Raised as a girl to love crime fiction, Maya went on to teach college classes in writing and literature. Good thing for us and her fans, however, she turned to writing mysteries. In her newest series, she combines her passion for mysteries and food in the Five-Ingredient Mysteries, set in Maryland's Eastern Shore, not far from where she lives. She loves theater and crossword puzzles and is a delightful woman. Kid you not, I don't think I've ever encountered Maya where she isn't wearing a smile.Speaking of smiles, Ellie Alexander, who also writes as Kate Dyer-Seeley, is about as perky an author as you can find. She is a Pacific Northwest Native and all her books are set there.
Wave hello, Maya and Ellie, from 3,000 miles away!
Welcome, ladies. May your time spent with Mystery Lovers Kitchen and its fans be rewarding. We're thrilled you are joining us.
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So who saw the article on Facebook about the son who changed his mother's diet and helped reduce her dementia and confusion? While she ate a lot of fresh veggies and fruit, the main foods she ate were blueberries and walnuts. Of course, I was skeptical. But then the mail came and the headline on a magazine was about eating right. And guess what was front and center. Blueberries and walnuts.
While they might not have all the desired powers that are being touted, I figured it wouldn't hurt to sneak them into our diet. My mom has been very picky lately, but I think she'll eat these parfaits!
They're really very simple. I used the handy dandy food immersion gadget to break up walnuts into tiny bits. Then I made a vanilla pudding, intentionally using less cornstarch so it would be very soft. I cooked some frozen blueberries, and topped it all off with sweetened cream. Of course, you could be even healthier and substitute yogurt for the pudding!
Almost Healthy Parfaits
Makes 3-4 parfaits depending on the size of the glass.
Vanilla Pudding
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk (I use 2%)
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a heavy-bottomed pan, mix together the cornstarch and the sugar. Whisk as you pour in the milk. Crack the egg into the measuring cup you used for the milk. Whisk the egg. Cook the milk mixture over medium high heat until it begins to bubble. Simmer for one minute, whisking the whole time. Remove from heat. Add a little bit of the milk mixture to the egg and whisk to temper it. Pour the egg into the milk mixture and whisk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for one more minute, whisking or stirring the whole time. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and the vanilla.
Set aside to cool.
Minced Walnuts
1/3 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Place walnuts and sugar in an immersion cup. Using the chopping blade, chop the walnuts until they are fine.
Blueberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
Pour frozen blueberries into a small pot. Add water and sugar. Cook until combined. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Assembly
When everything is cool, spoon the pudding into the bottom of a parfait glass. Top with a sprinkle of walnuts. Add a spoonful of blueberries. Repeat. Top with a dollop of whipped cream. (You can also add whipped cream to the middle of the parfait if you like.)
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| Cook the berries. |
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| Make the pudding. |
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| What an image looking through the glass. Those crumbs are walnuts! |
