Bakery Style Banana Nut Muffins

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My love of muffins runs way back to my childhood in which mom would make the best muffins on the weekend.  I mastered that recipe at an early age and still use it today.

As I got older muffins still played a major roll in my breakfast repertoire.  I remember two specific muffins that I can't seem to forget.  I used to work in the MGM Plaza and they had a small coffee shop that everyone frequented before work, or on break.  Along with the coffee, as many Starbuck's and Coffee Bean's do today, they had pastries for purchase as well.  The main item here were big bakery style muffins.

BAKERY STYLE BANANA NUT MUFFINS

So I frequented this coffee house A LOT..and always got a muffin for breakfast.  My two favorite muffins were a Cranberry Walnut muffin and a Banana Nut muffin.  Man was I in heaven anytime I ate one of those muffins.  Moist as can be, and the flavor was heaven.

So being wintery here over the weekend (rain, yea!) I decided it was time to try and re-create one of those muffins.  First up was the Banana Nut version.   Some deep memory recall was in order to get the flavor just right and I do say I hit it on the head!

Bakery Style Banana Nut Muffins are moist and full of spice and earthy walnuts.  They are big beautiful muffins that will make your home smell wonderful as the aroma fills the kitchen.  MGG certainly came running when he smelled these and immediately asked "What smells so good...and will it go with my coffee?"  Haha!  Of course these wonderful muffins go well with coffee, or tea, or milk. 

Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a snack these are the great warming winter muffin to enjoy. 

I hope you try these soon and enjoy them as much as I did.  Enjoy!


Kitchen Note:  I had enough batter to make 6 regular sized muffins that I filled to the top so they would turn out large, and about 5 or 6 mini muffins on the side.  If you make minis with the leftovers be sure to adjust the cooking time down for those items.





Bakery Style Banana Nut Muffins

Yield:  6 large muffins, plus some batter leftover to fill 1-2 more, or 5 minis

1 large ripe banana, mashed
1 large egg
1/2 c 2% milk
1/4 c canola oil
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 c walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl mash the banana.  Add the egg, milk, and oil.  Mix together using a spatula to completely incorporate.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Stir just until combined.  Do not over mix.  Fold in the walnuts, leaving a few back to place on the tops of the muffins.

Using a scoop, add batter to the individual muffin tins.  Add the remaining walnuts on the tops of each muffin.  Bake 18-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes in the tin.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Greek Style Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

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Nothing says comfort like a hearty bowl of chicken soup.

Winter is the time to use all the citrus you can.  Lemons are in abundance right now and they brighten up any dish.  So if you are a little under the weather, or just want hot comfort food on a cold day turn to my Greek Style Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup. 

This soup is full of hearty vegetables and tender chicken in a bright lemony broth.  This is sooooo comforting it will satisfy you any night of the week.  PLUS, it's easy to make!

GREEK STYLE LEMONY CHICKEN AND ORZO SOUP

If you have some leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken handy you can throw this soup together in about 30-45 minutes.  That's perfect for a weeknight meal!

I cooked the pasta separately and added it to the soup at the end so that it doesn't absorb all the broth.  I've found out the hard way that this tiny pasta can really drink up all your broth!  Also, the lemon and fresh parsley are added at the end as well for a bright and fresh finish.  To flavor the broth even more I added whole sprigs of rosemary and thyme.  Make sure that you watch them and take them out before the rosemary falls off from the stems.  (Another lesson learned on one of my previous soups!)  I just don't like the hard woody stems floating around in my broth. (I'm picky that way)

I used my multi-purpose pot to make the soup.  It's large enough to hold it all well and cooks evenly.  I love this pot and use it with many of my dishes.  You can find it here.

Serve this with my Simple Garlic Cheese Bread for a great side dish.  With the flavors of Parmesan and garlic these make great dippers for your soup. 

Kitchen Tip:  #1 The cooked orzo is added just before serving. If added to the soup earlier, it will absorb too much of the broth and become mushy.
#2 Only keep the sprigs of rosemary and thyme in the simmering broth for about 10 minutes and then remove before they separate from their stems.


Enjoy!




Greek Style Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

serves 6

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, sliced or diced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
4 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1/2 cup dry orzo pasta
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
salt and black pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat sweat your onions, celery, carrots and garlic until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add broth, water, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary sprigs.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside.

Add in chicken and orzo.  Simmer until chicken is heated through.  About 10 minutes.  Add parsley, zest and lemon juice right before serving.  Season with salt and pepper as well.

Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast with Garlic Thyme Gravy

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It's a new year and everyone is looking toward eating healthy.  Did you make that resolution again?  It's one I strive toward each year (sometimes I'm better than others, but it's a work in progress!)  So whether your hitting the gym or taking some long walks, let your slow cooker do the cooking and help you get dinner on the table quickly.  

Today we're making a simple, delicious and healthy recipe (low calorie/low carb) which can be prepped before you leave in the morning.  After work, or a day of running errands or attending the kids sports activities, dinner’s ready with just a few finishing touches

I have to say that Pot Roast is a good 'ole All-American dish.  There is always something comforting about meat and potatoes and a roast braised in a wonderful sauce takes it over the top!

Nothing compares to my Mom's Famous Pot Roast which braises in the oven, slow and low, for hours.  It's the best, but this Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast with Garlic Thyme Gravy is a great variation on a classic.

I found this wonderful recipe in my Cuisine at Home, Slow Cooker Menus magazine and knew right away it would be a winner.  The best thing about it...made in a slow cooker. Um hello?  Easy...!  The best part about the dish is the gravy that it makes.    The flavors of garlic, thyme, wine, and beef broth lend a whole other dimension to this post roast, elevating this to a company worthy meal!  I would say this is an Italian take on a pot roast.

SLOW COOKER CLASSIC POT ROAST WITH GARLIC THYME GRAVY

You need a good sized 4-6 qt slow cooker for this recipe.  I've mentioned many times that my favorite slow cooker is the Breville Risotto Plus which I used today.  It's such a convenience with all the different functions it has.  This recipe calls for browning the meat in a skillet, place it in the slow cooker, and then deglaze the skillet and add the gravy ingredients before adding to the slow cooker.  Since my slow cooker has a sauté feature I used that instead of a separate skillet, allowing me to do all these steps in my slow cooker.  Easy to do, and less clean up! Follow my lead if you have a multi-cooker and if you don't (get one!) follow the directions below in the recipe.

Kitchen Tip: #1 (by Cuisine at Home)  Boneless beef chuck roast is ideal for this recipe; the tough meat becomes tender and succulent when cooked with moisture for a long time. Trim away as much fat as possible to keep the sauce from becoming greasy.  #2 This dish has a distinct wine flavor.  If you don't enjoy that flavor or are serving kids, you can omit it and substitute with additional beef broth.  #3 To prep ahead, cut the vegetables the night before and place them in a bag in the frig.

Out of the slow cooker comes a succulent piece of roast that just falls apart with a fork.  Tender onions, celery and carrots that have soaked in the delicious gravy are perfect on the side.  We served this with a side of mashed potatoes and used the gravy over both the meat and the potatoes.  I loved this dish but think that a red wine might give it a more full bodied flavor.  I'll try that variation next.  You choose which ever you like best and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!






Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast with Garlic Thyme Gravy

adapted from Cuisine at Home Slow Cooker Menus
serves 6

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 4–5 hours (high heat) 8–9 hours (low heat)

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 3–4 lb. boneless beef chuck  roast, trimmed, seasoned with salt and pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
11/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2  cups sliced onions
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces (I used baby carrots)
3 large celery ribs, cut into  2- to 3-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides, 10 minutes total. Transfer roast to a 4- to 6-qt. slow cooker. Stir flour into pan; cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.

Deglaze sauté pan with wine, cooking until liquid evaporates. Stir in broth and Worcestershire; bring mixture to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.

Transfer broth mixture to the slow cooker; add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and cook until meat is fork-tender, on high-heat setting for 4–5 hours or on low-heat setting for 8–9 hours. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves before serving.

Nutrition:  Per serving: 427 cal; 15g total fat (4g sat); 100mg chol; 251mg sodium; 15g carb; 2g fiber; 53g protein