Lemon Raspberry Muffins

This is the recipe that made me fall in love with muffins. Despite the lemon and raspberries they aren't overly tart. I added the sugar topping to sweeten them up just a bit. Besides I think all muffins should have a crispy sugar topping, don't you? The recipe states they can also be made with blueberries, I bet strawberries would be good too.

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup half and half cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries (I use frozen, do not thaw before using)

Topping:
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl combine the eggs, cream, oil and extract. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raspberries.

Fill greased muffin cups two thirds full (use an ice cream scoop). Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. While muffins are still hot, dip tops in melted butter and then into the remaining sugar. Yields 16 muffins.

Parmesan Potato Wedges

I found this recipe in a magazine a few weeks ago and we have made these potato wedges several times since then. They are so yummy. Last weekend I started the dishes while my two year old was finishing his dinner. I glanced back at him and he had pulled the serving bowl to his spot and was eating the wedges right out of the bowl. That's how much he likes them.


My favorite part of them (other than being cheap and easy) is that they have cilantro. I love cilantro. It smells and tastes so good. I've noticed that it loses it's smell as it ages. So smell it at the store. It's a good way to tell how fresh it is.

Parmesan Potato Wedges

2 lbs unpeeled russet potatoes (about 6 medium) cut into 3/4 inch wedges.
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely cut cilantro


Heat grill. Toss potatoes, 2 tablespoons of the oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Make a tin foil packet with the potatoes inside. Grill covered on medium heat or coals for about 15 minutes. Flip packet over half way though cooking. (I imagine you could also cook them in a skillet on the stove, but we haven't tried that)

When finished grilling, place potatoes in large bowl and toss with Parmesan cheese, cilantro, and remaining oil. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Cake

This cake is perfect for the Fourth of July. I'm a total sucker for red, white, and blue themed food around this time of year. If you are going to a Fourth of July party this would be an awesome thing to take. The bottom is ooey gooey with berry goodness and the top is crisp and delicious. Moist is this cake's middle name. Serve it warm with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream and it's pure heaven.

Strawberry Cake

Filling:
3 cups strawberries, quartered
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup blueberries

Cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 almond extract
1/2 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 11x7 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Combine strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl, spoon into baking dish. Sprinkle with blueberries.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Beat 3/4 cups sugar and butter in large bowl at medium sped 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and almond extract. At low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with milk just until combined, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon over berry mixture; spread gently to cover berries. (The more little globs of dough you put over the berries the easier it is to spread)

3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in golden brown edge comes out clean and toothpick inserted in light brown center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Thai Turkey Burgers

I love these burgers. I make them about twice a month, they are very tasty and super healthy.

The pineapple salsa is cooked with a touch of sesame oil. I think it really adds something and I like to use it, but if anyone out there knows of a cheaper substitute please let me know. If you don't like the taste of sesame or are just trying these out for the first time and don't want to go splurge on bottle of sesame oil I'm sure another kind of oil would work. I also just guessed on how much pineapple I use. I usually cut up a small bowl's worth in bite size pieces for the kids to munch on and then use the rest for the salsa. The salsa should be mostly pineapple.


Thai Turkey Burgers

Pineapple Salsa
2/3 fresh ripe pineapple ($2)
1 tablespoon sesame oil (41 cents)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. (less than a penny)
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped. ($1.40)
1/4 red onion, finely chopped. (15 cents)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (7 cents)

Burgers
1 and 1/3 ground turkey breast ($3)
1 inch fresh gingerroot peeled and grated, or 2 pinches ground ginger (30 cents)
2 cloves garlic, minced (12 cents)
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (20 cents)
2 teaspoons curry powder (50 cents)
course salt to taste (less than a penny)
4 cornmeal topped rolls, or 4 toasted sandwich-size English muffins ($1.50)

Drain pineapple and cut into pieces that will fit in food processor. Place in processor and process to a coarse, chunky texture. heat sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a skillet over medium-high heat until oil smokes. Add bell pepper and onions and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add pineapple and heat through. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let the salsa hang out in the warm pan while you cook burgers.

Heat a non stick skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat. Combine turkey, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, curry powder, and salt. Form into 4 patties and cook on skillet. 4 minutes on each side. Serve on rolls with lots of warm pineapple salsa.

Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins

About a year ago my mother in law bought me a muffin cookbook and started me on my muffin obsession. These are great. I love the cinnamon sugar topping. Mmm...


They have another feature I love in that all the ingredients are things you can keep on hand.

A word of advice, the first time I made these I thought I knew better and put more than a teaspoon of jelly inside each one. But then there was so much jelly inside that the muffins couldn’t stay together.

Muffins
1 ¾ cup flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
¾ cup milk
10 teaspoons jelly
10 muffin papers

Topping
¼ cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In a small bowl, combine sugar, oil, egg, and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups half full (use an ice cream scoop!); place 1 teaspoon jam on top. Cover jam with enough batter to fill muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Place melted butter in a small bowl; combine sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Immediately after removing muffins from the oven, dip tops in butter, then in cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm. Yield:10 muffins.

Garlic Lime Chicken

Here is a recipe for Garlic Lime Chicken. It's super flavorful and really quick and easy to make. One thing I like about this recipe is that you can make as little or as much as you like. The recipe is intended to make 6 servings but if there are only two of you, you can just cook two servings. Sometimes it's good not to have leftovers.

When I make the spice mixture I make a quadruple batch and keep the extra in a little Tupperware container in my spice cabinet. That way I have it on hand all ready to go. It makes this recipe really easy to just whip up in about 15 minutes. I usually serve it with mashed potatoes. I like to get a bite of chicken along with a bite of potatoes together on my fork... MMMMM.

Garlic Lime Chicken
Serves 6

• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon pepper
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
  
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
  

In a bowl, mix together first 7 ingredients. Sprinkle mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.

In a skillet heat butter and olive oil together over medium high heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Turn down the heat, remove the chicken (keeping warm) and add the lime juice and chicken broth to the pan, whisking up the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Keep cooking until sauce has reduced slightly. Add chicken back to the pan to thoroughly coat and serve.

Chicken Chasseur with Egg Fettuccine

This was yummy. I had the baby carrots leftover so I cooked them up too. I thought the sauce had too much wine but my husband liked it the way it was. So here it is just as the recipe called for it. I didn't have all the spices I needed so I went without those. I really liked the pasta, I forgot how much I love egg pasta.

Chicken Chasseur with Egg Fettuccine

Pasta
Salt to taste
1 pound fresh egg fettuccine
3 tablespoons butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
12 blades fresh chives, chopped
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Chicken
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets, cut into large pieces (3 per breast)
2 tablespoons butter
10 baby carrots, thinly sliced
1 rounded teaspoon sugar
2 large shallots, minced
1 cup dry red wine
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves stripped and chopped.

Put a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta. When water boils, add salt and pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain.

Start the chicken: Mix thyme, salt, pepper, and flour in a dish. Coat chicken in flour, set aside. Discard flour. Heat olive oil and butter in large , deep skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken 4 minutes on each side and remove. Put carrots in pan, sprinkle with sugar, and cook 1 minute. Add shallots and cook 3 to 5 minutes to soften. Add wine and cook to reduce by half. Add tomatoes and tarragon and return chicken to pan. Give the pan shake. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, another 3 to 5 minutes.

Back to the pasta: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook 5 minutes. Add herbs and toss in egg fettuccine. Serve along side chicken.

Nutritional stuff as determined by me:
Servings: 4
Calories: 933
Fat: 41 g
Carbs: 55 g
Dietary Fiber: 5 g
Protien: 77