Scuffins

Apparently, every pastry needs a cool identifier these days. Scuffins are exactly what you would imagine: a combination of scone flavor and muffin shape. Plus, there's jam inside!

This recipe is from the NY Times. I made them and they are definitely more scone-like, but quite good. Not a lot of sugar, which makes me happy. If you like cardamom, stick with the recipe. They definitely have a kick. If you're not so much a fan, lower the amount, or exclude it altogether.

Scuffins

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 ounces), plus 2 tablespoons for buttering muffin cups
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour (4 1/2 ounces)
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour (3 ounces)
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal or wheat germ (1 ounce)
• 3 tablespoons light brown or raw sugar (2 ounces), plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 egg
• ⅓ cup whole milk
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup fruit jam, conserves, preserves or fruit butter (do not use jelly or marmalade)

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a microwave or over very gentle heat. Using a pastry brush, butter the cups of a standard-size (3 1/2-ounce-capacity) 12-cup muffin tin. Let each coat of butter cool, then apply another coat; continue until the 2 tablespoons are all used.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter, add to dry ingredients and mix with a fork until just combined.
3. In another bowl, whisk together egg, milk and cream. Add to dry ingredients and mix to combine (the dough will be quite sticky).
4. Reserving about a quarter of the dough for topping, scoop 2 tablespoons dough into each cup. Using the back of a spoon, press dough gently down into the cups. The dough will move up the sides, and there should be a shallow well in each dough cup. Don’t worry if the dough doesn’t come all the way up to the top; there should be about 1/2 inch of space between the top of the dough and the rim of the cup.
5. Spoon about 1 tablespoon jam into each well. Using your fingers, pinch remaining dough into small clumps and scatter evenly over the jam in each cup, making a bumpy topping. Sprinkle sugar over the tops.
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned. Let cool in the pan on a rack; run a blade around the sides of each scuffin before turning out.

Fall and Halloween Wreath

Fall is my favorite season for many reasons--Delicious Orchards apple cider doughnuts, pumpkin craft beer, Halloween and Thanksgiving, true running weather, The Hunt, sweaters, jeans, hoodies and sweats, the leaves, apple pie, FOOTBALL... I could go on and on. Anyway, point is I get ridiculously excited about fall. So to prepare I decided to make this simple wreath. I saw it all over the Internet, so I'm not entirely sure who to credit! 

I bought heavy felt from JoAnns on sale for $2.99. You'll also need a foam wreath form in the size of your choice; I did 12"  and you'll need some dress pins. 

Basically, you cut the felt into 3 inch rounds and fold it twice. Once in half and then in half again. Stick a pin in the bottom so you connect all 4 layers and then stick the pin into the foam. It's a lot of cutting of circles, but it's rather meditative. I like the orange because it can go for fall and then transition into Halloween with a spider and then transition into Thanksgiving with a turkey. I will also make a green one for Christmas and St. Patrick's! 

I also would like to try and make one of of dyed coffee filters or cupcake liners or newspaper or magazine... So many options! 

Finished product 

Chocolate Yogurt Banana Breakfast Shake

Thick shake that will keep you full all morning!

Blend:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp honey or agave
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of cinnamon

Delicious!

Pregnancy 3rd Trimester Magic Shake!

When I was pregnant with Maddox, I drank this shake every day in the 3rd trimester. Baby came with an easy delivery, so I'm going to pretend that this shake had something to do with it. :) They say eating 6 dates a day is great for preparing your body for labor and delivery... 

Plus, it's absolutely delicious!

1 frozen banana

1 cup almond milk (vanilla or chocolate were great, preferred vanilla)

1 raw medjool date

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 big pinch cinnamon

Blend and enjoy the awesomeness!

   

Chicken Mole: Slow Cooker

A while back I saw 10th Avenue Burrito's YouTube clip from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Ever since then, I've wanted to try and make my own mole sauce. I went to the restaurant to taste theirs, because the clip just made my mouth water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4wqNRjKBkw

I mean, seriously. The amount of ingredients...

But I found their pork mole to be a bit bland. Maybe I was expecting a 4th of July in my mouth due to all the amazing ingredients, but I thought their signature dish was just, "eh."  Perhaps it's the lack of sauce? The wait time from kitchen to plate? Regardless, I wanted to try and make my own.

I found this recipe at: http://www.honeygheeandme.com/2013/03/crock-pot-chicken-mole-simple-html/


As per that website:

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs. chicken (I used 2 breasts & 2 thighs- bone-in, skins removed)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp ghee (or butter)

1 medium onion, chopped (2 cups)

4 cloves garlic, minced (1 tbsp)

5 large whole tomatoes, skins removed- see how-to below (or 1 can whole tomatoes)

5 dried New Mexico chilies, chopped

1/4 cup almond butter (unsalted, crunchy or smooth are fine- keep in mind chunky adds a crunch to the finished product)

2.5 ounces dark chocolate (I used Trader Joe’s salt & pepper chocolate, see photo above)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp guajillo chili powder

1 tsp salt

So, this is how the magic happens...

First you chop the onion and garlic and saute it in 1 tbsp of butter. Then add that to the crock pot. Using the same skillet, this time on high, add the other tbsp of butter. Rub the chicken down with salt and pepper and saute about 3 minutes per side. I used 2 lb of chicken thighs. Add to crock pot.

I used canned Italian whole peeled tomatoes since it's not exactly tomato season here in Jersey. I added the can to the crock pot. 

As for the chile peppers... Great article that I found. Yes, I research my dinners. http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/content/files/00%20winter.pdf

"New Mexico chilies" just didn't cut it for me. So I went to the international section and managed to find 2 out of the 3 mole chiles. I used 2 mulato and 2 pasilla, both chopped after discarding the seeds. I also have no idea how hot this dish will be, but so much of the heat is in the seeds so I figured I could always add more heat later if I needed to. I couldn't find the ancho chile peppers, but I thought 66.6% was okay. Add to crock pot. 

I used crunch almond butter, and just eyeballed it. Which means it was more like half a cup. 

I also used ghiradelli dark chocolate. Not because I'm a snob, because it was on sale. 2 oz. 

Then I added the dry spices. I also threw in half a box of raisins, since that's traditional, but not included in this recipe. Be careful with raisins. People think they are healthy, but their sugar content is off the charts. I didn't add tortilla strips though, which is also traditional...

Now, I could have blended this all up, and I still might with my immersion blender. I like having the option. But I think it cooks down enough that it's not really necessary. I set it to low for 6 hours and it smells and tastes delicious! So many flavors... Highly recommend. 

Pasta Fagioli

This recipe comes from: http://www.italianfoodforever.com/2012/01/pasta-e-fagioli/ I am posting it here because it is by far the closest thing I have ever made to my grandmother's famous pasta fagioli. Now, if you're the type of person who likes the variety that comes from Olive Garden, just know that this is very, VERY different. And it's delicious. And the best thing in the world to eat on a cold, snowy night.

My additions: My grandmother's secret: always add the celery LEAVES. Also, I didn't add the carrot. My grandmother never put carrots in her pasta fagioli. I also didn't add the pancetta or bacon. My grandmother would have used water, but I went with the chicken broth and loved it. Definitely use cannellini and ditalini. And do not over puree. Just enough to make the color change. I love this soup! Enjoy!



Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Large Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Large Carrot, Finely Chopped
2 Celery Stalks, Finely Chopped
1 Small Onion, Finely Chopped
1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Pancetta or Bacon (Optional)
6 Peeled, Seeded and Chopped Ripe Roma Tomatoes (or About 1 (14 Ounce) Can Chopped Tomatoes)
1 Quart Chicken Broth
2 (14 Ounce) Tins Cannellini Beans (or Equivalent, Prepared From Dried)
1 1/4 Cup Small Pasta (Tubettini or Ditalini)
1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Salt & Pepper
Dash Of Red Pepper Flakes
To Serve:
Good Quality Olive Oil
Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Chopped Parsley
Directions:

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot, then cook the onion, carrot, pancetta, and celery until soft.
Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Pour in the broth, beans and chopped tomatoes, and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove a few scoops of the bean mixture and puree or mash, then return to the pot.
Add the pasta, chopped parsley and seasonings.
Cook until the pasta is cooked al dente.
Serve in bowls topped with a drizzle of olive oil, the shaved cheese and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Indian Curry Lentil Soup: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Foreign Film and Taste Night 1

New Year's Resolution: Foreign Movie and Foreign Food Night!

We started this Friday with "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" which is a British flick that takes place in India. Currently on HBO Go, and features a star studded British cast. Great movie. So to go along with it, I made Indian Curry Lentil Soup. Delish and totally set the mood.

Found this great Indian curry lentil soup recipe online. Awesome because I already had all of the ingredients in my pantry and it was delicious. Healthy and yummy and a great start to the new year :)



3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
2 large garlic cloves
2 tbsp curry powder
1 cup green lentils
4 1/4 cups water
1 15 oz can chickpeas
1 tbsp lemon juice (I used more)
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
2 green onions and a thinly sliced lemon as garnish

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Then add half of the chopped garlic and cook for another 4 minutes--everything should be soft but not brown. Add 2 tbsp curry powder and stir until fragrant (about one minute). Add lentils and 4 cups of water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree the chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and garlic in your food processor.

Add the chickpea mixture and butter to the lentil soup and season with salt, pepper, and more curry if you like.