Sides | Simple By Cindy

Blueberry Cornflake Muffins

Feb. 7
2019

These blistery, bitter cold days have been hard on all of us in the North East. It is torturous to be outside, even for a minute. The anticipation of leaving the house is even difficult. Schools have been closed and many people are choosing to work from home if they can.

Here’s the silver lining: when it’s this cold, it is the perfect opportunity to fine-tune your baking skills. Just think how good it will feel to cozy up on your favorite chair or couch with some hot chocolate and warm sweets. There are so many things you can bake with ingredients you have in your pantry, such as chocolate chip cookies, banana bread or sugar cookies.

The smells emerging from your oven will be enough to make you feel nice and snug.

I love these kinds of days, not because they are cold, of course, but because they give me an excuse to stay home and bake or cook, or better yet, both!

Today I made these darling muffins. This is a first for me, but as soon as I saw the cornflake topping, I was hooked. Light and fluffy on the inside, with bursts of sweet blueberry goodness in every bite. The cornflake topping is perfect for these blueberry delights, giving them enormous texture and crunch. I promise you, these muffins are worth every second you make them and more.

This recipe is courtesy of Ovenly, which I fondly recommend, and will make 12 muffins that will help you forget how unpleasantly frigid it is outside.

Ingredients for Blueberry Cornflake muffins:

Softened unsalted butter or nonstick cooking spray or 12 baking cups, for greasing or lining the muffin tin
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream (preferably full-fat)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon

Ingredients for the Cornflake Topping:

1 cup corn flakes (organic or without high fructose corn syrup)
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (I used regular sugar and it came out fine)

To make the muffins:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with softened butter or nonstick cooking spray, or use baking cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the flour mixture.

In a small bowl, coat the blueberries evenly with the reserved flour mixture.

Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and light yellow, about 2 minutes.

Turn the mixer off and add the sour cream, egg, vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Beat on medium-low speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Scrape down the side and the bottom of the bowl, using a rubber spatula.

Mix again for an additional 5 seconds.

Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, about 15 seconds.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.

Using a spatula, gently fold the coated blueberries into the batter.

Portion out the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin, using a large spoon or a cookie scoop.

Fill each well about 2/3 full.

To make the cornflake topping:

Cut the butter into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients.

Mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until the cornflakes, butter and sugar are well combined and there are no butter chunks.

The cornflakes should be slightly crushed.

Top each muffin with 2 tablespoons Cornflake Topping.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a few muffins comes out clean.

It’s that simple!

Mac and Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumbs

Jan. 28
2019

I am a self-taught cook and I still make little mistakes from time to time. Sometimes I miss a step or two but the dish turns out okay. Other times, I do everything right, following each and every direction but the dish doesn’t turn out like the picture. I am okay admitting these things and if this resonates with you – you should be too!

Since we are being totally honest here, Grandma Julia’s cheesecake from my last post took 4 tries before I got it right. And even then, the top cracked. Why it took me four tries will always be a mystery to me because I am pretty sure I carefully followed the directions each time. The first two times, it didn’t cook through, and I kept returning it to the oven so many times, I finally gave up. The third time, the cake would not come out of the pan, it was a total mess. I carefully went over the instructions with Shelley, and she couldn’t figure out why either!

In addition to making mistakes that I am unaware of, sometimes I also deliberately change ingredients in a recipe. For example, while this recipe calls for Velveeta cheese which is a processed cheese, I just couldn’t bring myself to add it in. I changed it to a fresh cheese, Fontina.

There is something so comforting about a warm bowl of creamy, cheesy pasta. This mac and cheese is by far the best I have had. It has a few surprising ingredients in it that makes it so delectable. This was the first recipe I have made that included mayonnaise and ricotta cheese. The béchamel sauce, combined with the 3 different kinds of cheese and mayonnaise make it creamy, sweet and flavorful. The cheese was gooey in the middle and crisp at the top. The panko is crisped to perfection, making this dish amazingly decadent.

This recipe is courtesy of Southern Living and will serve 6-8 people who will savour each warm gooey bite.

Ingredients for Mac and Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumbs:

12 ounces uncooked large elbow macaroni
1/4 cup salted butter
3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped (2 to 3 garlic cloves)
2 cups whole milk
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
6 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
1 cup mayonnaise (such as Dukes)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups panko
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Prepare pasta according to package directions; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onion and cook, stirring until just beginning to turn brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add flour and garlic to skillet; cook, stirring until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add milk; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low.

Gradually add Cheddar and Fontina cheese, whisking until melted.

Remove from the heat.

Stir in cooked pasta, mayonnaise, salt and 1/2 of the parsley.

Ina small bowl, stir together the ricotta and egg.

Gently stir ricotta mixture into pasta mixture, leaving large swirls.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together panko, melted butter, and remaining parsley until blended.

Top pasta with prepared panko mixture and bake until top is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

It’s that simple!

Mustardy Smashed New Potatoes with Jalapeño Gremolata

Jan. 24
2019

“But our goal, remember, is to feed around our table the people we love. We’re not chef’s or restauranteurs or culinary school graduates, and we shouldn’t try to be. Make it the way the people you love want to eat it.” – Shauna Niequist, Bread and Wine

Shauna Niequist’s book, a collection of love stories that are about how we connect to each other through food and at the table resonates with me deeply. All the cooking I do is for one purpose, to bring people to my table. I consider it one of the most important things I do.

I always made dinner the most important part of my family’s day. When my kids were young, I cooked every day except for Saturday. That would-be date night for me and my husband.

Then our two children went off to college and we found ourselves to be empty nesters and I still cooked most nights. It was a time for my husband and I to connect, to relax and catch up. Now they are both back and living at home, and dinner continues to be the most important part of our day. I can see that my boys appreciate it even more, this time. We have reconnected in a different way. They seem disappointed on the days when my husband and I go out. It helps too, that they love my cooking. Our dinners are something that will be with them forever. I am extremely grateful for that.

So, if you feel like gathering at the kitchen table, this is one recipe that will steal everyone’s hearts. The potatoes roast beautifully to a golden brown in the oven and are fluffy on the inside (the secret to that is boiling them first). The gremolata is the gem of this dish. The whole grain mustard seeds cause quite a bit of pleasant pucker, while the parsley and dill bring it back to savory. This dish will be a perfect side to any main dish you prepare.

This recipe is courtesy of Beautiful by Athena Calderone, and will serve 4 to 6 people who enjoy good food as much as they enjoy good company.
Ingredients for Smashed Potatoes with Jalapeno Gremolata

2 pounds baby new potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Small handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Small handful fresh dill, roughly chopped
2 jalapenos, 1 seeded and finely diced, the other cut into rounds
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 lemon
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Flaky sea salt for serving

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the potatoes and simmer until they are tender, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes.

Drain in a colander.

Using a flat-bottomed cup or mug (I used the back of a large spoon), gently smash the potatoes.

Turn them onto a baking sheet; use two sheets if necessary to avoid overcrowding.

Drizzle the potatoes generously with some oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast until they are golden, about 15 minutes, then flip and roast until golden and crisp all over, about 10 minutes longer.

In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, dill, diced jalapeno, and garlic.

Zest half of the lemon over the mixture, add the olive oil and toss to combine.

Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the roasted potatoes with the mustard, then arrange them on a platter.

Spoon the gremolata over the potatoes and scatter them with the jalapeno rounds.

Zest the remaining lemon zest over half the platter.

Drizzle the potatoes with lemon juice from one lemon half.

Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and serve immediately.

It’s that simple!

Lara’s Bridal Shower

Jan. 17
2019

I am happy to report that my niece Lara’s bridal shower was a huge success! It was a lot of work, but the outcome made it well worthwhile. Her other aunts and I chose to have it at a restaurant in New York City. We also chose “cooking” as a theme as my niece loves to cook! Since I do not live in the city, I had to carefully plan every table, pack everything up and bring it to the restaurant. I still can’t believe I fit everything in my car, it was completely filled. Even my cousin, who sat in the passenger’s seat was holding things in her lap.

Planning these kinds of parties is a huge undertaking. There are always little hiccups and many worries. There is always the risk of having something you ordered not coming on time. I’ve found it helps to anticipate that not everything will go right, and make peace with it. I just really enjoy doing these special little things for my family.

I have a close friend who threw a similar baking themed bridal shower for her niece, so her input made it easier, and I just had to put it all together.

When people first walked in there was a “greeting” table that had glass jars filled with candy and each person’s name and table number on it.

My friend had a mannequin that she used for her niece’s bridal shower and I appropriately dressed it for the cooking theme. We also had guests sign it when they arrived.

I took a coffee maker, a crockpot, a blender, a colander and a wooden spoon holder to a florist, and had them filled with flowers that coordinated with the colors of the shower, which was blue and yellow.

Here is how each table looked.

Of course, I was not working alone and everyone was happy to help.

My other niece baked this beautiful wedding dress “cake” which was made up of cupcakes (and my friend’s idea).

Even my great-niece Jenna contributed by handing out the favors (which were blue potholders) and thanking each person for coming. How cute is she?!

Lara had a wonderful day and was so happy to be celebrating with family and friends. That made every minute worth it.

It’s that simple (oh no, not really)!

Sweet Potato-Carrot Mash

Jan. 14
2019

I am planning a bridal shower for my niece! I am very excited for the outcome, but there is so much to be done between then and now. Luckily, I am not alone and her other aunts are helping me brainstorm.

Just as luck would have it, we know she loves to cook. So, we are planning her shower with cooking as the theme. First, there will be a table when she walks in with 4 mugs with the letters L-O-V-E (1 letter on each mug) that will be filled with flowers. There will also be mason jars filled with candy. There will be a picture of the bride and groom of course, as well as her bridal shower invitation.

I am particularly excited about the flowers. For each table, I chose a special piece related to cooking to hold the flowers. There will be a crockpot, a blender, a wooden spoon holder, a colander and a coffeemaker, and a KitchenAid, all filled with flowers to adorn each table. Was this the perfect theme for me to work with? I am having the best time ever planning it. I will be sure to write it up and show you the pictures of the finished product.

Time to take a break and get to my recipes for the day. I wanted to make a casserole but was tired of the same old. As I was doing my homework I came across a few recipes with the same combination, I just deleted a few things and added some others. I think this recipe came out pretty perfect. It isn’t all about the brown sugar or marshmallows. It is a simple mix of two sweet ingredients that become more intense and delicious when roasted. The honey enhances the sweetness and the nutmeg adds that savory goodness.

This recipe will serve 8 people who will be sure to replicate it themselves.

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Carrot Crisp

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 chunks
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:

3/4cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 to 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450F.

Place sweet potatoes and carrots in a large baking pan.