Tuesday Tastiness #5 - Basic Muffin Recipe

I was going to take a recipe-posting break this week due to all the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving Day preparations, but decided that a quick breakfast muffin recipe for those of you who may be thinking about everything BUT breakfast this week might be a great idea!

This is my basic muffin recipe using honey in place of sugar. You can create different kinds of muffins using your limitless imaginations. This week would be a great week to make PUMPKIN muffins!

Basic Muffin Recipe

2 c. flour (using any combination of white, wheat, pastry, etc. that you prefer)

1 T. baking powder (I use aluminum-free)

1/2 t. salt (I use Real Salt)

2/3 c. honey

3/4 c. milk (I use raw when possible)

1 egg (farm-fresh is best!)

1/4 c. oil (coconut or light olive are my recommendations. Possibly butter, but I've never tried it)

Possible add-ins:

Nuts -and/or-

1 c. fresh fruit (bananas/blueberries,etc.) -or-

1 c. grated cheese and 1/4 c. cooked, crumbled bacon -or-

1 c. pumpkin, 1 t. cinnamon, 1 t. nutmeg (GREAT for Thanksgiving week or anytime during the Fall!)

Stir dry ingredients together in large bowl. In another bowl, combine honey, egg (mix w/fork), milk, and oil. Mix well and add to dry ingredients and mix w/fork until moistened. (Batter will be lumpy, but don't use mixer.) Stir in your add-ins. Pour into muffin pan and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

This post linked to Real Food Wednesday over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Tuesday Tastiness #4 - Pecan Pie

What is Thanksgiving without pecan pie? And is it possible that you can make a healthy pecan pie??

In my quest for a healthier diet for my family, I have begun looking for recipes that don't include white sugar, corn syrup, and most especially high fructose corn syrup as sweeteners. I know that all sweeteners should be consumed in limited quantities, but I do have a hard time believing that "sugar is sugar so it really doesn't matter".

So - how can you make a pecan pie without corn syrup? I've got a recipe! It calls for honey (raw would be best) and real maple syrup (not maple-flavored syrup). Honey and maple syrup are sweeteners that have had less refining and are in their more natural state. I would love to do a post someday on this topic, but for today, please do some research for yourself if you are interested at all in why and how any of this even matters. And in the meantime, enjoy this wonderful pecan pie!

Pecan Pie

1 unbaked 9 " pie shell, chilled (homemade with whole wheat flour and healthy fats or oils - not Crisco - would be best)

2 T butter

3 eggs

1/2 c honey (or a little less)

1/3 c maple syrup

1 t vanilla

1 1/2 c broken pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Melt butter and let cool.  Beat eggs, then beat in honey, maple syrup and vanilla.  Add cooled butter and nuts.  Pour mix into pie shell and bake 10 minutes at 400, then reduce heat to 350.  Bake for an additional 25 minutes, until set, but not dry.  Cool to room temp before serving.

I love this pie!

This is also posted over at Cheeseslave - Real Food Wednesday


ann kroeker - Food on Fridays

Tuesday Tastiness #3 - Beef Barley Soup

I made this delicious beef barley soup last night, alongside some homemade garlic bread rolls, and thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Very, very, very tasty. And yummy, too.

As usual, I doubled the recipe (used two pots) so we could eat it for lunches throughout the rest of the week or to possibly freeze in lunch-size portions to have available later on instead of buying cans of soup at the store. (Remember we homeschool and my husband works from home, so we're always here at the house for lunch!)And there's always the option of freezing the whole extra pot for another soup supper meal later in the month, but I don't see that happening.

Beef Barley Soup

1 lb. hamburger or stew meat (I use grass-finished beef as much as possible)

4 cups beef (or chicken) broth/bone broth* (I keep these on hand in the freezer)

1/2 cup barley (dry, not cooked)

2 cups of your own frozen or canned tomatoes OR 1 14 1/2 oz. can petite-diced tomatoes

2 cups corn

1 can Rotel (we use mild)

1 carrot, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

onion, diced

1-2 cups green beans

Mrs. Dash, to taste

Salt and Pepper, to taste (approximately 1 T. salt)

Water to fill a 7-quart stock pot almost full after all ingredients are in

As always, change up the measurements to suit your family's preferences. (If you prefer more corn and less green beans or what-have-you, just make those adjustments. Soup recipes are very forgiving!)

If using stew meat, I usually put the meat on to cook in some water at least an hour before I start adding other ingredients. This helps to make the meat tender and good. After cooking the meat, but before adding the other ingredients, chop it into small pieces or shred it. (Shredding is faster and easier and I don't even have to take it out of the pot, just use two forks and pull it apart. Personally, I prefer to shred.)

If using hamburger, brown it with the onions, carrots, and celery and then add all the other ingredients.

Simmer for about an hour (or more) to blend the flavors and then enjoy your wonderful meal.

*Using homemade broth serves at least two purposes. It brings a richness to your soups that you will not get from canned broth from the store. Also, it has nutritive properties that help boost your immune system and keep your body healthy.

This post linked to The Grocery Cart Challenge

Tuesday Tastiness #2 - Easy Homemade Chili

This week's recipe is Chili!

I LOVE chili during the colder months and this is a very simple recipe that doesn't involve a lot of chopping and preparation. Easy!!

The main thing to remember is to have your beans already soaked and cooked beforehand. I usually soak them one day, cook them the next day, and they're ready to go for my chili the following day. If you are not used to soaking and cooking beans, it really is only a very few minutes of active preparation. The main difficulty is remembering early in the week that you want to make chili later in the week!

This recipe makes a pretty good-size pot. You can half it if you want, but I make the whole thing for our family so we can either eat the leftovers for lunches or freeze the leftovers for another supper meal a few weeks later. (To freeze, place in a large ziploc bag and lay it flat in your freezer to so it takes up only a small amount of space.) Can't beat that!

Easy Homemade Chili

2 lb. pkg. red beans (already cooked)*

2 lb. cooked hamburger (I try to use grass-finished beef)

2 oz. pkg. Williams Original Chili Seasoning**

16 oz. can tomato sauce (I use No Salt Added)

2 T. salt (I use Real Salt)

1 can Rotel (I use Mild)***

1 T. cumin

1 T. onion powder

1 T. garlic powder

Added water for the consistency your family prefers

Place all ingredients in a big pot and simmer for a couple of hours. Stir periodically. Top with grated cheese and chopped onions. Serve with cornbread and a salad or raw vegetables. (I am presently trying to give up Fritoes with my chili, but I love them with it! So you may see me from time to time eating Fritoes instead of the healthier homemade cornbread.) :o)

Notes:

*When I soak my beans, I add a tablespoon or so of vinegar to the soaking water to help with digestion. You can also add whey or lemon juice. Before cooking, pour off soaking water, rinse the beans and while cooking in fresh water, skim off any foam that rises to the top at the beginning of the cooking time. According to Nourishing Traditions (Sally Fallon), this "ensures that legumes will be thoroughly digestible, and all the nutrients they provide well assimilated because such careful preparation neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors and breaks down difficult-to-digest complex sugars." (Page 495 of Nourishing Traditions) I find this very interesting!

**Regarding the Williams Chili Seasoning, I use it because the package indicates there is no MSG. However, the listed ingredients are "chili peppers and other spices, garlic". This sounds good on the surface, but I have read that when the ingredients list "other spices", it could mean there is MSG in some of those other spices. I don't like MSG in my family's diet because I really believe that my headaches have been minimized because of my diligence in reducing MSG in my kitchen. I am thinking about ordering an organic chili powder from a new food co-op I have joined to eliminate the possibility of MSG in my chili seasoning! I'll let you know how that works out for me!

***Rotel probably has a similar MSG situation as Williams Chili Seasoning, but I love cooking with it. If there are any suggestions for a reasonable (affordable) substitute, I'd love to hear them! Thank you!

I hope I did not lose anyone in my discourse of details above. Healthy cooking is not as difficult as it may appear to be to those who are not used to doing it. Each Tuesday, I will try to explain the simplicity of my recipes as well as the "why" for those who may be just beginning to think about the health benefits of the meals you should be serving your family. I hope to encourage you, if you are not already making a conscious effort to improve your family's health, to pay attention to labels and details, start thinking ahead, and realize that baby steps are all that are necessary to get started!

Enjoy some good-for-you, easy homemade chili this week! I've got my beans soaking now! :o)

This post linked to Real Food Wednesday and The Grocery Cart Challenge