From the time we were children singing, "Oh do you know the Muffin Man", we have loved muffins. For some the day doesn't start until they've had coffee and a muffin. For others, they look forward to finding a muffin in their lunchbox. Some school kids can't wait to get home for a muffin and glass of milk. We could go on and on about muffins. But perhaps the best thing to do is to simply share with you this recipe for a delicious muffin known as a Fudgy Peanut Butter Chips Muffin. This recipe is chock full of good ingredients so how can it keep from being good' And it's made with some healthy ingredients like applesauce and oats to make it even better!
FUDGEY PEANUT BUTTER CHIP MUFFINS
1/2 cup applesauce 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats 1/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1 egg 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 cup peanut butter baking chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners; set aside.
Stir together the applesauce and oats; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until well blended. Add the applesauce-oat mixture; blend in well. Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend together well. Stir in the chips. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter.
Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
Note: For an additional touch, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
Got a hankering for chili, but tired of the same old bean chili you've had countless times? Good. It's time to shake things up a little and try something different to get your taste buds excited. Here are four unique recipes for chili that will give your chili cravings some much needed variety.
=> Pumpkin Chili Mexicana
The sweet, earthy taste of pumpkin takes this dish to a whole other level of savory goodness.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1/2 cup onion, chopped, 1 cup of red or green pepper, chopped, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, 1 pound of ground turkey, 2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained, 1-3/4 cups pumpkin puree, 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce, 1 (15-1/4 oz.) can kidney beans, drained, 1 (4 oz.) can green chilies, diced, 1/2 cup whole kernel corn, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add in the onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender.
Add in the turkey meat and cook until browned; drain.
Add in the tomatoes with juice, pumpkin puree, tomato sauce, beans, chilies, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
=> Memphis Barbecue Shrimp Chili
Here's a very unique chili recipe that comes straight out of the Memphis barbecue tradition. The consistency will be very soup like and is meant to be served over rice or French bread.
1-1/2 pounds medium shrimp, 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, 1-1/2 cups of barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, 1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 lemon, sliced very thin, white rice and or French bread.
Peel and thoroughly clean the shrimp.
In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter and oil. Cook the garlic until it's nice and soft.
Add in the shrimp and cook until pink.
Add in the barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, liquid smoke, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and chili powder.
Simmer all for 10 minutes. Add in the parsley and lemon slices. Continue to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
Serve chili over white rice and/or French bread.
=> Italiano Chili Con Carne
Italian meets Southwestern in this easy-to-make chili dish.
1 green pepper, 6 to 8 large onions, 1 pound ground beef, 1 medium can of tomatoes, 1 can of kidney beans, 1 can of spaghetti sauce.
In a skillet, cook the ground beef until brown; drain.
Dice up the green peppers and onions and add to a saucepan. Add in the cooked beef and the tomatoes. Let simmer until all ingredients are well done. Add in the beans and spaghetti sauce; heat thoroughly.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar.
=> Picante Cincinnati Chili
This Cincinnati version is known as the sweet chili and is served over spaghetti noodles. The picante sauce adds a nice twist to this popular dish.
2 pounds of ground beef or pork, 2 large onions, chopped, 2 cloves of garlic, minced, 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce, 1 can picante sauce, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 to1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 2 bay leaves, 1 pound thin spaghetti, cooked.
In a large Dutch oven or pot, brown the beef or pork along with the onion and garlic. Add in the remaining ingredients, except for the spaghetti and the toppings. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour; stirring occasionally.
Remove the bay leaves. Serve the chili nice and hot over the cooked spaghetti. Use toppings as desired.
For the busy cook, skillet meals or dinners can be a lifesaver. These meals are easy, quick, tasty, and combine several food groups into one pan. Clean-up is reduced which is also important to busy cooks. Here are some choices for easy skillet meals. Try the German Skillet Dinner which features ground beef, rice, and sauerkraut. Don't like German? How about a Chicken Veggie Stir-Fry?
GERMAN SKILLET DINNER
1 tbsp butter 1 can (16-oz) sauerkraut, undrained 1/2 cup uncooked rice 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 lb lean ground chuck, lightly browned and drained 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 can (8-oz) tomato sauce
In a large skillet, melt the butter. Spread the sauerkraut out evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle the rice over the sauerkraut and the onion over the rice. Top rice with the ground meat, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce. Cover skillet and cook over low heat 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Slice the chicken breasts into 1-inch strips. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when dropped onto pan. Add the oil. Place chicken in skillet and stir-fry about 5 minutes. Add the green onions and garlic; cook while stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in the salt and ginger. Add the mixed veggies and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook until vegetables are heated through. This will take about 3 to 4 minutes.
Blend the cornstarch and water together until smooth. Add to the skillet and bring to a boil. Boil until the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat and serve while hot. Serve over white rice.
