Blueberry Lemon Dutch Baby

When I started my new job, I knew I wanted to make use of the beautiful teaching kitchen that is located in the hospital’s wellness center. Me…cooking…it just made sense. Plus, people love to participate in activities that involve food.

We advertised for the class and admittedly, I was a little disappointed when only three people RSVP’ed. Seeing as this was the first class, however, I didn’t get discouraged. Besides, a large group isn’t as intimate.

The cooking class was from 2-4 pm on Wednesday of this week. The class was specific to diabetes. We made two of my favorite recipes — Baked Quinoa and Chicken Parmesan and a Chocolate Dutch Baby.

I think the hardest part about teaching the class was choosing the recipes. I chose the quinoa dish because it’s a high protein whole grain that is lower in carbohydrate. It’s also extremely versatile and was perfect in the cheesy dish to win people over. Despite even my own doubts about quinoa, I’ve come to love it and use it in so many ways — from breakfast to entrees to appetizers. Exposing others to new foods is a blast…especially when the love them!

The Dutch Baby was a smart choice because it’s chocolate and less than 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving. Good luck finding too many other chocolate desserts that meet that criteria. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to talk about whole wheat flour varieties like whole wheat pastry flour and white wheat flour. We talked about fiber and its positive impact on glycemic control.

As the class went on, my nerves dissipated.

(Yes, even I was nervous…and that rarely happens as I’m very comfortable with groups, public speaking, and cooking. I will say, cooking WHILE talking isn’t the easiest thing ever unless it’s a recipe you know inside and out. And well, that never happens for me because I tend to not repeat a ton of recipes for the sake of the blog!).

I digress. The class was phenomenal, all 3 of them 🙂 They were engaged, asked great questions, and most importantly, loved the food and all reported that they had learned something new about diabetes, cooking, or both! I am definitely anxious to teach my second class next month! Now if only I knew what I wanted to make…!

When I got home from work on Wednesday, all I wanted was a Dutch Baby. I had sampled the recipes with the class around 3:30pm so I wasn’t really hungry for an actual dinner. Plus, Mr. Prevention was out of town on work. I started perusing my archives of recipes and decided to put a dent in my Michigan blueberry reserves and make this Blueberry Lemon Dutch Baby.

Dinner was a pita with hummus…and not one, but 2 slices of this Dutch Baby. I guess it was a Dutch Baby kind of day. Like I told my cooking class, everyone should own a cast iron skillet if for no other reason…to make Dutch Babies! They’re simple, quick, and guilt-free!

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Blueberry Lemon Dutch Baby adapted from Joy of Cooking and Ask Chef Dennis

1/3 cup granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup 2% milk, at room temperature
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour
pinch of salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

With the back of a spoon, grind the zest into the sugar in a small bowl.

Using an electric mixer and a medium bowl (or a stand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy. Add lemon zest sugar, milk, flour, and salt. Beat until smooth. With a rubber spatula, fold in blueberries.

Place 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat and add butter to pan. Melt butter and swirl to coat skillet; pour batter into skillet and place skillet in oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed.

Sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.

Yield: 8 slices

Nutrition Information (per serving): 148 calories; 5.1 g. fat; 71 mg. cholesterol; 21.2 g. carbohydrate; 2.0 g. fiber; 3.1 g. protein

Result: Light and refreshing…this Dutch baby can be served as breakfast or dessert. I love Dutch babies because they use basic ingredients are are so simple to throw together. You can flavor them in so many ways and in this instance, the lemon + blueberry is one of my favorite combinations. Enjoy!

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 I am having trouble believing it’s Friday already! I am heading to Chicago tonight after a workout with my Lily. 🙂

Be sure to look for a post over the weekend — I’ve decided to do posts once in a while on my job and what I do each day. My job is so diverse and there are so many RD’s and dietetic students that I think might enjoy seeing a run-down of what my work day shapes up to be, especially since it’s never the same!

Be well,