Blueberry Muffins

I don't know about you but I love to have easy mornings and being able to pull out pre made items from the freezer through out the week that are healthy and not full of chemicals is ideal. Here is a blueberry muffin recipe that is super simple and for the most part healthy too.

Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Line two muffin tins with liners, this recipe makes between 22-24 muffins.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1.5 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup apple sauce
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk

2 cups fresh blueberries

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl, combine all wet ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together the wet ingredients and then combine with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix or your muffins will be very dry. Once all the ingredients come together gently fold in your blueberries.

Place one large spoonful in each muffin liner. When you are finished sprinkle with just a tad bit of sugar.

Bake for 20-15 minutes depending on your oven.

Roasted Pork Belly

While recently wine tasting in Murphy's California I came across a new tasting room, Bunting Vineyards. This is the newest tasting room located downtown and I had heard great rumors about their wines so my girlfriend and I decided to check it out. Their tasting room manager was great for being so new to the area as well. Long story short he presented to us a fabulous Mourvedre from the Sierra Foothills and asked what I would pair with it. It got me thinking, as I let the wine dance around my taste buds I could taste all the bug red fruits. The tannins hit the back of my mouth with just enough to not leave your mouth puckered. This wine to me would be perfect with Pork Belly. The combination of the slight tartness from the wine and the succulent juices from the pork belly were sure to be a match made in foodie heaven.

So once I was able to hunt down so Pork Belly (yes it really did take me 5 grocery stores to get it, and I bought it all!) I began my hunt for the perfect recipe as I have only eaten pork belly in restaurants. I finally was pointed in the direction of the pork master himself, Michael Symon. I cannot wait to grab his book off the shelf "Carnivore".

The recipe I used was adapted from his moment on Jimmy Fallon (you can you tube it). This was tricky as he didn't use specific amounts of any one ingredient so be sure to know your flavors and what you want to be most prominent.

Pre heat your oven to 350

4.5 Pound Pork Belly Slab (room temperature)

Pancetta (diced)
Chili Flakes
Capers
Onions (diced)
Lemon Zest
Orange Zest
Garlic
Rosemary (fresh)
Parsley (fresh)

Puree all your ingredients in a food processor.  Place your pork belly fat side up on a baking sheet and slice a criss-cross design in the fat making sure not to reach the meat itself. This allows the fat to breath and come to a crisp easier. Turn your pork belly over and generously apply the rub you just made. Turn the meat back over so the fat is facing up and the rub is face down. You are now ready to place in the oven. Allow the meat to bake at 350 for about an hour and a half to two hours depending on the thickness.

I accompanied this meat with a four cheese mashed potato, sliced zucchini and of course a glass of Bunting Vineyards Mourvedre. Cheers!

Sweet Potato Cake and Eggs

I don't know about you but I love to have a lot of protein at breakfast. It keeps me fueled and satisfied through out the morning until lunch. I don't feel like snacking and that is always a plus in my book. One of my favorite things to eat are eggs, so this morning I made myself a sweet potato cake with eggs and avocado. What can I say besides that it just melted in my mouth.

Recipe:

1 Sweet Potato peeled and shredded
2 Eggs
1 Small Avocado
Fresh Basil for Garnish
Coconut Oil for frying

Heat a frying pan up with 2 TBS Coconut Oil. Place your shredded sweet potato in the pan in a round ball and smash it with a spatula to look like a pancake. Heat on medium heat for about 5 minutes each side or until the desired crisp has been reached. Place your cooked sweet potato cake on a plate. Take your eggs and fry them to your liking and place on top of your potato cake. Slice up your avocado and place on top of your eggs and garnish with your fresh basil. You can sprinkle with salt and pepper if you want.