Perfectly Sweet Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gracious...I've missed blogging lately.  Every once in a while, life just gets in the way and prevents me from blogging as much as I'd like.  I promise I'll do better...especially with all the holiday deliciousness coming up VERY soon!  (Oh my goodness, is it really almost Thanksgiving!?!)

Hopefully, I can make up for it a little bit with these mouth-watering muffins that will make a perfectly sweet treat for your out-of-town guests over the Thanksgiving holiday.  They are great for a sinful treat at breakfast, yet they are an equally perfect mid-afternoon snack.

I made these as a post-birthday surprise for my 9 year old niece over the weekend.  She was one happy camper when she woke up to the smell of these babies wafting through the air.  I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate, just so they wouldn't cross the line of being TOO sweet first thing in the morning.  You could also add your favorite nuts to the batter, if you feel like it.

Now, I'm just wondering  what these would taste like with a little banana added to the batter.  Hmm...I just might try that next time. 

Bon Appetit and Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

Perfectly Sweet Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from:  food.com

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light-brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (11 1/2 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Grease twelve muffin cups with no-stick cooking spray, or line with baking cups.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together flour, both sugars, baking powder, and salt.  In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla until blended.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.
 

Stir in chocolate chips and spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. 

Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean.  Remove muffin tin to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

Note:  These muffins can be frozen.

Delicious Turkey Chili

It's very possible that a hot bowl of chili is among the very best ways to remedy a cold fall evening.  Don't you agree?  My mom-in-law, Carol, makes an out-of-this-world chili, which I've written about HERE.  It's amazing.  I'll forever compare any chili that I have from here on out to hers.  

This lightened up version, adapted from Guy Fieri, was actually pretty dadgum delicious.  Ground turkey is a much healthier alternative to the traditional ground beef.  I also used reduced sodium beans, so that I could be more in control of the salt content.  

Don't let the long ingredients list scare you away from this one.  All of the elements are common ingredients and are easy to prepare.  It all gets tossed into a large pot and simmered for an hour, which is super easy.  

The red & green bell peppers, garlic, red onions and turkey make a fabulous base and are perfectly seasoned with a variety of spices, like chili powder, paprika, and cumin.   Using three different kinds of beans also makes this chili extra special.  The tomato paste and tomato sauce just add to the deliciousness, and shredded cheddar is a classic garnish to finish it off.

And you know what?  This chili is even "Carol Approved!"  She loved it!  :)

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Delicious Turkey Chili
Adapted from:  Ryder's Turkey Chili by Guy Fieri

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons canola oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 jalapeno peppers, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
9 cloves garlic, minced
2 small red onions, diced
3 pounds coarsely ground turkey (thigh and breast meat)
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 cups tomato sauce
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon granulated onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups canned pinto beans with liquid
3 cups canned kidney beans with liquid
2 cups canned black beans with liquid
Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
Saltine crackers, for serving

Directions:

Warm the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic and red onions and cook until caramelized, about 8 minutes. Add the turkey and gently stir, trying not to break up the meat too much; cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and sauce, stir for 4 minutes, then add the chicken broth. Add the granulated onion and garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, 2 tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Stir in the beans and their liquid, lower the heat and cook, uncovered, for at least 1 hour. Garnish with shredded cheddar and serve with saltines.

Nutella Cappuccino Ice Cream with Roasted Hazelnuts

I'm pretty sure that this ice cream is served by the bowl-full in heaven.  

No, I'm serious.

On a recent trip to TN, I came across some farm-fresh milk (You know, the non-homogenized kind with the cream on top).  I had never been lucky enough to try milk that fresh, so I bought it and started dreaming of recipes to use it up. 

My first thought - ice cream!

I know we're a little past peak ice cream season, but come on...some things are so amazing that they need to be - no, they MUST be - enjoyed all year long.   Anything less would be tragic.  This particular flavor was inspired by our trip to Italy.  We had the most amazing Nutella Cappuccinos while visiting Rome, in a little cafe near the Coliseum.  It was bliss, and I wanted to try and re-create those unforgettable flavors.  After all, nutella and coffee are a match made in heaven.

The real stars of this ice cream are the roasted hazelnuts.  It just wouldn't be quite as marvelous without them.  I took whole hazelnuts and roasted them to toasty, fragrant perfection, then chopped them up and added them right to the ice cream base as it was being whirled around in the ice cream machine.  A generous portion of nutella is also added during the freezing process, so that you end up with wonderful little nuggets of nutella throughout.

"Nuggets of nutella"...Doesn't that sound just delightful? :)

By the way, the farm fresh milk was the best milk I've ever had in my life, and it made a big difference in this ice cream.  If using farm fresh milk, just use 4 cups of milk, instead of the milk and cream quantities listed below. 

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Nutella Cappucino Ice Cream with Roasted Hazelnuts
Ice cream base adapted from:  Emeril Lagasse's recipe for Coffee Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
6 egg yolks

1/3 cup nutella

1/2 cup whole hazelnuts

Directions:

Combine the cream, milk, sugar, and coffee in a medium, heavy saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

 Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream into the egg yolks. Gradually add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, to the hot cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.

 Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to keep a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

While the ice cream base is chilling in the fridge, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the pre-heated oven.  Roast for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly toasted and fragrant.  Transfer the hazelnuts to a cutting board and chop.  Let cool completely. 

Remove ice cream base from the refrigerator and pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.  About half-way through the freezing process, begin adding the nutella.  Do this by dropping very small bits of nutella into the ice cream as it churns, until it is all gone.  With this method, you will end up with small chunks of nutella throughout the ice cream.  If you see any large chunks of nutella, break them up with a spoon the best you can.  Once all of the nutella is incorporated, add the chopped hazelnuts and continue to freeze until done. 

After the ice cream is made, transfer to an airtight container. Cover tightly and freeze until ready to serve. 

Smoked Chicken Salad

I love a good, tasty salad, and pretty much any salad that incorporates roasted walnuts, pecans or almonds is at the top of my list.   This one caught my eye while scanning the pages of my latest Food Network Magazine.  While glancing at the ingredients list, I noticed something that I had never cooked with before - hearts of palm.  I had heard of this unfamiliar ingredient before but never used it.  I was intrigued, so I dog-eared the page.

Fast forward about a week, and this salad graced our dinner table.  If you're a fan of salad dressings made with greek yogurt, then you'll love this.  It's such a healthy alternative to others.  The blue cheese knocks the dressing down a few notches on the healthy scale, but it adds a great creaminess and flavor to the dressing, which complements the roasted walnuts wonderfully.

To be honest, Brad was not a huge fan of this salad, for two reasons:  

#1:  He doesn't really like greek yogurt
#2:  He wasn't crazy about the flavor of the hearts of palm.  

On the other hand, I thought this salad was really good.  If you're unsure about the hearts of palm, just leave it out.  In my opinion, it's not really vital.  The original recipe also included beets, which I did leave out.

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Smoked Chicken Salad
Adapted from:  Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 6-ounce package baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained and halved lengthwise
3 small cucumbers, roughly chopped
1 8-ounce smoked chicken breast, thinly sliced
4 whole-grain dinner rolls

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast until golden, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool slightly, then chop.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk the yogurt, blue cheese, shallot and 1 tablespoon water in a large bowl; whisk in another tablespoon of water if the dressing is too thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the spinach, tomatoes, hearts of palm, cucumbers and beets to the bowl with the dressing and toss. Add the chicken and toss again. Divide among plates and top with the walnuts. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the rolls.

Per serving: Calories 370; Fat 14 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 42 mg; Sodium 1,514 mg; Carbohydrate 46 g; Fiber 12 g; Protein 25 g

 

Rosemary Chicken with Corn Quinoa

 

Can I just start out by saying how much I loved this meal?  It's such a flavor-packed combination that's filled with healthy goodness like red quinoa, corn and kale.  But, this isn't one of those puny, healthy meals that leaves you hungry.  No sir...This is one of those dinners that will make you realize that eating healthy can be delicious!

Plus, it's such a pretty meal, that you'll want to dig right in.  The chicken is super simple to make.  Chicken breasts are flavored with fresh rosemary, salt & pepper, and then sauteed until done.  Next, the quinoa is flavored with onions, garlic, fresh basil, mint and lemon juice.

Mmm.

My mouth is seriously watering right now.

Be sure and use fresh rosemary, basil and mint if possible.  Fresh herbs make a big difference with this recipe.  

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Rosemary Chicken with Corn Quinoa
Adapted from:  Southern Living magazine September 2013

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh Corn Quinoa (recipe below)

Directions: 
Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and rosemary. 

Cook in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes on each side or until done. 

Serve with quinoa.

Fresh Corn Quinoa
Adapted from:  Southern Living magazine September 2013

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked red quinoa
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups water
2 small onions, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh corn kernels
6 cups shredded kale
1/2 cup torn basil
1/4 cup torn mint
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Bring quinoa, salt, and water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, sauté onions in hot olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat 3 minutes or until tender.  Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add corn kernels and shredded kale; cook 2 minutes or until wilted.  Add quinoa, basil, mint, and fresh lemon juice.