Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

IT'S FALL!!! That mean sweaters, BOOTS, cooler weather, brilliantly colored leaves, and lots of spice. Like most people, fall is my absolute favorite season. I just love everything about it! Before my huge obsession with all things pumpkin ensues, let's talk apples. There is something so magical about baked apples. I seriously think apple pie with vanilla ice cream is my absolute favorite dessert, and that's saying a lot coming from someone who will make herself ill eating chocolate (speaking of which, I've recently become obsessed with chocolate almond milk...num! Yay for chocolate milk that doesn't hurt my stomach!).   

These muffins completely hit the spot this morning. They are dark, moist, and soft with a nice little crunch on top from the dark brown sugar. Perfect for a lazy Saturday morning with me and my honey. 

Update: I just submitted this to BYOB (Bake Your Own Bread)!

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, divided

1 large egg lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream (or buttermilk, or yogurt)

2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (I prefer granny smith)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F. Line or grease a muffin pan, and set aside.

Mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter, then add the granulate sugar and a 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well, stopping once to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Gently mix in the sour cream, do not over-mix. Stir in the dry ingredients, then gently fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top (the muffin cups should be pretty full). Bake at 450F for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400F, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn them out on a wire rack to cool completely.

The recipe says it yields 12 muffins, though I got 19. My muffin cups are also on the small side.

Recipe Source: Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from King Aurthur Flour

Apple Dijon Kale Salad

I told you I had more green recipes up my sleeve, and this one is awesome. It's fruity and full or superfoods (literally: walnuts and kale? c'mon!). A few commenters at Budget Bytes thought the dressing was too vinegar-y. I thought it was great as it was, but maybe start with half and add more until you get the right balance for you. 

This salad makes a fair amount, roughly four main courses, but fear not, it keeps really well thanks to the hearty kale. I just had leftovers for lunch today, and it was even better then last night. The dressing also prevents the apples from browning, so that's not an issue either! I just love eating salads like this one. I always feel so good, knowing I'm eating something good for my body. I must admit though, now that it's starting to cool down outside, I'm quite looking forward to hot soups and comfort food more than salad! Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

10-15 cranks fresh cracked pepper 

For the salad:

1 bunch kale

1 medium granny smith apple

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

Directions

Tear the kale leaves from the stems. Cut the leaves into thin slices and then rinse well under cool water (in a colander). Allow the kale to drain as you prepare the rest of the salad.

In a blender combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, clove of garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until the garlic is minced and the dressing is smooth.

Wash the apple and chop it into chunks. Make sure the kale is as dry as possible and then combine it in a large bowl with the apples, walnuts, and raisins. Pour the dressing on top, starting with half, and toss to coat. Add more dressing as desired

Recipe Source: Budget Bytes 

Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Can you tell I've been trying to get more spinach into my diet since I got back from China? I have two bags of frozen spinach in the freezer and a bag of fresh in the fridge! The fact is, I love spinach, and it was one of those things I had a hard time finding in Beijing.

This quiche is loaded with spinach and was quite tasty the way I made it, but you could easily sub or add whatever you want. Kale? Peppers? Um...bacon? (yes please!) Just be sure that whatever you do, you get as much moisture as possible out of the veggies. Fresh from the oven, mine was barely wet on the bottom, which didn't really bother me. This wasn't an issue the following day(s).

I'm also trying to get more greens into my diet, so stay tuned for more green recipes!

Ingredients

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed 

8 ounces fresh mushrooms

1 garlic clove, minced

4 eggs

1 cup milk

2 ounces feta cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Squeeze as much water as you can out of the thawed spinach. I used paper towels to absorb the water, though you could also use a dishtowel to ring the water out.

Quickly rinse the mushrooms and slice them thinly. Place the sliced mushrooms in a skillet coated with non-stick spray, and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Turn the heat on to medium-high and saute the mushrooms until they release all of their moisture and no more water remains on the bottom of the skillet, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic about a minute or two before the mushrooms are done.

Spray a pie dish with non-stick spray. Spread the spinach out on the bottom of the pie dish. Next add the cooked mushrooms and crumbled feta.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs until fairly smooth. Add the milk, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, and another small sprinkle of pepper. Whisk to combine. (This step can be completed while the mushrooms are cooking). Pour this mixture into the pie dish over the spinach, mushrooms, and feta.

Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese over top. Place the quiche into the preheated oven and bake until it is golden brown on top and the center is solid. Every oven is different but this should take between 45 minutes and an hour.

Recipe Source: Budget Bytes

Coconut Oatmeal Chewies

Let me start out by saying I have been saving this recipe for months. I adore coconut, and was pretty miffed to see that a bag cost nearly $5 at the expat stores in China. I just couldn't make myself pay that much for it while I was there. So, I lived without. That's why during my first shopping trip in Cincinnati, I scooped up a bag ($1.60...heck...yes), with intentions of making these immediately. One month later (heh), I finally got around to it. Thank you Labor day weekend! :)

I'm so so happy that I finally made these, and am also pretty stoked that I froze a batch for later. They were ultra chewy and I loved the toasted coconut taste. Even Chris gobbled them up, and he supposedly hates coconut. I don't see how that's possible, but whatever. Bottom line: if you love coconut, make these. If you don't love coconut, make these. They may change your mind!

Oatmeal Coconut Chewies

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to cool room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup quick oats

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl cream together the sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased or lined (silpat or parchment) baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are set but not overly browned (bake a few minutes longer for a crispier version). Remove from oven, and let cool on the cookie sheet for three minutes, before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe Source:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Enter freezer friendly dish numero dos. I was super excited to try this dish, as it was my first time ever trying quinoa (pronounced keeeen-waaaahhh). Hearty and filling, not to mention totally delicious, I could only eat half a pepper and I was stuffed.

The prep was a bit more time consuming than I would've liked, but the end result was worth it. It had so much flavor! I adapted the recipe a bit, to make it work with what I had on hand. I used mozzarella as I didn't have pepper jack, and added a jalapeno pepper (for flavor! it's not spicy I promise). Next time, I would love to try pepper jack, because I think it would be ultra tasty. Also, the original recipe says this yields 8 servings (4 whole peppers, halved). They must have tested this recipe with HUGE peppers, because I had about 2 cups of stuffing left over. If that happens, just pop it in the freezer, and you can stuff more peppers later.

The rest of the peppers are now on their way to the freezer. It's nice to know that in the coming weeks I'll have a super healthy meal waiting for me when I get home from a busy day at school! Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 ribs celery, finely chopped (½ cup)
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
¾ cup quinoa, rinsed
2-3 large carrots, grated (1 ½ cups)
1 ½ cups grated pepper Jack or mozzarella cheese, divided
4 extra large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

Directions

 

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated.

Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.

Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.

Recipe Source: Vegetarian Times