Vanilla Raspberry Muffins

Sweet vanilla muffins studded with fresh raspberries

We're already in berry season in Southern California and lately my favorites have been the raspberries. They have less acidity than strawberries or blackberries and they have lovely floral notes. This muffin recipe comes from the Huckleberry cookbook and is a great way to use fresh berries. The amount of butter and sugar in this muffin puts it almost in the dessert category, but it also works as an indulgent breakfast pastry or afternoon snack. The muffins stay incredibly moist after they bake and have a nice sugary crust on top. The raspberries melt into little jam-like pockets throughout the muffins and also stain the paper liners into a pretty pink pattern. Because they're so moist, these muffins will keep (covered in an air-tight container on the counter) for a few days. They would make a great addition to your Easter brunch.


More Breakfast Pastry Recipes:
- Banana Poppy Seed Muffins
- Cheddar & Herb Biscuits
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Braid


Vanilla Raspberry Muffins:
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. fresh raspberries
- 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 c. butter, diced, at room temperature
- 1 c. sugar + more for sprinkling
- 2 eggs + 3 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp. buttermilk
- 2 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- paper cupcake liners

Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 375F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
• In a mixer, combine the butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Mix on low speed until lumpy, then add in the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix until just combined.
• Gently fold in the raspberries by hand, being careful not to break them up.
• Fill the muffin tin 3/4 way full with batter and sprinkle the tops of each muffin with sugar.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until the muffins just barely spring back to the touch.
• Let cool on a baking rack in the tins for a few minutes, then remove them from the tins and continue cooling on the rack.

Makes one dozen muffins

Cod with Lemon-Caper Relish

Easy and elegant baked cod with a salty preserved lemon and caper relish

I've mentioned it before, but we are lucky to live by one of the best seafood markets in the country. Whenever we talk about moving, I immediately wonder how we would eat without access to a proper fish market with dozens of fresh seafood options available. We're spoiled and it's awesome. That said, I haven't been cooking as much fish lately because the store isn't on my commute home from work like it once was. I was able to make it there over the weekend and picked up some beautiful fresh cod that I served with a relish of preserved lemons, capers, and parsley. The recipe is adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen and calls for searing the fish in a pan, spooning the relish on top, and then finishing it in the oven with a pat of butter. It has flavors similar to a chicken piccata, especially when you spoon the buttery pan sauce on top of the fillets. Serve it with a hunk of bread or some rice to soak it all up.

Note: This recipe calls for preserved lemons, which I make and store in the fridge for months at a time. You can try my recipe or buy them online or at specialty stores.


Related Recipes:
- Baked Cod with Butter & Sherry
- Cod Baked with Chorizo & Tomato Sauce
- Grilled Cod Tacos with Citrus Slaw & Avocado Crema


Cod with Lemon-Caper Relish:
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless cod fillets, about 5-6 oz. each, preferably wild caught
- 1 preserved lemon, rinsed and diced
- 2 tbsp. minced shallots
- 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp. capers, rinsed and pat dry
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp. salted butter
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- pinch of red chile flakes
- kosher salt
- black pepper

Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Take the cod out of the fridge and season with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, mix together the preserved lemon, shallots, parsley, capers, red chile flakes, and olive oil.
• Heat the canola oil and 1/2 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over high heat for 2 minutes.
• Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes, then gently flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, spoon the lemon mixture on top of the fish, allowing some to drip down and onto the pan. Add in the remaining tbsp. of butter.
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the fish is just opaque in the center.
• Carefully transfer the fish to your plates and spoon the pan sauce on top.

Serves two

Spring Pea Salad

A light and refreshing salad using fresh spring peas

I've been traveling so much lately that I hadn't been to my local farmers' market in a month and so much seemed to have changed in the time that I was gone. The same vendors were there, but instead of selling the expected winter greens and squash, everyone had their spring produce and flowers on display. I picked up tons of my favorite spring veggies, including asparagus, baby lettuces, and fresh peas.

This salad is simple, which really allows the produce to shine. The pea flavor is compounded by using freshly shucked peas and their tender green shoots. The radish adds crunch and the lemon and parmesan add acid and salt. It's a pretty salad that is the perfect light side to a warm spring day and adds  a nice balance alongside richer meats or creamy pastas.

Note: I suggest cooking the peas for one minute in boiling water, but this might not be necessary if you taste your fresh peas and they are tender and sweet enough in their raw state.


Related Recipes:
- Butter Lettuce, Radish, & Gorgonzola Salad
- Crab & Fava Bean Omelet
- Risotta Carbonara with Peas


Spring Pea Salad with Radish & Parmesan:
Ingredients
- 1 c. shelled English peas, fresh or de-frosted
- 1 c. pea shoots or tendrils
- 3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
- small wedge of parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp. minced shallot
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- kosher salt
- black pepper

Recipe

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add in the peas, and cook for 1 minute.
• Drain the peas and immediately transfer to ice cold water to stop cooking.
• Remove the peas from the ice water and dry with a towel.
• Divide the peas on 2 plates and sprinkle with the shallots, then top with the pea shoots and radishes.
• Use a vegetable peeler to shave a generous amount of parmesan over the salad, then drizzle with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Check for seasoning and serve immediately.

Serves two