For the past week or so, I have felt anything but productive. Time for a newsflash -- are you ready for this? It turns out, newborns require a lot of attention. I'd totally forgotten! Thank goodness I have a fully stocked freezer to utilize during these first crazy weeks!
Today my husband had the day off from work, so I actually got some things accomplished. I cleaned our bedroom, organized Andrew's closet, and baked some brownies (from a mix, but still, it took a little bit of effort). I also made these delicious muffins, which I'm sending to daycare with Andrew tomorrow. It's his day to take a snack, and I thought these muffins would be a yummy, healthy choice for him and his classmates.
Of course I had to sneak one just to make sure they tasted okay, and they absolutely did. They're low in fat, which is awesome, but they're also incredibly moist and flavorful. There's no butter here, but I promise you won't miss it one bit. I loved the combination of banana and carrot, and I actually think this recipe would make a great quick bread.
I adapted the recipe to make mini-muffins. I also added some cinnamon -- which I think these really needed; the flavor may have been slightly lacking without it -- and used vegetable oil instead of extra-virgin olive oil (since olive oil has a distinctive taste, I was concerned that I wouldn't like the flavor of it in a muffin). This recipe isn't available online that I can see, so I've listed the original as it appears in the magazine, with my changes in purple. I think I may actually make these every weekend so we have a healthy breakfast choice throughout the week.
Healthy Morning Muffins
source: Everyday Food, January/February 2010
Non-stick cooking spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used vegetable oil)
1 large egg
1/3 cup skim milk (I used whole milk since it's what we always have on hand for Andrew)
4 medium carrots, shredded (I used 3, which was plenty)
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan (or a 24-cup mini-muffin pan) with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt until there are no lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, eggs, milk, carrots and banana and stir until blended.
2. Fill each muffin cup with batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean (23 to 25 minutes for regular muffins, 15 minutes for mini-muffins). Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. To store, keep in an airtight container up to three days.
Here he is, William David, my little love-muffin, my cuddly baby burrito, my sweet tiny honey-bun:
He is the most laid-back baby in the world, so I may actually be back in the kitchen meal-planning and cooking sooner than I thought. Stay tuned!
Last year I began the year with a goal for my blog -- to cook one recipe out of each of my cookbooks by the end of the year. Obviously, I suck, and that didn't happen. This year, I'm beginning the year with a temporary goodbye, since on Friday we'll be welcoming the precious baby boy I've been baking for the past nine months. For the most part things will probably be pretty quiet around here (on the blog, not in my house -- I'm sure it will be quite loud and hectic there!), as we'll be eating all of the meals I've been freezing for the last couple of months.
Speaking of frozen meals, check out my freezer:
I wanted to freeze a lot more food that I actually did, but sprained ankles and kidney stones and LIFE got in the way, and anyway I don't think I could fit anything else in my freezer if I tried. Here's a complete list of everything I've frozen in preparation for our new bundle of joy (not the Pizza Rolls, obviously -- I just love them and always have a bag on hand):
Southwestern chicken corn chowder (a recipe it appears I never shared with you, but it's from this cookbook; I'll post the recipe later)
This is another meal to file in the "not pretty but delicious" category. It was hard to photograph, but let me assure you, it was really easy to eat.
My favorite restaurant in the world is a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican place in a town not far from where we live, and they serve the best savory sopapillas I've ever had -- pillows of fried dough, stuffed with shredded chicken, cheese, and refried beans. They're transcendent. These chicken and cheese crescent chimichangas are the closest I've ever come to duplicating them at home. They're baked instead of fried, so you save some calories without sacrificing any flavor whatsoever. We topped ours with salsa and sour cream this time; next time, I may top them with some shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes, too, just like they do with the sopapillas at my favorite restaurant. Definitely try these; they're easy, flavorful, and absolutely delicious!
Chicken and Cheese Crescent Chimichangas
source: adapted from Pillsbury Christmas 2007; original recipe here1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can (8 ounces) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls1/4 cup refried beans, divided
1/4 cup salsa, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Sour cream and salsa for serving, if desired
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease large cookie sheet with shortening.
2. Separate dough into 4 rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal. Spread a small amount of the refried beans and salsa on each rectangle to within 1/2 inch of edges. Spoon a portion of the chicken onto half of each rectangle; sprinkle with cheese. Starting with short side topped with chicken, roll up; pinch ends to seal. Place seam side down on cookie sheet.
3. Bake 16 to 21 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Top each with some of the remaining cheese.
4. Return to oven; bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and additional salsa, if desired.
Well, this meal was quite a hit in our house, especially with my husband, who ate more during dinner the night we had this than most people eat in a day. And even I have to admit that I was surprised by how good these were. They were so quick and easy, and really hearty and yummy to boot. I was skeptical about the creamy Italian dressing, but it just worked. Philly cheesesteak purists, scoff if you must, but let me assure you: These are by no means traditional, but they're no less delicious for it.
Open-Faced Hamburger Cheesesteaks
source: adapted from Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2008; original recipe here
1 pound ground beef
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
1 small can of mushrooms, drained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup creamy Italian dressing
1 loaf sourdough bread, halved lengthwise and cut into 6 total slices
6 slices thinly sliced provolone cheese, halved
1. In a large skillet, cook ground beef, bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Add Worcestershire sauce and stir in 1/4 cup of the dressing.
2. Meanwhile, spread remaining 1/4 cup dressing on cut sides of bread. Place slices, cut sides up, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove bread from broiler. Spread beef mixture on cut slices of bread. Top with cheese.
3. Return to broiler; broil 4 to 6 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
For the past week or so, I have felt anything but productive. Time for a newsflash -- are you ready for this? It turns out, newborns require a lot of attention. I'd totally forgotten! Thank goodness I have a fully stocked freezer to utilize during these first crazy weeks!
