow down, I don't know what will. Well, maybe the following description will help. Puttanesca is a tangy, slightly salty sauce that gets its flavor and aroma from the combination of capers, olives, and anchovies.

It's simple and takes only about as long as it does to cook the pasta. You can easily omit the anchovies, but they add such a great depth of flavor. Enjoy!

Pasta Puttanesca

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 16 ounces pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup strong-tasting olives, chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1 tin anchovy fillets
• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 32 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• black pepper, to taste
• parmesan, shredded (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, anchovies, and red pepper until anchovies dissolve, about 3 minutes. Stir in capers, olives, parsley, oregano. Saute 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
3. Add tomatoes and simmer 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until desired thickness.
4. Toss pasta with sauce, and serve. Top with optional parmesan cheese.

Guest Post: Ahi Poke

Today is Guest Post Day! Yay! Thanks to Tom Lee for sharing. Sounds delicious.

Tom Lee is a business development associate for the Santa Barbara Fish Market where you can support local fishermen and buy fresh seafood online or buy fresh fish online.

Ahi Poke

As a college student that is health and budget conscience, I am always looking for something that meets these requirements. The best way to do so, is to make something yourself. One of my favorite dishes is Ahi Poke. Ahi Poke is a dish that is enjoyed by many, but made by few. It consists of fresh raw tuna mixed with a few seasonings. Besides being so tasty for how simple it is, it also is very healthy. 4 ounces of tuna (Yellowfin tuna) itself yields about 27 grams of protein in just 123 calories. It’s a great source of lean protein. While the ingredients are simple, some people are a bit scared of handling raw fish, but it’s really no different then another other meat. In fact, most fishmongers at any fish market or fish department will clean the fish and hand you a perfect fillet that is ready to be used for a meal. The only real important requirement for this dish is to have the freshest tuna possible.

Ingredients:
8oz Fresh Tuna
1 Tablespoon Shallots
½ Tablespoon Green Onions
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/8 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
¼ Teaspoon Sesame Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Siracha Garlic Chili Sauce
¼ Whole Avocado
½ Whole Cucumber

Instructions:
1. Mix sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, shallots, and green onions into a small
bowl

2. Take the ¼’d avocado and take the seed out and peel the skin off. Cut into to small
¼ inch pieces.

3. Cut the cucumber in slices. You want them thin, but still thick enough to carry the
weight of the Ahi Poke that will be served on it.

4. Make sure to keep the tuna cold until being handled. Cut the tuna into ¼ inch
cubes.

5. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and let sit for about 10-15 minutes. It
can be served immediately, but a few extra minutes will let the sauce penetrate a bit
better.

6. Top each cucumber slice with about a spoonful of Ahi Poke, serve, and enjoy!

Tips: What’s great about this recipe is that all the ingredients can be easily adjusted
to taste. If you prefer a spicier sauce, just add more of the garlic chili sauce. Big fan
of avocado? Add more! Cucumber is suggested hear as a lower-calorie alternative,
but Ahi Poke is also great served on top of your favorite crackers or toasted bread.