Sour Cream-Strawberry Coffee Cake

Strawberries scream summer, and this coffee cake is great way to celebrate the season. The recipe calls for blueberries, but I was eager to try it, and couldn't wait until August for our wild blueberries to be ready. Strawberries worked very well in this moist, slightly sweet treat. I recommend taking it a step farther and using it as a base for strawberry shortcake. A dollop of real whipped cream and a sprinkling of fresh strawberries makes a divine dessert. It's quick and easy. And if you don't have a tube cake pan, never fear: I used a 9" x 13" cake pan, and just cut the cake in rectangles.

Chicken Teriyaki - on a stick

Springtime is BBQ season, and it was refreshing to take this dish to the grill! The Fiddlehead offers a barbeque option to the standard stovetop Chicken Teriyaki (page 82), and so it was shish kabob time! If you're using wooden skewers, remember to soak them overnight so they're less likely to scorch over the heat. Alternate marinated chicken, peppers, onion, and mushroom to made a colorful and healthy meal that is fun to eat!

The Teriyaki Marinade (page 210) is fairly simple, and the flavor really comes through after cooking. It takes just a wee bit of planning ahead to get the chicken cubed and marinating the night before, but it's worth it for the fresh-off-the-grill taste. I marinated it overnight, and would recommend that longer time length (the book says you can marinate for just 2 hours). Garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey, sherry, and sesame oil combine for a quintessentially Asian flavor. Yum!

The meat a'marinating

Raisin Bran Muffins

Here’s a delicious way to combine baked goods with eating healthy. The Fiddlehead’s Raisin Bran Muffins are honey and molasses sweetened, full of whole wheat and, you guessed it: bran. Plus, they taste good.


They’re easy to throw together, and I’ll bet you have all the ingredients already in your cupboard and fridge. Except maybe buttermilk, but that can be improvised: I used a mix of cow and soy milk soured with lemon juice.

Wholesome and just the right amount of sweet, these fiber-packed treats are a sturdy way to start your day, and simple enough to bake before you get to the office. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

These are tulips that were in my house when I was making cookies. They are pretty.

I'm realizing that if this project is ever going to end (and at last count there's something like 85 recipes left), I am eventually going to have to tackle the complicated and challenging recipes. I mean there's the Saag Panir recipe that involves making your own cheese for a tasty Indian recipe. Or there's the whole baked fish. Hand made fettuccine noodles aren't exactly a 30-minute meal, either. But for now I'm reaching for the low-hanging fruit, recipes that I can fit in here and there. As evidence, the desserts are all mostly done. Desserts are easy because they're typically recipes that involve ingredients you already have on hand--namely sugar and flour. That trend continued with today's recipe...In choosing what to take to a Royal Wedding-watching brunch, I opted for a simple and classic treat: peanut butter cookies.

Ooey-gooey peanut butter cookie dough

Blend all the ooey-gooey ingredients first (butter, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla). Keep in mind that if you're every stranded on an island and you have to choose just one food to eat, you might want to consider choosing this tasty dough (so good). The flour and leavening goes in next. Mix all together, roll into balls, flatten with a fork, and bake yourself some cookies.

So while the newlyweds and other royals are enjoying their bacon sandwiches, we're indulging in the Fiddlehead's peanut butter cookies--yum!

Fresh out of the oven. Enjoy!