Scrambled Egg Muffins

I thought these were so cute and anything tastes better in a muffin cup right? Very easy to do, the ingredient combinations are endless, be creative! I used ham, but you could use chopped bacon or cooked sausage, actually anything you would put in an omelette would be good in these.

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) bulk pork sausage or any kind of breakfast meat
12 eggs
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped green bell pepper
1/4 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
Spray liberally a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the onion, green pepper, and seasonings. Stir in the sausage and cheddar cheese. Spoon by 1/3 cupfuls into greased muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Best if eaten immediately while hot!

Tortilla Soup in the Slow Cooker

I love this recipe because it is so good and so easy! I usually have most of these ingredients on hand. Serve with avocados, sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips! Thanks Stefany for the corn and bean idea!

2 cans diced tomatoes (plain or with garlic and onion)
2 cans chicken broth
1 c. salsa (I use Pace, medium heat)
4 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbs. cumin
2 Tbs butter
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder if you're in a hurry!)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1 can drained sweet corn
1 can rinsed and drained black beans

Add tomatoes through salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Cook on low 6 hours or on high 4 hours, remove chicken and shred, add back into soup. Add cilantro, corn, and beans and ready to serve!

Blueberry Muffins

This is a new blueberry muffin recipe that I found in a Fine Cooking magazine. They are really delicious, especially with the glaze on top. It's really important with this recipe to not overmix the batter, that's why you add the fruit before the batter is fully mixed. I love that the batter overflows onto the pan and forms a big muffin top (Seinfield anyone?) I take out the room temp ingredients and melt the butter an hour before I make these.

Blueberry Muffins

Cooking spray for the pan
3 1/2 c. all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
10 tbs. butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 c. whole milk, at room temp
1 c. sour cream, at room temp
2 large eggs, at room temp
1 large egg yolk, at room temp
2 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (save lemon for glaze)
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw if frozen)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray the top of a 12 cup muffin tin and then line the cups with paper or foil baking cups. (Spraying the pan keeps the muffin tops from sticking)

In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk, and zest until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together gently with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened, there should still be quite a few streaks of flour. It will be lumpy, that is okay. Sprinkle the blueberries on the top of the batter and fold them in until just combined. (The batter will still be lumpy, do not try to smooth it out)
Fill the muffin cups, the batter should mound higher than the rim of the cups by 3/4".
Bake until the muffins are golden brown and spring back lightly when you press on the middle, about 35 minutes. The muffin tops will meld together. Let the pan cool for 15 minutes. Use a butter knife to separate the tops, invert the pan and pop out the muffins.
Let muffins cool for 30 minutes before drizzling glaze.

For Glaze:

2 c. powdered sugar
fresh lemon juice (from lemon that you zested)

Whisk together powdered sugar and enough fresh lemon juice to make a runny glaze. Drizzly liberally over muffins, let set to harden.

Blueberry Sauce and Buttermilk Pancakes

I'm back! I'm sorry I've been gone for so long, my family has been going through a two month relocation process! Not fun, I'm so glad it's over! We are now settled and here are some of my favorite new recipes...

This blueberry sauce is so yummy! I served it on pancakes, but it would be delicious on ice cream too. I'm tempted to can it so I have it on hand all of the time! It's a cinch to put together. I'm posting my buttermilk pancake recipe again, I started adding vanilla and I think it really puts them over the top! Ignore the styrofoam plates, I was tired of doing dishes :)


Blueberry Sauce

2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbs water
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. water
1/8 tsp salt
2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Whisk together cornstarch and water in a saucepan. Add in sugar, 1/3 c. water, and salt. Turn heat on to medium and cook until slightly thickened. Add blueberries, boil for 3-4 minutes. Serve warm over ice cream, pancakes, etc. Makes 2-3 cups and enough for my pancake recipe below.

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c. all purpose flour
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 Tbs. canola oil (or vegetable oil)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
stick of cold butter

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup, level with knife, add to large bowl. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of mixture, set aside.
In separate bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add to dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
Heat skillet to medium low heat. With cold stick of butter, unpeel end and rub a thin layer of butter over pan. Drop about a 1/4 c. batter onto skillet. Flip pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Remove from pan, and re-butter, then add more batter, continue this way with the rest of the batter.
Yields 9 4 inch pancakes.

Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

Mmmmm, the smell of pumpkin cookies baking is heavenly! These literally melt in your mouth. If you live in a hot climate (like Phoenix!) baking these will psych you out into thinking that it really is fall, turning the air conditioner up and putting on a comfy sweater while eating these will help too.

Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

2 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 15oz. can pumpkin
4 c. flour

Icing:
4 Tbs butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. milk
powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl beat butter on high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 2 tsp vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Add flour and stir until well combined.
Drop by heaping tablespoonfulls onto an ungreased (or stoneware) cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

For icing:
Beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add maple syrup and milk, gradually add enough powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency, you want it to be spreadable but not thin enough to drip off the cookie. Add vanilla. After cookies are cooled, spread a little icing on top and let each cookie set.

Texas Sheet Cake

I think there are lots of names this cake goes by and I've had a couple of different versions, but this one is the best! The texture of the cake and frosting is so delicious. This is great served with ice cream and I like to make it when friends are over for dinner, that takes out the danger of me eating it all by myself!

Texas Sheet Cake

1 c. butter
1 c. water
1/4 c. baking cocoa (I use Hershey's)
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. sour cream

Glaze:
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbs milk
3 Tbs cocoa
3 to 3 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
In large saucepan bring to boil butter, water, and baking cocoa (whisk to remove lumps). Remove from heat.
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat in cocoa mixture. Gently blend in sour cream until smooth. Pour into a greased bar pan (1/2 sheet pan).
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, do not overbake!

While cake is baking, melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in milk and cocoa, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Consistency should be slightly runny, not too thick. Pour over hot cake and spread to edges. Cool completely.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches on Homemade "Gorditas"!

I think I will be making these flatbread "gorditas" for a long, long, time. That's how good they are! It does take time to let the dough rise, but other than that they are fairly simple to make. My husband ate six of them in one sitting and wanted more the next night! The fillings you can come up with are endless!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches on Homemade "Gorditas"

For Gorditas:

3 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. potato flour OR 1/2 c. potato buds or flakes
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/4 c. warm water
1 1/4 tsp salt

For filling:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. good Caesar dressing (my favorite is the Girard's brand, Light or regular)
Torn lettuce leaves
1 zuchinni
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion, or 1/2 large onion
Additional Caesar dressing


Place the two chicken breasts in the 1/2 c. of Caesar dressing in a gallon size zip lock bag. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

To make the bread: Place 2 cups of the flour into the bowl of a mixer. Pour the boiling water over the flour and stir (don't whisk) until smooth. Cover the bowl and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the yeast with the 1/4 c. warm water, let rest until nice and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl whisk together the potato flour (or buds/flakes) with the remaining 1 c. of flour. Add in the yeast mixture and the oil. Add salt, stir to combine everything.

Add this mixture to the cooled flour and water mixture. Knead with your KitchenAid or by hand for about 5 minutes. Dough may look dry but it will eventually turn into a nice slightly firm ball. You can add up to 1/4 c. more water if you need it, but keep in mind this is not a super soft dough. If kneading by hand do so on an oiled surface with oiled hands (not floured!)

Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7" or 8" inch circle, this is easy to do by hand, the dough doesn't bounce back. Dry fry(NO oil or butter) on a griddle or large saute pan over medium heat, should take about a couple minutes per side until they are flecked with brown spots like a tortilla or gordita. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack and stack them on top of each other to keep them soft and pliable. Serve immediately or store in a plastic bag.


For filling:

Grill the marinated chicken breasts, about 20 minutes over medium heat, turning every five minutes.

While chicken is grilling, slice up the zuchinni into thick slices and chop the bell pepper and onion into large bite size chunks. Saute in 1 Tbs. olive oil until slightly browned and onions are translucent.

Slice the chicken into thin strips.

To serve first lay down some torn lettuce leaves, top with 2 or 3 slices of chicken. Drizzle with a little Caesar dressing and top with some of the sauteed vegetables.

For step by step picture instructions, you can visit the King Arthur Baker's Banter Blog at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/?s=gordita

Homemade Blueberry Muffins

These muffins were absolutely delicious! King Arthur flour really knows their stuff! :)
I loved the consistency of these muffins, kind of crispy on the outside and moist and yummy on the inside. The batter is supposed to be thick, don't let that scare you (I know it did me, I'm used to working with thin batter due to all of the extra buttermilk and sour cream I use!) But they rose beautifully and turned out great. KAF said that this recipe works well with any type of berry and the dough can be refrigerated for up to one week. You can make a few each morning!

KAF Blueberry Muffins

2 1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter, room temp
3/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 6 oz. (3/4 c.)container lemon yogurt (I like using the lemon burst flavor from Yoplait)
1 1/2 c. blueberries, fresh of frozen (I used frozen, do not thaw, just throw 'em in there frozen)
coarse white sparkling sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.
Spray a 12 c. muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Start out the mixture on low speed and increase the speed to medium until you reach the right texture.
Scrape down bowl and add eggs, one at a time and beating after each addition.
Add vanilla and yogurt.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the batter is smooth, will be thick.
Fold in berries by hand.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, using a heaping 1/4 c. for each. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
Bake the muffins for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If using frozen blueberries, you will have to cook a little longer. Let cool in pan 5 minutes and then remove to rack.

Sausage and Cheese Biscuits

My family LOVED these! They kind of tasted like a sausage and cheese mcmuffin but way better! The biscuit itself was moist and delicious and the pockets of melted cheese were heavenly. A great breakfast or brunch item.
Thanks King Arthur Flour again for a great recipe!

Sausage and Cheese Biscuits

3 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. cold butter, cut in pats
1 c. buttermilk (or plain yogurt or sour cream can be substituted)
2 c. cooked and sliced Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage
1 c. diced cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Gently stir in the sausage and cheese. Stir in the buttermilk until the mixture is evenly moistened.
Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly floured surface. Pat and roll it into an 8"X10" rectangle, about 3/4" thick. (Try to handle it as little as possible, just like scones, they less you handle it, they better they will be!)
Cut the dough into 16-20 squares depending on how big you want them.
Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet about 1" apart.
Bake the biscuits for about 20 minutes, until they are a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush tops with melted butter.
Let cool a little and serve warm!

Individual Turkey Taco Layered Salads

This is a yummy recipe I found on the Betty Crocker website. I love it because I can make four individual salads, two my husband and I can have for the dinner, and the other ones I can send with him for lunches. The french dressing, salsa, and cilantro make a great dressing. You can also substitute Fritos for the tortilla chips.


Individual Turkey Taco Layered Salads

Dressing:
1/2 c. Pace medium salsa
1/2 c. french dressing
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Salads:
6 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
3 medium green onions, chopped
2 c. diced turkey (I asked the deli counter for 6 extra thick slices of turkey and then I chopped it)
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
2 c. chopped or shredded cheese
2 c. broken tortilla chips.

In small bowl mix dressing ingredients.

For each salad use a 4 or 5 cup container. In each container layer ingredients in this order: 1 1/2 c. lettuce, 1 Tbs. onions, 1/2 c. turkey, 1/4 c. corn, 1/4 c. tomatoes, 1/4 c. dressing and 1/2 c. cheese. Place a small piece of wax paper over the salad and sprinkle on 1/2 c. of the broken tortilla chips. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours or can be tossed and served immediately.