Apple Banana Muffins

I am posting about a baked good. This one earned me a real-world girl scout patch because not only was I able to accomplish the task successfully, I also pushed the limit and added ingredients that were not on the trusted recipe card. When I do that in the baking world I fail miserably but not this time people!

So there I was in Whole Foods gathering my food needs for the week.... as I passed by the bananas I saw a stack of recipe cards sitting there staring at me, calling out "take me, read me, make me." I looked at it, almost dismissed it because it was a baked good but I held onto it. I walked around finishing my shopping and still had it in my hand, just studying it; the recipe was for Banana Apricot Muffins.. However, there were a few ingredients that I wanted to remove. I didn't really want to use dried apricots and I'm not the biggest fan of walnuts in muffins. I have seen and read about using apple sauce in baking in place of butter, sugar or oils and decided that sounded even better, banana and apple muffins. My curiosity and sudden need to bake this won in the end, I grabbed some applesauce and almond flour, the only two things on the card that I didn't already have at home, and I was on my merry way.

I get home and I am still in the mood to bake. Sometimes I have these urges and then in the car ride home I snap out of it, but on this car ride home I decided that I wanted to make them into mini-muffins b/c I never can eat a whole muffin. Great thought, but ill-prepared. You see, I don't own a mini-muffin pan. It's on the wedding registry but that won't help me right now. Instead of going right up the street to get a cheap disposable version at Tom Thumb, I went to Target and I bought a real one. So now, I am invested in this process.

I start to bake, channeling my inner "Mr. Max" mindset of measuring everything perfectly, pre-reading instructions to make sure I follow correctly and all that left-brained stuff, while still not really following the recipe at all with my additions. A little oxy-moronic. As I grab for the apple sauce, I realized that I bought a cinnamon apple sauce and have a mini-dramatic meltdown to myself. OMG, of course, here's the downfall, hrmph. Then princess in my head gets slapped by reasoning and I come to the conclusion that I'm very content with this oopsie. We love Bananas Paradise and that combines cinnamon and banana. We love the Apple Crisp and that combines apple and cinnamon. So all I'm doing is marrying the two combinations to make us a love muffin.

I paced the floor as they baked. Ten minutes in, I could smell them and that passed the first test of "is this going to turn out well?" Then at fifteen minutes in, the smell permeated a richer aroma and they were rising correctly, passing test two. I removed them from the oven when the timer went off, toothpick tested and felt they needed 5 minutes more after toothpick tests. After that timer went off, I was confident. Just as I was thinking, this is too good to be true, I popped one into my mouth and burned the heck out of it. My personal baking flaw #27 - I can't let something cool long enough, too greedy for the first taste. Thankfully, this was the only flaw and we had some tasty muffin bites to enjoy!

Nutritional facts for this one can be found here; one bite sized muffin is 3 WW points. This took 35 minutes from start to finish and to avoid damaging the roof of your mouth, an additional 5-8 minutes outside of the tin to cool.

Grocery List:

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup unsweetened cinnamon apple sauce
• 3 tbsp. agave nectar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups almond flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees and grease the muffin pan. If you prefer to use paper cup liners, place those in the tin. In a large bowl, combine the bananas, apple sauce, agave nectar and eggs. Stir in the baking soda and salt, followed by the almond honey until just combined.

 

Using a large spoon, fill each mini-muffin cup until just above the pan line.

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes and poke with a toothpick to make sure they are done. Let cool and enjoy!

 

Tastefully yours,

Chipotle Salmon

Last spring I found a delicious alternative to naked chicken and salmon dishes: preservatives + chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Something about the summer months, the want to grill (or fake grill on a griddle to stay out of the heat), and the fruity tastes mixed in is just perfect. I've done raspberry, peach, mango, and cherry jams/preserves with a dash of heat added to it and we just love it! In last night's post, I mentioned we had no meal planning prior to our grocery store run. As we looked for options for the rest of the week, we decided to grab 2 side potentials and some salmon for tonight, then see what we came up with.

For this recipe, I had a can of chipotle peppers in adobo and a plethora of preserves in my fridge.  I decided to go with cherry this time because we hadn't tried that flavor with salmon yet, only with chicken. This time, I decided to change it up a bit with other ingredients I had on hand. The result? Let's just say, it will be made again. And again, and again, and again.

But, let me fill you in on a little something that I learned. For as long as I can remember, I have asked the fish man behind the counter to please remove the skin off the fish for me. This past time when I asked, he turned to me and said "you know, you are losing nutritional value when you do that," - and I said "really, do tell?" - he proceeds to tell me that all the omegas and fish oils are found in the skin. I felt enlightened! The way to take full advantage of this is to cook with skin on, and when you flip it skin-side up, that is when the omega oils filter down into the "meat" of the fish. That created a new wrinkle in my brain, I wanted to pass along that little nugget of wisdom for anyone else that may not have know that either!

This dish was a simple 20 minute fix from prep time to fork finish. Nutritional facts can be found here, calculated at SparkRecipes.com; one 4 ounce salmon is 6 WW points.

Grocery List:
Sauce yields enough for 4 servings

• 2 salmon fillets, 4-6 oz. each
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup cherry preserves
• 2 tbsp. sauce from chili pepper in adobo
• 2 tbps. lime juice
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. cumin

Start by greasing and heating a grill or griddle pan on medium-high heat. In a food processor, add the ketchup, preserves, adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic powder and cumin. Pulse until well mixed.

 

Place the salmon skin side down on the surface. Brush a light layer of the chipotle sauce to top the salmon, then cover. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until the sides of the fish begin to look pink/white.

 

Flip the fish skin side up to allow those omegas to penetrate throughout the fish. Cook for another 3-5 minutes on medium-low heat.

 

To serve, brush another layer of the chipotle sauce over the top of the salmon and enjoy!

Served with rosemary-garlic roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus

Tastefully yours,

Grilled Shrimp Papillote with Mango-Avocado Salsa

I blinked and it was May... already halfway through May at that! It's been hard to find spare minutes lately but I finally convinced myself to sit down to create time that isn't solely dedicated to wedding planning. Mr. Max and I made this dish a week or so ago and it was such a refreshing dinner packed with super foods and a taste of summer! For this recipe, we've got spinach, quinoa, shrimp, cilantro, mango salsa, avocado.... all wrapped up in a foil packet, set on a grill and you've got dinner 15 minutes later!

I haven't played with foil packets since the very first post, the halibut en papillote. Here is your "I learned something new today" nugget of wisdom: en papillote is french for pouch, or in parchment. It's a great cooking method that uses the liquids from food to steam and cook in a package. The recipe I found for this creation used couscous, but in my adaptation, I replaced with quinoa instead.

This was a fun one, but don't be discouraged if you do not have a grill or simply don't want to take the effort to use it. If it weren't for the E-grill, I would feel the same way. I gave Mr. Max a Weber for Christmas a few years ago and we hardly ever use it. Sad. The foil packets cook in the oven too, so there is your solution! Whole Foods had a great little mango/pineapple salsa like relish in their fresh produce section that already included those obvious ingredients, red bell pepper, tomato, onion and jalepeno pepper so I saved time and money by grabbing that instead of each ingredient individually.

Nutritional facts can be found here, calculated at SparkRecipes.com; it is 9 points for Weight Watchers.

Grocery List:
Recipe Yields 2 servings
Adapted from Self Magazine

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 3 tbsp. water
• 1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined 
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Olive oil
• 1 cup of fresh chopped mango salsa (diced mango, pineapple, red onion, tomato, red bell pepper and jalepeno or poblano pepper)
• 1 small avocado, cubed

Start by pre-heating your grill to a medium-high heat. If you are going to do this in the oven, I guesstimate a temperature of 400 degrees in the oven. Take aluminum foil and tear out two pieces about 18-in long, then fold in half to create a line in the foil. Unfold and coat with non-stick cooking spray. On each piece of foil, arrange 1 cup of spinach.

In a small bowl, mix the water and the quinoa together in a bowl. By adding water, we are helping the quinoa to have something to absorb as it cooks on the grill. It will become magically fluffy in the end!

Now, add the quinoa on top of the spinach. The spinach naturally produces moisture as it cooks, this will allow the quinoa to cook even more. 

In another small bowl, mix the olive oil, lime juice and cilantro with the shrimp. 

Lay that next to the quinoa on the foil. 

Fold over that unused half from earlier and begin to crimp the edges, folding each in, to create and enclosed packet. 

 .... like-a-so.

I put our foil packets on a grill basket then set on the grill with the timer at 15 minutes. 

When the timer goes off, the packets will be slightly puffed. Cut them open carefully to reveal wilted, cooked spinach, fluffy quinoa and delicious shrimp! 

Take your mango salsa/relish concoction and scoop half over one packet, half over the other, and add diced avocado. Using a fork, gently mix the contents of the packet and dig in! 

Tastefully yours,

Spring Salad

I recently had a lunch date with two of my favorite lunch buddies! We were in the area for other appointments and decided to meet at Cafe R+D in Preston Center for a quick bite to eat. Nita had continuously raved about the Newporter Salad, so that's what I decided on. It was huge leafy lettuce with roasted chicken, chunks of avocado, walnut, red onion, cucumber, goat cheese and a sweet yet mild house vinaigrette. I have not been able to stop thinking about that salad since then.

The weekend came, meal planning and grocery shopping time, I decided to use this salad for inspiration for a Sunday dinner. We used big leafy Hearts of Romaine and an avocado chopped up, bought fresh Gala Apples, added seedless cucumber slices, threw in some dried cranberries, and we grilled chicken breasts but I have to say, I prefer the tenderness of the roasted chicken in comparison! Finally, we created a creamy vinaigrette dressing using 4 simple ingredients found in America's Test Kitchen magazine's Light and Healthy 2012: oil, cider vinegar, tarragon and goat cheese.

Click here for nutritional facts calculated at SparkRecipes.com. Weight Watchers points are equal to 7 points per serving, with 4 servings per salad mix (5 points for the salad, 2 points for the dressing).

Grocery List:

• 6 stalks Hearts of Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 Gala Apple, chopped into small 1 inch cubes
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup roasted, baked or grilled chicken breast, chopped
• 1/2 cup cucumber, chopped into halves or coins
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. tarragon
• 2 oz. goat cheese crumbles

Toss and soak the apples in the lemon juice to prevent them from browning after cutting. Add lettuce, apples, avocado, cranberries, chicken chunks and cucumber into a bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cider vinegar, olive oil and tarragon.

Add the goat cheese crumbles and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Add about 2-3 tbsp. of the dressing and toss to coat the contents of your salad.

Dish it out and enjoy! With beautiful weather and sunlight left in the evening, we were able to have a nice little patio dinner while enjoying the weather and some smoothies for an additional dose of greens.

Tastefully yours,

Spring Forward: Raspberry Chicken with Grilled Pear and Gorgonzola Spinach Salad

 

Spring taste cooking, here we go! This recipe involves three spring produce options: raspberries, pears and spinach. I had stumbled upon a recipe similar to this in my Whole Foods e-blast a few months back. It used fresh blackberries and a peach spread, but instead of pears, they grilled peaches as a side accompaniment. To concentrate on in-season produce, I decided to replace the blackberries with raspberries and the peaches for pears. I had a hankering for a sharp, potent cheese so I decided to see if I could grill pears and top with some Gorgonzola cheese crumbles. As I started making it, I saw I had plenty of spinach in my fridge so this became a salad with a few additional fixings laying around.

Mr. Max's words: it tastes like spring time on a fork! Aaaaaand mission accomplished. I loved the tang from the raspberries but I think my favorite was the salad. The cheese slightly melted to the grilled pears and they were a very tasty combination with the spinach and other ingredients.

Click here for the nutritional facts calculated at SparkRecipes.com. 

Grocery List:
For Chicken

• 2 Chicken cutlets (4-6 oz. each - pounded 1 inch thin)
• 1/2 cup of Peach Preserves
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

For Pear and Gorgonzola Salad

• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 pear, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• Dressing of choice 

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. In a small sauce pan, combine the peach preserves, brown sugar and chili flakes. Whisk together on medium high heat for about two minutes until simmering.

Add the raspberries and stir in gently. Remain on heat for another two minutes, then remove. Reserve about 2 tbsp. of the sauce.

In a skillet, add olive oil and place the chicken to cook on medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side. This will sear the chicken, locking in natural moisture to keep the chicken tender. 

Top the chicken with the peach-raspberry glaze and bake for 8 minutes. 

As the chicken bakes, grab a griddle and top with sliced pears over high heat. 

After 5 minutes, flip the pears and cook for another 5 minutes. 

 In a large bowl, add the spinach, cranberries, Gorgonzola and red onion. Top with grilled pears, still hot.

Toss with your dressing of choice. I took the 2 tbsp. of raspberry-peach sauce, mixed with a tbsp. champagne vinaigrette and 2 tbsp. olive oil.

Once the chicken is done, serve it up for a delicious and nutritious dish. 

Tastefully yours,

 

Spring Forward: Pomegranate-Chipotle Pork Tenderloin

Daylight savings has come, Easter is right around the corner, spring is here! I decided to ring in the season with some spring cooking this week using some fruity tastes. I found this recipe on pinterest and modified it a bit to try to make it a little lighter, like cutting back on the brown sugar and molasses used in the sauce. My brother, Michael, decided to join Mr. Max and I for dinner so with the need to feed two growing men and a lady, while providing some lunchable leftovers, I made two pork tenderloins tonight which would feed 6. If you need to downsize and eliminate one, I would still encourage you use the same measurements for the sauce. Though it will make more than you need, the recipe said it keeps for up to three weeks in the fridge and it would go great on fish or chicken too!

Click here for the nutritional facts for this recipe. Serving size is 3 slices of pork and 2 tbsp. of pomegranate-chipotle glaze.

Grocery List:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. Adobo sauce from Chipotle Peppers in Adobo (If you are brave, mince one pepper and include it in the sauce - alas, I was not as brave)
  
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste 
• 1 tbsp. molasses 
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp. dried mustard
  
• 1 cup pomegranate juice 
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice 
  
• 1 or 2 pork tenderloins
• 2 tbsp. olive oil 

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until well combined.

 

Pour into a sauce pan and simmer over medium heat until sauce reduces and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.

 

In a large skillet, pour the olive oil and heat on medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloin(s) on all four sides for about 1 minute each until slightly browned.

 

 

Place the tenderloin(s) on a greased, foiled baking sheet. Brush with the glaze and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

 

Remove, flip the tenderloin and brush with glaze again. Roast for another 8-10 minutes.

Test the meat using the rule of thumb and wait about 3-5 minutes before you slice into it. This allows the natural juices created from the heat to permeate and settle into the meat, keeping it tender throughout, rather than escaping and drying out when cut into. Now, slice...

 

Top with remaining glaze and serve it up!

 

Served with cauliflower mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables

Tastefully yours,