French Toast

I tried this recipe today for Sunday lunch and everyone loved it. I can't remember the last time we had french toast, so I had to look up a recipe. This is from allrecipes.com :)

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 12 thick slices bread

1. Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.
3. Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot. 

Meatballs

My family has been requesting Spaghetti with Meatballs lately, so I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and gave it a try. I let them cook in the sauce for about 20 minutes and it turned out great. I used a smaller cookie scoop to make the meatballs easier for my kids to eat. We have also used this to make mini-hamburgers, another request from my kids and I baked them in the oven at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. Both variations were yummy.

1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)
3/4 cup italian bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten

combine all ingredients and shape into meatballs.

Hazelnut Encrusted Salmon

Hazelnut-Encrusted Salmon (adapted from the Whole Food Bible)
Makes 4 Servings
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley (flat leaf)
1 T. grated lemon zest (if you have access to a Meyer, use it!)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 skinless salmon fillets, 6 ounces each
2 T. olive oil
4 cups mixed organic baby greens or one large head of organic, red lettuce
Lemon wedges
Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor-do not over grind and turn into a
paste (if you don’t own one, use a hammer and a small, freezer Ziploc bag–works great!). Mix the hazelnuts, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper on a plate.
Dry the salmon; dredge the fillets on both sides in the nut mixture.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon and cook
for about 5 minutes on each side, making sure that the salmon is cooked
through (if you don’t like the smell of fish in your home, cook your salmon in a cast iron skillet right on your gas or charcoal grill).
Toss the greens/lettuce with the house dressing below and then place a handful of greens on each plate. Transfer the hot salmon fillets on top. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately. Fish is best when it’s nice n’ hot!
Our “House” Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (Maille is best but Grey Poupon works well too)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
pinch sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Mix and shake well before tossing lightly on greens (sippy cups or small mason jars work well for this step). Add a little bit at a time to avoid overdressing.
Enjoy!

I found this one on cafe zupas via stephmodo.com

Chicken Apple Sausage Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

I found this one on cookthink.com
I had a few sweet potatoes to use up and I found this recipe. It is a GREAT recipe, and we are going to use it a lot more this fall. It was a bit heavy for a summer night, but oh so tasty.


1 pound chicken-apple sausage links (At the farmers market and only used 1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes (2 medium), peeled and cut into 1/2” cubes
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 cups (1 liter-sized box) chicken broth
Pinch saffron threads (loose 1/2 teaspoon...I omitted this)
1 cup half-and-half or whole milk (I used 1% milk)
1 cup frozen sweet corn or fresh raw corn kernels
Few dashes hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco (optional...I opted out)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (I omitted this too)


1. Using a small, sharp knife, make a slit in the sausages lengthwise and remove the meat from the casings. Discard the casings.

2. Preheat a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then add the sausage, breaking it into bite-sized pieces as you drop it into the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sausages are cooked through and nicely browned on the outside, adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid burning. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

3. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the pot, then add the onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping any brown pieces that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the flour and stir to coat all the onions with the flour. Cook a minute or two, stirring, then add the sweet potatoes, cider vinegar, chicken broth, and saffron. Bring the chowder to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Stir in the half-and-half or milk, corn, and cooked sausage, and simmer another 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and hot pepper sauce, if desired. Stir in the parsley just before serving.

Granola

I found this recipe the other day and really liked it. I thought I would share...

Fruit + Nut Granola (adapted from Real Simple)

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup unsalted pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups dried tart cherries

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment on baking sheet (located next to the wax paper and aluminum foil) and set aside. In a large bowl toss the oats, almonds, coconut and pepitas with the maple syrup, oil and salt. Pour evenly onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and make sure the mixture is evenly distributed. Bake for 25 minutes (and not a minute longer!). After removing the baking sheet from the oven, pour the dried cherries on top of the mixture and carefully toss. Allow to cool before placing the granola in an airtight container (I like those glass lock containers from Costco).

A few notes regarding ingredients:
Pepitas: I found these at the farmer's market
Unsweetened Coconut: Also at the farmer's market
Pure Maple Syrup: The best price per ounce can be found at Costco with Target being a close second with their Archer Farms brand. I ended up using my favorite syrup, Log Cabin Light and it turned out great.
Dried Tart Cherries: Good versions can be found at Target (again, Archer Farms) or at the farmers market. I omitted these since I prefer fresh berries with my granola in the summer.

Yet another find from www.stephmodo.com via www.cafezupa.com

Greek Chicken & Everything Orzo

My neighbor brought this over last week and it was GREAT! It's a Rachael Ray recipe and the only thing she altered is that she added fresh spinach.


Ingredients

* 4 cloves garlic, 2 chopped, divided
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
* 2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, divided
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 2 sprigs fresh oregano, finely chopped
* 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 pounds jumbo shrimp
* Salt and coarse black pepper
* 1/2 pound orzo pasta
* 1 red onion, chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
* 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
* 1/2 pound Greek feta, crumbled
* 3-4 Greek hot peppers, chopped or a couple of tablespoons banana pepper rings, chopped

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the orzo pasta.

Crush two cloves of garlic and place in a shallow dish with about 1/4 cup EVOO, along with the one thinly sliced lemon, red pepper flakes, oregano and chicken or shrimp. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the meat or shrimp has marinated for 10 minutes and the skillet is screaming hot, add the chicken or shrimp and the lemon slices. Cook the chicken for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, or cook the shrimp for 6-8 minutes, until pink and firm, tossing frequently with tongs. Squeeze the juice of remaining lemon over the pan.

When you add chicken to pan, drop the orzo in boiling water and start the vegetables. If you’re cooking shrimp, start the orzo and the vegetables and then throw the shrimp into the pan.

Meanwhile, heat a second skillet with 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the remaining two cloves chopped garlic and toss for a minute, then add the olives and tomatoes to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes more. Drain the orzo and toss in a serving dish with the vegetables, along with the parsley, feta and hot peppers. Adjust the black pepper to your taste and drizzle with a little extra EVOO.

Serve the chicken or shrimp alongside the orzo.

Southeast Asian Chicken & Noodles

My family really liked this one too, which surprised me since it has so many herbs. But I think the rice noodles won them over. I don't make it often, because I don't think the rice noodles have much in the way of nutrients, but it's a light summery meal. Found here via stephmodo.com

Time: 30 minutes. Chinese long beans (or regular green beans) and plenty of fresh herbs turn this Thai-inspired dish into a whole meal.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients

* 8 ounces Thai flat rice noodles
* 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 8 ounces yard-long beans (Chinese long beans) or regular green beans, cut into 2-in. pieces
* 2 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (1 lb. total), sliced 1/2 in. thick
* 1/4 cup Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
* 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
* 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, divided
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions, divided

Preparation

1. In a large pot, cook noodles in boiling water until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain noodles and transfer to a large serving bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add garlic, long beans, and chicken. Cook until chicken is slightly browned, stirring often, about 4 minutes.

3. Add fish sauce, broth, sugar, ginger, lime juice, and 1/4 cup each basil, mint, and green onions, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and pour over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining basil, mint, and green onions.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:
341 (26% from fat)
Protein:
34g
Fat:
10g (sat 1.9)
Carbohydrate:
30g
Fiber:
4.2g
Sodium:
1673mg
Cholesterol:
66mg

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Corn & Spinach

This one is really easy and delicious.

2 tsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels (I use hominy sometimes too)
4 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach (4oz)
2 cups diced chicken breast
1/2 cup salsa
Juice of one lime
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
1 ounce tortilla chips

1. Heat oil in deep medium saucepan over medium-high heat. saute onion until translucent.
2. Pour in broth. add corn and spinach. reduce heat to medium and cook until corn is heated through and spinach is bright green, 3 minutes. mix in chicken, salsa and lime juice. season soup to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. (I omit the pepper).
3. to serve, divide soup among 4 bowls. top each with cilantro, crushed tortilla chips and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings: 313 calories per serving.

Rigatoni with Sausage & Zucchini

I found this one here, via stephmodo.com
I really enjoyed this one and I went a little easy on the zucchini, but didn't need to. My family loved it! I did use less cheese than indicated in this recipe and it was great!

1 16 oz. box of rigatoni (I prefer Barilla or De Cecco)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb. best-quality mild Italian sausage, casings removed (you can buy it without casings at the farmer's market)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic*
1 medium red onion, halved and then sliced
1 lb. zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds (about 3 small)
sea salt + freshly ground pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Cook pasta in a stockpot according to package directions. Drain, return to pot, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.

3. In the same pan, cook garlic, onion, and zucchini until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper and reserved sausage then cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

4. Pour the sausage mixture into the stockpot full of reserved pasta and carefully toss. Mix in about 1/2 of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and then sprinkle the remainder on top just before serving. Enjoy immediately!

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana

I made this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit. Very easy and quick. I served it with mini paninis made from a thinly sliced baguette with provolone cheese. My kids even liked this!

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 {32} ounce containers organic chicken broth (or homemade if you have on hand; also, Costco carries a great organic chicken stock at a great price)

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

4 cups kale, chopped, stems discarded

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (I omitted this one, since my kids were eating it)

pinch of red pepper flakes (I omitted this one, since my kids were eating it)

3/4 lb. mild Italian sausage links, casings removed (I used 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage from the Dekalb Farmer's market)

1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until onion becomes translucent–about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, kale, sea salt, pepper, and pepper flakes then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the sausage until browned in a pan over medium heat, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon. Once cooked thoroughly, add the sausage and cream to the soup. Heat to desired temperature and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Enjoy!

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes

I made this the other night for the missionaries and we all loved it! I was worried when I put in so much spinach that it might taste a little odd, but it was really great! From one of my favorite sites, epicurious via stephmodo.

3/4 pound hot Italian sausages, casings removed (I used ground turkey and added some flavoring...)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup purchased pesto sauce

10 ounces ziti or penne pasta (about 3 cups), freshly cooked (you could add a bit more...)
8 cups ready-to-use spinach leaves (about 2/3 of 10-ounce package)
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

Heat heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

Southwest Chicken Soup

This one is from my sister and it is amazing!

2-3 chicken breasts
4 quarts chicken broth
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 large onion, diced
1 large red pepper, diced
1 yam, diced
3 medium red peppers, diced
1 small can Mexican tomato sauce (I use El Pato)
1 t. pepper
2 T. oregano leaves
1 1/2 T. cumin
1 T. chili powder
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 can hominy

Garnishes:
limes, halved, then quartered (8 sections)
colby jack cheese, shredded
tortilla chips
sour cream
1 avocado, diced

Heat olive oil and cook and sear chicken. Add lemon juice and 1 T. garlic. Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces while chicken is cooking. Add broth to chicken and simmer 1 hour (I usually get away with less). Saute onion, add pepper and cook until tinged with flecks of black. Add 1 T. garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add yam through chili powder. Simmer 1 hour (again...I usually do less. I cook it a bit higher temp with the lid on, until the veggies are soft). Add chicken, cilantro and hominy. Simmer 10 minutes.
Serve with garnishes. Squeeze lime juice in to soup. I find the soup to be a bit hot, and the sour cream helps cool it a bit.

Calzones

This is a family favorite! I often half this recipe for a smaller crowd (like just our family) and make the whole thing if we invite someone over for dinner.

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
4-5 cups flour
3 T. sugar
1 t. salt
2 packages yeast

Heat wet ingredients in microwave for 1 minute. Addyeast and let dissolve. Gradually add dry ingredients and knead. (I use my kitchenaid). Let rise on counter top for 15-30 minutes. Take about 3/4 cup sized portions and roll them out VERY thin. Fill with your favorite ingredients and pinch the edges together. Place on a greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Naan

For this recipe, you will need:

• 4 cups white or all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons warm milk
• 2/3 cups plain yogurt
• 2/3 cups milk
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander

Prepare the Naan Dough

Mix together yeast, warm milk, and sugar, and leave it in a warm place until the mixture becomes frothy. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Make a depression in the center, and pour in your frothy yeast mixture. Then add milk, yogurt, egg, and ghee. Mix everything together until you get a smooth ball of dough.

Let the Dough Rise

Knead the dough well for 10 to 15 minutes. Oil a medium bowl, and place the dough into the bowl and turn the dough over so it is well covered in oil.

Cover the bowl with a towel, and place it in a warm place for two hours until the dough has doubled in size.

Shape and Roll Out the Dough

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Flour the surface, rolling pin, and your hands. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until it is smooth.

Divide the dough into eight pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Then roll out the ball to make an oval about 6 inches long. Pull the ends to stretch the dough into an oval shape.

Bake the Naan

Brush your naan with melted butter or ghee and sprinkle it with chopped coriander.

Oil your baking sheet, and place your naan sprinkled side up. Place your baking sheet into the oven for 10-12 minutes until the naan turns golden brown.

Lemon Rice

My sister and I tried this a few weeks ago and really liked it. Plus, your kitchen smells great while you are making it.

Lemon Rice is a delicious South Indian dish you can easily put together
when in a hurry. You can also make it with leftover rice. Serve Lemon
Rice with a Raita (yogurt salad) and Poppadums for a simple yet tasty
meal.

2 cups cooked basmati rice
2 TBSP canola oil
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp mustard seeds
3-4 curry leaves
2 green chillies split length-wise
1" piece of ginger, grated
1/2 cup peanuts (roasted and unsalted)
1 tsp tumeric powder
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt to taste

Gently roast and then coarsely powder the coriander seeds. Set aside

Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry until fragrant then add the ginger and the peanuts. Fry for another minute. Add the tumeric powder and remove from heat.

Add lemon juice and mix well
Add rice, roasted coriander powder and salt and mix.

NieNie's Mud Cake Magnifique

um....yes please! If you read nie then you have probably already seen this, but man alive! I want to try this.

NieNie's Mud Cake Magnifique

with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse & Ganache Bittercream

*

How does one go about making the PERFECT chocolate cake? I'd never done it before, and therefore went about it quite deliberately. I consulted cookbooks and cooking websites. Call friends. Window-shopped the pastry sections of my favorite bakeries. The perfect chocolate cake, I decided, (and one inspired by someone so delectably adorable) had to be simple. No frufru decor or garnish. It should be easy enough to whip up for grilled-pizza Friday's, but elegant enough to entertain at a garden party lit by candles hanging from trees tucked in baby food jars. It didn't come out right the first time, a bungled mess of brownie-like bits. It didn't work the second time. However, as it is with many worthy endeavors, a lot of tinkering and winkering was ultimately worth the price of patience. Nie's Mud Cake is everything Nie is: divinely beautiful inside and out.

*

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate (8 squares)
¾ c. olive oil
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. powdered sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ c. cocoa powder
1 c. flour
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking powder*
½ tsp. baking soda
In a microwave, melt squares of chocolate with olive oil. Once melted, beat until smooth then add sugars and egg. Beat again until well creamed. Add remaining ingredients. Beat just until all ingredients are incorporated. (If you are baking BELOW 5000 feet altitude, double baking powder). Pour batter into two 9-inch cake pans that have been generously greased & dusted with cocoa powder. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 26-28 minutes, or just until center of cake springs back to the touch. Remove from oven. Allow to cool before inverting on a cooling rack and removing from pan. Before layering cake, use a knife to gently cut away any uneven parts at the top or sides of the cake. You'll want a nice, even surface to begin with in order to have your finished product look amazing.
*
Mascarpone Mousse
1 c. whipping cream
¼ c. sugar
1 c. 60% Bittersweet cacao chips
8 oz. mascarpone

In a large bowl, whip whipping cream until fluffly. Add sugar & mascarpone and whip until smooth. In a small bowl, melt chocolate chips in microwave, stirring every thirty seconds until smooth. Chocolate should not be warm to the touch, if it is, allow it to cool just slightly before spooning the melted chocolate into the whipping cream mixture & beating until light and fluffy. Spoon carefully atop one layer of cake. Spread evenly, then top with the second layer of cake. Refrigerate until ready to frost.

Bittercream Frosting
1 pint heavy cream
11.5 oz. 60% Bittersweet cacao chips
½ c. butter
4-5 c. powdered sugar

In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate chips and heavy cream until a thick, smooth ganache forms, to keep the mixture from burning, stir constantly. Put in fridge until chilled. Remove from fridgidaire and beat in butter & powdered sugar until frosting is a spreadable consistency. Frost. Chill cake. To serve, remove from fridge 10-15 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Flax Bread

This is my sister's recipe and it is really yummy.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Flax Bread

1 3/4 c water
1 T yeast

2 t salt
1/3 c honey
1/3 c oil
2 1/2-3 c wheat flour


Boil 1 c water
Add 1/2 c oats--set aside and let cool

1 egg
1/4 c flaxseed
2 1/2- 3 c white flour

Put yeast in the water and let sit to begin working. After the oats are cooled add honey, oil, egg, salt and wheat flour to yeast mixture and begin mixing. Add white flour until mixture pulls away from the bowl and dough is no longer sticky. This dough will be soft and pliable. Knead for 10 minutes. Split the dough into two (3?) loaf pans (spray with Pam). Let rise until double in size and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Take out of bread pans and turn on sides to let cool. Cover with a clean towel to keep crust from getting hard.

Blueberry Muffins

We went Berry Picking this past week and wanted to make some muffins when we got home. I found this recipe on allrecipes and really liked how they turned out. I thought I would share.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Chocolate Cacao Nib Cookies

If you need some cacao nibs to try this recipe, I have some you can use. I really love the texture they add!

Chocolate and Cacao Nib Cookies
2 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fleur de sel
4 tbsp cacao nibs

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Melt together 1 1/2 oz of the chocolate and the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool for ten minutes. Meanwhile , combine the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in another mixing bowl and set aside. Finely chop the remaining chocolate, and set aside.
Whisk the eggs into the cooled melted chocolate. Add in the brown sugar and mix again. Sift in the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. The batter will be thick. Fold in the chopped chocolate, cacao nibs and fleur de sel.
Scoop out rounded tablespoons of batter, shape them into balls with the tips of your fingers, and line them up on the cookie sheet, leaving a one-inch space between them. Sprinkle a few grains additional salt over the top of the cookies. Put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for ten minutes (if the sheet and batter are cold, the cookies are less likely to spread). Put the cookie sheet into the oven to bake for eight to ten minutes, until the tops feel just dry to the touch.

Makes about 15 two-bite-size cookies.

This recipe is from: We Heart Food

Corn Casserole

My sister and I tried this Corn Casserole this week and really liked it. We made it as a side dish and instead of corn bread. It is a new favorite. We served it with BBQ, rolls, cole slaw and watermelon. Yum.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (8.5 ounce) package corn bread mix

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream, butter, creamed corn, corn nibblets and corn muffin mix.
3. Pour into a 1 quart casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes.

This recipe is from allrecipes.com