Monthly Archives: April 2019

Halo Halo Kitchen Phoenix AZ – Filipino Food – Worth a Fork! Great Value Restaurant

Halo Halo Kitchen is a casual Filipino Restaurant located in Phoenix Arizona. You might be wondering WTFork is Filipino Food?…………. Filipino Food is a fusion cuisine that was developed from natural surroundings with influences from Spanish, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and American Cuisines.

When you walk in you see it’s a grocery store of different foods with a DJ Table in the dining room. You walk into a cafeteria line, a cooked fish case, a breakfast menu and pictures of food on the wall. There is much to absorb in this little place. If you are not familiar with Filipino Foods I recommend to research the menu some because it’s difficult to tell what the foods are by the pictures and the names. Everyone just points to what they want. I did some research and here is my cheat sheet of some of the offerings. But don’t worry….the people behind the counter are friendly and helpful.

When you enter it looks like this.

Then you walk threw the cafeteria line.

Bottom left is breakfast menu

Here’s a closer look at menu above.

Here’s the fish case.

This case sells out fast and had much more fish in there when I came in.

You pass these foods before you order.

It’s hard to tell what foods you are looking at.

We order, pay, grab a table number and find a table. There is what looks like a DJ Table and signs for karaoke next to a cabinet of liquors.

All the tables are filled except for one.

I ordered a fish that resembles a porgy and asked for rice and a vegetable.

The fish is served warm not hot but is fresh tasting and cooked well. The skin peels easily and the sweet moist meat comes right of the bones. This is a very good plate of fish. The vegetables are very homey and were braised in what taste like tomatoes, onions and garlic. In the mix are green beans, kabochca squash, eggplant and bitter melon…..The bitter melon was bitter for me.

My husband got the Sisig (sizzling pork).

He said it was tender delicious, very spicy and had an unexpected bitterness. The egg added that perfect sauce to it. He didn’t use what he thinks was a mayonnaise squirt.

Did I mention that there is a dessert bar in the middle of the restaurant?

This wasn’t my first visit to Halo Halo Kitchen but this was my first time trying the signature dessert.

Here is the Special Halo Halo………The regular Halo Halo is a dollar less and doesn’t have the purple yam ice cream.

Well here we go!

The top is purple yam ice cream. Next is a house made square of flan followed by sweet beans. The main part of the dessert is shaved ice with evaporated milk. There are pieces of coconut and jelled fruits and different beans. I think its a little too big for even two people but is very interesting. I like when you get a little tiny bit of flan or ice cream and a sweet bean with the creamy ice…that is good.

We clear our plates and head out passing some of the grocery goods.

That was my trip to Halo Halo Kitchen in Phoenix….. The fish entree and Sisig Pork and a bottle of water only cost $21.00 (subject to change) and the food was VERY GOOD and a GREAT VALUE! (special Halo Halo purchased separately at $5.50)

**********A FORKING GREAT VALUE!************

Halo Halo Kitchen is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.HaloHaloKitchen.com

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

FiGaMi Asian Fresh Restaurant in Phoenix AZ – Casual Asian – Worth a Fork – Try The Burmese Specialties***UPDATE Different now

FiGaMi Asian Fresh is a casual order-at-the-counter mixed Asian Restaurant located in Phoenix Arizona.

You probably are familiar with Japanese , Thailand, Indian and Chinese Foods but you might be wondering WTFork is Burmese Food? From what I read on Wikipedia Burmese Cusine is a fusion of Thai, Chinese, Indian, and other local influences from minorities and distant cultures.

FiGaMi Asian Fresh offers reasonably priced sushi, bowls, ramen, Asian Specialties and appetizers.

This is a small casual restaurant. It isn’t fancy but it’s neat and clean.

The appetizers were only priced at $3.50 each (subject to change) so I thought they’d be very tiny but I was wrong and tried three.

We started out by sharing the Chicken Meat Puff.

The Chicken Meat Puff Plate is quite large (it’s as big as a sandwich) and is actually TWO puffs. It’s made of puff pastry and is generously stuffed with Indian scented moist white chicken that’s studded with carrots and peas. This whole $3.50 plate is enough for a meal.

Next we tried the Chicken Dumplings ($3.50). (subject to change)

You can tell they are fresh made and are made with fresh juicy flavorful chicken.

The appetizer that was my favorite was the Burmese Style Fermented Tea Salad with Crispy Beans and Vegetables. ($3.50 – subject to change)

This is not like any salad I ever had before. It’s earthy, tangy, crunchy and refreshing. It’s made with fermented tea leaves, crunchy beans, I think peanuts, and vegetables. It’s very unique and interesting.

For dinner my husband had the Indian Style Seasoned Rice with Dark Chicken on the Bone.($8.00 subject to change)

The rice is fluffy and the chicken is moist, flavorful and everything is delicious. Not pictured is a spicy paste to enhance the meal.

I really enjoyed the Burmese Style Fish Noodle Soup. ($6.50 subject to change)nThe Burmese Fish Soup is also known as Mohinga and happens to be the National Dish of Burma.

It’s a thickened fish soup with thin rice noodles, an Asian Marinated jammy egg, crispy noodles and fresh cilantro. Dried hot pepper and a wedge of lemon or lime is served with this dish. I found this extremely delicious. I just love it!

Delicious fresh food that’s different and a very good value.

*******IT’S FORKING CHEAPER THAN FAST FOOD!*****************

All that food was only $25.00 before tax and tip!

The owner was happy to answer questions and served everything with a smile. 🙂

******UPDATE****Went back and the food differed greatly. Prices went up slightly but the tea salad differed and the Burmese fish noodle soup isn’t as good now.

Fish noodle soup the two bowls on left. Top middle is the tea salad.

Worth a Fork!

www.FIGAMIAsianFresh.com

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

Healthier Reduced Fat Delicious Smoked Whitefish Salad Recipe

Healthier Reduced Fat Delicious Smoked Whitefish Salad Recipe

I was at Costco recently and saw a BIG TUB of whitefish salad for sale at a reasonable price. I almost purchased it but looked at the ingredients first. I thought I was looking at a tub of mayonnaise …..the first ingredient wasn’t fish…it was mayonnaise. Do you know that mayonnaise is 100 calories and also 100 calories of fat a tablespoon? I was looking at a tub that was mostly just fat. The tub of whitefish salad also contained smoked fish of uncertain quality. I say that because once in a deli I received whitefish salad that was inedible and the owner confessed that all the old dried ends of whitefish are saved for the whitefish salad. I prefer my smoked fish salad to be made with meaty mildly smoked moist fish that is lightly dressed and without so much unhealthy added fat. Low fat mayonnaise runs about 40 calories a tablespoon but only contains 4 g of fat. Somehow the blend of fat free cream cheese, low fat mayonnaise and non fat greek yogurt taste amazing for this salad. Costco sells an excellent whole smoked whitefish at a very reasonable price. In Phoenix you sure won’t be able to smoke a fish yourself for cheaper…..So I purchased the smoked fish and figured out a much healthier but still delicious version of whitefish salad. This recipe will make at least 9 scrumptious servings. For the best results possible you need to use the quality Acme of New York Brand Smoked Whitefish that Costco is selling right now because it’s very moist from a better quality meaty fish and isn’t over smoked, dried out or over salted like most of the other brands are. I don’t think this product is available for long and might only be here for the Passover/ Easter Time Holidays at Costco. Smoked whitefish can be purchased from your local deli but it will be Forking expensive. Smoked whitefish can also be purchased online but this product will be FORKING expensive that way too. On Amazon I saw the same size smoked whitefish at $100.00 but at Costco right now all that fish will only cost you around $16.00 so it’s a big deal if you want to give it a try. Smoked Whitefish Salad can be an interesting alternative to a lobster or crab salad.

Ingredients for around 9 servings

3 oz fat free cream cheese (fat free cream cheese taste terrible and can only be used in recipes to reduce fat….((no worries …. it taste good here))

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt

1 celery stalk – fine chopped

2 Tablespoons sweet onion – fine chopped

1 lemon – the zest and half the juice if very juicy….if one the dry side all of the juice

1 scallion – fine chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh dill – chopped

good pinch ground white pepper

1.75 lb whole smoked whitefish – preferably Acme of New York Brand – head, tail, fins, skin, bones removed. Leave chunks as big as possible.

Directions

In a large bowl mix the cream cheese with the mayo till smooth. Then add the yogurt and mix again till smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest till smooth. Next add the celery, onion and scallions, dill and white pepper. Carefully stir in the fish and try to keep it chunky as possible.

Serve with half a tosted bagel, flat bread or crackers, sliced onion, sliced tomato and some pickles. Some people would also like a hard boiled egg too.

Healthier Reduced Fat Delicious Smoked Whitefish Salad

This Whitefish Salad is FORKING BETTER and Forking HEALTHIER than whitefish salads I’ve tried from the deli. NOBODY will suspect that this is anything but a delicious Whitefish Salad.

The Forking Truth

Someone Laid a Finger on my Butterfinger Candy Bar – WTFORK Happened to the Butterfinger?

The Butterfinger Candy Bar was created in 1923 by Otto Schnering of the Curtiss Candy Company of Illinois. Between 1964 and 1981 The Curtiss Candy Company changed hands and also merged into other companies that include Nabisco and R.J. Reynolds. In 1990 Nestle bought Butterfinger (and Baby Ruth) from Nabisco. Then in March 2018 Nestle sold Butterfinger to Ferrero. (picture above is from www.BussinessWire.com)

www.TeamHellions.com

February 2019 fun sized Butterfinger Candy Bars began to display “Improved Recipe” on the packaging. (red on right side – right upper corner in photo below)

Bite sized Butterfingers (that are expired from my local grocery store) are made by Nestle.

Fresh new Butterfinger Candy Bars are now made by Ferrara Candy Company.

Nestle Butterfinger Ingredients
Ferrero Butterfinger Ingredients

When you compare the ingredients you might read that molasses is no longer an ingredient in the Butterfinger Candy bar…..and the sodium has increased by 20%.

www.LazerTimePodcast.com

The Butterfinger now lacks that caramelized molasses flavor and is now more salty.

www.AdsByDee.com

Other changes are that the Butterfinger now uses a larger sized peanut in its core and more cocoa and milk in it’s chocolate coating.

www.Simpsons.Wikia.com

The Ferrero Company also dropped the hydrogenated oils and uses a double layer wrapper instead.

On the left is a Nestle Bite Size Butterfinger. On the Right is the Ferrero Butterfinger

The Nestle Bite Size Butterfinger (on the left) has a more textured peanut butter type of candy threw it with a more caramelized nutty kind of taste.

The Ferrero has a noticeably better chocolate coating and more deep peanut flavor but it is salty…..seems less sweet…..It’s almost sandy…….It doesn’t have that flaky texture that the Nestle Butterfinger had. The Molasses taste is missing.

Both are good just different now.

Your opinion and experience may differ.

Those were my Forking Thoughts on WTFork happened to the Butterfinger Candy Bar.

The Forking Truth

www.WikiPedia.com

Tuna Salad with Olives, Golden Raisins, Saffron, Butterbeans & Sage Recipe

Tuna salad with Olives, Golden Raisins, Butter Beans Saffron and Sage

I had a fish dinner recently and i keep thinking about how great olives and saffron tasted on fish together. So I tried to do those kinds of flavors in a tuna salad. I didn’t run to the store and purchase $25.00 a pound tuna to make tuna salad…that is crazy and a waste of expensive tuna. I use wild caught chunk light tuna in a packet. I think this kind of tuna salad would be delicious  with mayonnaise but my husband is a mayonnaise hater so that is how I got the idea of adding butter beans because butter beans are so creamy it’s almost like adding something creamy to the salad. The fresh sage goes really well and adds more interest. This recipe makes two big servings or three smaller servings.

Ingredients for 2 servings

1 6.4oz pack chunk light tuna in water

10 Spanish Queen Olives stuffed with minced pimentos – chopped well

1 small celery rib – chopped well

2 Tablespoons golden raisins

1 juicy lemon – use just the fresh squeezed juice (mine was a medium size but it was juicier than usual)

1 cup butter beans – rinsed very well – rinse at least three times

1/4 cup sweet onion – chopped fine

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

pinch saffron – crumbled with fingers

Tablespoon (heaping) fresh sage – well chopped

fresh ground sea salt – to taste

fresh ground black pepper – to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired garnish with tiny tomatoes or Sweetie Drop Peppers from Peru.

Tuna Salad with Olives, Golden Raisins, Butter Beans, Saffron and Sage

The flavors are very good together. You might want to give this a try!

The Forking Truth

The Forking BEST Dishes I tried so far in Metro Phoenix AZ 2019

Barrio Gran Reserva in Phoenix

These are the best of what I tasted in Metro Phoenix this year so far. The dishes aren’t really in any particular order. These are dishes that are not just very good……These dishes are The FORKING BEST! I mean like from another planet delicious….Out of this world!

Pictured above is a Tuna Aguachile from Barrio Gran Reserva in Phoenix. It was light, refreshing and spicy. It’s filled with special ingredients and also some unexpected surprises. The flavors just POP and it’s amazing. Actually I could list just about all the plates I tried at Barrio Gran Reserva but will list just one more special one.

Barrio Gran Reserva

This is Pan Seared Corvina. It’s with a Salsa d Xoconostle…..The fish is perfect and this salsa is the best salsa I’ve ever tasted….It’s made with a special pepper that fire roasted with an extra delicious taste….Unusual delicious ingredients are on the plate like red pine nuts and rose mole. Every bite taste different but it’s all insanely delicious together.

www.BarrioGranReserva.com

From Confluence in Carefree AZ

Confluence serves food that is astoundingly amazing….Every Forking plate is a masterpiece. It’s really great food times TEN. The plate above is a Sweet Potato Ravioli….its as great as it can be and then you taste a leek….and it taste better than a leek….It taste Forking BETTER than a leek…The chef did something to the leek to make a Forking leek amazing. Then I get to a leaf of radicchio……and it taste better than radicchio……..The waitress tells me that the Chef cooked the radicchio leaf in red wine and brown sugar. A really special plate I can add over TWENTY plates from here but I will just pick one more plate.

From Confluence in Carefree AZ

The Red Sea Bream is prepared and seasoned to perfection. Here’s that magic thing again….The little green things on the plate are green beans…..But they are OMG Amazing! They are sweet, tender, slightly pickled…..they taste better than I can describe….They sort of burst and pop in your mouth. Every other vegetable just adds another delicious layer of flavor…Also there are some really melt in your mouth gnocchi on the plate….This plate was just magical.

www.RestaurantConfluence.com

From The Collins Small Batch Kitchen in Phoenix AZ

Chef Christopher Collins has a few restaurants in Metro Phoenix but it was at The Collins Small Batch Kitchen I tried The Twisted Noodle Salad. One would never guess that a salad could have so much going on…..This salad has everything and is bright, sour, sweet, spicy, flavorful, crunchy and chewy. It’s made with soba noodles, kale, avocado, pickled cucumbers, arugula, scallions, herbs, toasted coconut, peanuts, carrots and is dressed with chili-lime vinaigrette. I am certain that their are a few more secret ingredients that make this salad unbelievably scrumptious with a KICK that doesn’t hurt.

www.TheCollinsAZ.com

The Cabbage Rolls from Cafe Chenar in Phoenix were the BEST Cabbage Rolls I’ve ever tried. Did you ever taste a cabbage roll that melted in your mouth just like cotton candy? I never had a cabbage roll like this before. The cabbage was so tender it just dissolves in the mouth. The filling was so light, tender and really perfectly seasoned. The filling was a mix of this amazing tender beef, rice and some potato. I never had beef of this light texture before. It was tender like it was cooked in a sous vide water oven. These cabbage roll were really extra special!

I haven’t found a website for Cafe Chenar but you can find them on Facebook.

This next one was an unexpected one…….and doesn’t look special.

Both of us were blown away with all the incredible flavors packed into this Quinoa Meat-less-ball from the newly opened Meat The Ball Restaurant in Phoenix. It has a crisp thin breaded exterior and an amazingly delicious stracchino cheese core. This meatball was also SPICY HOT and full of awesome flavors……..I hope they don’t change a thing with this recipe because it was perfection. I should note that the rigatoni pasta and secret tomato sauce I had that same night was also perfection. It was shocking to get pasta that was so spectacular like from the finest restaurant but was from this little casual place.

www.MeatTheBall.com

I was recently at the newly opened fine dining vegan restaurant in old town Glendale called Casa Terra.

All the food I tried at Casa Terra was flavored very well but the street sized Tapas Tacos had all kinds on flavors and textures going on with them. They were so delicious that once the word gets out about these incredible tacos everyone will have to try them…..I wish this restaurant was open for lunch so I could enjoy these tacos for lunch………..with a soup or salad………or more food..

www.CasaTerra.com

From Singh Meadows in Tempe AZ

Singh Meadows is in Tempe and is a produce market and cafe. The cafe serves stunning dishes that are mostly vegetarian featuring magnificent fresh vegetables. I recently tried three plates from Singh Meadows and all three are worthy of being here but there’s something about the beet plate….It’s not a boring beet plate like you get from most restaurants…..It’s more like a plate that could win at a Chopped Championship. Assorted fresh beets are prepared four different ways. Almond, avocado, cream cheese, fancy greens, super sweet green beans, high quality country bread and what I think was urfa pepper just go amazingly well together.

www.SinghMeadowsTempe.com

Those were some of the BEST PLATES I tried in Metro Phoenix in 2019 so far. I can’t wait to taste the rest of the yearn Metro Phoenix!

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

My First Taste at Casa Terra Vegan Restaurant in Glendale AZ – Worth A Fork!

Casa Terra is a fine dining vegan restaurant located in Old Town Glendale Arizona. This is small restaurant that offers fine mostly organic vegan Mediterranean – Mexican inspired foods. This is a small restaurant so it’s best to have a reservation to assure to be seated. They are without bar seating but cocktails and wines are available.

The building was built in 1940 and was originally a Smart and Final Whole Sale Company.

When you walk in you might notice to your left side a serving station, a waiting bench, and glass doors with a kitchen view of a wood oven.

The dining room is straight a head and it fills up fast. The old fashioned tables are small and plates might get crowded. Tables are close together but it’s charming and cozy.

They started us out with complimentary crisp flatbreads and tomatillo salsa verde. They were seasoned nicely and were delicious!

We then shared THREE appetizers, one dinner and one dessert. The appetizers we tried were all very small but all were delicious and very well seasoned.

My favorite appetizer was the Tapas Tacos ($9.00).

These are very small street sized tacos but are very well packed. The tortillas are house made and the filling is full of many textures and many flavors. They are delicious and very satisfying you sure don’t miss eating meat with this one.

The ping pong ball sized Truffled Arancini ($13.00). Were crisp, seemed free of oil and had a delicious mushroom taste.

The “Impossible” Albondigas with Polenta ($15.00) have spot on flavor that is exactly like chorizo. (also ping pong ball sized)

These albondigas have really great flavor but are on the mushy side today. The faux ricotta could pass for for genuine ricotta and is very good. The polenta was good but we both thought it was a scant serving as it only paints the plate. When I scooped up my half it amounted to about a teaspoon but it was good!

For dinner we shared the Chile En Nogada Special ($18.00).

We were told that depending on the size of the peppers the dish will be prepared with either one large pepper or two small peppers. We received two small peppers. The Chile En Nogada was filled with mostly bulgur and vegetables and was sauced with a creamy nut based sauce. It was sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and little cubed beets that look like gems.

I’m full by now but go for dessert anyway and try the Chocolate Torte.

I like the spiked vegan cream….It seems lighter and is more delicate than regular cream. The sauces and fruit is great too. The Cake is explosively steaming hot……This cake is made to order because of the hot steam coming out of it and we waited about 20 minutes for it.

Then with the check they gave us complimentary Convent Fudge (authentic Mexican Fudge) that was absolutely delicious!

I would say Casa Terra is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.CasaTerra.com

Every THING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

BEET Harissa Vinaigrette Recipe

Beet Harissa Vinaigrette
Beet Harissa Vinaigrette

I had a bunch of beets hanging around and I wanted to do something different so I made them into a delicious Tunisian Inspired Treat!!!!! A traditional Harissa is made from roasted bell peppers, garlic, a hot pepper and spices. Harissa taste great embellished with pistachios, creamy not too tangy not too salty feta cheese (high quality feta or substitute goat cheese), cilantro, scallions and mint. I thought mini peppers would be a good and healthy way to scoop up the Beet Harissa along with the embellishments. Trust me on this one……even if you don’t love beets you are going to LOVE this dish. My husband had no idea what this was but said it was delicious and he isn’t the biggest fan of beets either. Packaged harissa of any kind doesn’t compare at all to this harissa or my recipe for traditional harissa. This is something really special that most people will find FORKING DELICIOUS!

Ingredients for around 8 servings

1 lb beets

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves – ground to paste or microplane

1 red hot pepper or to taste (I used one unusually HOT Fresno that was roasted (maybe it was mismarked?..I think it was too FORKING HOT to be a Fresno) – fine chopped

1 blood orange (just the fresh squeezed juice)

4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

small amount of salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash the beet roots very well, While wet wrap each one of them up in aluminum foil and place each one in a baking pan. (Beets will leak slightly while cooking)

The beets need to cook until fork tender. Depending on the size of your beets this might take between 60-90 minutes for average size beets.

When the beets are cool enough to handle you either slip the skins off or peel them off with a peeler. Then chop them up and put them in your blender or in what you use for your stick blender. All cumin, caraway, oil, garlic, hot pepper, juice and vinegar and blend till smooth.

Pretty much prefect now. A very small amount of salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Suggested embellishments are creamy not too tangy or too salty feta cheese (or goat cheese), fresh cilantro, thinly sliced scallions, mint, sumac and pistachios.

Beet Harissa Vinaigrette

Beet Harissa Vinaigrette
Beet Harissa Vinaigrette
Beet Harissa Vinaigrette

This really is FORKING DELICIOUS! I don’t know how to make it look as good as it taste. The Harissa that comes in a tube or jar doesn’t even come close….Maybe you don’t know that you would really enjoy Harissa…Traditional or this unusual Beet Variation.

The Forking Truth

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My FORKING Thoughts on Carrot Cake Oreo Cookies

If you regularly read my blog you know that I’m not a fan of Oreo Cookies. Even as a child I couldn’t eat Oreo Cookies. I recently received a gift box in the mail from my sister in New Jersey. In the box were peanut butter Kandy Kakes and a lemon pie by Tastykake…..and this package of Carrot Cake Oreos….I was very puzzled by the package of carrot cake Oreo Cookies. .I thanked my sister for the package and asked her why she sent me Carrot Cake Oreo Cookies. She said that she remembered that I used to like lemon pies and peanut butter Tandy Kakes. She also said that she remembered that I use to eat a lot of carrots so she thought I’d like Carrot Cake Oreo Cookies…….Well that was very nice of my sister to remember all that and to think of me by sending me this package……….well……..I have to give these carrot cake Oreos a try.

These cookies are marked artificially flavored in the right hand corner. Towards the left bottom this package reads carrot cake flavored cookie with cream cheese frosting flavor artificially flavored.

I notice that the cookies don’t contain any carrots or cream cheese. 🙁

I open the package and take a good sniff.

It’s an odd odor. it’s a little sour, a tiny bit like graham, I’m getting more sour again,. I take a small bite…….WOW that’s weird. Yuk…before I can figure out what I’m tasting my mouth is a slimy. The cream is awful. The cream actually has a slight coconut taste. The cookie is a little bit like a graham cracker but not exactly. The cookie has chucks of salt in it. When I take another bite I can taste something citrusy…..The worst part of these cookies is the paste like cream that builds a turtle wax finish in the mouth………. They are just very unpleasant. ICK they made me burp and I had to re-live the experience.

I didn’t like them but my dogs are very intrigued by them……..?

Those were my Forking Thoughts on the carrot cake Oreo Cookies.

Your experience may differ!

The Forking Truth

Charred Vegetable Corn Masa Muffins Recipe

Charred Vegetable Corn Masa Muffins

This is a slightly different twist on the corn muffin. You must use masa flour for these muffins to have a more interesting corn taste. All the charred vegetables add pops of yummy charred vegetable taste and also helped to reduce the amount of fat and sugar that plain boring corn muffins might have because the charred vegetables turn sweet and delicious and also add moisture. These really are extra tasty corn muffins. They might even be a new favorite for you! This is an easy one bowl recipe that can be hand mixed with a fork.

Ingredients for 12 servings

1 cup flour

1/2 cup corn meal

1/2 cup masa (no substitutions)

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt (this kind of salt makes the muffing even tastier)

1 cup non fat milk (I used dry that I mixed with water)

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg

1 cup corn kernels – charred (either char on grill or broil till lightly charred)

6 mini bell peppers (or one large) – chopped and charred

1 jalapeno – chopped and charred

1 large sweet onion – chopped and charred

1 poblano pepper – fire roasted – peeled – chopped

non stick spray

Directions

If you didn’t prepare the vegetables do that now. All the vegetables need to be charred. Either char them up on an outside grill or broil them in the home oven. Be careful with the corn and char that one lightly. Put the vegetables to the side when done.

Set oven to 400 degrees F and spray a muffin pan or two with non stick spray. Set the pan to the side.

In a large bowl add flour, corn meal, masa, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, oil and egg. With a fork beat up the egg and carefully mix till everything looks well combined. The mixture will be very thick. Add the vegetables and mix well again. Fill muffin pan with batter (this recipe makes 12 muffins) Put the pan on a middle rack and bake till done (ovens to differ but in my oven this took 15 minutes)

Charred Vegetable Corn Masa Muffins

These are Forking Delicious Muffins! Leftovers also freeze and thaw perfect.

The Forking Truth