Basic Muffin Recipe - (Lower Carb Version included)

I grew up with my mom making these muffins.  They've been a family staple for a very long time.  Mom is a great cook and always treated us to a good hot breakfast with usually either biscuits or muffins on the menu.  hmmm...I can smell them now!

This is a basic muffin recipe that I've also created a lower carb version by replacing the sugar with Splenda.  It actually reduces the carbs from 46.5 to 24.4 per serving.  Every bit helps when you are counting carbs like I am!

(NOTE:  If you want to keep the recipe "original" substitute sugar for the splenda, equal amounts.)

This recipe can be used "as is" or you can fancy it up by adding dried cherries, cranberries, orange zest, nuts, raisins, cinnamon, lemon, poppy seeds, blueberries...you name it!  But I like them like this best...just a family habit I guess.

Here we go!

You will need:  1 egg, milk, canola oil, All purpose flour, sugar (or Splenda) , baking powder, and salt.  That's it!

First you crack and egg in to a large mixing bowl, and add the oil and milk. 

Whisk until light and frothy.

Then you add the dry ingredients to the bowl.  Flour, sugar or Splenda, baking powder and salt.  Now most people will want you to add the dry ingredients in another bowl, and stir it up.....but just go ahead and add them straight in, it doesn't hurt anything!  Less to clean up the better, I always say.

Mix until moist....now this is important.  Don't over mix.  You might even think you an under mixing...but you aren't.  Trust me!

Batter should be lumpy and kinda thick.  Like this.

Now spray a non-stick muffin pan with cooking spray.  Spread the batter among the 6 muffin tins almost all the way full.  That's how I like em!

Bake in a 425 degree preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
See how pretty!!!

Enjoy these...they truly are fabulous!

Basic Muffin Recipe – Lower Carb Version included

(Carb serving per muffin net 24.4 using Splenda)

Serves 6

Cook time 20-25 min

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/4 cup Canola Oil

1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1/2 Cup sugar (or Splenda)

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

Directions:

Place egg, milk, and oil in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until light.  Add flour, splenda, baking powder, and salt.

Stir until moist.  Don’t over mix…batter should be lumpy and a little thick.

Spray a non-stick muffin pan with cooking spray.  Divide batter among the 6 muffin cups filling most of the way full.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 min.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

So every once in a while I crave food that I call "city" food.  Food unlike the southern cooking I grew up with.

Do you ever get a craving for a certain food?  Well I do and often it's lettuce wraps.  I love the ones at PF Chang's and set out trying to find a substitute that could be made at home.  I tried all sorts of yucky frozen, so called, "chicken filling for lettuce wraps"...blah - they didn't compare.

So I developed my own recipe that is quick and totally AWESOME!

I thought I had died and gone to heaven last night.
No really, I swear I heard harps when I took a bite out of these babies!

Here's the skinny of it (literally, they're healthy!)

You'll need:  oil, ground turkey, Bibb lettuce, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, hot chili sauce, sesame oil, and water chestnuts.

First, put about 1T of oil in a hot skillet.  Chop a medium onion up and throw it in the skillet with some  minced garlic.

Add the ground turkey and cook until brown, crumbling in to small pieces.

As the turkey is cooking separate and wash your lettuce leaves.  Aren't these pretty!

Once the turkey is brown, make the stir fry sauce by adding the ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce (low sodium if you have it), hoisin sauce, and the chili pepper sauce.  (You could use hot pepper flakes if you don't have this handy).

Mix the meat with the sauce until covered and cook a minute or two.

Chop about 1/2 of an 8oz can of water chestnuts.  You want them more bite size.  Add them to the turkey mixture and stir them to cover with the sauce as well.  Cook about 1 min to heat them through.  Now add the sesame oil.  This is such a great flavor enhancer...don't skip this part!

That's it for the meat.  Spoon a portion right down the middle of each leaf.  Eat it like a taco!

HEAVEN!!!  Please try these...I promise you'll hear harps...well maybe not, but you'll love them!

You can also make a quick dipping sauce by using the same sauce ingredients but changing the proportions.

Here is is.  Just spoon it over the meat once you have it plated. (Be careful this sauce is a little hot!)

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 head of Bibb lettuce separated in to leaves
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 T. minced garlic
1 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
2 t. minced ginger
1 T. rice wine vinegar
2 t. chili pepper sauce
4 oz sliced water chestnuts -- drained, chopped
2 t. sesame oil

Directions:

Add 1 T. oil to a hot skillet.  Add onion and garlic, cook 5 min until tender.  Add ground turkey, stirring often to break up the meat.

Rinse lettuce leaves, keeping them whole. Set aside to drain.

Add soy sauce, ginger, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar and chili sauce. Stir meat to cover with sauce.  Cook another minute.  Chop water chestnuts and add to the skillet.  Cook another minute to heat through. Stir in sesame oil.

Spoon meat mixture down the center of the lettuce leaf.   

Dipping Sauce

2 T soy sauce

1 T rice wine vinegar

2 T hoisin sauce

1 T. hot chili sauce

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.  Spoon over turkey mixture on lettuce leaves.