Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake

Combine the bold and beloved fresh flavors of lemon and blueberries to make this wonderful breakfast treat. It's great with coffee or tea.

Ingredients

• 3 cups cake flour

• ¼ cup of regular flour to dust blueberries

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 ½ sticks butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 2/3 cups milk

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon of lemon zest

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup of lemon curd

• 1 ½ cups of fresh blueberries

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350° degrees—grease and flour     10” tube pan. 

2. In a mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy.

3. Add sugar ½ cup at a time, creaming well after each.  Then add lemon juice and zest and mix well.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each egg. 

   

5. Add lemon curd and milk to the creamed mixture.

  

6. Combine and sift together the dry ingredients.   Add a little at a time to the mixture, mixing thoroughly until the batter is smooth. 

 

7. Place fresh blueberries in a bowl and add flour. Coat well, then sift excess flour off the blueberries and add them to your batter. Then, fold the blueberries in, careful not to mix too hard. You want your blueberries to be nice and plump in your cake.

8. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes.  After baking, let cool for about 20 minutes, then remove from pan and dust with powdered sugar for an extra touch. 

Cooking From the Pantry - Asparagus

Asparagus is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennial plant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Alliums cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceous and asparagus in the Asparagaceae. 

Asparagus is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. 
 

I have not always been a big fan of asparagus, for me it was an acquire taste.  I am always looking for ways to bring more vegetables into my diet because I now how important it is to have well balance meals.  Eaten raw, their fresh crunchy goodness will delight your taste buds.  Or, enjoy them lightly steamed  or roasted, seasoned with lemon juice for a delicious zing.  

So we are cooking from the pantry today - Roasted Asparagus with lemon and fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Serving Size (6)  Prep Time (10 Minutes)   Cook Time ( 10 - 12 Minutes)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Asparagus
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• Zest of 1/2 Lemon (about 1 tbsp)
• 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1

Pre-heat oven 400 ° and wash asparagus and let drain.

Step 2

Prep asparagus -  Place the asparagus on your cutting board and cut the tough woody portion off.   The stem thickness indicates the age of the asparagus, thicker stems coming from older plants.  The stalks are thicker and can be a little woody then the small stalks.  The bottom portion of asparagus often contains sand and dirt, so thorough cleaning is advised before cooking.

Cutting off the woody parts

Step 3

Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up.  Add olive oil to pan then add your asparagus, minced garlic and  season with salt and pepper to taste.  Then toss asparagus and make sure all the stalks are cover. Now add lemon juice and zest.  Place in oven and let roast for about 10 - 12 minutes.

 

Step 4

Serve asparagus - Remove from oven and place on serving plate while they nice and hot, garnish with grated parmesan cheese.  

You know bacon makes everything taste good. Try wrapping them in small batches with bacon.