Cheese and Veggie Muffins

A pleasant surprise and a great opportunity...

The plan was to make this with my 7 year old, but with all this cooking, my 3 year old has developed an ear for the sound of flour being poured. As soon as she walks by and sees a chair pulled up to the counter, she MUST be part of it: "Oh...Can I help?"

I think that if she hadn't helped, she would not even have taken the 2 "picky foodie" bites that she did take.

Cheese and Veggie Muffins

Great with a little butter or cream cheese. Very fluffy texture.

Ingredients:

• 2 loose cups of grated cheese (Gruyere, mozzarella, cheddar or whatever you like)
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 1/4 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup of milk
• 3/4 cup of corn kernels
• large handful of baby spinach/ chopped and fresh
• 1/2 zuchini shredded 
• pepper to taste
• can add a fresh basil leaf on top

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Mix flour, cheese, baking powder, salt and pepper, and veggies.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and milk.
• Make a well in the flour mixture, add all the other ingredients and mix until combined.
• Spoon into greased muffin tray, pop a basil leaf on top of each, and bake for 25 min. or until the tops are golden brown. 

Enjoy!

Hungarian mushroom soup

Hungarian Mushroom Soup...

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cups chopped onions 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced 2 teaspoons dried dill weed 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt ground black pepper to taste 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

1.	Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
2.	In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.	Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.

From: allrecipes.com

Chia Seed Yogurt

I take no credit for this. I tasted it at a friend's house and had to have some more. So easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of plain greek yogurt
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 3 tbsps of honey
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• Fresh raspberries

Directions:

• Whisk the yogurt, coconut milk, chia seeds, honey and vanilla together. Then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Pour into serving cups and top with a few raspberries.
• Refrigerate for a few hours...
• Love the texture. Great breakfast or dessert. 

Guacamole... Green is GOOD!

Guacamole is a great food for kids to help with.

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados

1 medium sized tomato diced finely
1/4 red onion finely chopped
3 tbsps of lemon juice
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp of cumin (secret ingredient)
1 tsp of kosher salt
Black pepper

Mash and serve with tortilla chips!

From: adapted from foodnetwork.com

The Best Ceasar Dressing Ever...

Homemade Ceasar Salad Dressing...

To be poured over Romaine lettuce with croutons and Parmesan cheese!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 2 tbsps of Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp of Dijon Mustard
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp of red wine vinegar
• 3 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp of anchovy paste (the secret ingredient)

Mix and pour...

Mini Quiche Improv!

So this time, I wanted to try using Crescent Rolls as the base for these cupcakes. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 Pillsbury Crescent Roll (makes 24)
• 1/2 cup of finely diced red onions
• 1/2 cup of sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of finely diced pepper
• 10 kalamata olives, finely chopped
• a few diced cooked green beans
• 2 tbsps of chopped parsley
• 6 eggs
• 1 and 3/4 cup of milk
• 3 cups of white cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Set out each crescent roll in greased muffin tin
• Mix all ingredients and pour into each crescent roll (2/3 full)
• Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 375F

Pepperoni Chips!

So I'm not particularly excited about this one but I think it's worth sharing. Any turkey bacon or pepperoni, on paper towels, in the microwave can turn it into chips. For kids who eat no meat, this can be a friendly way to introduce that meaty, chewy taste. 15 seconds in the microwave, 2 to 3 times in a row. Then let them cool and you have some salty, crispy, meaty chips. You can even crumble them over cream cheese on a cracker or over your salad. 

Carrot and Dill Salad...

You can find these colorful carrots at TJ's and they are delicious!

I used my pressure cooker this time for the carrots. I took a chance on overcooking them to figure out the timing. Turns out that, once the pressure is on, 6 minutes in the pressure cooker, for whole carrots cut in half, is perfect!

Once they cooled, I sliced them up with a wavy slicer, added a little olive oil, salt and dill, and VOILA! Oh, and a little lemon juice would also be awesome. 

Fast, Colorful and Healthy!

I have had some success just presenting something pretty and saying: "Just eat the bits you want!"
It decreases the pressure of having to eat food they don't want to try and it allow me to expose them to something new on their plate mixed with something they like.
So for this salad:

INGREDIENTS:
* One package of 2 minute grains (Red spring wheat berries, quinoa, farro and barley with tomato, onions and peppers) from Grain & Simple - Thank You Costco
* 4 Carrots, boiled and chopped
* 1 cup of spinach steamed
* 2 beets, cooked and chopped into chunks
* 2 tbsps of olive oil
* 1 tbsp of lemon juice
* 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
* Salt and Pepper



After microwaving the grains, let them cool before mixing with all other ingredients. Mix well and serve at room temperature...
ENJOY!!!

My Meatloaf Cupcakes Are A Hit!

Meatloaf Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 cup carrots, finely diced
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1-1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs
2 cups mashed potatoes
From www.sixsisteersstuff.com

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté for 2 minutes.
Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. I found that it was easiest to just use my hands to make sure that all the ingredients were completely incorporated.
Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray- each cup will be filled to the top. Top each meatloaf with about 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees.
Let the cupcakes cool. In the meantime, put the mashed potatoes into a pastry bag (or a ziploc bag with the corner cut off) with a wide star tip or circular tip and pipe the mashed potatoes on top of the meatloaf.  Sprinkle with bacon bits and green onions.