Big Fluffy Muffins

 

As the Fall settles in, I have been wanting to try out some new recipes while we are all hibernating inside again. I felt like having some muffins, so I found a muffin base recipe. It is a nice, fluffy, moist base that you can add so many flavour combinations to. I tried a basic blueberry muffin, but you can really try anything. Some suggestions are blueberry lemon, raspberry orange, mocha chip, apple cinnamon, banana chip, banana nut, lemon poppy seed, orange, or banana blueberry and those are just a few ideas I came up with. Now I made these muffins thinking that they would be just an average muffin and to use up some of my frozen blueberries that were going to expire so I didn't think to take pictures as I went along. However, they were so good so I'll make them again and make sure to take pictures. 

Basic Fluffy Muffin Recipe:

3 cups of flour

1 cup of sugar

½ tsp. of baking soda

1 tbsp. of baking powder

½ tsp. of salt

1 ½ cups of plain Greek yogurt

2 eggs

8 tbsp. of melted butter

1 ½-2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare your muffin tins with liners. I did all my muffins big as opposed to mini muffins. It made just over 24.

Whisk the flour, soda, powder, salt, and sugar.

Melt the butter in a glass measuring cup. Cool slightly.

In another bowl, whisk up the yogurt and eggs until smooth and then fold into the dry mix.

Then fold in the butter.

Lastly, stir in the blueberries.

Now it’s time to scoop. Usually I use spoons and scoop my muffins that way but these are supposed to be big fluffy muffins so I used a 1/3 cup and filled those muffin tins up. They may look full but they won’t overflow or cause a mess while baking, I promise.

Put into the oven for about 25 minutes; they may need a few minutes longer. You want them to be golden looking and to be able to insert a toothpick and it to come out clean.

Cool the muffin slightly on a wire rack and enjoy!

These were so delicious. One of the best muffins I ever had. They were so moist and not overly sweet or heavy. I will definitely be using this as my go to muffin base and try adding different things in the future.

Granola

So today for our indoor activity we are making granola. It’s a very simple and quick recipe that is perfect for putting onto yogurt or for snacking on with some dried fruit and chocolate. Take a look...

Granola

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

While that is preheating, mix 3 cups of quick oats with 3 tbsp. of brown sugar, ¼ tsp. of salt, and ½ tsp. of cinnamon. Stir it all up.

Now add in ¼ cup of  vegetable oil, 1/3 cup of  honey, and 1 tsp. of vanilla.

Stir again and spread on a lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes and then mix it around. Now bake for 12 minutes more.

Store in an air tight container after cooling on the sheet.

Easy peasy!

Lamb

This week we are going to Iceland and taking a look at one of their famous Christmas foods; it’s called Hangikjöt.

Hangikjöt is a smoked lamb. It became popular in the 9^th and 10^th centuries and it was smoked over sheep dung. To keep with the tradition, it is still often smoked in dung but birch is used as well. Now it’s cold smoked, boiled, or roasted after dry salting or brining first; smoking usually lasts for up to two weeks. It’s often popular to smoke either a leg or shoulder. As part of Christmas dinner it is often served with potatoes and creamy sauce and canned peas. It’s also popular cold and in slices on sandwiches for lunch. About 90% of Icelanders will have Hangikjöt during the holiday season.

We thought we’d use the main ingredient of lamb and share with you some fun appetizer recipes for all those Christmas parties that you may be attending and needing to find the perfect dish to bring along with you. Check out the three that we thought sounded pretty interesting!

Mini Lamb Meatballs

You will need...

1 lbs ground lamb

¼ small red onion, finely chopped 

1 clove minced garlic

¼ cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs

1 tsp. lemon zest

2 tsp. lemon juice 

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill or mint

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or parsley

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp. olive oil

For the Lemon Yogurt...

1 cup thick plain Greek yogurt

2-4 tsp. lemon juice

1 pinch kosher salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

How to...

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Place all ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl and mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, roll one tablespoon of lamb mixture into small balls and place on a baking tray about 1" apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Serve with a savoury lemon yogurt, sliced cucumber, and toasted pine nuts or just have plain.

Baby Lamb Chops with Sauces

For the chops you will need...

1 tsp. kosher salt

12 to 15 baby lamb chops, bones Frenched

1 Tbsp. olive oil

For the Red Sauce you will need...

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 clove garlic

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

For the Green Sauce you will need...

1 1/2 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves

2/3 cup fresh mint leaves

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lightly toasted almonds

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

How to make...

Salt both sides of the lamb chops. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Cook in two batches, turning once until chops are deep brown and cooked to medium-rare. Serve with sauces.

Red Sauce - Combine the water, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, vinegar, sugar, cumin, salt, garlic and black pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. 

Green Sauce - Combine the parsley, mint, olive oil, almonds, and lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth. 

Sauces can be made ahead and stored in airtight containers in the fridge up to a day in advance. 

Lamb Stuffed Mushrooms

You will need...

1/2 onion

15 Cremini mushrooms

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

½  pound ground lamb

Butter, to taste

Breadcrumbs, to taste

3 sage leaves

2 Tbsp. olive oil

How to make...

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems.

Finely chop 3 of the mushrooms and set the others aside.

Finely dice the onion, garlic, and chop the sage. Set aside.

When the oven is hot, toss the remaining whole mushrooms with olive oil and roast for 15 minutes.

Combine the ricotta and parmesan cheese.

Brown the lamb. Strain and then sauté the onion over medium heat in the fat for about 5-7 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute.

Stir in the diced mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Then stir in the breadcrumbs, butter, and sage leaves. Turn off the heat and mix lamb back into the mixture.

Place roasted mushrooms bottom side up on a sheet pan. Turn on the broiler in your oven.

Stuff your mushrooms with your lamb mixture. Top the stuffed mushroom with a small spoonful of cheese mixture. Then place in the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is slightly crispy.

Enjoy all the lamb recipes! 

Cold and Pureed Soups

The soup theme continues! Spring will start next week and along with that we are getting some warmer weather finally. On these warmer Spring days it might be nice to have a simpler soup, maybe even a cold soup so we have two recipes for you. One is a creamy cold soup and one is a simple puréed butternut squash soup.

Cold soup is not something that really appeals to us. I have never tried it but this recipe sounds very intriguing, almost like it could be a dip or dressing as well. It might be nice to take with you to work as a light lunch and you don’t even need to fight your coworkers in the lunch room to warm it up!

Some different types of cold soup are...melon, roasted cherry tomato, blueberry, pineapple, carrot and ginger, mint and cucumber, zucchini basil, avocado and asparagus, cauliflower and yogurt, tomato, peach and ginger, the list goes on and on! Take a look on the Internet and see all of the combinations.

Creamy Cucumber with Yogurt and Dill

2 large cucumbers (2 ¼ pounds), halved and seeded - ½ cup finely diced, the rest coarsely chopped

1 ½ cups of plain Greek yogurt

3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 small shallot

1 clove of garlic

1/3 cup of fresh dill

¼ cup of fresh parsley

2 tbsp. tarragon leaves

¼ cup of olive oil

½ finely chopped red onion

Salt and pepper to taste  

Combine the chopped cucumber with the yogurt, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, dill, parsley, tarragon, and olive oil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate overnight.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, some red onion, and the finely diced cucumber.

Super super easy!

Now for the puréed soup. These ones are just how they sound. They are smooth and everything is combined and packed full of flavour and are vegetable based so they are healthy for you (if you don’t add too much cream) and keep you feeling full. The best part is the toppings! Pureed soups are great with a nice topping as they are so smooth. Add on some bacon bits, croutons, quinoa, cheese, seeds, basil, you can practically add anything on top. It would be a great idea for a party. Have a simple flavourful puréed soup and then just have a table full of different toppings!

Some puréed soups include, butternut squash, carrot, split pea, cauliflower, tomato, squash and garlic, broccoli and white bean, sweet potato and curry, bell pepper and quinoa, Spring green soup, chickpea, lentil, and pumpkin just to name a few.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

6 cups of roasted butternut squash (about 2 medium-large ones should do it)

3 tbsp. butter

½ cup diced onion

4 cups of chicken broth

1 sprig of thyme

1/3 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup of heavy cream

½ medium apple, shredded (optional)

Roast the squash in advance or you can do it the same day as you make the soup.

To roast the squash, cut in half and take out the seeds and stringy flesh. Place face down on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 60-70 minutes. After they come out, flip over and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, scoop all of the flesh out and either set aside to allow it to cool if you’re not going to use it right away or if you’re making your soup right away, measure out 6 cups.

In a big soup pot, melt the butter.

Add in the onion until softened, but not browned.

Next mix in the butternut squash and the chicken broth and stir until well combined. If you want to use the apple, then add it in here. Also add in the thyme.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes.

After it has simmered with the lid off, then remove the sprig of thyme. You can do one of two things here now. You can use an immersion blender and puree the soup until smooth or you can add small batches of your soup to a blender and blend it all up until smooth and then put back into the warm pot.

Lastly add the cream and the maple syrup and stir in.

Taste it and add as much salt and pepper as you like.

Belgian Waffles

It’s time for breakfast. Today’s flavour is Baskin Robbins “Belgian Waffle.” This one sounds like it could be really yummy especially if it was inside a waffle cone or a waffle bowl.

Now craving waffles...we’re going to share with you a recipe for some delicious Belgian Waffles that you can whip up in no time. You can eat these waffles for breakfast or dessert even. Put a dollop of ice cream on top and you can make yourself a breakfast inspired dessert or make it hearty with bacon and sausages and eggs or fried chicken and have breakfast for dinner. No matter when you eat them, they’ll be a tasty treat to have.

Belgian Waffles:

You will need...

3 ½ cup flour

2 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4 egg yolks

3 ½ cup of milk

1 cup oil

4 egg whites

In one bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, mix the eggs yolks, oil, and milk. Whisk it up and then add it into the dry ingredients and stir.

Beat the egg whites and then fold into the batter. Do not over mix.

Prepare in your waffle maker.

Serve warm. You can keep things simple and just have butter and syrup on top or you can top with some of your favourite topping like berries, fried eggs, whipped cream, ice cream, fried chicken, fruit yogurt, or anything your heart desires!