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.

Tomato, Basil, and Cheddar Soup

We've had cooler weather days lately and I was in the mood for soup.  Delicious!


2 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth 
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup basil, chopped, loosely packed
2 tsp of oregano
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. Add the chopped onion and allow to cook until tender, about three to four minutes. Add in chopped garlic and cook for an additional two minutes. Pour in the two cans of tomatoes (juice and all) and the vegetable stock. Stir in the basil, oregano, sugar, and salt and pepper. Place the lid back onto the pot and allow to simmer ten minutes. At the end, stir in the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese until well blended. Use either an immersion blender or food processor to puree the soup if you prefer a smooth texture. Garnish with chopped basil and grated cheddar cheese if desired.

Cocoa-Banana Pancakes

Saturday mornings in our home typically mean special breakfast.  These pancakes tasted special!  The banana, chocolate, and coconut were all subtle but went together well.



1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt
1 banana, the riper the better
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk or whole milk
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 Tablespoons wheat germ
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tablespoons coconut (optional)

Combine yogurt, banana, milk and vanilla in a large bowl and pulverize with a hand blender until smooth. Crack in the eggs, add a pinch of salt and mix together thoroughly.

In another bowl, sift together flours, cocoa, and baking soda. With a wooden spoon, stir in wheat germ and coconut, if desired. Add entire dry mixture into the wet mixture and fold gently together. Pour in melted butter and mix just to combine.

Heat a cast iron pan (or nonstick) over medium heat and then grease with vegetable oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter onto the pan to make several small, round pancakes. Cook on even medium-low heat until bubbles start to form.

Flip pancakes and continue cooking.

 Remove from pan and serve warm with maple syrup or Nutella and fresh banana slices, if desired.

Summer Spaghetti

The name for this from the original recipe was too long, so I called it "summer spaghetti" and you should make it quick - because it's yummy and because summer is fleeting!  The garlic "gravy" was deliciously light.  And I think it tasted even better eaten on our patio table.



500 grams spaghetti pasta (cooked al dente)

1 pound chicken breast fillets (sliced into 1 inch chunks)

For the chicken marinade:

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (I didn't use this)

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of ½ a lemon

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)

½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)

Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinate for 20 minutes (if making this dish in pronto) or overnight (if making this dish the next day… much better).

Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.

For the garlic gravy:

½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups chicken stock

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups whole cherry tomatoes

Place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.  Saute garlic until fragrant and soft.  Add the flour and cook for a minute.  Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss the cooked spaghetti into this sauce.  Add the cherry tomatoes and finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).

Makes 5-6 servings

Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

I wanted to try another recipe that used malt powder.  These were good, but flat cookies aren't my favorite.  So if you like your cookies thin and a little crunchy, my guess is you'll love these.  I would have enjoyed another batch of these bars better, but as you can see - my family didn't have a problem eating this batch.



1 cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter Softened
3/4 cups Golden Brown Sugar
3/4 cups Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 cups All-purpose Flour
1-1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1-1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup (rounded) Malted Milk Powder
1 bag (12 Ounce) Milk Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter, then add both sugars and cream until fluffy. Add eggs and beat slightly, then add vanilla and beat until combined. Add malted milk powder and beat until combined.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating gently until just combined.
Add chocolate chips and stir in gently.
Drop by teaspoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Bake less if you want chewy cookies; more if you want crispy cookies.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Talk about easy and sure to turn out great!  I threw everything together while the kids were eating lunch (do you know how fast little kids eat?!) then left the dish in the fridge until I popped it in the oven in between jumps on the trampoline!



1/4 to 1/3 cup smooth Dijon mustard
1/4 to 1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 pounds chicken thighs (or legs)
Salt
2 sprigs rosemary (or a generous sprinkling of dried rosemary)
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix mustard with the honey, and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and taste. Add more salt and mustard until you get the flavor where you want it.

Salt the chicken lightly and lay the pieces skin-side up in a shallow casserole dish. Spoon the honey mustard sauce over the chicken. Place the rosemary sprigs in between the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the thighs read 175° on a meat thermometer, or the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife. Remove the casserole pan from the oven, use a spoon to spoon off any excess chicken fat that has rendered during the cooking.

Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper over the chicken before you serve over rice.