Greek Yogurt & Raspberry Eton's Mess

Just when I think the house is relatively decent, I invite friends over and, behold, miniature messes spring forth. Dust bunnies dance on the windowsill, sticky splotches materialize on countertops, and tiny legos loom underfoot.

So here's to a recipe that celebrates messiness. Namely, Eton's Mess.

The Eton in question is Eton's College in England and the mess is a heavenly concoction of squashed fruit (most typically berries), whipped cream, and crushed meringues. Precision is antithetical in the making of Eton's mess: the key is to create an untidy jumble of deliciousness that, when spooned into a glass, is nevertheless gorgeous.

But could I eat it for breakfast at 4 in the morning? It seemed the perfect choice for royal wedding-watching, but I had to teach an exercise class at 6 am. Whipped cream and a heap of sugar, no matter how scrumptious, wasn't going to cut it for a pre-workout meal.

Enter Greek yogurt and stevia. I think I may even prefer the tang and luxurious richness of the yogurt to whipped cream here. A touch of orange, both zest and juice, clinched it. A royal treat!

Greek Yogurt & Raspberry Eton's Mess

Makes 4 servings

2 cups raspberries (or other berries of choice)
2 cups Greek plain yogurt (I used 0%)
3-4 packets Stevia-type sweetener (or sweetener of choice)
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 cup coarsely crushed vanilla meringues (e.g., Miss Meringue brand)

1. In a small bowl, roughly mash the berries with a fork. Let stand at room temperature 10-15 minutes to release their juices.

2. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, sweetener, orange zest, and orange juice until blended. Mix in the berries and meringues so that mixture is streaky with the berries. Spoon into 4 glasses or small glass serving bowl. Chill until ready to serve.

Blueberry Goat Cheese Muffins

Sometimes a blog post can be as simple as fulfilling a request. In this case, it's from a college friend, Janet. Janet and I went to Bryn Mawr, where she kept me in giggles at many a lunch and dinner. She is also one of the few people in the world who is permitted to call me by my nickname, Cam. Yesterday, she asked about the blueberry-goat cheese muffins from my muffins book. I'm happy to share, Janet!

The muffins at the Bryn Mawr dining halls were equally flavorless and cheerless. As evidence of their texture, I recall smuggling one in my backpack, forgetting about it, and finding it days later--beneath several weighty texts--uncrumbled. Apparently, Elmer's Glue was the secret ingredient.

May these blueberry-goat cheese muffins thrill you as much as they do me, Janet! Blueberries are appearing in the markets, and even though the early-season varieties can be a bit on the tart side, the heat from the oven concentrates their flavor and sweetness. I admit to my dogma that goat cheese pairs well with just about everything, but even the goat cheese-wary will love these muffins. While baking the batter-wrapped blueberries concentrates their flavor, the opposite holds true for the goat cheese: heat, as well as the addition of sugar to the batter, softens the flavor. Together, the counterpoint of flavors sings spring.

As for the texture? I guarantee a delicious tumble of crumbles.





Blueberry Goat Cheese Muffins
From 750 Best Muffins, by Camilla V. Saulsbury (c 2010, all rights reserved)

I love the classic, but by adding a bit of creamy goat cheese to the batter, I’ve concocted a fabulous, newfangled muffin that you will go crazy for.

Makes 16 muffins

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
Two 12-cup muffin tins, 16 cups greased

2 cups all-purpose flour 500 mL
2-1/2 tsp baking powder 12 mL
1/2 tsp salt 2 mL
1/4 tsp baking soda 1 mL
2/3 cup granulated sugar 150 mL
2 eggs 2
1 cup whole milk 250 mL
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 125 mL
1 tsp vanilla extract 5 mL
1 cup blueberries 250 mL
4 oz mild creamy goat cheese, crumbled 125 g

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, milk, butter and vanilla until well blended.
3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Gently fold in blueberries and cheese.
4. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in tins on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.

Texas Two-Bean Salad with Avocado and Eggs

Nick and his best buddy Jack had a fun-filled day this past Saturday, beginning with some "tennis" (i.e., whacking balls around the tennis court while Eralda--Jack's mom, and my lovely friend--and I played ball girls) and ending with the dyeing of eggs back at our house (in actuality, it ended with tears when the two sobbed about having to say "good-bye"; little boy love is the best!)

Nick and Eralda were back over Sunday afternoon, along with our friends Joyce, Ryan and their children, May and Zach, for both and Easter lunch and egg hunt (hunt number three for Nick). We ate many a delicious nibble: Muhammara, Sweet Potato Hummus, Ham, a Date-Olive-Spinach Salad, Jelly Bean-Topped Vanilla Cupcakes. But nary anEaster egg.

I had planned on deviling a few for the gathering, but Nick walked into the kitchen at the very moment I poised a bright blue egg over the edge of a bowl, ready to crack.

"MOMMY!!! What are you doing with my Easter egg?!!!"

(Yes, this egg. Sorry for the fuzzy phone shot:)


Uhh...uhh...oops, I thought it was a regular egg?

"Oh Mommy, you're so silly!"

Phew.

But now it's Tuesday, and I have 1-1/2 dozen hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator. Siezing the moment--and an egg--I made an impromptu egg-topped bean salad for lunch. It made a lot. Now I have bean salad and Easter eggs in my refrigerator. But I already know what I'm serving on the side for dinner (and eating again for lunch tomorrow. Yum).

Texas Two-Bean Salad with Avocado (& Easter Eggs)

Makes 8 servings

2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil (preferably expeller-pressed)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp agave nectar or honey
2-3 drops hot sauce (i used Chipotle)
1 15-oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pint container grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
2 to 3 large Hard-boiled eggs, peeled, cut into edges
1 medium Haas avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

In a large bowl, whisk the lime juice, oil, cumin, agave nectar, and hot sauce. Add the beans, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro. Gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with eggs and avocado.

Note: The bean salad will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Here's a sampling of some of my cooking contest wins:

National Chicken Contest $100K Win:
Mahogany Chicken w/ Smoky Sweet Potatoes & Chimichurri

Build a Better Burger $50K Win:
Born in Berkeley Burgers

Food Network Ultimate Recipe Showdown $25K Win:  
Exotic Spice Cookies w/ Cardamom & Rosewater