Cinnamon Flax Muffins

There is not much better, in my opinion, than a piping hot muffin with a huge glass of a cold milk. I wanted to find a muffin recipe that incorporated flax seed meal since I have a bunch sitting in my fridge but unfortunately, there aren't a lot of recipes out there with flax seed. Thankfully I came across this recipe at Your Organic Child. I modified the recipe by using more carrot and adding in sweetened coconut, which I had on hand. These muffins were soooo good. Very moist, sweet, and filling. I ate a couple for breakfast and didn't feel hungry at all until late into the afternoon. They also stay moist for several days which I've found that most muffins don't do. You could add in 1/2 cup of raisins, but my hubby despises raisins and I wanted to him to eat these, so left them out. This recipe makes 18 muffins.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill flax seed meal

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups shredded carrots

2 peeled and shredded apples

3/4 cup sweetened coconut

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, flax seed meal, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Shred carrots and apples in a food processor. Stir in carrots, apples and coconut. Combine the milk and eggs. Pour into lightly greased muffin tins (I use cooking spray) and bake for 15 - 20 minutes. 

Crunchy Almond Honey Dijon Chicken Tenders

About a month ago I joined Tasty Kitchen a website where lots of cooking bloggers (and non bloggers too!) share recipes. It's become one of my most visited sights. There are hundreds of recipes on there and I want to try just about all of them! One that I have already tried are these yummy Crunchy Almond Honey Dijon Chicken Tenders from Ashley. I took one look at the photo and recipe and made these without delay. I love honey mustard so that in itself sold me on this recipe, but the crunch of the almonds and the fact that these little guys are coated in parmesan cheese and Panko bread crumbs made them irresistible. So irresistible in fact, that I doubled the recipe and it's a good thing because my husband could not stop eating them!! 

Ingredients


4 whole skinless chicken breasts
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1 cup roasted almonds, chopped (I used slivered almonds)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons of honey
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil, to coat pan and drizzle on chicken

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and place a large sheet pan in to heat up. Meanwhile mix the bread crumbs, almonds, cheese, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish mix the mustard and honey. Cut the chicken breasts into strips. Dredge the chicken strips in the honey-mustard and then generously coat them in the almond mixture.

Place them on a separate plate until they are all done. 

When they're ready for the oven, grab your now hot pan and drizzle it with olive oil. Put all the chicken on the pan and drizzle the chicken with a little more oil. Cook until done, about 20 minutes, flipping them once half way through. 

Chicken Caesar Pizza

In college I worked at an Italian restaurant that made tremendous chicken caesar pizzas. The restaurant bakes these unique pizzas in a wood fired grill with cheese and chicken, then topped  the pizza with a caesar salad. Essentially, it's a very yummy pizza salad! When I brought this pizza home to my college roommates, we gobbled it up like a rare delicacy. Of course in those days when we lived off of instant potatoes and ramen noodles, a hot fresh homemade pizza did seem like a delicacy. Recently I've been craving the chicken caesar pizza from my college days so I set about to make my own version.

I took the easy road and used pizza dough from a box. I also used store bought reduced fat caesar dressing. The best part of this pizza for me is the pinenuts! I toasted them before hand to bring out the nutty and buttery flavor. I also added mushrooms to the pizza, which I don't believe are on the restaurant's chicken caesar pizza. 

Ingredients

Pizza dough

2 chicken breasts

1 package of mushrooms, sliced

olive oil

Fresh Parmesan cheese

2 bunches romaine lettuce

1/4 cup caesar dressing

fresh grated black pepper

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted to golden brown for 5 minutes at 350 degrees - watch these carefully!

Directions

Grill chicken and slice into bite sized pieces. Form pizza dough and spread out on pan. Drizzle olive oil on the pizza dough. Arrange chicken and mushrooms on the pizza and cover with cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 - 22 minutes, until crust is golden brown. 

While the pizza is baking cut lettuce into bite sized pieces. Mix in dressing and grate shredded cheese over the top. 

Allow pizza to cool for about 5 minutes and top with the caesar salad. Sprinkle pine nuts on the top and season with black pepper to taste. Cut and serve with a fork and knife.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Cheeseball

If you are looking for a delicious appetizer to feed lots of people, you have to try my Aunt Chris' Pineapple Cream Cheese Cheeseball. This cheeseball makes a frequent appearance at our family get togethers because it is so tasty. I made it for the first time for a potluck at work and it was a big hit! Several of my co-workers commented how impressed they were that I made a cheeseball. I had to fess up that this cheeseball is virtually effortless - you just mix all the ingredients together, shape it into a ball, roll it in walnuts and viola! You have yourself a cheeseball. I love how this cheeseball incorporates the sweetness of pineapple, the strength of green onions, the silkiness of the cream cheese, and the crunch of the walnuts. Basically, this is one primo cheeseball!

Aunt Chris' Pineapple Cream Cheese Cheesball

Special thanks to my wonderful Auntie Chris

Ingredients

2 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup chopped green onion - I used a little more since I love green onions

1 green pepper, finely chopped

1 - 2 garlic cloves, diced (go for 2!)

3/4 large can of crushed pineapple, drain well

1 cup of walnut pieces

Directions

With your hands, mix all ingredients, except the walnuts. Form into a ball. Roll into walnut pieces and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. 

Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Biscuits and Whipped Cream

Strawberry Shortcake just screams summer to me and is one of my best loved desserts. When we received a pint of huge fresh strawberries in our CSA a few weeks ago I knew it was strawberry shortcake time. I decided to make homemade biscuits and found a recipe for shortcake biscuits in a cookbook from my childhood church. I kept the homemade theme going and made a really easy whipped cream to go on top because strawberry shortcake is no good without whipped cream.

Shortcake Biscuit Recipe

From "What's Cookin' at Haven?" Church Cookbook

Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons shortening or butter (I used Crisco) 

2/3 to 3/4 cups milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening or butter. Stir in enough milk to make soft dough.

Roll out to 1 inch thickness on floured counter. 

Cut with 3 inch biscuit cutter (I do not have this so turned a glass upside down to cut out the circles). 

Bake on a cookie sheet for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with strawberries and whipped cream.

Shortcake Strawberries

Ingredients

1 pint fresh strawberries

4 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Cut the top off of the strawberries and slice into small pieces. Pour sugar over the strawberries and refrigerate.

Homemade Whipped Cream

From Cooks.com

Ingredients

1/2 pint heavy cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Whip cream until it begins to thicken, but do not allow it to get too thick and butter-like. Stir in sugar and vanilla and refrigerate.