Lemon blueberry muffins

INGREDIENTS:

For the muffins:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

For the lemon glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper muffin liners.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In another small bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest. Rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers until fragrant.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk. Mix until combined. Add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Gently stir in the blueberries.
• Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let muffins cool on a wire rack.
• While the muffins are cooling, make the lemon glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins. Let the muffins sit until the glaze sets. Serve!

Mexican Quinoa Chili

I made this at the beach last summer.  It is tasty and my kids will eat it, so that's a plus.
https://damndelicious.net/2014/04/09/one-pan-mexican-quinoa/

Thai Crunch Salad

This salad was my favorite at the "Favorite Foods" Christmas dinner 2016.  I add cooked quinoa and whole peanuts and sometimes cooked chicken to make it a meal salad.
Link to original blogger https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/thai-crunch-salad-with-peanut-dressing.html

For the Thai Peanut Dressing

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

For the Salad

• 4 cups chopped Napa cabbage or shredded coleslaw mix (I like to toss in a little shredded red cabbage for color)
• 1 cup prepared shredded carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded (or it makes the salad too watery) and thinly sliced
• 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
• 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients except for the cilantro in a blender and process until completely smooth. Add the cilantro and blend for a few seconds until the cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. For the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. If serving right away, drizzle the peanut dressing over top and toss; otherwise, serve the dressing on the side so the salad doesn't get soggy.

Lasagna Soup (vegetarian)

This seemed easier to make than lasagna, and maybe tastier too.

1 yellow onion, diced
1/4 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, diced
1 tbsp oregano
1 zucchini, cubed
5-10 mushrooms, sliced
28 oz of diced tomatoes and/or pasta sauce (I used 1 can of tomatoes and about 1/2 jar of pasta sauce)
5 c. chicken broth
 4 lasagna noodles, broken into 2 inch pieces
2 c.  shredded mozzarella cheese
 ground turkey or beef (optional)

Spray the bottom of a soup pot with cooking oil. Saute onion and salt in pan until soft. Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms and drizzle with 2 T of olive oil. Add oregano and cook on medium heat until vegetables are soft. Add tomato products and broth, bring to a simmer. Add pieces of pasta, cook 10 minutes until soft. Mix in cheese until melted. Serve.

If you want to add meat, I'd add it with the garlic and cook until browned, before you add the vegetables.

Apple Pie Recipe, never leave me again.

Combine 1/4 c apple juice, 1/2 brown sugar, 2 T corn starch, 1 tsp cinnamon

Add 4-5 large apples, cut into pieces, mix everything together and put in crust.

Dot with 4T butter (cut into pieces, room temperature)

Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 T. cocoa (we like to use special dark)
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
4 T. oil
2 t. vanilla
2 c. nuts (optional)
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
3 1/2 c. hottest tap water
vanilla ice cream

Heat oven to 350°.
Mix flour, sugar, 4 T cocoa, baking powder and salt in ungreased 9x13 pan. Mix in milk, oil and vanilla with fork until smooth. Stir in nuts, if using. Spread in pan.
Sprinkle with brown sugar and 1/4 c. cocoa. Pour hot water over batter.
Bake 40 minutes.
While warm, spoon into dessert dishes and top with ice cream. Spoon sauce from pan onto each serving.

Gordon's Balsamic Glaze for vegetables

~1/3 to 1/2 bottle of balsamic vinegar

2 or 3 tablespoons sugar or honey or both

~1/2 t salt

~2 T orange juice (or maybe lemon w/ more sugar)

Mix together and cook on the stove until it's reduced to about 1/2 the starting volume. Taste as you go and adjust ratios until you like it. There's a good chance I underestimated how much sugar I put in. 

Sage:

Lightly brown a little butter (~1/2 T), then add a handful of whole fresh sage leaves, fry until they're crisp

Vegetables:

I used brussels sprouts and special selection baby sweet potatoes. Chop into roughly equal sized pieces, spread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and a little salt, stir so they're coated, and roast at 350 for 30-40 min until done, turning once midway through. Pour balsamic glaze on top, add the sage, and stir it all together.