Maybe This Muffin Recipe Will Equal The Bon’s Bakery

Dear Merri Lou: My wife and daughter wonder if there is a recipe for the blueberry muffins that the restaurant/bakery in The Bon Marche served about 20 years ago. They claim these were the best they ever had. Fred, Cheney

Dear Fred: The Bon attempted to locate someone who might know, but they reached a dead end with an unlisted phone number. Instead, here’s a recipe from the Goose Branch Farm Bed and Breakfast in Lynchburg, Tenn., for muffins that my family just loves.

Blueberry Muffins With Streusel Topping

From the Online Innkeeper Recipe Page on the World Wide Web (www.bbmtview.com).

2 cups self-rising flour (see note)

1-1/3 cups sugar

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup frozen blueberries (see note)

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons self-rising flour

1 teaspoon butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12 muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine 2 cups flour and sugar in a bowl, mixing well. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture and set aside.

Combine egg, milk and oil; stir well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Combine blueberries and reserved flour mixture, tossing gently to coat. Fold blueberries into batter. Pour into greased muffin pans, filling 3/4 full.

Combine brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and butter; mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before removing muffins from pan.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Nutrition information per muffin: 250 calories, 6 grams fat (22 percent fat calories), 3 grams protein, 46 grams carbohydrate, 21 milligrams cholesterol, 322 milligrams sodium.

Note: Purchase self-rising flour or make your own by adding 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup all-purpose flour.

Partially thaw the blueberries by leaving them at room temperature for 30 minutes. The semi-frozen blueberries will keep their shape better than completely thawed blueberries.

Dear Merri Lou: I’m looking for a really good spaghetti sauce recipe. Do you have one to share? Thanks, - Jeanette, Spokane

Dear Jeanette: I contacted Matt Pettit of Luigi’s Italian Restaurant in Spokane, and he offered a recipe that his family and friends enjoy. It’s not the sauce served at Luigi’s, but it ranks right up there as a super delicious pasta topping.

Matt’s Favorite Spaghetti Sauce

7 cloves garlic

2 celery stalks

1 carrot

1/2 bunch Italian parsley

1/2 green pepper

1 medium onion

1/2 pound pork sausage

1/2 pound lean ground beef

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup dry red wine

1 tablespoon minced celery leaves

1 tablespoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, optional

1/2 cup sliced black olives, optional

1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, optional

2 tablespoons diced pepperoncini peppers, optional

1 (16-ounce) can whole Italian plum tomatoes, drained

Hot, cooked spaghetti

Mince garlic, celery stalks, carrot, parsley, green pepper and onion.

Brown pork sausage and ground beef in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Remove meat and reserve; drain pot and discard fat.

Heat olive oil in the same pot. Saute onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until garlic just starts to brown. Add celery, carrot and Italian parsley; saute 5-6 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently.

Add tomato paste and sugar and cook 5-6 minutes. Add red wine, celery leaves, basil, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir in optional ingredients, if desired. Cook 4-5 minutes more.

Add tomatoes (crush them as you put them in the pot), along with cooked ground beef and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings as needed and remove bay leaf. Serve over spaghetti.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving, including spaghetti: 391 calories, 11.6 grams fat (27 percent fat calories), 17 grams protein, 50 grams carbohydrate, 22 milligrams cholesterol, 899 milligrams sodium.

Note: If the sauce seems too dry, add a little water, red wine or tomato juice as needed.

, DataTimes MEMO: Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian in Spokane, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210, or e-mail to merrid@spokesman.com. As many letters as possible will be answered in this column; sorry, no individual replies.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Merri Lou Dobler The Spokesman-Review