Broccoli with Garlic Sauce

Lo Mein, Chow Fun, Moo Shu, General Tso, Fried Rice, Hot and Sour Soup, spring rolls...Ahhh!  I love the Americanized Chinese fast food!  Sweet and savory sauces over crisp vegetables - I get hungry just thinking about it.

However, it really doesn't like me.  Headaches and bloating always seem to follow a take-out meal from a Chinese food joint.  And sometimes it all starts during the meal (ever need to loosen your pants during a meal even though your portions are small?  Yeah.  That kind of bloating.).  Then, of course, there's the problem of being hungry again about an hour later. So why was this style of fast food the hardest for us to give up?

Because it tasted the best. Because it was fast.  Because it was the only take-out I can think of where a hefty portion of vegetables were included in the meal.  Because there was always a ton of food for not a lot of money.  And because it wasn't pizza...again.

Let's face it; we like the sweetness of the sauces because the corn syrup hits our blood stream and shoots right to our brains.  And the MSG heightens all of the flavors in much the same manner so we just want to eat everything on the table in a crazy hurry because it just tastes so darn good.  At least, that was the problem for me.  I'm sure there are more issues with ingredients (not the least of which are quality and origin), but those two seem to be the triggers for me.

So, in an effort to try to avoid all of those nasties, I've been trying for years to reproduce the dishes we like best at home.  But it's hard to compete with those ingredients.  And I'm not Chinese, so I have no family recipes handed down to me to help me understand how this cuisine is created (and I doubt they'd taste the same as the American Chinese food, anyway).  Yes, I can follow a cookbook recipe, but they just don't compare to the Chinese restaurant versions of the same dishes.  What's an Irish-German-Swedish-French-American gal supposed to do?

Trial and error.  Lots of trial and error.  A bunch of sog and a bit of crunch, all with crappy sauces.

But finally, finally I was able to create a Broccoli with Garlic Sauce (my personal favorite) that my whole family loves.  And guess what - they like it better than the Chinese joint's Broccoli with Garlic Sauce!  And I do, too; it has a ton of flavor, and I feel good about all of the ingredients.  Win!

With regards to the recipe, you can choose to saute the garlic with the vegetables if you'd like, but I like it best in the sauce because it tends to burn for me otherwise.  The place from where we used to like to order uses mushrooms, water chestnuts, and celery in theirs, so if you like those things, go ahead and add them if you'd like (I don't); if you keep the total combined additions to equal about one cup, you won't need extra sauce. To make the sauce, I like to put everything into a large measuring cup.  After adding the broth, each liquid addition raises the next level by how much you put into the cup, so there is no need to measure again (just be sure to add the garlic and ginger last).  Also, it's easy to prep the veggies and the sauce ahead of time and store it separately in the fridge until you're ready to use it, which makes for a super fast and easy dinner (aside from the time it takes to make the rice).


Broccoli with Garlic Sauce
serves 4

• 1 1/2 c vegetable broth
• 1/4 c organic tamari (soy sauce)
• 1/4 c raw honey
• 1 head garlic (about 10-14 cloves), peeled and minced
• 1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (depending upon how hot you prefer)
• 1 1/2 Tbs non-GMO cornstarch, such as Rumford
• 4c broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 c red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks 
• 1 c pea pods or asparagus, seasonal (cut asparagus into 2-inch chunks)
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 4-5 green onions, sliced into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1-3 Tbs quality canola oil, or other quality high-heat oil of your choice
• 2 cups hot cooked brown rice 
• 4-6 Tbs chopped peanuts, optional

In a large measuring cup or small bowl, mix together the broth, tamari, honey, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and cornstarch.  Set aside.

Combine the broccoli, bell pepper, pea pods or asaparagus, carrot and green onions in a large bowl.

Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Pour 1 Tbs oil into wok or skillet, then quickly begin to saute the vegetables in batches for about 2-3 minutes, adding 1 Tbs more oil for each new batch.

Replace all the vegetables to the wok or pan.  Stir the broth mixture well and pour it over the vegetables.  Stir to incorporate and simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes or until sauce thickens and vegetables are just tender.

Serve over hot cooked brown rice. Top with chopped peanuts, if desired.

This recipe has been shared on the Recipe Lion Favorite Spring Recipes Blog Hop!
 

Chocolate Cherry Power Bars

Finally!  I've finally been able to post at least one chocolate based recipe this month and now I can join all of the amazing bloggers who have contributed to the #chocolatelove blog hop!  February has been such a busy month for us that I wasn't able to co-host this month, but below my recipe, you'll find a list of all of the rockin' bloggers that did host February's #chocolatelove bloghop, as well as a list of the delectable recipes that have been shared so far.

For several years before my kids were born, I worked for a company well known in the natural health industry.  This recipe is one that has been a staple since those days.  My stained old recipe card, which is officially older than my teenage kids, is simply titled "Power Bars" and the original recipe goes like this:

• 1 c honey
• 1 c peanut butter
• 1/2 c carob powder
• 1 c sunflower meats
• 1 c shredded coconut
• 1 c almonds
• 1 c rolled oats
• 1 c raisins

And that's it.  There are no instructions because it's so silly easy; mix it together, then eat it.

Over the years, I've changed the recipe very little, but I'll let you in on a little secret - the measurements are all correct, so you can substitute any similar ingredients you like.  For instance, I like carob well enough, but I like cocoa just a little bit better.  I like raisins, but I like dried cherries or cranberries, too.  I like peanut butter, but I also really like almond butter.  I have substituted the almonds for walnuts or hazelnuts.  No honey?  Try brown rice syrup.  This recipe has lasted this long because I can change it depending on what I have on hand and what we all like at the moment.  Those kinds of recipes are called "keepers", folks.

These tasty, healthy little treats are similar to chewy granola bars, but do not need to be baked.  They are crazy easy to whip together and they taste amazing.

A few quick notes, though; when converting a recipe calling for carob powder to one that uses cocoa powder, generally use a little less cocoa powder because it has a stronger flavor.  In this recipe, I used the same amount because I like it like that - fudgy.  Also, be sure to refrigerate at least an hour (two is best) before eating these bars; the honey takes a while to do it's honey thing and if you eat them before it has had its time, the bars will taste very honey-like (not that that's a bad thing, really, but waiting allows all of the flavors to meld into some seriously yummy goodness).

Chocolate Cherry Power Bars

12-15 bars, depending on how you slice it

• 1 c raw honey
• 1 c natural peanut butter (preferably smooth, but crunchy works, too)
• 1/2 c cocoa powder
• 1 c raw sunflower meats
• 1 c unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 c raw almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 c rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 c dried cherries

In a medium sauce pan, combine the honey, peanut butter and cocoa powder.  Heat over low heat until easy to mix.  Mix well.

In a large bowl, combine the sunflower meats, coconut, almonds, oats, and cherries.

Stir the chocolate peanut butter mixture into the oat and coconut mixture.  Mix well (you may want to forego the spoon and just use your hands).

Press the mixture into a 13x9 pan.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  With a sharp knife, cut into 12 or 15 bars.

Store in the refrigerator.

This recipe is also part of the Living Well Blog Hop #29 hosted at Common Sense Homestead 

and is a 

Common Sense Homestead Living Well Blog Hop #30

For more #chocolatelove and other fantastic recipes, check out these wonderful bloghop co-hosts! 


Please join in on the #chocolatelove fun by linking up any chocolate recipe from the month of February 2012!

A Little Bit of Everything ~ Roxana ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl

ASTIG Vegan ~ Richgail ~ @astigvegan

Badger Girl Learns to Cook ~ Kimberly ~ @BdgrGrl

Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29

Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves ~ Becky Higgins

Baking Extravaganza ~ Samantha

BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

Bon a croquer ~ Valerie ~ @Valouth

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cakeballs, Cookies and More ~ Sue

Cooking with Books ~ Marnely ~ @nella22

Creative Cooking Corner ~ Karriann ~ @KarriannGraf

Easily Good Eats ~ Three Cookies

Elephant Eats ~ Amy

Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19

Java Cupcake ~ Betsy ~ @JavaCupcake

Kitchen Belleicious ~ Jessica

Mike’s Baking ~ Mike ~ @mikesbaking

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Rico sin Azucar ~ Helena ~ @ricosinazucar

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Smart Food and Fit ~ Lisa ~ @LisaNutrition

Soni’s Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood

Sprint 2 the Table ~ Laura ~ @Sprint2theTable

Teaspoon of Spice ~ Deanna ~ @tspbasil

That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Dusty Baker ~ Jacqueline ~ @dustybakergal

The More Than Occasional Baker ~ Ros ~ @bakingaddict

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

You Made That? ~ Suzanne ~ @YouMadeThatblog

Stawberry Almond Cheesecake Bites

For so many of us, a large portion of Valentine's Day includes the whole family.  Ever since my kids were small, we've made this fun and healthy treat to celebrate the national day of Love.

Kids love to help pulverize the graham crackers, and they do a fantastic job.  Simply place the crackers in a ziploc bag and give them a rolling pin; they seem to know exactly what to do.  Even though my kids are teenagers now, this is still a favorite job.

While they are having fun beating the blazes out of the graham crackers, you can get the cheesecake dip together.  In a matter of minutes, you have a "build your own" sort of strawberry cheesecake bunch of love going on.

Strawberry Almond Cheesecake Bites
Makes about 1 cup dip

• 1 quart fresh strawberries, hulls in tact, washed and patted dry
• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 c plain yogurt
• 1 Tbs heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp raw  honey
• 1/3 tsp pure almond extract
• 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs (preferably home made)
• 1/4 finely chopped almonds

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, yogurt, whipping cream, honey, and almond extract with a hand held mixer until smooth and creamy; about 2 minutes.

Place the cream cheese mixture into a bowl.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and almonds in another bowl.

Grab the strawberries by the hull, dip them into the cream cheese mixture, then roll in the graham cracker mixture, and enjoy.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Orange Pecan Muffins - Citrus Blog Hop

It's such a cold, gray day outside this morning, but these Orange Pecan Muffins remind me of a sunny summer morning, eating breakfast outside, listening to the birds chirp, leisurely reading a book or the newspaper...

Made with creamy yogurt, these moist muffins are bursting with bright orange flavor, complimented by lovely pecans and cinnamon, and just enough honey to sweeten.  The optional streusel on top is made not from brown sugar, but rather, from date sugar.  While the muffins definitely hold their own without, if you choose to use the streusel, you can easily make your own date "sugar" by grinding dried dates in a coffee grinder until very finely ground; the immediate texture is more moist than purchased date sugar, but the baked results are quite similar.

January and February are prime citrus months in the warmer climates of our country.  All manner of fresh oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes are readily available at this time of the year, and you will find a plethora of fantastic citrus themed recipes all month long by visiting my blog (and checking for new additions to the blog hop listed below this recipe) as well as the blogs of all my fantastic #citruslove bloghop co-hosts.

Enjoy these fresh tasting muffins with a nice, hot, steaming mug of tea, while dreaming about the summer to come.  At least, that's what I did; it was heavenly.  I think I'm going to go do it again.

Orange Pecan Muffins
makes 12

• 1 c unbleached all purpose flour
• 3/4 whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 raw honey
• 1/3 c butter, melted
• zest of 1 organic orange (about 2 Tbs)
• 1 Tbs fresh orange juice (from zested orange)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 chopped pecans

For Struesel (optional)

• 2 Tbs date sugar
• 2 Tbs finely chopped pecans
• 1 Tbs unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 Tbs butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400F.  Grease or line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the streusel, if using, making sure to crumble any clumps of sticky dates.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Mix well. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, honey, butter, orange zest, orange juice, and egg with a hand held blender for about 15- 20 seconds, or until well mixed.

Pour yogurt mixture into the flour mixture; mix with a spoon just until combined (batter will be thick).  Stir in the pecans.

Evenly fill 12 muffin cups (each will be nearly filled to the top).

Sprinkle streusel topping over each.

Bake in preheated oven 16-18 minutes, or until muffins are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.

Cool on wire racks.  *The longer the muffins are allowed to set, the sweeter they will become.

Please join in on the #citruslove fun by linking up any citrus recipe from the month of January 2012.  Don't forget to link back to this post so that your readers know to stop by the #citruslove event!  The twitter hashtag is #citruslove.


Citruslove Blog Hop Co-Hosts

A Little Bit of Everything ~ Roxana ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl
Astig Vegan ~ Richgail ~ @AstigVegan

Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29

BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cakeballs, Cookies and More ~ Sue

Easily Good Eats

Elephant Eats ~ Amy

Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19

Mike's Baking ~ Mike ~ @mikesbaking

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives ~ Lisa ~ @parsleynsage

Peaches and Donuts ~ Sylvia ~ @PeachesandDonut

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Smart Food and Fit ~ Lisa ~ @LisaNutrition

Soni's Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood 

Teaspoon of Spice ~ Serena ~ @tspcurry
That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~ @TAofCRF

The More Than Occasional Baker ~ Ros ~ @bakingaddict

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd  

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma  ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

You Made That? ~  Suzanne ~ @YouMadeThatblog

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cheese Ball

I used to think cheese balls were kind of hokey and only showed up on my grandmother's holiday table, destined to be avoided by nearly everyone because it just looked...questionable.  Boy, have I been wrong.  I've been playing around with some different cheese ball ingredient combinations and I think I might actually be in love with the whole idea.  I know I just posted a savory cheese ball recipe (Herbed Olive and Cheese Spread), but this one is sweet and it's too yummy not to share right away.

In other chocolate chip cheese ball recipes, I've noticed many of them call for a lot of additional butter (probably for spreadability), but I decided to use a small amount of coconut oil instead.  The result is a sweet and decadent chocolate chip and pecan spread with just the perfect hint of coconut flavor.  I'm happy to say it's one of those cream cheese spreads you will want to eat with a spoon, but it tastes amazing with firm fruits, graham crackers, bagels, or vanilla cookies.  It makes a lovely holiday presentation centered on a platter surrounded by red and green apple slices, too.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cheese Ball

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 c unrefined coconut oil 
(such as Spectrum Unrefined Organic Coconut Oil)
• 2 Tbs raw honey
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 c plus 1/3 c mini chocolate chips (or well chopped semi sweet chocolate), divided
• 1/3 c chopped pecans

With a hand held mixer set to low speed, blend together the cream cheese, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla.  Stir in 1/2 c chocolate chips.

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

On a plate or board, combine the remaining 1/3 c chocolate chips and pecans.

Form the chocolate chip cheese mixture into a ball.  Roll in the chocolate chip and pecan mixture.

Refrigerate until ready to use.  Serve with apples, pears, bagel slices, graham crackers or vanilla cookies.

Cookie Blog Hop - Cherry Filled Almond Cookies

When I was invited to help co-host the #CookieLove Blog Hop for December, I was both flattered to be considered, and, quite frankly, terrified to accept because, well, I'm a cook, not a baker.  And cookies are very different from cakes and pies.  I can follow a cookie recipe, but to develop one is not exactly something I felt I could do.  I thought about it and nearly decided to decline, but then I realized that this could be a fun challenge, one where I could step into a different category within the subject I love, and conquer a fear. So, I accepted and immediately began working out several cookie recipes, desperately hoping I could actually do it without just ultimately showcasing already published recipes all month long (which is usually what I end up baking at my house during the holiday season).

Cooking is primarily instinct and experience; we know what our ingredients taste like and can usually match them well enough to work out a fine dish, using a little bit of this a little more of that, and so on until we find a delicious balance.  But baking is more scientific; each of the ingredients serve a specific purpose that not only affects the flavor, but the texture, the size, and the shape. And then there is the issue of sugar, which is a pretty important part of baking sweets.  Since I'm not much of a sugary sort of gal, I knew this would be one of my biggest challenges.

The first batch of cookies I made were supposed to be Cranberry Nut Pinwheels.  The dough was too sticky and hard to work with, but I thought it would be better after it chilled.  It was, but only slightly.  My cookies expanded very little, and never became larger than a half dollar.  And the cranberry nut filling just kind of melted into the dough.  They ended up looking like this:

my failed cranberry nut pinwheels

What an ugly disappointment! But, they tasted really good, so we ate all 2 dozen of them just to get them out of the way and move on before I lost my faith in myself; I had six more recipes to try after this one.

The Cherry Filled Almond Cookies turned out exactly as I had hoped, though.  I was shooting for a naturally sweetened spin on the traditional thumbprint style cookie, and I found it quite easily.  A tender but sturdy cookie, flavored with honey and almonds on the inside and studded with more almonds on the outside - the perfect vessel to hold a delicious dollop of cherry preserves.  And they are not ugly!

A word about the cherry preserves - if you are not using your own super delicious homemade cherry preserves (I didn't either), please look for someone else's super delicious homemade cherry preserves.  Commercial jams and jellies are not what we are looking for with these cookies; a good, solid, real cherry flavor (with actual real cherries), preferably naturally sweetened, jam or preserve can be found in local specialty shops or at farmer's markets everywhere, and I suggest using one of those to fill these tasty little cookies.

Please be sure to check out all the fabulous cookie recipes included in the Cookie Love Blog Hop during the month of December listed just beneath this recipe!

Cherry Filled Almond Cookies
makes about 2 dozen

• 1/4 c raw honey
• 1/2 c butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp pure almond extract (such as Simply Organic Almond Extract)
• 1 egg, separated*
• 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 c almonds, finely chopped
• 1/3-1/2 c cherry preserves

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, combine honey, butter, almond extract, egg yolk*.

*To separate an egg white from the egg yolk, simply crack the egg and pass the yolk between the halves of the shell, allowing the white to fall into a small bowl (we will be using the white later, so be sure it has its own bowl).

With an electric hand held mixer, beat until smooth.

Stir in the flour and salt until well combined and dough holds together.

Beat the egg white slightly with a fork - just until it isn't gloppy.  Place the finely chopped almonds in a separate bowl.

Shape the dough into 1 inch balls by gently rolling the balls between both palms.

sorry for the blur 

Dip the balls into the egg white, shake off excess.  

Roll the balls in the chopped almonds, ensuring they are completely covered.

Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Press your thumb deeply into the center of each ball.  (My own thumbprint isn't very wide, so I opened the indentation somewhat)

Bake about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Remove to a rack and cool completely.

Fill the indentations with 1/2 - 1 tsp cherry preserves.

Please join in on the #cookielove fun by linking up any cookie recipe from the month of December 2011.  Don't forget to link back to this post so that your readers know to stop by the #cookielove event!  The twitter hashtag is #cookielove.

CookieLove Blog Hop Co-Hosts
Badger Girl Learns to Cook
Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves
Big Fat Baker
Bloc de recetas
Bon a croquer
Cafe TerraBlog
Cake Duchess
Creative Cooking Corner
Easily Good Eats
Georgiecakes
Hobby and More
Knitstamatic
Mike's Baking
Mis Pensmientos
No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
Oh Cake
Queen's Notebook
Savoring Every Bite
Simply Reem
Soni's Food For Thought
Teaspoon of Spice
That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!
The Art of Cooking Real Food
The Spicy RD
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Vegetarian Tastebuds
Vegan Yack Attack

Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake

Some days I'm so glad I did all that work during the summer months to stash goodies while they were in season so I can eat them when they are not.  Yesterday was one of those days.  With Thanksgiving just around the corner, all I can think about is pumpkin, apples, stuffing, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and squash, all while wearing my wool socks, slippers, and two sweaters...it's just kind of nice to have a somewhat summery diversion right about now.

So, instead of making an apple cranberry coffee cake, I decided to make a blueberry one.  And it was great because yesterday was one of the few recent days where the sun was shining and 49 degrees (F) felt positively balmy.  Not quite summer, but it tasted like it, and that counts.

As with all my desserts, there is no processed sugar in this coffee cake (or is it a buckle?  I'm not really sure, to be honest).  I used raw honey to sweeten both the cake and the topping.  The thing to remember when using natural sweeteners, especially honey, is that after it is baked into something, that something needs to rest so the honey can do its sweetening thing.  That means this: don't eat this cake warm right out of the oven because it won't be very sweet just then.  Wait at least 30 minutes or until it has cooled completely.  Or better yet, make it in the evening and wait to eat it until breakfast the next day. It's even better topped with vanilla spiked Greek yogurt or whipped cream.

For those of you just beginning to cook, or are just learning how to manipulate recipes, this coffee cake is a basic alteration of a classic coffee cake recipe.  Feel free to use it as a base, but alter the fruits and flavorings.  For instance, for an apple coffee cake, simply replace the blueberries with the same amount of finely diced apples, swap the raw honey for pure maple syrup, replace the almonds with pecans or walnuts, use vanilla extract instead of almond, and add a little cinnamon to the batter.  Or, you could also use cranberries or raspberries instead of blueberries, and orange zest instead of lemon. It's pretty much fool proof; you'd have to try really hard to mess it up.  For as much as I love trying new recipes, I often come back to this one (with variations) when I'm looking for an easy, healthy coffee cake to just whip up without having to think too terribly hard about it, and I know it'll always turn out just right.

Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake

serves 9

Almond Topping:

• 1/2 c sliced or chopped raw almonds
• 2 Tbs raw honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cake:

• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 1 c unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel (preferably from an organic lemon)
• 2 tsp aluminum free baking powder (such as Rumford)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c raw honey
• 1/4 c butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp pure almond extract (such as Simply Organic Almond Extract)
• 2 c fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375F.  Oil and flour a 9 inch baking pan.

In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, lemon peel, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and honey until smooth.  

Blend in the egg, buttermilk, and almond extract until just mixed.

Pour the honey and buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture.  Mix well.

Gently fold in the blueberries.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. 

Sprinkle the almond topping evenly over the batter.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool.  Serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla yogurt.

Hearth & Soul Tuesday Blog Hop