Tomato and Vegetable Cobbler

When you think of cobbler, you probably think of fruit, right? Well, the tomato is a savory fruit rich in lycopene, other antioxidants and Vitamin C. The tomatoes at my local farm stand are at their peak right now and this recipe highlights them beautifully. I've already made it a couple of times and plan to bring it to a pot luck supper at my church this Friday, it's that good! The cornstarch thickens the liquid drawn from the vegetables during cooking to create a light glaze. The vegetables glisten like the jewels that they are and taste divine. I used a variety of tomatoes, including plum, beefsteak, and some heirloom varieties in yellow and orange to add color and an assortment of subtle flavors. The crunchy, cornbread and pork rind panko topping just adds to the fun!

If you're not a huge tomato fan, you can cut back on them and fill in with other vegetables that have a high water content, such as summer squash, zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms, also you may need to add an additional ¼ cup liquid or stock to the vegetables along with the cornstarch to create the glaze. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator and make an excellent, simple lunch the next day. I top mine with cheese and reheat for about 20 minutes in an individual baking dish until hot. Yum!

Tomato and Vegetable Cobbler
(Makes 6 servings)

3 large tomatoes
1 small zucchini
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Topping:
½ cup almond flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal

1-1/2 tablespoons coconut flour

2 tablespoons pork rind panko
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup kefir or buttermilk (or milk mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar and allowed to sit for 5 minutes)

Additional water, if needed, to reach desired consistency

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Core and cut each tomato into 8 sections, then cut each section into bite-size pieces and place into a large bowl. Slice zucchini lengthwise, then cut into ¾” chunks and add to the tomatoes. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch and toss to coat. Allow to sit while you prepare the pan and topping.

2. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. Measure the almond flour, cornmeal, coconut flour, pork rind panko, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a food processor or medium mixing bowl. Add butter and pulse until butter is distributed or cut into dry ingredients with two knives or pastry cutter until mixture is the texture of wet sand. Add egg and kefir or buttermilk and pulse (or blend with a fork) until a batter is formed. If needed, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to the batter to reach the desired consistency.

3. Toss the vegetables one more time before transferring them into the prepared baking pan. Drop batter in spoonfuls over vegetables then spread batter with a knife to cover, leaving spots without batter so steam can escape during cooking. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly and cornmeal topping is golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information per serving: 50 calories, 4.7 g carbohydrate (0.9 g dietary fiber, 1.8 g sugars), 2.8 g total fat (1.3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 102 mg sodium, 18.9 mg calcium, 162 mg potassium, 1.6 g protein.  Net carbs per serving: 3.8 grams

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2010, revised 2016 & 2023

All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without author's permission.

BLT Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Dressing

I made another batch of my delicious Blueberry Muffins the other day and have plenty of buttermilk leftover. I'm not one to throw anything away, so I came up with this creamy homemade buttermilk dressing. I also happened to have a variety of tomatoes in my vegetable basket gathered from the local farm stand and a generous neighbor's garden, so it made sense to star them in this recipe. If you can, use different colors and types of tomato to create a beautiful salad that will dazzle the eye, as well as the palette. Tomatoes come in many colors besides the classic red, such as yellow, purple and orange and each has it's own flavor. They are also a rich source of lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants, along with Vitamins C and A. This salad is the perfect venue for the delicious, ripe tomatoes so abundant in gardens and farmer's markets right now. It makes a wonderful side dish or main dish salad for a light meal. Enjoy the harvest!

BLT Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Dressing
(Makes 4 servings)

½ head iceberg lettuce
6 tomatoes, cored and cubed (about 1½-2 cups)
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Dressing:
2 tablespoons chives or scallions, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk

1. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and refrigerate. The dressing can be made ahead. Cook bacon until crispy, drain on paper towels and crumble into a small bowl; set aside.

2. Core the iceberg lettuce, cut in half and reserve half for another time. Take the remaining half and cut into ¼ inch strips, give the lettuce a rough chop to create bite-size pieces and place into a large bowl.

3. Core and slice tomatoes, then cut into cubes. Add to the lettuce and toss with the dressing and ½ of the bacon. Divide evenly among four serving plates and sprinkle the remaining bacon evenly over the top of each serving. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information per serving: 153 calories, 12 g carbohydrate, 11.7 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 383.5 mg sodium, 1.2 g fiber, 3.6 g protein.

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2010

Best Reduced-Carb Blueberry Muffin EVER!

The wild Maine blueberries are in and I can't get enough of them. I wanted to make fresh blueberry muffins, but my past attempts have been less than satisfactory because either they didn't have enough blueberry flavor or, if I tried to add more, the blueberries would sink to the bottom in a soggy layer that would fall apart. I saw a recipe demonstrated on America's Test Kitchen television show on PBS that suggested swirling blueberry jam into the batter, which made sense. So, starting with their recipe, I made changes and substitutions to create a seriously reduced-carb version and the result is spectacular! Before mixing the batter, cook up a small amount of low-sugar, fresh blueberry jam to be swirled into each muffin for a burst of intense blueberry flavor. It's a extra step in the process, but well worth the effort. (Note: You may use frozen blueberries for the jam, but fresh blueberries will hold up better in the batter. Also, use real sugar for the topping because sugar substitute will not melt and crystallized into the crunchy, yummy topping that makes these muffins so delicious.)

I served these this morning to a house guest staying for the week (someone who had never experienced my low-carb baking before) and he "ooohhh-ed and aaawww-ed" while eating three in a row. When I told him they were low sugar and reduced carb, he couldn't believe it...and neither will you!

Best Reduced-Carb Blueberry Muffin EVER!
(Makes 12 muffins)

Muffin Batter:
2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over
1 teaspoon sugar
1½ cups sifted almond flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup allulose (or a combination of allulose and erythritol sweeteners)
2 large eggs
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 cup buttermilk (or ¾ cup whole milk)
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
¼ cup erythritol sweetener
Zest of one large lemon, finely grated (about 1½ teaspoons)

1. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to a boil over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with the back of a spoon and stirring frequently until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes.

2. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat oven to 425-degrees. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare the topping by mixing together ¼ cup sugar and lemon zest; set aside.

3. Whisk flours, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk sweetener and eggs together until thick and well blended, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in melted butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining 1 cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be lumpy with a few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)

4. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among the muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups). Spoon a teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into the center of each mound of batter. Using a chopstick or skewer, gently swirl filling into batter using a figure-eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar topping evenly over muffins.

5. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17-19 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking time. (Or to an internal temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit.) Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information per muffin: 222 calories, 21.8 g carbohydrate, 13 g total fat, 1.7 g saturated fat, 179.5 mg sodium, 2.3 g fiber, 5.8 g protein.

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2010

How does this recipe compare to the original blueberry muffin recipe from America's Test Kitchen? This recipe is lower in calories, sodium and has only half the carbohydrate and saturated fat, plus it has more protein and fiber. For comparison, the nutritional information for a muffin made with the traditional recipe is 290 calories, 47.5 g carbohydrate, 9.5 g total fat, 3.1 g saturated fat, 292 mg sodium, 1.2 g fiber, 4.4 g protein.

Added 8/7/10: If you don't want to bother with a muffin tin, this can be baked in an 8" square baking pan instead. Bake for about 22 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. It makes a wonderful coffeecake or dessert!