Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins – Healthier Version

 

The weather is finally changing and I feel like baking.

It's weekend breakfast time around here!  I've got some overripe bananas sitting around screaming for me to do something with them.  It's either smoothies or muffins!

Muffins...without a doubt.  Let's make a great flavor combination, bananas and chocolate, and make these babies a little healthier.  These muffins are a low-carb version of your usual muffin.  These total about 22 g of carbs per muffin.  You also are keeping the calories down by using low-fat yogurt, a small amount of melted of butter, and mini chocolate chips.  By using the smaller chips you save on calories but still get that chocolate bang!  I put them on the top of the muffins instead of inside so that you get a nice punch of chocolate when you take a bite.  

They are wonderful!  Kid friendly? You bet.  Hope you enjoy your weekend and try making some wonderful muffins to go along with it.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 6 servings

½ cup mashed bananas

2 Tablespoon low fat yogurt

¼ cup Splenda

1 egg

1 ½ Tablespoon butter, melted

½ teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup plus 2 Tablespoon flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

3 Tablespoon mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray a 6 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl add bananas, yogurt, Splenda, egg, butter, and vanilla.  Whisk together until blended. 

Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Stir until blended, but do not over mix.  Spoon batter in to muffin tins.  Sprinkle each muffin with a heaping teaspoon of mini chocolate chips. 

Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the pan. 

Basil Peach Chicken

I was in the store the other day roaming the fruits and vegetable section when I spotted some late summer peaches.  Oh yum!

Perfect timing as I had recently found a recipe on SouthernLiving.com that called for chicken, peaches, and basil.  I thought the combination was so unique that I regretted not making it over the summer.

But alas...I found some wonderful ripe peaches and knew my wish was about to come true.  The recipe did not disappoint.  Do you like fruit with your chicken?  This may not be typical, but the lightness of the chicken flavor is a great partner to the sweetness of the peaches.  Throw in some spicy, flavorful basil and a nice thin sauce and you have a wonderfully light meal.

This dish starts out on the stove and ends up finishing in the oven, so make sure you use an ovenproof skillet.  Best part? It's done in under 30 minutes!

If you find peaches in your store, make this dish...it's a winner!

Basil Peach Chicken 

serves 4



4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper to taste
2 T canola oil
1 shallot, small dice
1 t grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 c reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
4 large peaches, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Garnish: fresh basil leaves  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in hot oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet.

Reduce heat to medium. Add shallot to hot drippings in skillet, and saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add ginger and garlic; saute 45 to 60 seconds or until fragrant. Add basil, chicken broth, and peaches. Return chicken to skillet, and turn to coat. 

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until chicken is done.  Serve over rice or couscous.

adapted from SouthenLiving.com

My Favorite Burger: The Mushroom Swiss Burger

We're still grilling here in Southern California!

The weather is nice, still a little hot during the day.  So why not utilize this great weather with more grilled dinners.   Eating outside, with food hot off the grill.  That's what a late summer is all about.  Food, family, friends, and good times!

We love a good burger and have made many versions.  I recall a conversation with my mom about her favorite burger which was the original burger, no frills and thrills.  She used to mention all the time that her sister and brother in-law (my Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Gene) always made Bacon Cheeseburgers.  She had never had one.

After a few times mentioning this story to me about my Aunt and Uncles' Bacon Cheeseburgers, and the fact she had never had one...I decided it was time to make my mom the best bacon cheeseburger ever!  She gobbled it down in 3 seconds...okay, maybe it was 5 minutes.  Although she loved the Bacon Cheeseburger, I don't think that ever became her favorite though.

I tell you this because everyone has their own favorite hamburger.  Mine is a Mushroom Swiss Burger.  There is just something about that melted Swiss cheese and the meaty mushrooms on top of a burger.  It makes it "meatier" somehow.  I just absolutely love them.  I try to order one every now and then when we find ourselves in a good burger joint, but I don't make them at home that often.  I wonder why not?  Anyway I decided it's high time that I did!

So here's to my favorite burger!  Oh, and I served that wonderful Tomato Salad with it.....a perfect side dish.  What's your favorite burger?

Mushroom Swiss Burger

serves 4

1 lb 10% ground sirloin
1 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce (or use 2 tsp of Williams-Sonoma's Burger Starter)
salt and pepper
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 T butter
4 slices of Swiss cheese
4 kaiser rolls

Place ground beef into a bowl and add Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix to combine but don't handle too much. (use a light, light touch) Form 4 patties.  Set aside.

In a skillet over medium high heat add butter and mushrooms.  Stir and cook until soft and moisture is released.  Set mushrooms aside.  Cook patties in skillet about 7-8 minutes flipping once, until desired doneness.  (you may do this on a grill as well) Add a cheese slice to each pattie and cook 1-2 more minutes until the cheese melts.  Remove from skillet.   Add kaiser rolls to the skillet and brown 1-2 minutes.

Top buns with burgers and mushrooms.  Use additional toppings as desired.


Here are some more burgers you may enjoy:

The Best Stuffed Cheeseburger

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers

Grilled Santa Fe Burgers