Blueberry Muffins

I made these muffins for our Sunday breakfast. The great misfortune was that I was going to use a sugar mixture over the top and I completely forgot to put it on before putting the muffins in the oven! Without the topping these muffins were a little less sweet than I like. Here is the recipe as it should be made.

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries

Crumb topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup room temperature butter
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400° Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir together vegetable oil, egg milk in a separate bowl. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. 

Make crumb topping by mixing all ingredients together with a fork. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 of the way and sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Pastitsio

This past week I found a big sale on ground beef so I stocked up and decided to do a little research to find some new recipes. This is a traditional Greek dish and is usually made with ziti pasta but I just used what we had in the house - rotini (I love the shape). I have only had Greek food a few times in my life and was a little skeptical at first about the cinnamon and nutmeg but I was pleasantly surprised.

8 oz ziti pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
4 cups milk
2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
3 eggs

Cook pasta, drain, and return to pan. In a skillet, cook ground beef and onion until meat loses its pinkness and onion is soft; drain excess fat. Stir in green pepper, tomatoes, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.

In a saucepan melt butter then mix in flour a little at a time. Add milk until desired thickness. Add parmesan cheese and stir to melt. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove from heat. In another bowl mix eggs with a whisk. Then add egg mixture to white sauce.

In a 13x9" casserole dish layer half of the pasta. Spoon meat mixture over pasta and cover with the second half of pasta. Pour cream sauce over top and sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over everything. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas

 

This is a recipe that my husband made up before we were married and we have since altered slightly. It is an amazing dish, both healthy and delicious.

2 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

1 onion

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 fresh jalapeno with seeds, chopped (more or less depending on desired piquancy)

1/2 cup cilantro

2 tsp minced garlic

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with cilantro and lime

Salt and Pepper to taste

Lime juice

1 (14.5 oz) can enchilada sauce (red or green)

uncooked flour tortillas

cheese

Pre-heat large skillet on medium-high. Saute onions and garlic 3-4 minutes then add chicken and cook until slightly brown. Add peppers, jalapeno, cilantro, tomatoes, lime juice, salt and pepper. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Spoon into uncooked tortillas, roll closed and place in 13x9" casserole pan (usually fills 1 1/2-2 pans). Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp lime juice over each pan of filled tortillas. Top with cheese and then 1/2 can enchilada sauce over each pan. Bake at 400° for about 20 min.

Blog Links

In the past I only had links to other cooking blogs but a few days ago I was reading a blog that one of my friends does about organizing your house and your life. It has great ideas! Check it out! It is called Heaps or Happiness.

Fried Potatoes

I have recently discovered that fried potatoes make a delicious breakfast (especially coupled with bacon and eggs). It is also a great side dish with any meal.

5-6 potatoes, chopped into small chunks
1 small onion, chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat olive oil in pan. Saute onions with garlic. Add potatoes and spices. Cover potatoes and fry on medium low for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft, stirring frequently to avoid burning.

Grilled Pineapple

Who would have thought that grilled pineapple would taste so good? But the first time we had it at a Brazilian restaurant, we were in love. My husband was the chief engineer and author of this recipe. It is a very easy side for a meal when you are already firing up the barbecue.

1 fresh pineapple
3 Tbsp honey
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter

Heat honey, brown sugar, and butter on stove over medium heat until melted. Cut pineapple into long, thick strips. Place pineapple on barbecue and brush on the brown sugar mixture. Grill for approx. 2 minutes or until the mixture caramelizes. 

Chicken and Steak Kabobs

My husband did the grilling for this dish. He is an amazing cook and does a great job whenever he cooks or helps me. We used the Steak Marinade I have already posted for the steak and then used Yoshita's Teriyaki sauce to marinate the chicken. We cut the pieces of meat into bite sized pieces before marinating.

Wooden kabob sticks 
4 lb marinated chicken
4 lb marinated steak
5 tomatoes cut into large pieces
2 onions quartered
2 green peppers, cut into pieces
2 red peppers, cut into pieces
1 lb mushrooms, sliced

We rotated meat and vegetables on each stick and grilled them. It was a HUGE amount of food but tasted great. We also had a garden salad, corn on the cob, grilled pineapple, and fresh watermelon. It may have been a little excessive but we wanted to have a special (gluten free) meal for Chris' dad on Father's Day.

Steak Marinade

My husband and I were planning on making steak kabobs for Sunday dinner but we wanted to try out a new stake marinade. We decided to use one from "The Cooking Blog" because she had a whole section about how to make steaks. It tasted pretty good; I used dried basil that comes in a shaker but I would use fresh basil next time. We used this recipe for 4 lb of top sirloin steak.

8 tsp minced garlic
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper
4 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 tsp chopped basil
8 tsp. oregano
12 oz. Red Wine


I read on a website that it is better to use real wine as opposed to cooking wine, but I don't really know how big of a flavor difference there would be. I used red cooking wine for this. If you have any experience using wine in cooking I would be happy to receive input. Also, the recipe said to let it marinate for 2 hours but we left it overnight. It was pretty good; I need to get more experience doing marinades.

Caramel Popcorn

This is my favorite kind of caramel popcorn. It is soft and chewy and delicious.

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Bring butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and milk to a soft ball stage. Add vanilla. Pour over 6-8 quarts of lightly salted popcorn.

Banana Bread

My husband and I love homemade banana bread. This is a recipe that he used to use during college (one of the only things he baked...everything else was fried).

3-4 very ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Mash bananas; add sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir well. Add dry ingredients and oil. Add nuts if desired. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350°

Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

This is the recipe that I always use for any variation of chocolate chip cookies and it always turns out perfectly! 

1 cup margarine or shortening

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp hot water

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1-2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

2 cups chocolate chips

 

Cream margarine and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients successively one by one (you can mix baking soda and water or just pour one on top of the other in the mixing bowl), beating well. Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes at 375º

You can add any type of chips or M&Ms to these cookies. The cookies shown here are half Reese's chips and half milk chocolate.

Whole Wheat Bread

This delicious wheat bread is a Little Family recipe that has been passed down for generations. I often cut this recipe in half and it turns out just as well.

5 cups warm tap water
3 Tbsp quick rise yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup gluten flour
1 egg
10-12 cups whole wheat flour

Pour water, yeast and salt into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients except for flour and mix. Add 6 cups of flour and mix well. Add remaining flour slowly to make a stiff dough. Knead for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 portions. Shape and place in greased loaf pans. Let rise until bread is about 3/4" above sides of pan. Bake at 350° for 30 min. Take out of oven and brush tops with margarine or butter.

5 Alarm Chicken

This is actually a Rachel Rae recipe (except I didn't like the name she gave it so I made up a new one). It was VERY spicy but had a great flavor. I will definitely make it again.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, 1/4 finely chopped, 3/4 thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 lb chicken cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp steak seasoning
4 tsp minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp chipotle in adobo (available in cans on the international foods aisle) - or less.
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2-3 Tbps chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup cashews

In a medium pot over medium heat, combine 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice and cook for 3 minutes more. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender (approx. 17-18 min).

While the rice cooks, make the chicken. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, then the chicken. Season the chicken with steak seasoning. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, then move off to one side of the pan. Add the remaining onions, the garlic and bell peppers. Cook for 2-3 minutes then mix the vegetables and meat together and add the chipotles and cumin. Toss to coat. Glaze the mixture with honey and maple syrup and turn off the heat. Add the chopped cilantro or parsley and the nuts.

Tart Frozen Yogurt

I LOVE frozen yogurt with fruit on top. My husband doesn't like it very much but sometimes he still takes me out to eat it. But in the interest of saving money and not forcing him to suffer through eating it too much, I decided to research how to make tangy frozen yogurt here at home. I was surprised at how easy it is! And it still tasted delicious.

4 cups plain yogurt
2/3 cup sugar
Fresh fruit

Stir sugar into frozen yogurt. The recipes I found online all said 3/4 c. but I like it a little less sugary. You can make this using an ice cream maker (just pour in the yogurt and let the machine do the work) or, if you are willing to wait a little longer, leave it in the freezer for 2-3 hours. I took this yogurt out a little early so it would be extra soft. It is great with cut up peaches, strawberries, or really any kind of fruit you would like to add. It is a delicious and fairly healthy dessert.

Chorizo Squash Soup

I felt like this soup was a pretty big risk. I don't have a lot of experience cooking with squash, but it turned out really well. It is a very flavorful soup; in fact, I might decrease the spices for next time. It is a great soup for a cold day and would go really well with homemade bread or rolls.

1/2 lb chorizo, chopped (you can substitute sausage)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 12-oz box frozen squash puree, defrosted
1 quart chicken broth

Cook chorizo in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the squash puree. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

I served this soup with quesadillas made with Pepper Jack cheese, fresh cilantro, thinly sliced tomatoes and a little salt.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

My brother wanted to make a big cookie to eat with ice cream but we weren't sure if a regular cookie recipe would work. This is a version of some big cookie recipes I found online.

1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 beaten egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks


Preheat oven to 475° F. Combine butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Add flour and baking soda and stir well by hand. Stir in remaining ingredients and then press the dough into a 12" pizza pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Pepperoni Pizza

Homemade pizza has been one of the staples in my family for as long as I can remember. When we make pepperoni pizza we always put the cheese on top. This is an excellent recipe that has never failed.

2 1/4 cups warm water
2 Tbsp quick rise yeast
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
7-8 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add salt, sugar, and 3 cups flour. Mix well. Stir in eggs and oil, slowly adding flour. Mix until it becomes a dough that is soft but not sticky. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Divide into about 3 portions and roll out. Bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

This pizza has pepperoni, sausage, green and red peppers, white onions, sliced tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, and black olives. It turned out great!

I also made some garlic and cheese bread sticks. I melted about 2 Tbsp of butter and poured it over top and sprinkled a little bit of minced garlic and garlic salt over it. I topped it with about 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and baked it at 350° for about 20 minutes.

M&M Caramel Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour, also 6 Tbsp flour
1 cup oats
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1 3/4 cups plain M&M's
1 cup chopped pecans
1 12 oz jar caramel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine 1 cup flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Blend in melted butter to form crumbly mixture. Press half of the crumb mixture onto bottom of 9x9 pan and bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 cup M&M's (I also think this recipe would be great with chocolate chips in this layer) and 3/4 cup nuts.

Blend remaining 6 Tbsp flour with caramel topping and pour over top. Combine remaining crumb mixture with the last 1/4 cup nuts and 3/4 cup M&M's and sprinkle over caramel layer. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before serving.

Sauteed Salmon with Mango-Pineapple Chutney

This is another recipe adapted from the thrift store book of recipes. It was a big hit with my husband. We'll definitely be having this one again; next time we will probably use pineapple tidbits rather than chunks.

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small can of pineapple chunks in natural juices, drained
1 Tbsp honey
4 6 oz salmon fillets (this recipe would really be great with any kind of fish)
Ground coriander
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat with 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Add the red onions and jalapenos and season with salt and pepper; cook 3-4 minutes. Add the pineapple, honey and 1 cup water, turn the heat down and simmer for about 5 minutes.

While the chutney is cooking, pre-heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining vegetable oil. Season the salmon with coriander (approx. 1 tsp per fillet). Add the seasoned salmon to the hot pan and cook approx. 3-4 minutes on each side.

While the salmon is cooking, finish the chutney; add the mango, lime juice, parsley, and cilatro, stir to combine, and then remove from heat.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

I wasn't sure how to make this salad so I tried to imagine what would make it taste the best and it turned out amazing.

12 oz Spinach (stems removed)
1 lb container of strawberries
1 c pecans
3/4 c feta cheese

These are very rough estimates. I just added enough of everything so that it looked well balanced. I drizzled a little bit of Kraft poppyseed dressing over top (maybe a Tbsp or two over the whole thing), which I found to be quite delicious and much lighter than the majority of homemade dressings that I have tasted. I generally like minimal dressing on my salads so I can enjoy the flavor of the vegetables/fruits.

Another great option is to add brown sugar to the pecans and toast them in butter on the stove or in the oven.

Twice Baked Potatoes stuffed with sauteed mushrooms and onions

I found this recipe in a cookbook that my husband bought from a thrift store the other day and made a few alterations. It was very delicious. The only thing I might change about the potatoes is to use a more pungent cheese. Gouda is delicious and has a great texture; I would also like to try the recipe with Blue Cheese or something equally as strong.

2 large Russet potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb button mushrooms (cleaned and thinly sliced)
1 small yellow onion, sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 c sour cream
1/3 lb smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat olive oil on a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and stir frequently as they continue to cook, about another 4-5 minutes.

Prick potatoes with a fork and bake either in the oven at 350º for about an hour or microwave for about 15 minutes. When the potatoes are soft, cut them lengthwise and scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Add sour cream and smash with a potato masher until combined.  Stir in the sauteed mushrooms and onions, shredded Gouda, salt and pepper (make sure to add enough salt - it really brings out the flavor). Spoon into potato shells and place on a cookie sheet. Broil 4-5 minutes or until lightly brown on top.

I served this with Bacon-wrapped Beef Tenderloin (seasoned with salt and pepper) and Spinach and Strawberry Salad.

Raspberry Peach Cobbler

This simple dessert is a variation on one that my mom used to make for us growing up.

1/2 C butter or margerine
1 yellow cake mix
1 can raspberry pie filling
2 C fresh peaches
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 C sugar

Put pealed, sliced peaches into a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar and mix gently. Allow to set for about 10 minutes. In a separate bowl microwave butter until it is very soft but not completely melted and mix in the yellow cake mix. Dough should be soft and crumbly. Mix raspberry pie filling into peaches and pour into 9x12" cake pan. Spread cake mixture over pie filling, allowing it to remain in clumps. Bake at 350º until golden brown (approx. 35-40 minutes).

Chicken Curry and Na'an Bread

This is a great curry that isn't too spicy. I started becoming very interested in cooking curry when I was dating my husband. We went to a great Indian restaurant called Bombay House and thought, "why can't we make this at home?" Unfortunately very few of the recipes that we found on the internet were actually good, but even in all of those failed curry recipes, we started to recognize what ingredients we thought made curry taste good. Finally one day I remembered that my aunt is Indian! Why didn't I think of that before? Of course she would have an amazing and completely authentic recipe. So I gave her a call and she sent me the recipe for Na'an bread and some great curry. This recipe is inspired by one that she gave me but with a few differences.

Curry:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 cinnamon sticks
1-2 bay leaf
3 medium onions, finely chopped
7-8 cloves of garlic (or tsp. minced garlic)
2 32 oz cans diced tomatoes
1/4-1/2 tsp. Indian chili powder (less for a more mild curry)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ginger (powder or fresh)
1 lb chicken cut into small pieces
2 C plain yogurt
3/4 C cilantro, finely chopped
1 can coconut milk
salt to taste

In a large pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add cinnamon stick and bay leaf; fry until slightly brown. Add onions and saute until golden brown, 5-8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute then add drained tomatoes. Add the spices one by one and mix well. Cook for 1 minute before adding chicken. Mix well and cook for several minutes. Stir in yogurt, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro, coconut milk, and salt. Simmer about 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened.



Na'an Bread:
1 Tbsp dry yeast
1 C warm water
1/2 C plain yogurt
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2-4 C bread flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 C of warm water in a mixing bowl. Place on mixer with dough hook and let stand 5-10 minutes. In a separate small bowl stir together remaining water with yogurt and salt. Turn mixer on low speed and add 1/2 C flour to the yeast mixture. While mixer is on, add the yogurt mixture. Slowly add remaining flour until well incorporated; mix on high speed for 5 minutes. Dough should start to become a ball. Remove from mixer and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Keep in a warm place and allow to rise for 30 min. Dough should be very soft.

On a lightly floured surface, divide and roll dough into 8 balls. May make more. Place on floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 30 minutes.

Take the Na'an dough and flatten or roll into 6" circles. Na'an bread usually comes in irregular shapes. Place dough on very hot grill rack and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Dough should puff up and get brown spots. Remove from grill, lightly butter and keep warm, covered in foil. You may also sprinkle bread with minced garlic or garlic powder.