Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Since cinnamon is one of the key ingredients in these tasty muffins, treat yourself and buy a finer spice. You'll taste the difference!

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
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• Crumb topping:
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease twelve muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
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• Stir together 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, baking powder and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix in oil, egg and milk. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling two-thirds full.
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• In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon to make crumb topping. Mix together with fork or pastry cuter and sprinkle over unbaked muffins.
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• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins

I love muffins.  I like quinoa.  These were a satisfying snack, although a bit on the dry side.


1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
4 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375*F
Coat muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line muffins cups.
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl; blend well.
Pour batter evenly into muffin tins.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until muffins are cooked through.
Allow to cool before enjoying.

Parmesan Celery Salad

My weekday lunches usually consist of leftovers or what I like to call "rabbit food" (crackers, cheese, apple slices, carrot sticks . . .).  But one day I decided to spend the ten minutes it took to make this salad for a yummy lunch.  I was glad the kids didn't love it.  More for me!  

8 large celery stalks

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for topping

1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini or garbanzo beans, heated (I used one can chickpeas)

3 tablespoons currants (or golden raisins)

1/2 cup sliced almonds, deeply toasted

sea salt 

freshly chopped herbs, or reserved celery leaves

Slice the celery stalks quite thinly - 1/8-inch or so. Then, in a small bowl, make a paste with the olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan. Set aside. In a large bowl toss the heated beans with the olive-Parmesan mixture. When well combined, add the celery, currants, and most of the almonds. Toss once more. Taste and add a bit of salt if needed. Serve in a bowl or platter topped with herb flowers and/or celery leaves.

Quinoa Power Cookies

With the bajillions of recipes floating around out there for using quinoa, I'll chose another one next time.  These were okay, but were very similar to energy balls and I like those better.

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut (I left these out)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine quinoa, peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and oats in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on low/medium speed, combine ingredients well.  Tip: Allow the quinoa to cool before mixing it in.

Stir in coconut and chocolate chips.  Scoop and mold dough into round, tablespoon-sized cookies.  Place cookies on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until bottoms are nicely browned.  Allow to cool completely before storing.

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

photo from here

This wasn't as much a pan of enchiladas as it was a casserole, but whatever you call it - we liked it a lot!  I had to stop myself from eating the pan of roasted veggies instead of using them to layer in the dish!  I made a few changes that are reflected below (some by accident, but it still turned out yummy!).

1 jalapeño, seeded and cut into matchsticks
2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
handful of mushrooms, quartered1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 T olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups homemade or store bought salsa/pico de gallo
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 2 big handfuls)
9-10 corn tortillas, halved (I wanted to use corn, but bought flour by accident)
2 cups shredded cheese
sour cream and thinly sliced scallions (green onions) for garnish, if desired

directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.

Place jalapeño, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, mushrooms and corn kernels onto cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper, then use your hands to mix everything together. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Prepare an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.