Orange-Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffins

I was in a “baking mood” as I like to call it, late last night so I quickly threw together these orange-cranberry muffins as a late night snack….and boy were they good!
When my husband, Matt, asked what I was cooking, I vaguely told him “muffins”. Matt is picky when it comes to fru-fru, “girly” food – or anything that contains dried fruit. I guess it was my lucky day, because he liked them!!! I was so excited because Matt hates craisins and oranges, so it was a big complement to me when he said he enjoyed them.
These orange-cranberry wheat germ muffins are from Cooking Light, and as expected, are quite healthy. The wheat germ provides an excellent source of vitamin E, and the orange juice adds calcium. 
The muffins are best served warm, so either eat them immediately from the pan, or pop one in the microwave to reheat. I like to add a squirt of honey or orange marmalade for that extra citrus punch. Enjoy!
 Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg). 
 
 Combine brown sugar, oil, rind, juice, and eggs.
Make well in center and pour egg mixture into flour mixture. Fold together until just combined.
Spoon into lightly greased muffin pan.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 17 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Serve warm with honey, butter, or orange marmalade.

Orange-Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1/2 cup raw wheat germ
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
1 Tbsp. turbinado sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.
3. Combine brown sugar, oil, rind, juice, and eggs; stir with a whisk. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
4. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake at 375 degrees F for 17 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched in center.

Nutritional Information: 197 Calories | 5.8g Fat | 3.4g Protein | 33.8g Carbohydrate | 1.2g Fiber | 149mg Sodium | 54mg Calcium

Yield: 12 muffins
Recipe from: Cooking Light

Happy Mother’s Day!

To all the mothers reading this, Happy Mother’s Day! In honor of this special day, I’d like to share just a few of my mom’s favorite recipes…

Breads/Breakfast/Muffins

Main Dishes

Tabbouleh

Anyone ever heard of tabbouleh? If not, here’s your chance to not only learn what’s in this traditional Arabic salad, but also a chance to make it. Before I get into the healthful benefits and how good it tastes, you need to know how to pronounce it. I’ve seen several pronunciations, but the most common is this: TAB-BOO-LAY.

Now that you got that out of the way, it’s time to make tabbouleh! Why? This Lebanese salad, typically consisting of cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil has all kinds of delicious flavors packed together, but without all those pesky calories.

A full 1 1/4-cup serving is only 150 calories and packs over 11 grams of protein and 4.5 grams of fiber. Bulgar, an ingredient in this salad that you may not have heard of, is very similar to white rice. The only difference… it has more fiber and protein, a lower glycemic index, and higher levels of most vitamins and minerals.

In addition, summer is right around the corner, and if you live in Texas, like me, you’ll want a refreshing side dish or light lunch idea for when it’s 100+ degrees F outside.

A few tips to note:

  • If you’re making the mixture a few hours or more in advance, store the cucumber and tomato separately and add them close to serving time to keep the salad at its best.
  • For a savory Middle-East light lunch, serve this salad with hummus and pita chips.
  • Add Parmesan or Feta cheese for more flavor.
Enjoy!
Chop tomatoes, parsley, mint, chicken, bell pepper and cucumber and toss.
Add bulger.
Toss with lemon juice and olive oil.
Serve immediately or chill.

 


Tabbouleh with Chicken and Red Bell Pepper
Ingredients
1/2 cup uncooked bulgar
1 1/2 cups diced plum tomatoes
3/4 cup shredded rotisserie chicken breast
3/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions
1. Cook bulgar per directions on package. Cool.
2. Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients; toss well.

Nutritional Information: 150 Calories | 4.7g Fat | 16.9g Carbohydrate | 11.2g Protein | 4.5g Fiber

Yield: 4 (1 1/4 cup) servings
Recipe from: Cooking Light

Vanilla Almond Iced Tea

I can’t believe I haven’t posted an iced tea recipe yet! Living in the south, you’d expect a sweet tea on my blog, right? Well, here it is…
Just about every restaurant in the south claims to have the best “sweet tea” around.  I’m not going to claim that, but I will promise that this sweet tea has a unique blend of vanilla and almond that your taste buds will hopefully love.
A few months ago, my husband Matt and I were invited to have lunch at our preacher and his wife’s house. There were at least five couples, and we enjoyed a delicious feast of chicken & wild rice soup, mixed greens, whole grain bread, and a light take on crustless cheesecake with fresh strawberries. Everything was so light and refreshing, including the vanilla almond iced tea that was served.
I’m not claiming that tea recipe is from our preacher’s wife, but the taste is almost identical! The almond and vanilla extract mixed with a touch of lemonade concentrate creates a sweet, yet tangy and refreshing tea.
Let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Vanilla Almond Iced Tea
Ingredients
4 tea bags
16 cups of water, divided
1 cup sugar
1 (12 oz.) container frozen lemonade concentrate
2 Tbsp. almond extract
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to boil. Place tea bags in a large pitcher or container, large enough to hold a little over 1 gallon, with the tags hanging over the side. Once water is boiling, very carefully pour the water into the pitcher over the tea bags. Let steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Remove tea bags. Pour 1 cup sugar and stir to dissolve (or more to taste). Add 8 cups cold water and stir. Add in lemonade concentrate and stir to dissolve. Add in vanilla & almond and stir to combine. (If your container is too small, make the tea in two containers and split the lemonade and extracts). 
3. Place in refrigerator to chill for approximately 1 hour or until cold.
*Alternatively you could buy a gallon of sweet tea and then add the lemonade & extracts if you’re in a hurry.

Recipe from: Macaroni and Cheesecake

Tiramisu

 
As I mentioned about a month ago, I am now the contributing writer to our monthly neighborhood magazine. I write the Resident Recipe section, and for the month of May 2012, we’re featuring a decadent tiramisu recipe submitted by my next door neighbor, Diane. My article is written below, as well as Diane’s instructions for the tiramisu. I hope you enjoy!

Dine at any fine Italian restaurant, and more than likely you’ll see tiramisu on the menu. This elegant dessert, which literally means “pick me up” in Italian, is thought to have gotten its name from the caffeine in the espresso and effects of cocoa used in the recipe.
While the dish itself is Italian, this particular tiramisu recipe, shared by our neighbor, Diane, has its origin and roots in Germany.
When Diane and her husband Tom were first married, they were fortunate enough to live in Germany and travel throughout Europe. It was during these exciting times that Diane started appreciating food and its many delicious flavors.  While living abroad, Diane met a German lady named Susanne who was gracious enough to share a family favorite: tiramisu. Now Diane is graciously sharing it with us! 
About the cook: Diane lives with her husband Tom and two daughters Kelley, and Lauren. One of her favorite magazines is Cooking Light, and in her free time she enjoys cooking for friends & family and sharing her favorites as a welcome gesture for new neighbors. (Diane made this tiramisu for my husband and I when we first moved to the neighborhood last March. We were pleasantly surprised by her kindness and even more so by her decadent dessert!)
 
 In this photo: Diane sprinkles cocoa over the tiramisu for a nice golden brown top.
Tiramisu
Ingredients
1 pkg. (24) dried ladyfingers
18 oz. container Mascarpone cheese
3 eggs, separated and at room temperature
½ Cup sugar plus a pinch
1 Cup Espresso or strong coffee, separated for mascarpone and for dipping
2 Tbsp. Brandy
1-2 Tbsp. cocoa powder, for dusting
6 x 9-inch serving dish, deep enough for two layers
 
Directions
1. Prepare mascarpone mixture by combining 3 egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, 1 Tbsp. espresso or coffee, and two tablespoons brandy in a large bowl. Beat with mixer 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add mascarpone cheese and continue to beat for another 3 minutes until consistency is smooth. Set aside.
2. Combine 3 egg whites and a pinch of sugar in a separate bowl and beat with clean beater blades (works best in a glass bowl with cold, dry blades) until mixture forms stiff peaks. Gently fold egg whites into mascarpone mixture until well blended.
3. Pour some of the additional coffee out onto a saucer and lightly dip ladyfingers, one by one, as you layer on bottom of serving dish. Don’t dip in coffee too long, as they will get soggy. I dip the sugared side then turn over and place the wet side up so the coffee can work its way down through the ladyfinger. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and sprinkle with cocoa until top is lightly brown. Works nicely shaken through a fine sieve. Repeat process with second layer and finish with cocoa.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving for best flavor and consistency. Enjoy!     
Yield: 12 servings
Recipe from: my next door neighbor, Diane

Banana Protein Pancakes

Here’s another healthy breakfast recipe that you must try. Again, they are from Peanut Butter Fingers blog, and they’re a big-time winner! These pancakes are nearly identical to the healthy protein pancakes I’ve made before. The only difference…. these have a mashed banana, which I am a huge fan of!
As far as nutrition, this recipe is just about as healthy as you can get! Great for diabetics, like my uncle Bobby, these have no added sugar. Rolled oats provide for a source of whole grains, egg whites are 0g of fat & 17 calories each, cottage cheese packs 15g of protein per 1/2 cup serving, and the banana is your source of fruit!
I like to top these pancakes with 2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup, which from my calculations, is only 35 calories. Finish them off with a handful of raspberries, and you’ve got a colorful, delicious and extremely healthy breakfast.
Enjoy!
Blend all ingredients in blender until batter is smooth.
 
 Pour batter into warm pan and cook for 3 minutes, or until edges start to harden.
 Flip and cook for 2 more minutes.
 Serve, warm.
Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of maple syrup and a handful of raspberries.
 
Banana Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 small banana, mashed
1/2 cup cottage cheese
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Directions
1. Spray pan with cooking spray and heat to medium heat.
2. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend with an immersion blender (or blend in a food processor) until batter is thick, relatively smooth and all ingredients are fully mixed.
3. Pour batter onto warm pan to form six medium-sized pancakes.
4. Allow to cook until edges start to harden, about 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook for approximately 2 more minutes.
5. Top with 2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup and a handful of raspberries and enjoy.
Yield: 1-2 servings, depending on how much you eat!

Oatmeal Cookie Dough Overnight Oats

My favorite meal of the day is by far – breakfast! I think it’s because I LOVE fruit and oatmeal. Plus, I’m nice and hungry when I wake up in the morning.

With that said, you’ve got to try these oatmeal cookie dough overnight oats from a healthy lifestyle blog called Peanut Butter Fingers. With only 300 calories, this breakfast is jam packed with goodness…. whole grains from the oats, calcium from the milk, omega-3s from the ground flaxseed, and a serving of fruit, if you choose.

The name “cookie dough” also seemed to draw me in. The cinnamon, honey, and vanilla-flavored milk give you the illusion of eating something sinful like cookie dough. I think you could add raisins to make this breakfast taste more like a cookie.

Enjoy!


Oatmeal Cookie Dough Overnight Oats
Ingredients
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 Tbsp. chia seeds (I used wheat germ)
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice), plus a bit more if necessary
1/2 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients together, stirring to mix well.
2. Let sit overnight (or at least an hour) in an airtight container.
3. Stir oats and add another splash of milk if they’re a little too thick.
4. Top with nuts, fresh fruit, granola or desired toppings.

Yield: 1 serving
Recipe from: Peanut Butter Fingers

Raspberry-Cream Cheese Muffins

I love raspberries. They’re tart yet sweet, they are great in desserts, yogurt, or just plain by themselves.  Even though I love raspberries, I’ve never made them in muffins…until now!
These raspberry cream-cheese muffins are wonderful. They’re so good, you’d think you’re eating a muffin with 20 grams of fat, not 4.7 grams. They remind me of a light raspberry cheesecake, and seem to just melt in your mouth.
They are also extremely versatile. You can mix them up by adding blueberries, cherries, and dried cranberries instead of the raspberries. Let me know what you think! Enjoy…
 Beat the cream cheese and butter in a mixer on high speed. Add the sugar, vanilla, egg whites and egg.
 
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
 
 Pour flour and buttermilk mixture into cream cheese mixture. Gently fold in raspberries and walnuts.
 
 Spoon into muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.
 Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack, then serve with fresh raspberries.

Raspberry-Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients
2/3 cup (5 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add vanilla, egg whites, and egg; beat well.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk to cream cheese mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Gently fold in raspberries and walnuts.
4. Place 24 foil cup liners in muffin cups. Spoon batter evenly into liners. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans; cool on a wire rack.
Recipe from: Cooking Light
Yield: 24 muffins
Nutritional Information: 142 Calories | 4.7g Fat | 1.1g Fiber | 19mg Cholesterol | 31mg Calcium | 138g Sodium | 2.7g Protein

Gooey Butter Cakes

When I got married three years ago, my lovely cousin Brooke gave me a recipe box as part of my wedding gift. However, it wasn’t any ole recipe box….it was a collection of hand-written recipes from all of my close friends and family members. Each person wrote down their favorite recipe and a congratulatory message on a cute green notecard for me to read.
Brooke’s idea was perfect….not just because I love cooking, but because each recipe card was so personal and meant so much to me! Thanks again, Brooke, if you are reading this!
Now let’s talk gooey butter cakes! This cake has many names… Neiman Marcus cake, St. Louis butter cake, ooey gooey butter cake, etc. My dad LOVES the Neiman Marcus “named” version, but the recipe I am posting today is from my cousin Brooke.
I remember Brooke made these for a party she was throwing one summer. Her husband, Joey, grilled out tasty fajitas (he is a master at the grill), and Brooke had these gooey butter cakes all cut up into bars, for dessert. I remember asking her what they were, since they looked like a white brownie.  (I had actually had these before, but they were the “Neiman Marucs cake” version that my mom makes. However, I’ve never seen the cake cut into bars, so I was thrown for a loop!)
Anyways, I ate one of Brooke’s bars and was totally hooked! I think I even had two of them. Obviously, Brooke knew how much I loved these, so she wrote them up for my recipe box. Enjoy!
 Combine cake mix, egg and butter and mix well.
 
 Press into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
 
 Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, butter and powdered sugar until combined.
 
 Pour over cake mixture.
 
 Bake for 40-50 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
 
Let cool and cut into bars. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
 

Gooey Butter Cakes
Ingredients
CRUST
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter, melted

FILLING
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
8 Tbsp. (1stick) butter, melted
1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar

Directions
1. For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine crust ingredients and mix well. Pat into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
2. For the filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Add butter; beat. Add powdered sugar and mix well.
3. Spread over cake mixture. Bake for 40-50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not over bake.

Recipe from: my cousin Brooke, who got this from Paula Deen
Yield: 15-20 bars

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Here’s an extremely sweet white chocolate bread pudding recipe that you must try if you’re a bread pudding fan!  I want to preface, however, with the fact that I did not have my good Canon Rebel camera, so the pictures here are a little dark and blurry. You can blame it on my Blackberry Torch phone camera… by NO means am I an advocate of Blackberries… somehow I’ve been stuck with one for the past five years, which is miserable. I am just dying to get an iPhone!
My husband Matt and I were in Houston a few weeks ago, visiting my cousins and my aunt Jolene. As always, when staying with Jolene, you can expect over-the-top, delicious meals prepared by her and her southern charm. While our taste buds never object to Jolene’s savory and delectable southern comfort food, our waistlines may as it’s hard to stay thin during our visit. 🙂
We ate good over the course of 1 1/2 days! The night we arrived, we devoured pot roast, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn casserole and strawberry pie for dinner. The second day consisted of bacon, sausage & biscuits, and fruit for breakfast; Philly cheesesteak sandwiches from leftover pot roast topped with melted swiss and leftover strawberry pie for lunch; and for dinner – chicken and mushroom spinach crepes with fruit, and white chocolate bread pudding for dessert.
Are you hungry yet?
I hope so, because I wanted to share with you this white chocolate bread pudding recipe we made from the Houston Junior League cookbook, Stop and Smell the Rosemary: Recipe and Traditions to Remember. The recipe was very easy to make, and as I mentioned above, is very sweet!
Enjoy…
Cut bread into thin slices. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Heat half-and-half and cream over low heat. Whisk egg mixture into cream. Stir in vanilla. Slowly whisk in melted chocolate.
 
Line custard cups or baking pan with bread strips. 
 
Pour custard mixture over bread strips. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until inserted comes out clean.
Serve warm with white chocolate sauce or refrigerate and serve later.
Heat cream until frothy, not boiling. Whisk warm cream into melted chocolate until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Serve pudding chilled or warm, with white chocolate sauce. 
White Chocolate Bread Pudding
 
Ingredients
PUDDING:
4 ounces French bread, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 ounces white chocolate, melted
WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces white chocolate, melt
– shavings of dark and milk chocolate
Directions
PUDDING:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter six 1/2-cup custard cups (we used a large quart-sized baking pan). Cut bread slices into strips as wide as depth of custard cups. Put bread strips on baking sheet and bake until golden, approximately 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat half-and-half and cream in a medium saucepan over low heat until hot. Do not boil. Beat egg, egg yolks, and sugar in small bowl. Whisk a few tablespoon warm cream into egg mixture. Whisk eggs back into cream. Stir in vanilla. Place melted chocolate into a large bowl and slowly whisk cream mixture into it.
3. Line sides of custard cups with bread strips, breaking strips as necessary to get a neat fit. Strain custard into cups and let bread absorb liquid. Add more custard as needed to fill cups to within 1/2 inch of rim. Place cups in baking pan large enough to hold them with at least 1-inch spacing between each. Fill pan with boiling water to within 1 inch of rims of the custard cups. Bake until set and a tester inserted comes out clean, about 35 to 45 minutes. Check pan after 15 minutes. Add additional boiling water if necessary to maintain water level.
WHITE CHOCOLATE:
1. Heat cream until frothy, but not boiling. Whisk warm cream into melted chocolate until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Pudding may be be served in cups or unmolded. To unmold, cover and chill cups throughly, at least 1 hour. Loosen edges with a knife and invert with White Chocolate Sauce. Garnish with chocolate shavings.
 
Yield: 6 servings
Recipe from: Stop and Smell the Rosemary: Recipe and Traditions to Remember – A cookbook by the Junior League of Houston, Inc.