Small Batch: Orange Pecan Sour Cream Muffins

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Make your weekend breakfast special by making a bakery style treat that's bursting with orange flavor and a bit of crunch from good ole southern pecans.

Last weekend MGG and I decided that we needed to get away for a bit and look at some different scenery. So off we went traveling up the coast for a little day trip. We ended up not far from home in the town of Ventura which is on the coast just north of us.

We spent some time in the quaint downtown playing tourist, which was so much fun.  We took a tour of the Ventura Mission which had a beautiful courtyard and garden which we relaxed in before touring the mission itself and learning of the history around the building of this mission.

After the mission we found a cute local bakery and decided to stop in for coffee and a muffin.  This is where I discovered their Orange Sour Cream Muffins that were so light and tender we instantly fell in love.  Being from a state that grows a LOT of citrus it was only natural to pick an orange muffin.  I knew then that I had to recreate this muffin at home.

This led to my version with a southern spin; Orange Pecan Sour Cream Muffins were born!  These bakery style muffins come out tender from the use of the sour cream.  The orange flavoring is a nod to living in California and I added some pecans for crunch that speak to my parent's Southern upbringing.  Combined together you get a muffin that is light yet homey.  A wonder combination that the whole family will love.

I must say that my version might be "a tad" better than that bakery in Ventura.  I've been making muffins my whole life and these are a new favorite.  I've made a small batch for you here which makes 6 muffins, because, who wants 12 muffins all the time?  A small batch is perfect to feed the family and have few left over.

Try something new this weekend with Orange Pecan Sour Cream Muffins.  Please come back after you make them cause I'd love to hear what you think!  

Enjoy!

Additional muffin recipes:

Bakery Style Banana Nut Muffins

Peaches and Cream Muffins

Simple Blueberry Muffins

Raspberry Sour Cream Muffins

Marshmallow Muffins

Orange Pecan Sour Cream Muffins

Makes 6

1 cup flour
1/2 Tbls baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar 
1 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbls canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla or orange extract
1/2 tsp orange zest
3 Tbls fresh orange juice
1/4 pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 6 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners.

In a medium bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. In another small bowl lightly beat egg. Add in sour cream, oil, extract, zest and orange juice. Beat slightly to mix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until moistened. Do not over mix. Fold in pecans.

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Farmers Market Bounty Summer Vegetable Soup with Chicken

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Soup in the Summer?  Heck yea!

Soup is not just for winter my friends.  A good soup can be enjoyed all.year.long.  So why not take advantage of the farmer's market bounty of fresh vegetables!  That's just what I did last weekend.

My girlfriend and I went to check out the Farmer's Market held in Calabasas.  Of course we picked the hottest weekend to go, and even though we went early it was smoldering hot at 9am!  Not to be deterred we plunged in among the sea of stands where local farmers were selling the best fresh fruits and vegetables.  Armed with a large shopping bag I intended to get a variety of fresh summer veggies to make a wonderful soup that evening.  Boy did I hit the jackpot!

FARMERS MARKET BOUNTY SUMMER VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CHICKEN 

Just look at this bounty!  I couldn't resist the tempting fruit as well, and totally overloaded my bag.  So bearing the heat and the crowd I would say this shopping spree was a huge success!  I love the variety of items at the Calabasas Farmer's Market, so if you are in the area on a Saturday morning, put this on your list.

My Farmers Market Bounty Summer Vegetable Soup with Chicken is all about fresh veggies, with a little chicken added for protein.  7 types of crisp, fresh from the farm, vegetables are the star of this dish! Cook them in a hearty chicken broth, laced with herbs, and add some tender roasted chicken and you have one healthy summer soup!

Why not take advantage of summer's fresh vegetables and make your family a healthy hearty dinner that's on the table in 45 minutes.  Everyone will love the flavors and the freshness. 

I'm also sharing with you a little trick to add extra flavor in the soup.  It will taste as if the soup has been cooking all day.  The secret is to add a little concentrated stock base such as this one.  It gives you the boost that you need to create that long simmered flavor.  Shhhh! don't tell anyone, they'll never know you weren't slaving away all day for this awesome soup!

Three cheers to the wonderful farmers that bring such fresh and delicious quality vegetables!!!  It's so appreciated, and our tummys thank you too!

Enjoy!

Farmers Market Bounty Summer Vegetable Soup with Chicken

1 medium sweet onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2  stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water

1 - 1 1/2 tsp chicken stock (such as Knorr Chicken Homestyle Stock)
1/2 lb. 2-inch-diameter red potatoes, quartered
1/2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
1 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise, and cut into thick slices

1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, and cut into thick slices
2 cups coarsely shredded cooked fresh chicken meat (light and/or dark meat)
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a Dutch oven or large stock pan cook onion and celery in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally. Add garlic and cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, beans, and squashes. Return to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the chicken meat, tomato, thyme, sage, and pepper. Heat through about 10 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls.



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Incredibly Simple Turkey Taco Meat

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Tomorrow is Taco Tuesday, so let's change it up and try something other than you basic ground beef tacos!

Let's make TURKEY tacos!  But not just any turkey taco.  This dish is really easy to make and will become your basic turkey taco meat go-to recipe!

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE TURKEY TACO MEAT

Everyone love tacos, but let's face it, during the week we want something quick and easy.  Grilling isn't always and option and takes a little more time.  Ground turkey is not only quick and easy to cook it place a healthy spin on dinner-in-a-hurry.  Oh, and it's delicious too!

You will have juicy tender turkey tacos spiced up with bold Mexican flavors on the table in less then 30 minutes.  Guaranteed!  This turkey taco meat is a great base to have in your recipe arsenal.  You can add lots of mix-ins to make it your own, but getting the basic recipe down is key.  

This is a saucy taco meat.  So let's ditch the taco seasoning packet and flavor this baby up with some of our spice cabinet favorites.  With the addition of tomato sauce the meat turns into a wonderful saucy mess, bursting with bold flavors.  The perfect taco meat!

Kitchen Note:  Make a big batch and freeze some for later.  It will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.

To serve we fried up some corn torillas to make crunchy taco shells.  You could go for soft tacos or just warmed corn torillas for a street taco experience.  It all works and the taste is outstanding!

Enjoy your Taco Tuesdays!

Incredibly Simple Turkey Taco Meat

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 oz can no-salt added tomato sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

For Tacos:

Taco shells
Taco toppings of choice

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground turkey, onion.  Cook, 5-7 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces as you go.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, and cayenne if using.  Cook for about 30 seconds until the mixture is blended and the spice start to give off a fragrance.

Add the tomato sauce and turning the heat to medium-low, simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve, or portion into freezer safe containers and freeze once cooled, up to 3 months.