My husband bought this The America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook (2001) at a used bookstore quite awhile ago, and I hadn’t made anything from it yet. So I sat down and looked through it the other day, and it’s full of good stuff. As I’m sure most of you know, America’s Test Kitchen is a real kitchen in Boston where they test recipes that they publish in Cook’s Illustrated Magazine and demonstrate on their PBS show. Both the magazine and the show focus on “finding the best and most full-proof methods for preparing home-cooked food.” Each chapter of this cookbook, which includes headings such as “Simple Sandwiches,” “All-American Cookout,” and “Fajitas and Margaritas,” includes a few recipes with variations and reviews of the best equipment and ingredients for making the recipes. I took this recipe from the “Muffins & Scones” chapter. The Ekco Baker’s Secret muffin tin took top honors. They also discovered that you don’t need to use fancy butter for baking, just make sure it’s fresh and unsalted. I have to say this recipe, which is pretty detailed, does produce a really good blueberry muffin. I suggest you give it a try!   Makes 12 muffins 2 cups all-purpose…

Makes enough for 4 to 6 1 cup sliced scallions (green onions) 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons orange juice 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce Cooked brown rice, 2 to 3 cups 4 cups shelled edamame 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)  Make the sauce: Throw the first five ingredients into a food processor or blender and let it run until the sauce looks sorta smooth. You should get about 2/3 cup of sauce. To assemble the bowl, spoon equal parts brown rice and edamame into a bowl and drizzle a tablespoon or two of sauce all over it. One serving is about 1/2 cup each of rice and edamame. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top for extra crunch. You can make this s*** all on Sunday night and heat it up all week. My notes: The cookbook authors suggest this as a breakfast dish. It’s a little too oniony for me to eat early in the morning, but I did enjoy this for lunch. It’s a simple, but healthy dish and can be eaten warm or at room temperature. Adapted from Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook. Next, I’m going to try the Sweet Corn…

Makes 2 cakes 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 4 cups cake flour, plus 1 tablespoon for blueberries 1 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons baking powder 2 cups sugar 6 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 1/2 cups blueberries Zest of lemon Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 (9 x 5 inch) loaf pans and set aside. Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar until pale in color, about 5 minutes on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add the vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beating until only just combined. Toss the blueberries in flour and fold in with lemon zest. Pour batter into the prepared pans, making sure to divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Level tops with an offset spatula or smack on the counter a couple times. Bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the…

Makes one 8 by 4-inch loaf (about 10 slices) Spray oil1 or 2 small zucchini1 cup raisins, optional3 cups whole wheat flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon ground cinnamonPinch of salt1 cup unsweetened almond milk*3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce1/2 cup sweetener, such as honey, maple syrup, or date paste**1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped, optional Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat the loaf pan with spray oil. Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl (about 3 cups). Stir the raisins into the zucchini and set aside bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, sweetener, and walnuts. Add the milk mixture to the zucchini mixture and stir to combine, then stir in the flour mixture. The batter will be thick. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool completely. My notes: As I mentioned on Wednesday, this bread did…

Serves 4 1 1/4 pounds potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice1/4 cup vegetable oil1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced2 jalapeno peppers, diced (take out seeds and veins if you don’t want spice)Salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon paprika1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth1 cup grated cheddar cheese6 eggs, cooked sunny-side upHot sauce, for serving In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the potatoes and 1 inch of water. Cover and cook on high until the potatoes are partially cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the peppers are softened, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, then stir in the potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, and paprika. Pour the broth into the skillet and cook, stirring only once in a while, until the potatoes are cooked, the whole mess is golden and crispy things happen, about 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt if it’s not already super delicious. Sprinkle with the cheese, cover, and cook…

Slow-Cooker French Toast For crumb topping: 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into cubes For French toast: 1 (20-ounce) loaf challah, sliced 2 cups milk 4 eggs Zest of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup blueberries 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans, optional Make the crumb topping: Combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the cold butter, toss to coat, and then use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Lightly coat the inside of a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray. Cut the challah slices in half crosswise; arrange them in the slow cooker in several layers, overlapping slightly. In a large glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour the batter evenly over the bread slices. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the bread slices. Top with the blueberries. Cover and cook the French toast on low heat for 3 hours or on high for 1 1/2 hours, until a knife comes…

Today I am revisiting Run Fast. Eat Slow. to bring you a muffin recipe that I’ve been making over and over again. Superhero Muffins 2 cups almond meal 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup walnuts (optional) 1/2 cup raisins, chopped dates, or chocolate chips 3 eggs, beaten 1 cup grated zucchini 1 cup grated carrots 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, oats, spices, baking soda, salt, and any optional items. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, zucchini, carrots, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. The batter will be thick. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each to the brim. (I use an ice cream scoop to fill the tins.) Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. My notes: These are super versatile. I have used a…