pablo picasso's blue period & blueberry yogurt muffins

winter blues. i've been seeing allot of blue. i've been feeling blue. everything seems blue.  

after a lovely trip to the metropolitan museum of art. nicholas (my boo), nafisa (my bestie) and picasso (the one and only) inspired this pairing of picasso's blue period with blueberry yogurt muffins.  

pablo picasso's somber blue paintings guised with melancholy affirm themes of loneliness, isolation, poverty and despair. while you examine the depths of this period in picasso's career pair it with some of the subtle sweetness, moist texture and rich flavors of the blueberry yogurt muffins.

blueberry yogurt muffins

yields: 12 muffins

prep time: 10 min

cook time: 30- 40min

total time: 40 min

ingredients:

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup of greek yogurt

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon+ lemon zest, optional

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 cups of blueberries (you could also use frozen)

directions: 

• preheat oven to 350F

• in a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, lemon zest, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.

• add the flour, baking powder, and mix until just combined.

• fold in 2 cups of blueberries and gently stir to incorporate (frozen blueberries bleed and run less than fresh and if using frozen do not thaw them first; add them directly into the batter frozen; alternate berries or other seasonal fruit such as strawberries, peaches, pears, or plums may be substituted)

• pour batter into muffin pan.  

• bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is lightly brown and set.(or a toothpick comes out clean,

<3 Hazelnut Cookies

valentines day (!) despite it's hallmark stamp has always been a very special holiday for me. as a kid, i was often in between traditions, but valentines day was especially exciting.  there was a shared enthusiasm both in school and at home! the little things in life bring so much joy and much of mine came via my mum and lala. (in urdu the word for mothers sister is khala, i lost the k somewhere & since it's been lala!) my lala would send send me elaborate cards (some were even embroidered) this was my favorite winter tradition. the week before and after valentines day, i would wait for the post and when it arrived, the smiles were wide and the excitement lasted for weeks.  share some love with this quick and simple hazelnut cookie recipe!

prep time: 10 min

cook time: 10- 12min

yields: 10-12 cookies

ingredients:

• 1 cup of your choice of hazelnut spread (i used nutella!)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of flour 

directions:

• preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• line a baking pan with a strip of parchment paper.
• in a mixing bowl, combine the nutella, eggs and flour. 
• make shapes of the batter and set the cookie batter to bake for 6 min
• depending on the density of the cookies and your preference adjust the remaining time.
• voila (!) delicious and easy cookies.
• add jam/jelly preserves or ice cream as a topping! (i used a raspberry-lemon preserve i had on hand.)

spicy honey bbq tofu + Alma Thomas

the super bowl is this weekend and i couldn't be more excited. i'm not much of a football fan but i love the spirit of the super bowl, the anticipation, the communal bonding, and obviously the food. it is estimated that americans will eat 1.25 billion wings during this years super bowl on february 2 reports the national chicken council. if you are looking for something different, try my spicy honey bbq tofu. 

Alma Woodsey Thomas was an American artist and educator whose distinctive color field paintings recall the techniques of Pointillism and Abstract Expressionism. Alma was 80 years old when she became the first African-American woman featured in a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1972.

• prep time: 20 min

• cook time: 20 min

ingredients:

• 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed (to press, place the tofu block on a plate and cover with a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel then place a heavy pan on top of the towel for at least 30 minutes.)

• 3 tablespoons of cornstarch

• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

• salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup honey

• 4 tablespoons of sriracha (or to taste)

• 1/4 cup of bbq sauce

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• juice of 1 lime

super bowl sunday is the second-largest day for u.s. food consumption after thanksgiving day. 

directions:

• preheat the oven to 350°F

• line a baking sheet with parchment paper

• heat 1½ tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat

• add the cornstarch, garlic and salt and pepper to the tofu in a small bowl and toss to coat

• add the tofu to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.

• while the tofu is cooking: heat 1½ tablespoon of oil in a skillet on medium heat: combine the honey, sriracha, bbq sauce and lime juice, bring to a boil; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes.

• when the tofu is cooked add it into the honey bbq sauce, mix well and let the tofu simmer for a min. 

• place the mixed tofu on the parchment let it bake for two min and then broil for 2-5 min. (till the tofu starts to crisp.)