Week of June 18
Monday: Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes
Tuesday: Black Bean Burgers
Wednesday: Baked Flounder a la Benjamin
Thursday: Pork Chops
Friday: Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: homemade pizza
Month: June 2012
Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars
Banana Crumb Muffins
Mmmm, muffins. One of my favorite treats. And I say treats because, of course, the best muffins aren’t those healthified kinds, but those decadent, unfrosted, glorified cupcakes. I mean, I absolutely adore healthy muffins. Looking through all the other muffin recipes I’ve blogged about before, I’m pretty impressed with myself and my healthy muffin ways. Carrots, zucchini, rhubarb, whole wheat flour, low sugar.
Don’t fret, I haven’t lost my way. Truth is, I like healthy muffins. I like them for a quick before-dinner snack or as an addition to my lunch. But I also like rich, ooey gooey sweet muffins. Muffins with chocolate. Muffins that taste bakery-fresh. Muffins with a little pizazz. Muffins like these.
When I go home for the weekend, inevitably my mom, sister, and I end up baking something or other. Sometimes multiple things. My mom has these giant folders filled with recipes she’s torn out of magazines and printed off the internet, just waiting to be made. Some are from the 80s and have funny names, while others we just laugh at as we’re leafing through. “That sounded good once?!?” Other times, there are gems in those folders. Banana Crumb Muffins are one of those gems.
These banana muffins are sweet, pillowy soft, and like most muffin recipes, whipped up in a matter of minutes. They’re a great way to use up those lingering bananas going brown on your countertop–the monkeys on the muffin liners wholeheartedly agree, but they did wonder how humans let so many bananas go bad. I told them I didn’t know, but I suspected it had to do with making delicious creations like these!
I loved the way the pure banana flavor came through, though I’m sure the addition of vanilla, nuts, or chocolate chips wouldn’t be problematic. What makes these muffins extraordianry is the crumb topping. Our topping melted into the muffin a little bit, but if you wait to add the topping until the muffins are almost done, I think it would hold its own a little more. Either way, they are sure to be very yummy!
Banana Crumb Muffins
from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
for muffins
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
for topping
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease standard sized muffin tins with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. In a large bowl, mix together bananas, sugar, egg, and butter. Slowly fold in dry ingredients until incorporated.
Spoon batter into prepared pans, about 3/4 of the way full.
In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Pour in butter and mix with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins, then place pans in oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. When muffins are done, they should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Cool in pans for 10 minutes before cooling on a rack.
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Orange-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry
So I enjoy Chinese takeout about as much as anyone else… but not as much as Ben. If he had it his way, he’d be chowing down on pseudo-Asian food every other night, with a healthy dose of meat and potatoes on the other night. Why doesn’t this happen in our house? Well, let’s see… salt, salt, MSG, salt, salt, lack of veggies, salt, salt… I think you get the picture. Oh, and I like to cook, not just get takeout. So what’s my compromise? Making takeout at home! [I bet you never saw that one coming. Ha!]
My latest attempt is a play off the ‘ole [un]authentic orange chicken. Instead of a gloopy, fake-colored sauce coating a few sad vegetables and the classic “little chicken/lots of breading,” sauted chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, and water chestnuts are tossed with a sweet-spicy orange glaze. The orange glaze is made with orange juice and [gasp!] a whole real orange. It’s amped up with fresh ginger and garlic, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, and two kinds of pepper. Can it get any better than this?
I’m sorry, but this sweet-spicy citrus glaze has flavors that the corner Chinese place just cannot achieve! I know those places aren’t authentic, and in no way do I think my version is either. But I do know it’s good. So good in fact, that we both wanted the leftovers… a rareity in this house! Now, if only I could make brown rice as soft and pillowy as that Chinese place can…
Orange-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry [adapted from Pretty Delicious by Candice Kumai]
click to print
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
- 1 3/4 cup orange juice, divided
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red chile pepper flakes
- zest of 1 orange + 1 orange, peel removed and fruit chopped into bite size pieces
- 3/4 pound chicken breasts, thinly sliced into bite size pieces
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- hot cooked brown rice, for serving
Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and saute, stirring continually, for 60 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in 1 1/2 cups orange juice, honey, soy sauce, cayenne, red chile pepper flakes, and orange zest. Zest Simmer gently until sauce is thick and syrupy, approximately 20 minutes.
Next, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in an electric wok at 350 degrees. Add chicken and toss to stir-fry, cooking until all sides are golden, approximately 3-4 minutes total. Then add broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and orange chunks. Pour remaining 1/2 cup orange juice over everything, then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until hot. [Alternatively, you could cook everything in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Pour in orange sauce and toss to coat. Serve over hot cooked brown rice.
Time: 30 minutes.
Yield: 4-5 servings.
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Menu Plan
Week of June 11
Monday: healthy fried rice [postponed from tonight]
Tuesday: pork chops
Wednesday: baked flounder
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: chicken enchiladas
Saturday: dinner with friends – not sure what yet though!
Sunday: leftovers? breakfast for dinner? time will tell…
The Pajama Chef 