Pumpkin Honey Banana Nut Muffins

As September rolls in, I first want to say that I am sorry for neglecting my food blog....don't think just because I wasn't posting I wasn't cooking and eating it all up! I just have been really busy, as we all have I'm sure. Summer was filled with so much fun and so many memories this year and not a one of them I can reflect on without a big smile. But Fall always brings a new sense of liveliness for me. As the weather begins to cool and my tan begins to fade I come alive with the smells that fall brings. One of these smells is pumpkin..... May I introduce my Pumpkin Honey Banana Nut Muffins. Yes this was my first taste of Fall and if you whip up a batch I'm sure you'll agree that its a wonderful mouthful of Autumn deliciousness.

Ingredients:
2 mashed bananas
1 cup of canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
heat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin cups with liners.
This is so simple to mix....really its this easy:
Mix all of the wet ingredients together with a whisk. Then add in your dry ingredients and stir just till mixed.
 Scoop enough to fill muffin liners 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes.....watch them till centers are poofed up good. Don't over bake though or you'll dry them out!

I recommend a nice cup of Autumn inspired coffee myself with one or two (or 4 cause its just hard to stop at two!) I hope you enjoy!!!

Molten Lava fudge cakes

I've always been a chocolate lover. These were made for my son's 9th birthday and we threw a scoop of ice cream on top and then went straight to heaven. So warm and fudge!

6 oz semi sweet chocolate 

2 T unsweetened chocolate baking powder

12 T of butter

3 eggs

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/3 C flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Butter 4 ramekins generously!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Melt all chocolate and butter together Ina heat proof bowl in microwave. Go for a minute and stir and then another minute and stir.

In a separate bowl beat eggs and sugar for about 5 minutes till thick and foamy. Stir in chocolate slowly then add the salt vanilla and flour. Stir all ingredients softly together just till incorporated.

Pour even amount into 4 ramekins and place in oven for about 10 minutes. Now the longer you bake these the more done the centers will get. If you want a gooey center pull them out after 10 minutes.

You can easily dump them out and serve as is or top with a little vanilla ice cream and just go on to heaven!

Irish colcannon

Why in my 30 years have I not ever had this stuff? But every year I try a new Irish dish for st. Patricks day and this year I stumbled across Colcannon. It could be my new comfort food. It's kinda like a cross between a potato hash, mashed potatoes and potato salad but its warm and so incredibly tasty. Oh Lord help me, this stuff could be new my new favorite winter dish.

Here's what you need to make it!

8oz bacon

7 nice sized russet potatoes peeled and cubed 

1 bag of washed pre chopped kale

1 large diced onion

5 T butter

Salt and pepper

Lay bacon strips  in a jelly roll pan and bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Place diced onion in a small pan with butter and sauté till very soft.

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with just enough water. Then on top of potatoes place a bunch of the kale. I couldn't quite fit the whole bag. I still had about a third of it left. Then bring the pot to a boil and cover. Sprinkle with salt ! The water will steam the kale perfectly! Let this go about 20 minutes then drain. Return to pot the kale/potatoes then add the onion/butter and crumble the bacon pieces on top. I then used a hand mixed and mixed for about 1 full minute. I wasn't looking for it to be like mashed potatoes but like a hash with some potatoe chunks still there. Taste it for salt and pepper and season it accordingly!

Enjoy!!!

Red velvet layer cupcakes with Chocolate chip cheesecake and ganache

This dessert was everything I wanted plus more! It was so rich you had to have a cold glass of milk to wash it all down! And they were in great little serving sizes that just made it all the more fun!

For the cake:

1 box red velvet cake mix

3 eggs

1/3 cup butter melted

3 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1 3oz box of chocolate fudge pudding

4 oz of Greek yogurt

1/2 C milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with really high side paper liners.  I found some cute flower shaped ones at a local craft store and that's what I used.

I beat  all of these ingredients in a large bowl and fill muffin liners about 1/3 full. Bake till puffed in the middle or cake tester comes out clean. About 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool.

For the cheesecake:

12 oz. of cream cheese

1/2 C sugar

1 large egg

1/4 C sour cream

2 T lemon juice

1 t vanilla

Beat cream cheese and sugar till fluffy. Add sour cream and beat it in then your egg and lemon and vanilla. Don't over beat. 

When cupcakes are cool place about 2 full tablespoons of cheesecake mixture on top of cake part. And spread flat. Place back in the oven just till cheesecakes are set. 10-12 minutes. Pull out of oven and let cool on a wire rack completely.

For the ganache:

1 C of heavy whipping cream 

A heaping cup of good quality chocolate chips. I like ghirideli ....either bittersweet or semisweet. 

Place whipping cream in small pot and heat till very hot but not boiling. Removed from heat and pour in chocolate chips and let set till melted. Whisk together and let cool a little . Spoon over top of cheesecake and set in fridge for three hours or overnight. 

Enjoy!

Peanut butter chocolate muffins (low fat, no oil, high protien, and whole wheat)

After a wild day like today there were only two options. Take a three mile run or bake something and I fell into the later because of the nasty weather outside. So taking my diet into a little consideration I thought I'd try this out and see what happened. Well greatness was born! It satisfys that PB and chocolate craving without blowing your calories for the day! Here's how it's done:

2 large very ripe bananas mashed

2 egg whites

1/2 C sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 C Greek yogurt

1/2 C all purpose flour

1/2 whole wheat flour

1/4 C unsweetened dark cocoa powder

1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 C dark or semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 C melted creamy Jiff peanut butter

Peanut butter or chocolate chips to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners.

In a mixer place mashed bananas. Add sugar, eggs ( you can use the whole egg if you'd like. Using  the white just makes it a little less fat) , vanilla, and yogurt and mix well. Sift all the dry ingredients  together in a bowl. Turn mixer to low and add the dry ingredients just till mixed. Stir in the 3/4 c chocolate chips. 

Warm peanut butter in microwave till smooth and melted.

 Place muffin mixture into muffin cups and fill almost full. Spoon a tablespoon of peanut butter and swirl in. Dibble a few chocolate or peanut butter chips on top. Place in oven and bake  about 20 minutes or until centers have proofed up! 

Enjoy!

Buffalo chicken bites

My youngest son insisted on buffalo wings for the Super Bowl party. I love wings myself but had just made a Siracha wing last week and didn't want to do the wing thing again. So I got to thinking......and  I decided this was a better alternative with out all those little wing bones to deal with! Boy they were a huge hit! Give them a shot. This recipe too easy!

2 boneless skinless chicken breast

3 T tobasco sauce

Salt & Pepper

Onion and garlic powder

1/4 c dry white wine

1/2 C hot wing sauce ( I used Moore's hot wing sauce)

1 block of cream cheese

4-5 oz crumbled blue cheese

6 Green onions chopped

1 package of wonton wrappers

 Swirl oil in a pan and heat on med-high. Season chicken breast with tobasco hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Cook in pan 4-5 minutes on each side then as the bits in the pan begin to brown pour in dry white wine and let simmer till almost evaporated. Let chicken sit in juices and cool for about 30 minutes. Shred chicken into a bowl and place hot wing sauce and cream cheese. Stir till combined well. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray and place one wonton wrapper into each cup. This recipe will make about 24. Bake the cups for about 8 minutes just till they begin to brown. 

Place about two Tablespoons of buffalo chicken filling into each cup and place back in oven for 5-8 minutes just to warm them through. Remove from oven and sprinkle with blue cheese and green onion. Serve warm.

Cajun crawfish and corn chowder

After a day of playing in the ice/snow this southern girl needed a good hearty chowder to really fill three hungry boys! So this is what we had tonight and after two bowls full everyone was fat and happy!

1 lb crawfish tails cleaned 

4 T butter

3 T bacon Grease

1 chopped onion

3 med sweet potatoes peeled and chopped

3 med Idaho potatoes peeled and chopped

4 carrots chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

1 bay leaf

1 roll of frozen cream style corn

1 can of whole kernel corn

3 C shrimp broth

1 cup water

8 oz evaporated milk

2 T flour

1/4 tsp old bay seasoning

Salt and pepper

1 T Cajun seasoning (I used "slap your moma Cajun seasoning)

1/2 T Italian seasoning

1/2 T garlic powder

1 8oz brick of cream cheese cubed

In a large pot place butter and bacon grease and place onions, carrots, and bell peppers. Sauté till soft and add all potatoes and stir for a few minutes. Sprinkle in all your seasonings and your bay leaf. Add shrimp broth and water and let simmer 5 minutes. Add cream corn and regular corn. 

Whisk flour with evaporated milk and pour into soup. Keep stirring as the mixture will start to thinken. Simmer for 5-10 min on low stirring occasionally to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom. 

Add crawfish tails and cream cheese and stir. Turn all the way to low and let the flavores get happy together for about 15-20 minutes. 

Serve with a dash of parsley on top and enjoy!