To Die For Blueberry Muffins

Corny title, you say?  Well, I didn't name them.  I got the recipe and the name from allrecipes.com, and whoever named them....  Let's just say, they were...absolutely correct.  The goodness of these muffins can't really be over exaggerated.

Blueberry Muffins

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Muffins:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour                              
• 3/4 cup sugar                                                   
• 1/2 tsp salt                                                          
• 2 tsp baking powder                                           
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Crumble Topping:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 Tblsp butter (softened a little)
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400*.  Sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together into a largish bowl.  Pour 1/3 cup of vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup.  Add the egg, then fill to the 1 cup mark with milk.  Add to the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.  Fold in the blueberries.  Fill muffin cups just to the top with the batter.

For the topping, mix the sugar, flour and cinnamon together, then either cut the butter in with a fork, or just use your hands to fully incorporate it.  Sprinkle on top of the batter.

Cook for twenty minutes, or until done.

See how the side of the muffin is all smooshed in?  That further proves its amazingness.  I was in such a hurry to remove it from the muffin tin and stuff it in my face, that the smoosh happened.  The fact that I didn't have another muffin to photograph stems from the fact that the rest of them are gone.  Inhaled.  Eaten.  Never to be seen again.

This muffin only takes a few minutes to put together (unless you're veeery slow at measuring), and twenty minutes to bake.  So make some in the morning!  You won't regret it.  Unless you gain six pounds...then you'll regret it for a second, but then you'll go back and break the crusty, sugary edge off another one and pop it into your mouth.  No more regrets.

Black Bean Soup

We will eat beans around here.  In a second.  It took me a little bit to come up with a good black bean soup recipe, but I think this is a winner.  Take the extra time to make it from dried beans rather than canned...it makes a huge difference!  Plus, having soup simmering on your stove for an hour or two, will make you feel like you've got this domestic thing down.

Black Bean Soup

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound dried black beans
1 Tablespoon oil (coconut or olive)
1 onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 teaspoons salt (to taste)
1 Tablespoon cumin
5-7 cups water
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Salsa
Sour Cream (or plain yogurt)
Cilantro

Directions:
In a large bowl, cover the dried beans with a few inches of water and let them soak overnight.  Over medium heat, saute the onion, carrot and celery until soft (around ten minutes).  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Next, add the beans, salt, cumin and five cups of water.  Bring to a boil on high, then reduce to medium high and simmer until the beans are soft (around an hour and a half).  Add water if needed, to keep the beans covered.  Add the lemon juice, then transfer the beans to a blender or use an immersion blender to create the desired consistency.  I like to leave it a little chunky.  Add up to two more cups of water while blending if you would like your soup a little thinner.  Just before serving, add a spoonful of salsa, sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Banana Bran Muffins

This is a story of deceit.  And treachery.  I hope you don't think less of me when all's said and done.

Once upon a time, I was very pregnant.  And very sick.  Not just in the morning...any ol' time of day.  The only food I really wanted to look at was macaroni and cheese.  Unfortunately, this feeling didn't mix super well with my job - cooking for someone.  I struggled along pretty well until one fine day...I was super tired and super sick when I happened to walk past the bakery section of Publix while on my way to the produce.  There.  Sitting in a little plastic box, were banana bran muffins.  They held up a tiny banana-laden flag that shouted, "TAKE ME HOME WITH YOU!  IT'LL BE ONE LESS THING TO MAKE!" In a terrible moment of weakness, I bought the muffins and passed them off as homemade.  

Sigh.

All would have been well, however, my client loooooved them.  She hearted them and all their bran-iness.  She declared I should make them every week.  

Of course she did.  

Well, I wasn't about to buy her muffins every week, when I was sure I could make them for probably a tenth of the price.  Thus began my desperate search of the world wide net web for just the right banana muffin recipe.  I tried a few before coming up with this gem (I based it on this recipe from All She Cooks).  I will admit, they aren't the very healthiest thing you've ever put in your mouth, but they do have lots o' grade A bran in them.  And really, one healthy thing at a time, folks!  We can't be having bran plus spelt flour and honey, and all that.  We want these things to be edible.  Am I right?

So here we go.  First, bananas.  Three of them.  Nice and over-ripe.

Next, add the melted butter and milk (I use almond milk).

Mash everything up.

Next, beat an egg with a fork, and add it and the vanilla in.

Lastly, mix in your dry ingredients until everything's moist.  Don't over-mix it!

 Fill your muffin cups almost to the top, and sprinkle with walnuts (if you fancy them).

Bake at 350* for 15-18 minutes, or until they're golden around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean.

You'll be thrilled to know that my client loves these even more than the original impostors.  Hope you do, too!

Banana Bran Muffins

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup wheat bran
• Chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Mash the bananas, then add melted butter, milk, beaten egg and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix just until fully incorporated.  Fill muffin cups almost to the top and add chopped walnuts if desired.  Bake at 350* for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.  An inserted toothpick should come out clean.  If you have any leftovers, warm them up in the microwave for 10-20 seconds...they'll be good as new!

Quinoa Bites

Quinoa is the new...rice?  Pasta?  Awesome?  Yes.  The new awesome.  If you haven't tried it, you're missing out.  I based this recipe on this post from Iowa Girl Eats.

First up, cook your quinoa.  It's super fast...about fifteen minutes.  While that's cooking and cooling a little bit, start mixing up the rest of your ingredients in a large bowl.  You'll want to use the basic base of the quinoa, shredded zucchini, eggs and cheese, but after that, you can throw whatever vegetables or meats you want in there!  It's super versatile.

I used broccoli,

mushrooms,

 ...and green onion.

 Just mix everything together

 Then add your cooked quinoa

 Spray a mini muffin pan with olive oil spray,

 

 then cook for about twenty minutes.

These crazy things are addictive!

Quinoa Bites

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 2 Cups cooked Quinoa (about 3/4 cup uncooked) 2 Eggs 2 Egg Whites 1 Cup shredded Zucchini 1 Cup shredded Cheddar Cheese 2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan Cheese 1/2 Cup chopped Broccoli 1/2 Cup chopped Mushrooms 2 Green Onions, sliced Salt and Pepper to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook quinoa according to package directions, then let cool slightly.  Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl, then add cooked quinoa.  Mix well.  Liberally spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick spray (I use olive oil) and spoon the mixture into the cups, filling them to the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the pan.  Eat!

Chocolate-Covered Goodness

Prepare to hear life-changing news.

Ready?

No, really.  I need you to brace yourselves for this one.  At least hold on to your hat.

I made magic shell.  You know, like the syrup you pour on your ice cream and it hardens into a delightful chocolate coating?  Made it.

I should back up.

Sometimes when I find myself walking slowly down the dairy aisle at my Publix, it's really because I'm casting sidelong glances into the ice cream freezers to my left.  I will eat some ice cream.  If it enters this house it will be eaten.  And in a hurry.  Soooo...sometimes I like to trick myself into thinking I'm consuming ice cream while still staying a tiny bit healthy by buying those chocolate covered frozen bananas.  I'm not exactly sure what the brand is...but they're delicious.  And they're ridiculously expensive!  You get like, six banana halves for something like six bucks.  Crazytown.  So, while perusing Pinterest the other day, I saw this post about making chocolate-covered kiwi popsicles.  I thought, noooo...can't be that easy.  Then I tried it.  And my life was transformed.

And it's so easy.  So easy.

Take your bananas (preferably nice and ripe),

 and cut them in half.  Or I suppose you could do bite-sized chunks if you'd rather.

 Then stick a popsicle stick into each of them, and freeze them.  I ended up freezing them for a couple hours.

Take whatever kind of chocolate you have, and use a two to one ratio with coconut oil.  I used two cups of Ghirardelli chocolate chips (one semi-sweet and one milk) and one cup of coconut oil.  I ended up with TONS of the stuff...which is not a problem.  It keeps great!  You can just re-heat it and re-dip.

 Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips are seriously unbelievable.  I could eat have eaten an entire bag before.  I mean look at them!

 LOOK AT THEM!

 If you have a double boiler, throw the chocolate chips and coconut oil (again 2:1) in there, and set it over a pan of simmering water.  If you don't have a double boiler, use a glass bowl, or (and don't quote me on this) I think you might be able to just nuke it in small increments.

Whatever your method, melt the chips and oil until everything is nice and smooth.

 Now, for bananas, I thought it might be easier to pour the chocolate into a tall thin cup for dipping.  I was right.  But lets not get ahead of ourselves, this stuff has to cool to room temperature.  And it takes quite a while.  I did all the steps right in a row, and it actually turned out nicely...by the time my bananas were good and frozen, the chocolate was perfect.  Don't worry about it hardening, the oil will keep it liquid for quite a while.

 Finally, time for the good part.  This next shot is actually a result of a little trial and error.  This was when the banana had only frozen for about an hour and the chocolate was a little warm still.

 Kinda lacking.  And you'll notice by the chocolate smear that the chocolate didn't freeze immediately upon dipping.  Back into the freezer with you!


 Okay.  Another long hour passed, and I tried again.  This time?  Perfect.  Upon dipping, the chocolate freezes like pure magic.  It really is incredible.

 Eat these immediately, or throw them back in the freezer to enjoy later.  You'll be glad you did!

I'm sure you could think of any number of delicacies that should immediately be frozen and coated in a decadent, crunchy, chocolatey shell.  Let me know what you come up with!

Fresh Honey & Lemon Fruit Salad

This isn't much of a recipe, but the glaze is pretty great, so I thought I'd share.

Obviously, you can use whatever fruit floats your boat, but pineapple, strawberries, grapes and blueberries are our favorites.

Fresh pineapple is totally worth a few extra minutes to cut up.  Here's my (probably incorrect) method of getting to the goodness:

Lop off the head.

Then shave off the sides.

 

 Then cut it into about 1/2" slices.

 Then just cut around the core

 And cut the rest up into whatever sized chunks you like.  Easy peasy.

Next, throw in the blueberries.

Then cut the strawberries into quarters and add them to the mix.

And finally, toss in the grapes. Mmmmmm.

 

 Now for the glaze.  You can change up the proportions depending on your taste, but I use twice as much honey as lemon.  For this fruit salad, it was about two tablespoons of honey and one tablespoon of lemon.  I use raw, organic, local honey (because I'm super cool like that), and lemon juice that isn't from concentrate (it's usually hanging out in the produce section).  I really feel like they both taste a lot better than their not-so-fancy sounding counterparts.  Maybe it's all in my head.

Stir the honey and lemon together until completely combined, then pour over your fruit and gently mix it all together.

 I usually sprinkle some poppy seeds on top just because I can.

So there you have it.  Extremely simple, but extremely tasty.  Also, as an added bonus, the lemon juice will help everything stay fresh for a few days, soooo...win-win.  Hope you enjoy!