Maple Syrup Blueberry Pancake Muffins

As of late, Saturday mornings in our house mean breakfasts consisting of more than yogurt and granola for Jim and coffee for me. I like to use this as an excuse to try out some of the recipes for yummy baked goods I’ve come across in books, blogs, and, of course, my Google Reader. This probably goes without saying, but Jim has never complained about this one, and seems to now look forward to what I will be whipping up on the weekend. I loved the idea when I saw this recipe on Joy the Baker’s blog, and knew it had the potential to please even the pickiest eater in our house.

These were definitely a winner, and, had the recipe made more than 12 muffins, I would venture a guess that the little man would have gobbled those up as well. I did change the original recipe slightly, as I agreed with Joy when she noted that these would be good with the addition of blueberries, as well as other mix-ins such as chopped banana, nuts, and chocolate chips, but we’ll have to try one of those next time. Oh, and don’t be nervous or concerned about the addition of the brown butter. It gives a subtle flavor and nuttiness that really brings the idea of the pancake portion of the muffin to life. I also have to note, yet again, that the final results of this recipe will depend on the quality of the ingredients you begin with. Skip by the Aunt Jemima bottles and pick-up some delicious pure maple syrup, and don’t even get me started on the differences between artificial vanilla and a high quality vanilla extract. I highly encourage you to make these for your next Saturday morning breakfast, as I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Ingredients:

Muffins:

• 7 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1/3 cup Whole Milk
• 1 large Egg
• 1 large Egg Yolk
• 1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• ¾ cup Sugar
• 1 ½ Tsp Baking Powder
• ¾ cup Blueberries
• ¾ tsp Salt

Glaze:

• ¾ cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Directions:

Muffins:

1. Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners, or generously coat with nonstick spray.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep an eye on the butter. Melt and cook down the butter until little brown bits appear in the pan. The crackling will subside and butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that. Keep a close eye. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk milk, egg, yolk, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined. Add the brown butter and stir to combine.
4. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside about ½ cup of the dry mixture.
5. Add milk and butter mixture all at once and stir gently to combine.
6. Toss the blueberries with the reserved dry mixture and fold into the batter.
7. Divide the batter among muffin cups and spread evenly.
8. Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.
9. While the muffins are baking make the maple glaze.

Glaze:

1. In a small saucepan (I used the same one I browned the butter in) simmer maple syrup and lemon juice, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick (thicker than maple syrup) syrup. This will take about 15 minutes over a low flame.
2. Remove from heat and wait for the muffins to finish baking.

Assembly:

1. When muffins are out of the oven and cool enough to handle, poke a few holes in the muffin top with a toothpick and dip each muffin top in the maple glaze.
2. After dipping all twelve muffins, start with the first muffin you dipped and dip each muffin again.

Maker’s Mark Manhattan

Oh, how I love a Manhattan. It’s smooth, and warm, and slightly sweet, and, above all else, so, so good. When the week has been especially bad, or I feel that I have been particularly good, I will treat myself to one or three while we watch a movie. This is one of those cocktails that require top shelf liquor, and I keep Maker’s Mark in the house for just this purpose. I like mine “up” in a martini glass, but you can enjoy in a rocks glass over ice as well.

Ingredients:

• 2 measure of Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky
• 1 measure Sweet Vermouth
• 1 dash of Bitters
• 1 dash Maraschino Juice
• 1 Maraschino Cherry

Directions:

1. Stash your martini glass into the freezer as soon as you decide to make your cocktail.
2. Pull out the shaker and load it with about a glassful of ice.
3. Add in the first 4 ingredients.
4. Shake vigorously.
5. Pour it into your chilled glass, drop in your cherry, and enjoy.

Meal Plan – February 7th – February 13th

Sunday – Make-Shift Super Bowl Party: Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, Asiago Artichoke Dip with Bagel Chips, and Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Monday – Roasted Turkey and Gravy over Bread with Mashed Potatoes and Veggies

Tuesday – Spaghetti with Turkey Sausage & Peppers

Wednesday – Chicken Noodle Soup

Thursday – Baked Jambalaya

Friday – TBD – Probably take-out

Saturday – Valentine’s Dinner Party

Saucy, Spicy Crockpot Black Beans

As of late, I have become even more conscious of what we are eating and what it costs. Beans are a great example of something that seems inexpensive enough anyway, but can be even more economical without a lot of effort. On average, a 1 pound of organic dried black beans is about $2.50, which yields about 8 servings of cooked beans, depending on your portion size. Also, in our house, we only use about a ½ a can of black beans at a time, and I often find myself throwing the other have of the can away after it sits in the fridge for a week or so. By making my own, I can portion and freeze in a size that makes sense for us to consume at once, which eliminates the waste, and, in turn, saves more money. I love the idea of saving a few dollars while not compromising on quality or taste.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups, usually a 1 pound bag, dried black beans
• 3 cups of water, plus more if desired*
• 3 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp chipotle powder

Directions:

1. Wash the dried beans really well and pick out any rocks or beans that look funky.
2. Pour them into a pan and add water till it is at least 2 inches above the beans. Let soak overnight (or for 8 hours.)
3. Drain off the water and pour beans into a crock pot.
4. Add the 3 cups of water and the remaining ingredients.
5. Cook on high for 8 to 10 hours.
6. Enjoy straight from the crockpot or portion and freeze for later.

• During the last couple hours of cooking, you can add extra water if you want them saucy.

White Chicken Chili with Poblano Peppers and Quinoa

I am woefully behind in my blogging, but I have a good excuse, as I have been busy and traveling for work the past couple of weeks. After being laid off for almost a year, I am still excited to be overly busy with my job. As gratifying as being a wife and mother can be, there is most absolutely a space within me that can only be satisfied with the feelings accomplishment that a job well done, in terms of my career, can bring. Now, onto the food . . .

There are many, many recipes for white chicken chili out there, but I wanted to try my hand at one that was truly my own. Oh, and I had Poblano peppers to use up, AND I wanted to use my crockpot, and this week was, unofficially, crockpot week at our house. I found a few recipes as jumping off points, like this one from Rachel Ray, and this one on Bakin’ and Eggs, and this one on Whole Grain Gourmet. I also consulted the White Chili with Chicken recipe found in the Cuisinart Slow Cooker manual.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, bone-in
• 2 tsp pepper, divided
• 2 tsp salt, divided
• 6 Cups water, divided
• 2 Tbsp Chicken soup starter (if you’d rather, you can skip this, and use 2 cups of chicken stock in place of 2 cups of water)
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil (feel free to skip this if you have non-stick pans)
• 1 medium Onion, diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 6 small or 4 large, Poblano peppers, cut into a large dice
• 2 cans White Beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 jalapeño, veined, seeded, and finely chopped
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Coriander
• 1 ½ tsp Oregano
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 cup corn, frozen
• ¾ cup quinoa

Directions:

1. Place chicken in slow cooker with 4 cups of water and 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, depending on slow cooker and whether your chicken is frozen or thawed.
2. When chicken is done, remove from slow cooker, and set aside. When cool enough to handle, shred with fingers or fork.
3. Add last 2 cups of water to the pot with the juices from the chicken, and whisk in soup starter. (If you’re not using the soup starter, this is where you would add in your stock.)
4. In a pan over medium heat, sauté onions, stirring infrequently so they get a little color, for about 6 to 8 minutes. Add in garlic, and cook about 2 minutes more. Add to slow cooker pot. Add peppers to pan and cook, again stirring infrequently, for about 5 minutes. Add these to pot as well.
5. Stir in beans, cumin, coriander, oregano, bay leaf, remaining salt and pepper, and shredded chicken.
6. Cook on high for 4 hours. When timer goes off, stir, add in corn and quinoa, and set on high for 1 additional hour.
7. Discard bay leaf and serve with cornbread or chili-cheese quick bread.

Chile-Cheese Quick Bread

This is, yet another, recipe that came through on my Google Reader that I just couldn’t resist. I immediately thought it would go great with the Chicken Chili I was planning to make, or maybe it was the other way around. No matter, it was definitely on the menu for a cold Saturday night at our house. My only “issue” with this recipe was the baking time. It might have just been my oven, but the original recipe calls for baking for 45 to 50 minutes, and I wish I would have left it in for 50 to 55 minutes. Seems slight, but I would have liked every slice to have the flaky, buttery texture that the end pieces and top seemed to have, as the middle and bottom were a little mushy. Great flavor though, and I will be making again sometime soon.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 oz. /1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 4 oz. can Chopped Green Chiles
• 3 Tablespoons Jalapeño, veined, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Red Pepper, finely chopped

 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375⁰. Grease or spray an 8×3 inch loaf pan.
• Sift together the flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add the cheese and gently toss and stir until it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
• Whisk the milk, oil, egg, green chiles, jalapeño, and red bell pepper in another bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and cheese mixture, and pour the milk mixture in the center. Briefly blend with a spatula, only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and place in the oven. Bake until the top is golden-brown, and springs back when touched in the center, about 50 to 55 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely.

Sriracha Chicken Tenders

These were originally posted by Life’s Ambrosia, and I thought it was a great idea, as we’re always looking for new ways to serve chicken, love a crunchy breading, but appreciate it being healthier, and always like to have things a little spiced up. I had some black sesame seeds on hand, so I tossed them into the panko before I did the breading for some nice color and texture. These turned out great, and more than anything I’ll definitely be using the technique over and over again. Look forward to a baked chicken parmesan coming soon. Back to the recipe at hand though, these were a nice subtle heat that paired well with a tossed green salad lightly dressed with a creamy ranch. Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Sriracha
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into large chunks
• 1 egg
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp Black Sesame Seeds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. In a bowl combine Sriracha, sesame oil, rice vinegar and ginger. Stir in chicken pieces and coat completely. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400⁰ degrees. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and spray lightly with non-stick spray.
3. In one bowl beat an egg. In another bowl combine panko, kosher salt and garlic powder.
4. Remove chicken from marinade, dip into egg and then dredge into bread crumbs. Place breaded chicken on prepared cooling rack. Repeat process until all chicken is coated.
5. Once all chicken is breaded, drizzle the olive oil over the top and bake for 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 2 minutes, the bread crumbs will brown slightly.
6. Remove from oven, cooling slightly. Enjoy!

Meal Plan – January 24th – 29th

Sunday – Sushi Supper: Salads with Carrot Ginger Dressing, Trader Joe’s Tempura Vegetables, Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons, and Thai Shrimp Dumplings, Edamame, & Take-Out Sushi Rolls: Western Roll & Boston Roll

Monday – Left Overs: Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Biscuits

Tuesday – Indian Spiced Chicken and Roasted Vegetables with Couscous, Garlic Naan, and Trader Joe’s Vegetable Samosas

Wednesday – Left Overs: White Chicken Chili with Poblano Peppers

Thursday – Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Caesar Salads

Friday – Chicken Gyros with Pita Bread and Tzatziki with Sweet Potato Fries and “Fixin’s”, i.e. kalamata olives, cucumber slices, thin sliced red onion, peppercini, and other pickled vegetables

Shredded Pork Enchilada Bake with Creamy Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

We love Mexican food. I know we’re not alone in that fact, but we seriously eat some sort of Mexican dinner at least once a week. I love my husband for this, because he does not come from a spice loving family, and I don’t know what I would do if I had married a picky eater. That being said, when I made the pork tenderloin for these enchiladas, I originally planned on them being a filling for tacos, but Jim said, although he liked the flavor of the pork, he just couldn’t “see” them as being the main portion of a taco.

Great. Now what would I do with the 2 pounds of pork tenderloin in the refrigerator?

My immediate thought was enchiladas, but I needed a sauce that would both compliment the flavor of the pork and balance out the spice. I found it at Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations with her Creamy Roasted Tomatillo Sauce. Like she noted in her blog, it was a great balance of creamy, tangy, and a little kick at the end. Now, although I originally thought enchiladas, and still liked the idea, I knew this week was going to be a crazy one when it came to work, so I decided that I would be a little lazy, and save myself some time, but doing a layered bake instead of rolling individual enchiladas. I didn’t exactly need a recipe for the enchilada bake, but found a basic “framework” for my recipe with Cooking This & That’s
Enchilada Casserole recipe.

The resulting casserole is full of flavor and came out just as I’d hoped, with a balance of flavors and textures. When I asked for Jim’s feedback for next time, I was told not to change a thing. Not a bad review if I do say so myself. He must have meant it too, because he even helped clean up the kitchen. J

Tomatillo Sauce ingredients ready for the oven.

Ingredients:

Pork Filling:

• 3 lbs Pork Tenderloin
• ¼ Olive Oil
• ¼ cup water
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (I used Penzey’s)

Tomatillo Sauce:

• 10 small/medium tomatillos; remove husks and wash; cut into halves or quarters
• 2 jalapenos, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• ½ cup half & half
• 3 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
• Dash of salt

Enchiladas:

• 18 corn tortillas
• 2 ½ cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

Pork Filling:

1. Put all ingredients into crock pot.
2. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8.
3. Set pork aside to cool.

*Store in a Ziploc bag or other container with its juices from the pot until ready to assemble enchiladas.

Tomatillo Sauce:

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a baking dish. Roast on 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until tomatillos are tender.
2. In a pot, melt butter and add flour to make a roux.
3. Add roasted veggies, cilantro, and the salt. Mix everything together and then puree. I used my handheld immersion blender, but if you don’t have one you could use a blender.
4. Slowly add the cream.
5. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
6. Let lightly simmer until you are ready to assemble your enchiladas, stirring occasionally.

Enchiladas:

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Layer 6 tortillas on the bottom of prepared baking dish, cover with ½ of the pork and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat the process, and end with a final layer of tortillas, sauce, and remaining cheese.
3. Cover with foil and cook for 25 minutes. Uncover, and bake an additional 10 minutes. If top is not browned to your liking, broil for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes to allow to set. Serve with salsa and/or sour cream, if desired.

French Bread – Take Two

The last time I made this bread from the Kitchen Aid booklet, it did not turn out well . . . at all. This time around I couldn’t be happier with the results. I adapted the recipe slightly, as I have been using bulk yeast rather than the packets, and instead of the egg wash, I brushed the loaf with butter before and after baking. I think the total time in labor was about 30 minutes. Honestly, if I ran to the store to buy bread for dinner, it would have taken longer, cost more, and my house would not have smelled as wonderful.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages active dry yeast (2 tsp)
• 2 1/2 cups water (110F to 120 F)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 7 cups all-purpose flour (can substitute 1 cup powdered milk)
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted

 

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, butter, and flour. Attach bowl & dough hook to mixer, turn to Speed 2 and mix about 1 minute or until well blended. Knead on Speed 2 about another 2 minutes longer. Dough will be sticky.
2. Put dough in large greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
3. Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll each half into 12″ x 15″ rectangle. Roll dough tightly, from longest side, tapering ends, if needed/wanted. Put loaves on greased baking sheets that have been dusted with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
4. With sharp knife, make 4 diagonal cuts on top of each loaf. Brush with half of the melted butter. Bake at 450⁰ for 25 minutes, then remove from oven.
5. Brush loaves with remaining butter.
6. Immediately remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.