Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Cherry Almond Muffins

Hot from the oven, tender muffins bursting with tart cherries and sweet earthy almonds is a flavor combination that will have you going back for seconds!

Time for some more baked goods!  As the 14th installment of my Summer Fresh Recipe Series of easy summer meals using the abundance of produce available we are going to highlight Cherries today!  I love cherries, and buy them every week throughout cherry season (which is so dang short!).  Sometimes it's hard to cook with them because we eat them like candy.  I serve them sitting in a bowl of ice during the summer months.  When I do get a chance to hide some away for cooking I'm bursting with joy, and today's recipe is bursting with cherries!

CHERRY ALMOND MUFFINS

One bite and you will experience pure summer bliss.  There's something about cherries that scream summer whether it is a cherry pie, cherry ice cream, or these cherry muffins.  So get them while they are still around and make these muffins pronto.

Enjoy!

Some additional cherry recipes:

• Cherry Garcia Scone
• Cherryade
• Cherry Berry Smoothie
• Chocolate Cherry Banana Bread

Summer Fresh Recipe Series

• Watermelon Salad Mediterranean Style
• Chicken Fajita Kabobs
• Refreshing Melon Salad
• Peach Blueberry & Ginger Crisp
• Grilled Sirloin Steak with Garlic Herb Vinaigrette
• Grilled Vegetable Platter
• Sirloin Steak topped with Herb Salsa with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
• Lemon Blueberry Scones
• Grilled Honey Ginger Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apricots & Brocollini
• Lemon Raspberry Dutch Baby
• Simple Mediterranean Salad
• Grilled Chicken Kofta
• Greek Cobb Salad

Cherry Almond Muffins

serves: 6 muffins

1 egg
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cherries, pitted and rough chopped

1/3 cup almonds, rough chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl add the egg, milk, canola oil, and almond extract and whisk until light. Add in all the dry ingredients with the exception of the cherries and almonds. Mix batter just until incorporated.  Do not over mix. Batter should be thick.  Fold in the cherries and almonds lightly until mixed throughout.

Using a large ice cream scoop, divide batter among the wells of a muffin pan sprayed with cooking spray. Top with extra sliced almonds.

Bake for 16-18 minutes until tops are light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Watermelon Salad Mediterranean Style

Sweet juicy watermelon with salty feta and cool cucumbers make a great tasting Mediterranean style salad.  Mix in some fresh herbs and toss it with a honey vinaigrette and you have summer in a bowl!

We've been eating a lot of Mediterranean style dishes this summer and this side dish is a perfect addition.  One of my favorite bloggers is Suzy from The Mediterranean Dish and this is one of her wonderful recipes.  Truly, all of her recipes are amazing so head over there and take a look around.

WATERMELON SALAD MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

Watermelon Salad is one of those dishes that has that sweet and salty combo going on and it is fabulous!  This variation of the traditional salad is more sophisticated by including cool cucumbers and chopped basil and mint.  Both herbs bring out the sweetness of the watermelon and pair perfectly with the salad.  Cucumbers are cool and crispy and filled with water just as watermelon is.  They are a great match.  And then she goes a step further by dousing the whole salad in a tart honey lime vinaigrette.  Delishhhh!

This is the go-to dish this summer that pairs with any main dish you are serving.  Plus it's light and fresh and is so easy to throw together.  As my 13th installment in my Summer Fresh Recipe Series that focuses on easy, light dishes using fresh summer ingredients, you can't have a summer without watermelon, and this salad.  It's that good!

Enjoy!

Summer Fresh Recipe Series

• Chicken Fajita Kabobs
• Refreshing Melon Salad
• Peach Blueberry & Ginger Crisp
• Grilled Sirloin Steak with Garlic Herb Vinaigrette
• Grilled Vegetable Platter
• Sirloin Steak topped with Herb Salsa with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
• Lemon Blueberry Scones
• Grilled Honey Ginger Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apricots & Brocollini
• Lemon Raspberry Dutch Baby
• Simple Mediterranean Salad
• Grilled Chicken Kofta
• Greek Cobb Salad

Watermelon Salad Mediterranean Style

serves 4-6

For the Honey Vinaigrette
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lime juice
1 to 2 tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil 
pinch of salt

For the Watermelon Salad
1/2 mini watermelon, peeled, cut into cubes
1 English cucumber, cubed (about 2 cupfuls of cubed cucumbers)
15 fresh mint leaves, chopped
15 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, more to your liking

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, olive oil and pinch of salt. Set aside for a moment.

In a large bowl or serving platter with sides, combine the watermelon, cucumbers, and fresh herbs.

Top the watermelon salad with the honey vinaigrette and gently toss to combine. Top with the feta cheese and serve!

source:  The Mediterranean Dish

Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Chicken Fajita Kabobs

Tender juicy chicken breasts coated with spicy Latin flavors mixed with bites of zesty onions and peppers all grilled to perfection.  Served with warm tortillas and some rice makes for one heck of a dinner. 

 

Summer is going strong and we are grilling a lot.  One of MGG favorite dishes is kabobs so we tend to make all sorts of variations of the traditional Persian kabobs.  This is my 12th installment of my Summer Fresh Recipe Series for easy recipes using summers fresh produce.   You can find additional recipes from this series down below.  

Today we are focusing on the abundance of peppers that are available right now, so on the menu is a a fun variation of the kabob using the flavors of Mexico.  We're making Chicken Fajita Kabobs!

Fajitas whether they are beef or chicken are a favorite around here and are typically made on the stove but also contain the perfect ingredients to turn into kabobs. All you need to do is thread chicken, onion, and peppers on a skewer and you are set.  Now my version of Chicken Fajta Kabobs bring a little zip to the dish by using a fajita seasoning paste on the chicken and spicing up the peppers by using both red bell pepper and zippy green poblanos.  Add in some red onion for good measure and you have an excellent kabob combination that will fill you with wonderful Latin flavors!

Imagine tender juicy chicken breasts coated with spicy Latin flavors accompanied by bites of onion and peppers all grilled to perfection.  Served with warm tortillas or even Lavash and some rice makes for one heck of a dinner.  I also served it with my Refreshing Melon Salad as a side dish and it was the perfect cool compliment to the spicy chicken dish.  This is dinner one to make over and over again.  Fire up that grill!

Enjoy!

Summer Fresh Recipe Series

• Refreshing Melon Salad
• Peach Blueberry & Ginger Crisp
• Grilled Sirloin Steak with Garlic Herb Vinaigrette
• Grilled Vegetable Platter
• Sirloin Steak topped with Herb Salsa with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots
• Lemon Blueberry Scones
• Grilled Honey Ginger Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Apricots & Brocollini
• Lemon Raspberry Dutch Baby
• Simple Mediterranean Salad
• Grilled Chicken Kofta
• Greek Cobb Salad

Chicken Fajita Kabobs

yields: 4-6 skewers

3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

olive oil

1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp fajita seasoning

1 red bell pepper

2 poblano pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 red onion

Optional sides

Lime wedges

Flour tortillas or Lavash Bread

cooked rice

Fajita Seasoning (place remainder in a jar - stores up to 6 months)

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

NOTE:  If using wooden skewers - soak skewers in water for 20-30 minutes to prevent burning.

Preheat and outdoor grill to medium-high heat.

Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl.  Set aside. 

In a medium bowl add all the spices for the fajita seasoning mix and blend well.  Add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the seasoning mix to the chicken and pour about 2 tablespoons over the top.  Mix well to create a paste and make sure that the chicken is covered in the paste.  Set aside

Remove the seeds from all the peppers and cut them into large squarish pieces. (about 2x2) you want them big enough so they don't fall apart when you skewer them.   Peel the onion and remove some of the outer layers and cut them into large square chunks as well. 

Assemble the kabobs by adding a piece of chicken, yellow bell pepper, poblano pepper, red onion, and then the red bell pepper.  Repeat this order ending with a piece of chicken at the end of the skewer.  Continue making skewers with all the remaining ingredients. 

Place the skewers on a heated grill and cook  10 minutes (or until cooked through) turning once after 5 minutes.   Serve immediately with lime wedges, rice, and warm bread if desired.