Source: Mel again
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled/old-fashioned oats
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted (I used butter)
1/3 cup sugar (I used brown sugar instead, as suggested by some of the commenters)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins, optional (I happened to have some dried cranberries so I threw them in and - whoa! so tasty!)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease the muffin cups. Set aside..
In a medium bowl, stir together the oatmeal, applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla, butter and sugar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt (and cranberries or raisins if using). Make a well in the center and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir until just combined (don't overmix or the muffins will be dense and dry). The muffin batter texture might be a bit different (wetter?) than other muffin batters but no fear, carry on!
Distribute the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake or the muffins will be dry.
Remove the muffins to a rack to cool completely. Apparently they freeze beautifully (I ate them too quickly to need to freeze them) so you might want to make a double batch.
Notes:
I was a lot quicker for my Muffin of the Month in May, making these before even the halfway point in the month! These were so, so, so yummy. Cal inhaled hers whenever I shared with her, begging for "more" as only a cute 11-month old can via baby sign language. I'll be making them again. And again and again.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Pretzel Chocolate Chip Muffins
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients:
Note from Mel: This recipe calls for ground pretzels. You can either use a food processor or blender to grind them up or smash them to smithereens in a ziploc bag. Take care not to grind them so small like the consistency of flour. It should be like a very coarse meal with small pretzel pieces - kind of like a crunchy dry cornmeal mixture. Too fine and the muffins will be dry. You'll also need some broken pretzels for the streusel - I left mine pretty chunky, just a pound or two with a rolling pin so they stay in nice big chunks. FYI: I used pretzel sticks but any thin pretzel like that (twists or sticks) should work fine.
for the streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup ground pretzels (see note)
1/4 cup broken pretzels
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
for the muffins:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup ground pretzels (see note)
2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (I just used regulars because I didn't have minis)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin (12-cup) with muffin liners or coat the muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
For the streusel, in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, ground pretzels, broken pretzels and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter. Cover and chill the mixture while you make the muffin batter.
For the muffins, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground pretzels, chocolate chips, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In a large liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, eggs, oil, butter and vanilla. Mix well. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring only until just incorporated (so the muffins are light and fluffy).
Let the batter sit for 2-3 minutes. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Squeeze the chilled streusel into little clumps and top each muffin with a good smothering of streusel. This is fairly messy; don't worry, it's worth it. You may not use all the streusel but most of it should get piled high on top of the muffins.
Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean without any wet batter. Let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. Try not to eat them all in one sitting.
Notes:
These were my April Muffins-of-the-Month. They were epic. 'Nough said.
Ingredients:
Note from Mel: This recipe calls for ground pretzels. You can either use a food processor or blender to grind them up or smash them to smithereens in a ziploc bag. Take care not to grind them so small like the consistency of flour. It should be like a very coarse meal with small pretzel pieces - kind of like a crunchy dry cornmeal mixture. Too fine and the muffins will be dry. You'll also need some broken pretzels for the streusel - I left mine pretty chunky, just a pound or two with a rolling pin so they stay in nice big chunks. FYI: I used pretzel sticks but any thin pretzel like that (twists or sticks) should work fine.
for the streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup ground pretzels (see note)
1/4 cup broken pretzels
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
for the muffins:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup ground pretzels (see note)
2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (I just used regulars because I didn't have minis)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin (12-cup) with muffin liners or coat the muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
For the streusel, in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, ground pretzels, broken pretzels and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter. Cover and chill the mixture while you make the muffin batter.
For the muffins, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground pretzels, chocolate chips, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In a large liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, eggs, oil, butter and vanilla. Mix well. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring only until just incorporated (so the muffins are light and fluffy).
Let the batter sit for 2-3 minutes. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Squeeze the chilled streusel into little clumps and top each muffin with a good smothering of streusel. This is fairly messy; don't worry, it's worth it. You may not use all the streusel but most of it should get piled high on top of the muffins.
Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean without any wet batter. Let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. Try not to eat them all in one sitting.
Notes:
These were my April Muffins-of-the-Month. They were epic. 'Nough said.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Roasted Strawberry Muffins
Source
Ingredients:
1 lb. strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and diced
1 cup sugar (plus more for topping)
milk, if needed
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup low-fat greek yogurt
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp butter, melted and cooled slightly
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spread the berries out on the sheet, sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and toss gently to mix. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the berries are tender and have released most of their juices, about 20-22 minutes. Place a colander or strainer over a bowl or liquid measuring cup and strain the berries, reserving the excess juices. You will have approximately 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of juice. Add just enough milk to make 6 tablespoons total liquid if you are short on juice.
2. Lower the oven temperature to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flours, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend. In a large mixing bowl, combine the reserved strawberry juice/milk, greek yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined and no dry streaks remain. Fold in the strawberries with a spatula.
3. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin liners. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Notes: These are some of our all-time favorite muffins, especially when served with homemade freezer jam. Y. U. M. To make them a little more diabetic-friendly (so that I can eat more of them!), I usually replace the all purpose flour with more white whole wheat, and reduce the sugar by 1/2 (and replace it with a little applesauce, if I'm in the mood). The roasting is kind of a pain, but necessary, so I usually just cook the rest of breakfast and prep the dough/batter while they're baking.
Ingredients:
1 lb. strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and diced
1 cup sugar (plus more for topping)
milk, if needed
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup low-fat greek yogurt
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp butter, melted and cooled slightly
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spread the berries out on the sheet, sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and toss gently to mix. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the berries are tender and have released most of their juices, about 20-22 minutes. Place a colander or strainer over a bowl or liquid measuring cup and strain the berries, reserving the excess juices. You will have approximately 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of juice. Add just enough milk to make 6 tablespoons total liquid if you are short on juice.
2. Lower the oven temperature to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flours, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend. In a large mixing bowl, combine the reserved strawberry juice/milk, greek yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined and no dry streaks remain. Fold in the strawberries with a spatula.
3. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin liners. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Notes: These are some of our all-time favorite muffins, especially when served with homemade freezer jam. Y. U. M. To make them a little more diabetic-friendly (so that I can eat more of them!), I usually replace the all purpose flour with more white whole wheat, and reduce the sugar by 1/2 (and replace it with a little applesauce, if I'm in the mood). The roasting is kind of a pain, but necessary, so I usually just cook the rest of breakfast and prep the dough/batter while they're baking.
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Sloppy Joes
Source
Ingredients:
1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp tomato paste
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 red or green bell pepper, chopped fine
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste (I omitted to make it a little more family-friendly)
Directions:
1. Stir ingredients together right in the slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. (I actually cooked mine on low for 10 hours and it was great)
Notes: We love lentils in our family. We also love replacing and/or supplementing meat with as many vegetables as possible, so this was a great fit for us. I didn't love the sauce and texture as much as I thought I would, so next time I think I'll just adapt Mom's sloppy joe recipe to use lentils and vegetables instead of meat, but the concept is a definite keeper! Oh, I also added a shredded carrots, maybe 1/2 - 1 cup.
Ingredients:
1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp tomato paste
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 red or green bell pepper, chopped fine
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste (I omitted to make it a little more family-friendly)
Directions:
1. Stir ingredients together right in the slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. (I actually cooked mine on low for 10 hours and it was great)
Notes: We love lentils in our family. We also love replacing and/or supplementing meat with as many vegetables as possible, so this was a great fit for us. I didn't love the sauce and texture as much as I thought I would, so next time I think I'll just adapt Mom's sloppy joe recipe to use lentils and vegetables instead of meat, but the concept is a definite keeper! Oh, I also added a shredded carrots, maybe 1/2 - 1 cup.
Mexican Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1 16 oz package rotini pasta
1 1/2 c. salsa
1 cup mayo
1/2 sour cream
1 16 oz can black beans
1 11 oz can corn
1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
2 green onions
1 4.25 can olives, sliced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cilantro
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cook pasta, drain, and cool.
2. Whisk salsa, mayo, sour cream, black beans, corn, pepper, onions, olives, and spices together in a large bowl. Add cooled pasta and stir to coat evenly.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes:
Not earth-shatteringly delicious, but certainly worth sharing at a potluck if you're looking for something different to try.
1 16 oz package rotini pasta
1 1/2 c. salsa
1 cup mayo
1/2 sour cream
1 16 oz can black beans
1 11 oz can corn
1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
2 green onions
1 4.25 can olives, sliced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cilantro
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cook pasta, drain, and cool.
2. Whisk salsa, mayo, sour cream, black beans, corn, pepper, onions, olives, and spices together in a large bowl. Add cooled pasta and stir to coat evenly.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes:
Not earth-shatteringly delicious, but certainly worth sharing at a potluck if you're looking for something different to try.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Chicken Tikka Masala
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe, via a recommendation from my sister Heather
Ingredients:
for the marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt (Heather said she's used sour cream, too, with good results)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger (I used 1 teaspoon ginger powder)
1 teaspoon salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips or chunks
for the masala:
1 Tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup cream (I used the 1/4 cup melted butter + 3/4 cup milk trick for this)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
For the marinade, combine all ingredients except chicken. Pour sauce over chicken and refrigerate for one hour or up to 8 hours (I had mine in the marinade for 2 hours). Grill or cook chicken in frying pan (I did the latter in a little bit of oil). Discard marinade.
For the masala, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for one minute. Season with cumin, paprika and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. (I actually just melted half a stick of butter right at first and used it to saute the garlic and jalapeno, then when I added the milk it became the "cream".) Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes (I only did about 10 minutes for the initial simmer). Add grilled chicken and simmer for 10 minutes (but then after I added the chicken it simmered for probably nearly 20 minutes while I waited for Gregg to get home). Garnish with fresh cilantro (this was a must - it really made it taste so fresh). Serve over hot rice.
Notes:
Heather had told me about (raved about, actually) this recipe multiple times and since we are officially out of the fun Indian spice packets we've received from Gregg's sister Heather over the years, I decided I'd try my had at a from scratch Indian recipe. This really was quite easy and so awesomely delicious. I'll be keeping this one in the rotation, for sure. Oh, yum!
Ingredients:
for the marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt (Heather said she's used sour cream, too, with good results)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger (I used 1 teaspoon ginger powder)
1 teaspoon salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips or chunks
for the masala:
1 Tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup cream (I used the 1/4 cup melted butter + 3/4 cup milk trick for this)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
For the marinade, combine all ingredients except chicken. Pour sauce over chicken and refrigerate for one hour or up to 8 hours (I had mine in the marinade for 2 hours). Grill or cook chicken in frying pan (I did the latter in a little bit of oil). Discard marinade.
For the masala, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for one minute. Season with cumin, paprika and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. (I actually just melted half a stick of butter right at first and used it to saute the garlic and jalapeno, then when I added the milk it became the "cream".) Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes (I only did about 10 minutes for the initial simmer). Add grilled chicken and simmer for 10 minutes (but then after I added the chicken it simmered for probably nearly 20 minutes while I waited for Gregg to get home). Garnish with fresh cilantro (this was a must - it really made it taste so fresh). Serve over hot rice.
Notes:
Heather had told me about (raved about, actually) this recipe multiple times and since we are officially out of the fun Indian spice packets we've received from Gregg's sister Heather over the years, I decided I'd try my had at a from scratch Indian recipe. This really was quite easy and so awesomely delicious. I'll be keeping this one in the rotation, for sure. Oh, yum!
Creamy Lemon Oatmeal Bars
Source: here, and there's another version that differs just slightly here
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (next time I might decrease this to 1/4 teaspoon if I use salted butter)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold (I used salted and wish I would have decreased the salt as noted above)
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed (I used slightly less - maybe closer to 3/4 cup)
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons grated lemon peel (about 2 large lemons)
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 8x8 baking pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and oats.
Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix to combine. (Mine was really crumbly, so I had to use my hands to get everything combined . . . and then it was still rather crumbly.)
Press half of oatmeal cookie dough into bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
While the cookie bottom is baking, stir condensed milk, lemon peel, and lemon juice into a small bowl. Spread lemon mixture over baked crust (while crust is hot). Crumble the remaining oatmeal cookie mixture over top. Bake about 25 minutes longer or until golden brown.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting into 16 squares. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy!
Notes:
I had really high hopes for these bars, and while they taste awesome, they look rather disappointing. I'm not sure what I did wrong, but they are super duper crumbly and hard to get out of the pan. Not very pretty, that's for sure. But what they lack in photogenicity (I just made up that word - ha!) they do make up for in taste. They're not overly tart like some lemon bars can be, and the combination of oatmeal cookie crust with creamy lemon center is pretty dang divine.
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (next time I might decrease this to 1/4 teaspoon if I use salted butter)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold (I used salted and wish I would have decreased the salt as noted above)
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed (I used slightly less - maybe closer to 3/4 cup)
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons grated lemon peel (about 2 large lemons)
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 8x8 baking pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and oats.
Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix to combine. (Mine was really crumbly, so I had to use my hands to get everything combined . . . and then it was still rather crumbly.)
Press half of oatmeal cookie dough into bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
While the cookie bottom is baking, stir condensed milk, lemon peel, and lemon juice into a small bowl. Spread lemon mixture over baked crust (while crust is hot). Crumble the remaining oatmeal cookie mixture over top. Bake about 25 minutes longer or until golden brown.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting into 16 squares. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy!
Notes:
I had really high hopes for these bars, and while they taste awesome, they look rather disappointing. I'm not sure what I did wrong, but they are super duper crumbly and hard to get out of the pan. Not very pretty, that's for sure. But what they lack in photogenicity (I just made up that word - ha!) they do make up for in taste. They're not overly tart like some lemon bars can be, and the combination of oatmeal cookie crust with creamy lemon center is pretty dang divine.
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