Fool-proof healthy muffins

I promise you, these are the easiest and most delicious muffins I've every had/made. You will love them too mainly because they are so easy and bonus HEALTHY! Thank Picky-Palate for the great recipe!

“Healthier” Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 Tablespoons softened butter
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 Cup plain low-fat vanilla yogurt (I happened to have Yoplait Banana Cream Pie yogurt on hand so I just used that)
2/3 Cup sugar
heaping 1/4 Cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 Cup coarse sugar (I used Turbinado sugar)
1/2 Cup shredded sweetened coconut (I didn't add this)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter, eggs, bananas, yogurt, sugar and peanut butter into a large mixing bowl. Mix to combine. Place all dry ingredients into a separate large bowl and stir to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips until just combined. Scoop into muffin tins lined with paper cups 2/3 way full. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and shredded coconut. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.

12 muffins

This recipe can be found here. 

The Roof Is On Fire

...Ok well maybe not the roof, but the oven was definitely on fire last night. That's right, this kitchen perfectionist screwed up and set the oven on fire last night while trying to bake the most perfect french apple tart. This all happened because we're missing our particularly useful jelly roll pan. Basically, it's a cookie sheet with 1 inch sides all the way around. GreatPerfect for baking tarts, roasting veggies, basically anything that you need a shallow flat pan for where juices might run. Since this pan is missing, I opted to bake the tart on a regular, side-less cookie sheet. HUGE mistake. On top of that, I got a little carried away with the butter and added more than I should have. Butter + hot oven + side-less pan = butter all over the bottom of the oven, which then lit on fire. I'm talking full blown flames. (If I hadn't been so worried about burning my house down, or better yet, burning the tart, I would have taken a few pictures.) So after successfully retrieving the tart from the flaming oven, which required reaching my own oven mit covered hands INTO the flames....and setting off the fire alarm, the flames subsided and all was well again at Thomas Manor. The tart finished cooking in the toaster oven on the bake setting but with the excessive amount of butter I added, the outside edges were the really only edible parts. Delicious nevertheless!

But the real issue here is not the fire, believe it or not. It's my pride. Confession: I am a PERFECTIONIST in the kitchen. I have actually been known to throw away whole cakes/cookies just because they weren't pretty. I rarely have such disasters happen in the kitchen because I'm careful to choose the right tools and ingredients as well as learning all kinds of tips/tricks from watching the food network and my mom. So as the flames are spilling out of the oven last night, all I could think about was how I didn't want my roommates to know - that I had royally screwed up in the kitchen.

Moral of the story: A little hurt pride is always better than running the risk of setting your house on fire.

Risotto Reality

Did you know that when you order risotto at a restaurant it's typically made ahead (or at least the base is) and then warmed for your meal? I only know this not because I snuck into the kitchen at Taverna but because I'm sort of addicted to the Food Network show Secrets from a Restaurant Chef. A few weeks ago, she made this insane saffron risotto and mentioned how in her kitchen at the restaurant they usually make it in advance and then heat portions of it for each meal ordered. I know this might be a huge shocker to some of you, but making the perfect risotto takes patience and lots of upper body strength.

That's not to say that you can't master this dish and all of it's infinite possibilities! You really only need a few ingredients to get started and then whatever mix-ins you have on hand. Last night, I made risotto for me and my roommate - Lemon Chicken Risotto to be specific.

Essentials:
Arborio Rice
Butter
Olive Oil
Chicken Stock

"Mix-ins"
Garlic (optional)
Onion (optional)
Good white wine
Lemon
Leftover grilled chicken
Parmesan cheese

Melt 2 tbsp each oil and butter in a large sauce pan. If you are adding onions saute them now as well. Heat 3 cups chicken broth in a smaller pot (only 2 1/4 cups if using 3/4 cup wine). Once butter is melted, stir in 1 cup rice and stir constantly (if you are adding garlic, add it now). You are essentially "toasting" the rice and releasing lots of yummy flavor. After 2 minutes, stir in 3/4 cup wine. Stir pretty much constantly until wine is absorbed. Then add ladle-fulls of chicken broth one at a time until each one is absorbed - always taking time to stir vigorously. There is no cream in risotto - what makes it creamy is the constant stirring which develops the starches and creates a creamy consistency. Once you've added all the chicken broth gradually and it has all been absorbed, taste the rice to make sure it's cooked through. There should be a slight bite left in it, but there shouldn't be any crunchy bits in your teeth. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp butter, a a few palm-fulls of cheese to your taste. Squeeze in lemon as well with lots of pepper. You probably won't need salt since the cheese is plenty salty. Stir in shredded chicken at the end and sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over the top (which we will have soon due to our new herb garden!). Voila! 20 minutes later, you have the perfect risotto. Use this recipe minus the lemon as your go-to base risotto and feel free to experiment with all kinds of toppings and flavors. Next on the list - asparagus and baby shrimp risotto!

Super Bowl Sized Menu

We're hosting a Super Bowl Party over at Thomas Manor on Sunday and I'm so excited! Since the Super Bowl is in Dallas (so fun!) the city is going to be crazy busy with celebrities and fans from all over the place buzzing around the city. It doesn't help that Dallas just got the mother of all ice storms! With "feels like" temps in the single digits and below zero wind-chills, this ice isn't melting anytime soon. All I'm worried about is getting all the food and drinks that we need for the party. What started as a casual "bring whatever you want to eat and drink" kind of party and manifested itself into a full blown Thomas Manor soiree.

So here is the menu (with pictures to come after the party):
Chips/Salsa (duh)
Pita/Hummus
Garlic-Bacon Dip
Pigs in a Blanket - Lil' Smokies wrapped in crescent rolls with honey mustard bbq dipping sauce
Mini Spinach Dip Bread Bowls

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Mini Cupcakes - chocolate with cream cheese frosting
Puppy Chow

...andddd lots of beer.

Stay tuned for party pics to come.

Favorite Fall Food: Butternut Squash!

After many weeks of craving this dish, I finally caved and made my mom's Apple & Butternut Squash Soup. It's been unreasonably warm in Dallas but I've still been craving hot apple cider, cute brown riding boots, chunky sweaters, and all things pumpkin flavored. I decided I couldn't wait any longer, so I headed to Central Market after work yesterday to pick up the ingredients.

Here is my version of the recipe (a combination of my mom's recipe and ones I've seen online here and here):
1 large butternut sqaush - peeled, seeded, diced
3-5 Granny Smith apples (depending on how big they are) - peeled, cored, diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
2-3 shallots (depending on size) - chopped
2-3 cups chicken/vegetable stock
1-2 cups water (basically to cover the veggies)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and saute shallots and garlic in olive oil until tender and fragrant. Add chopped squash, apples, stock and water. (My mom sautes her apples in butter and a touch of cinnamon instead of boiling them with the squash but I was too lazy to dirty another pan.) Cook squash and apples until fork tender (about 25 minutes). Puree soup by using a blender, food processor or immersion blender until very smooth. Return to pot. Add cream, nutmeg, salt/pepper to taste. Garnish with shredded aged cheddar, dollop of sour cream or paprika. Enjoy fall in a bowl!

Ingredients waiting for the pot

Word of advice - chopping and peeling the squash is a FEAT! If only my roommates has been home to witness me hacking away at this poor squash.

9 hours later...everything is chopped!

Smells AMAZING when garlic and shallots hit the oil

All the kids in the bath!

Finished product!

Fresh bread from the bakery at Central Market!

To hold you over...

This is just a short & sweet post to tie you over (this one's for you, Mary!)...

Yesterday was FULL of baking - it was just that kind of Sunday. I made a birthday cake for my friend Stephen who is a freshman at SMU and second string on the football team (so cool!).

I also made a cake for my roommates for Halloween. I made chocolate pumpkin cake (basically  just add a can of pumpkin to boxed cake mix with 2 eggs, couple tablespoons of oil and 1/3 cup of water).

 

More of an update to come!

Family Dinner Friday

Our apartment complex is so great in that so many of our friends live in the area. Because of this, we're having a little family dinner night. Everyone brings/cooks something and we have the meal at someone's house. I'm responsible for roasted asparagus which just happens to be one of my favorite things! Roasting any kind of vegetable is great way to eat healthy but with lots of flavor. 

Here's what I do: 

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees.
2. Trim off asparagus ends and place on a baking sheet. 
3. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. 
4. Roast for about 15-20 minutes depending on how fat your asparagus are. 
5. Eat!
6. Even better, you don't have to worry about keeping them piping hot because they are great at room temp!

I'll be making this tonight after work - I'll post pics of the dinner party tomorrow!

What to cook when you don't want to cook anything!

Initially when we moved into our new place, I resolved to cook a real meal at least 3 times a week. This meant no Lean Cuisines, no frozen pizza, no mac & cheese....

Easier said than done. When I get home from work at 6pm, I want nothing more than a bowl of pasta with cheese and olive oil, watch a show and go to bed. But I've really been making an effort to take 20 more minutes to prepare dinner. Lately, I've found a few quick fixes that don't take much time, are inexpensive, and don't result in a daily run to the grocery store. Here are a couple of my latest meals:

1. Grilled Chicken with Rice Pilaf and Cucumber Salad

The best way to deal with fresh protein is to buy the kinds that are packaged individually. Perdue sells chicken (in the regular fresh meat section) that comes already marinated. It comes with 3 boneless, skinless breasts. I usually cook one that night (either eat it for dinner or save it for a salad or sandwich) and then I freeze the other 2. This works great because the chicken is already in a vacuumed packed bag so it stores in the freezer really well.

Note: When you decide to eat one of those frozen breasts, DO NOT defrost on the counter or microwave. Defrosting on the counter leaves the meat vulnerable to bacteria and defrosting in the microwave always leads to cooked, disgusting edges. Just throw the breast in the refrigerator before work and when you get home you'll be ready to throw it on the George Forman.

So now you've got the chicken part down - cook it anyway you like, grill, pan, oven, but just make sure you cook out all the pink in the middle.

Rice pilaf is a really simple side dish and it's delish. You can buy a packages in the rice section. Best part is, it just takes 20 minutes on the stovetop and you don't even have to check it, stir it or fuss with it. Just boil the water, throw in the rice and seasoning, turn down to simmer, throw on a lid and you're good to go.

One of my FAVORITE kinds of salads is cucumber salad. I slice up an English Cucumber (there the "seedless" ones that come in plastic wrap), toss it with balsamic dressing and goat cheese and let marinate for 5 minutes or so. It's so delicious and really easy to make. Best part about it, cucumbers last for a while in the fridge, longer than lettuce, I think.

2. Burger and Fries

This is not your typical, greasing, burger joint meal - in fact it's a "fast food" meal you can feel really good about.

Again, I'll buy some burgers at the store - cook a few and freeze the rest. You can also just buy ground beef and make your own patties to the size you like. There are lots of ways to doctor up your ground beef as well. My mom always mixed in an egg (for binding), Worcestershire Sauce and some shredded cheese (instead of cheese on top).

Grill your burger anyway you like and top with your favorite things. Caramelized onions are really easy to make and add great flavor to your burger. Just thinly slice some onion rings and saute in a pan over low heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil and butter. This will take about 10 minutes so be patient. Low and slow is the key to good caramelization.

For the fries, I slice up a potato into sticks (just a good 'ole baking potato). Cover the potatoes in olive oil and whatever seasonings you like. I usually sprinkle on some garlic salt and onion powder. Then bake in the over at 425 degrees until browned on all sides. Give the potatoes a good shake and make sure to toss them around every few minutes so that they bake evenly. This is also really easy to go in a cast iron pan on the grill top.

These meals are great because they are easy to make for 1 and can store easily too. I'll be sure to keep you posted on my next meal creations!

Recipe of the Day: Espresso Fudge Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

My hope is to tackle a few new recipes a week and share my experiences with you.

I LOVE to bake. This is most likely because I like rule and guidelines and I would consider myself very good a following exact measurements. So today's recipe was for a wonderfully delicious cupcake! I found this website from Erin McCabe's blog and I vowed to try making all of the cupcakes.

And so it begins...with cupcake #1 - Espresso Fudge Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

This first recipe proved to be a bit of a challenge since my empty kitchen lacked many of the necessary tools. So my day started with a trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond as well as Kroger to acquire all the ingredients. Note: This recipe calls for espresso powder that I could not find at Kroger but good 'ole Central Market had me covered.

The meticulous measuring, pouring and stirring began. It is important to know the difference between tablespoon and teaspoon abbreviations because otherwise you'll have a cupcake that tastes like a strong cup of espresso instead of nice balanced flavored. I absentmindedly, added 2 tablespoons of espresso power instead of teaspoons but I realized this just in time to scoop a little out and save the recipe. The batter is this unbelievably smooth, rich chocolate color that my fingers just couldn't resist. I obviously licked the spatula clean. This recipe makes 16 (smaller) cupcakes but I'm sure you could just pack all the batter in and make 12.

The worst part about baking is waiting for something to cool. I learned as a kid that you cannot, no matter what, put icing on anything that is even slightly warm. You will just have a puddle of icing on the plate and a very soggy cupcake. The only baked good you can eat fresh out of the oven are chocolate chip cookies - which is arguably the only way to eat them.

The icing came out a little thinner than I would have liked. The recipe calls for a 'splash of milk' which could be a big splash for some and a small splash for others. I put it in the fridge to chill and get thicker which helped a little bit.

After [im]patiently waiting for my mini morsels to cool, I frosted them and topped them with marshmallows. Seven cupcakes in hand, I headed off to Banditos to let me friends be guinea pigs and try my first creation! Luckily, they were a hit and everyone enjoyed them. Now what to do with the leftovers....

RECIPE:

CUPCAKES
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsw. cocoa
2 tsp espresso powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla and egg. Add milk and flour mixture alternately while still mixing. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into lined cupcake pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out almost clean.

ICING
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp cocoa
splash of milk

Mix cream cheese and vanilla at medium speed until creamy. While beating, add sugar, cocoa, and milk gradually. Spread on cooled cupcakes with icing spatula. Top with chocolate chips or coffee beans.

(Recipe found here!)