Plum Muffins

Tags

cinnamon, cream cheese, muffin, plum, yogurt

A few weeks ago, I was dog/house sitting for my parents while they went on a trip to Hawaii. Lucky them! I therefore had a lot of time on my hands. I was at my parents, an hour and a half from my place, with nothing to do and noone to hang out with other than my parents’ dogs! Needless to say I had a LOT of time on my hands. So what’s a girl to do? Why not make muffins! Lots of them! Some of what I made was by request, and the rest was based on what I had on hand and what would expire before my parents go back, such as the strawberry muffins.

As for the plums that went into these muffins, there is a large tree in the backyard that had so many ripe plums just waiting to be picked. Normally, I just eat plums straight. They’re so good and so hard to resist as a quick snack, but I was determined to find some ways to use them in recipes. I found many options and I didn’t have a chance to try everything I wanted to. Thankfully, I had a chance to make these muffins. Again, I used what I had on hand and I had part of a cream cheese block leftover after making creamy taco mac so I substituted that for some of the butter and yogurt. Cinnamon added a hint of spice to give the muffins a little something extra. They came out wonderfully and were a big hit with the neighbors, who to sample the variety of muffins made! 🙂 So if you ever find yourself with some plums laying around, why not make muffins! And don’t worry, there will be one more muffin recipe on the way soon. 😉One Year Ago: Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Plum Muffins
Yield: 18 muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1½ cups chopped plums, about 5 plums
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling tops (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with cooking spray; set aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until blended and smooth. Add sugar and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the yogurt, beating until incorporated; batter will be thick. Gently fold in the plums.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with coarse sugar, if using. Bake for 8 minutes and then decrease oven temperature to 375 degree F and bake for about 12 more minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan before removing and cooling completely.

Source: Adapted from  Strawberry Muffins

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Strawberry Muffins

Tags

lemon, muffins, strawberry, yogurt

For many people, the school year has begun yet again. That means early mornings with rushed breakfasts, and quick afternoon snacks on the go. What could be better than muffins! The perfectly portable treat! 🙂 These muffins happen to be strawberry, and I realize that strawberries aren’t really in season anymore but I’m sure there are still some good ones out there. Even if they are less than perfect, that just means they’re perfect for baking to really help pull out their sweetness. Besides, the plump, juicy, sweet strawberries are so hard to resist just popping in your mouth until oops, they’re all gone! But I digress… These muffins are a perfect vessel for strawberries, or any fruit really. They have a tender crumb, but are still sturdy without being overly dense. (They are normally very domed like bakery muffins, but my mom’s oven was apparently having some issues which explains why things weren’t quite baking right when I was there.) They also have a slight hint of lemon which adds to the fresh flavor. So give yourself and your family a treat and try these strawberry muffins!One Year Ago: Strawberry Lemonade Icebox Pie

Strawberry Muffins
Yield: 18 muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon lemon extract
1½ cups plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1½ cups chopped strawberries
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling tops (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with cooking spray; set aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, lemon extract, and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the yogurt, beating until incorporated; batter will be thick. Gently fold in the strawberries.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with coarse sugar, if using. Bake for 8 minutes and then decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for about 12 more minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan before removing and cooling completely.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce

Tags

chicken, dill, garlic, Greek, lemon, oregano, yogurt

The weather we’ve been having lately is crazy. It’s cold and feels like fall one day, then the next day it’s warm again and feels like summer is coming back! We’re in one of the weird heat waves right now, so while it is not scorching hot, I don’t really want to use the stove. Hurray for the grill! This recipe is perfect for summer, or for the middle of winter when a craving for summer sets in. I have an iron cast griddle that I bought and it’s perfect for indoor grilling. I highly recommend it… perfect for grilling in the winter when it’s too cold or wet to go outside!

Now this recipe is a fun little Greek recipe. I haven’t had much in the way of Greek food before, and this is the first time I’ve actually made it myself. It’s very simple to make, and simple in flavors. The lemon, oregano, and olive oil are a classic Greek flavor combination and it is absolutely delicious! And once again, skewers are such a fun way to serve up food! They allow you to eat right off the skewer, or serve it up Greek-style in a pita.

Tzatziki sauce is another Greek treat. It can be served with souvlaki, as in this recipe, or it can be an appetizer served with bread or crackers. So if you feel like trying something a little different, give this a try!Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce

Souvlaki:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray

Tzatziki Sauce:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
½  cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
¼ teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper

To make the souvlaki: In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, oregano, olive oil, salt, and garlic. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate chicken in refrigerator for 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, turning once.

Remove chicken from bowl and discard marinade. Thread the chicken and zucchini onto skewers, alternating  between the chicken and the zucchini.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Add the skewers and cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once.

To make the tzatziki sauce: Combine yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, dill, and salt. Stir well and add ground pepper to taste.

Serve the tzatziki sauce as a dipping sauce for the chicken and zucchini, or use as a sauce in a pita with the chicken and zucchini, along with tomatoes and onions.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light and Two Peas & Their Pod