walnuts – Page 2 – The Pajama Chef

Roasted Peach Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

August 30, 2013August 30, 2013 Sarah

The end of summer is always bittersweet. I love fall–everything about it [except football haha] is so great… sipping on a pumpkin spice latte while on a long walk with my husband, going to an apple orchard, baking on a chilly day… ahh it is just so wonderful. I could go on and on. But summer holds a special place in my heart too, especially since living in Bloomington, IN.

The farmer’s market in Bloomington is just excellent. Ben and I have perfected our routine to enjoy it almost every week that we’re in town. We get up early, drive to the farmer’s market, go for a run, and then head over to the market for coffee and a sweet almond roll [me] and a BBQ sandwich [him]. After eating our treat, we wander through the market and buy all sorts of delicious produce for the week! Gorgeous tomatoes, boatloads of fresh basil, the best sweet corn I have ever had, crisp cucumbers, and juicy peaches have been our favorites as of late.

Usually those peaches don’t make it much past Monday, but recently I was a little overzealous with my peach purchase and baking with them was a must! And what a treat these Roasted Peach Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel were! They were absolutely scrumptious. Roasting peaches just makes them extra sweet and tender, and folded into a vanilla-y muffin batter, I might even call them divine. The crisp cinnamon walnut streusel just was the icing on the cake [the topping on the muffin? :)]. If you make one more thing this peach season, make these soft, fluffy, fruity muffins! I insist!

one year ago… Brown Rice, Feta, and Tomato Salad
two years ago… Healthy Fried Rice
three years ago… Cornmeal Pizza Dough in the Breadmaker

Roasted Peach Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel [from HealthyDelicious]
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Ingredients:

for muffins

3 large peaches, peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces [~2 cups]
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups plain Greek yogurt [fat free or low fat]
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for streusel

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peaches in a small baking dish and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, line muffin tin with paper liners and prepare muffin batter.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together yogurt, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Fold wet ingredients into the dry.

When peaches are roasted, fold them in as well and divide between muffin cups, filling nearly to the top.

Then, turn oven to 400 degrees.

Make the streusel by stirring together sugar, brown sugar, walnuts, flour, and cinnamon. Use a fork to mix in melted butter, then evenly top each muffin.

Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving. Can be kept at room temperature in a sealed container or bag for up to 3 days, then freeze leftovers.

Time: 70 minutes [15 active].

Yield: 12 muffins.

Linked up with Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friday.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes, Sauces

Kale Pesto Pasta

July 15, 2013July 17, 2013 Sarah

If you read my menu plans with any regularity, you might notice that our vegetarian meals tend to fall into one of three categories: black beans, eggs, and kale. Before we got married, I never thought Ben would be a guy who enjoyed vegetarian meals, and I certainly didn’t think he’d be a kale aficionado. But he is, and I am grateful because it’s healthier and easier on the budget to eat vegetarian meals a night or two per week. One of our fave veg meals is Lemony Kale Pasta, and once I saw this recipe, I knew that we had to try it. I am so glad we did, because it is absolutely amazing!!

I’m a big fan of pesto in any form–classic basil, sundried tomato, and now, kale. Pesto can totally be made with a variety of herbs/greens, nuts, and cheese–this version is flavored with just a few fresh ingredients: kale, walnut, garlic, and lemon. And don’t forget the cheese! I used asiago, but Parmesan or any other hard or semi-hard Italian cheese would also work. I just love the flavor of Asiago… and have since my first taste of those famous Panera bagels. 🙂 But back to this pesto. I could just eat it by the spoonful, sans pasta. It is utterly heavenly!

Each bite is a burst of nutty, lemony, cheesy flavor. This is a great starter kale recipe, since there are many other strong flavors in the sauce. If you aren’t into lemon, or don’t have one lying around, it can easily be omitted but I highly recommend it! The flavors just go so well together.

I can’t wait to make this pesto again. I think it would be a fabulous appetizer or light lunch–you could spread it on mini toasts, use it as a breadstick or veggie dip, or as a pizza sauce… or really, however you use pesto normally. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! What do you use pesto for? I’m in search of excuses to make this pesto again soon. 🙂

Kale Pesto Pasta [slightly adapted from What Megan’s Making]
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Ingredients:

⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons walnuts
1 large bunch kale, stems discarded, roughly chopped
1 cup grated asiago cheese [2 ounces] + more for topping
1 clove garlic
zest of 1 lemon
freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup olive oil
12 ounces fusilli or other short pasta

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant, about 6-8 minutes. Cool, then chop 2 tablespoons of walnuts and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, then add kale and boil for 30 seconds. Remove kale to colander, saving the cooking water. Return to a boil, then add pasta to water and cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, add asiago, garlic, ½ cup walnuts, lemon zest, and pepper to a food processor. Use spatula to press kale against side of colander to squeeze out excess water. Add kale to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. With food processor running, pour oil in through the feed tube in a steady stream.

When pasta is cooked, reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return to pot. Add the pesto along with ¼ cup cooking water, tossing to coat. If pasta seems dry, add more water as necessary. Serve pasta with additional toasted walnuts and grated asiago.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Linked up with: Tuesday Talent Show.

Bars, Desserts, Recipes

Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars

April 5, 2013April 5, 2013 Sarah

So, I used to post once a month on a blog called Today’s Housewife. Last fall, the group decided together to stop posting due the busyness of life and families and such. Though sad, I enjoyed being part of the group. As of early January, the blog was officially taken down. But I don’t want to lose my recipes, so periodically I will be reposting them on here. Enjoy!

this post is originally from June 14, 2012

I first had the pleasure of enjoying these rich, flavorful, awesome bars at Thanksgiving last year. My sister-in-law made them (I think), and Ben and I just couldn’t stop eating them. I mean, could you??

Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars | The Pajama Chef

After we got home, I was saddened by the thought that all the Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars were gone… but then it was Christmas cookie time and Girl Scout Cookie time and more desserts came and went. Then, one fateful day… I pulled out a bag of dark chocolate chips and saw the recipe right on the side of the bag! I knew it was meant to be, and so I made a batch of Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars. They are salty and sweet… absolutely perfect for chocolate cravings!

These layered bar cookies begin with a basic buttery crust, then are topped with a layer of ooey gooey dark chocolate goodness, and covered with more buttery crumbs and more dark chocolate chips. If you want, you can even add nuts to the topping–I didn’t, because I don’t really like nuts with chocolate, but if you do… go right ahead! This simple dessert looks impressive, but you don’t have to tell anyone that the recipe came from the side of a bag of chocolate chips and they come together in no time at all. I know these are a treat we’ll be making for years to come, and I hope you will give them a try too!

Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars [from Very Best Baking]
click to print

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt <— I usually leave salt out of recipes, but this is an integral part of this one!
1 2/3 cups (10 ounce package) dark chocolate chips, divided
1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Add butter to a mixer bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually add in flour, sugar, and salt, beat until crumbly. Press 2 cups mixture into bottom of prepared pan to form the crust. Set remaining crumb mixture aside.

Bake crust for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

In a small saucepan set over low heat, combine 1 cup dark chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Stir continually until chocolate is melted, then add vanilla extract. Pour over crust.

Top with remaining dark chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan until completely cool, then cut into bars.

Time: 50 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: 30 bars.

Breakfast, Granola, Recipes

Cinnamon Applesauce Granola

March 27, 2013March 26, 2013 Sarah

There’s nothing better than a good granola. I love having some around on a regular basis as topping for yogurt or to enjoy as a quick snack. Truthfully, half the time I make granola I don’t even bother to photograph and share it here because I think it’s not good enough. Not crunchy enough. Missing those chunks. Too plain. Blah, blah, blah.

In fact, I’ve made several batches of this basic granola without sharing it. But recently as I was eating it I just decided enough was enough. This granola may not be fancy–it doesn’t even have any dried fruit in it, and the walnuts were a last minute [fabulous!!] addition–but it is what we like, and so gosh darn it I’m gonna share it!! 🙂 So I ran outside after I got home, photographed the granola, and am sharing the recipe the very next day. Who am I??!

Well, truthfully, I don’t know, but what I do know is this: I love this granola! It is perfect and pretty much incapable of being screwed up. It’s fairly lowfat and is just sweet enough for my tastes, which means it’s healthy, right? 🙂 The use of the applesauce not only keeps the fat down while still allowing for a crunchy texture, but it also adds a subtle apple flavor. Paired with its classic cinnamon counterpart, this is one flavorful granola! Add in a couple kinds of nuts and some chewy coconut and you won’t even miss the extra sugar or dried fruit [though you can certainly add either if that’s your thing]. I’ve pretty much decided that this is now my go-to granola. It’s crunchy, flavorful, and interesting–and as long as you refrain from stirring too much, those much loved chunks of granola remain after baking. Winner in my book. I know it will be in yours too!

Cinnamon Applesauce Granola [adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake]
click to print

Ingredients:

3/4 cup natural, no sugar added applesauce
6 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

In a small saucepan set over low, combine applesauce, brown sugar, honey, and oil. Stir together until sugar melts and mixture is warm. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, toss together oats, walnuts, wheat germ, coconut, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon. Gradually pour applesauce mixture over oats, stirring to fully coat. Transfer mixture onto prepared baking sheet, then press down firmly with the back of a spatula.

Bake for 45 minutes, stirring once or twice. [If granola starts to burn or get too dark, especially after 30 minutes, cover loosely with foil].

Time: 60 minutes.

Yield: 6 cups.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes, Reviews

Double Blueberry Walnut Muffins

March 2, 2013 Sarah

Ben and I are huge yogurt fans. Every week, without fail, our grocery cart contains at least 10 cartons of yogurt [one for each lunch of the work week plus a big tub or two for smoothies or eating at home]… some Greek, some regular, some fruity, some plain or vanilla… whatever I’m in the mood for or whatever is on sale. For awhile I was making my own yogurt in the crockpot, but then grad school began consuming my life too much and making yogurt plummeted on my priority list. There are just too many good storebought brands, right? I look forward to the yogurt in my lunch everyday…it’s my dessert of sorts.

Even though yogurt is something I love a ton, one thing that I don’t do enough of with it is baking! Yogurt is a great ingredient to bake with because it makes muffins and even cakes incredibly pillowy, light, and soft for a fraction of the fat and calories of butter or oil. The inclusion of Liberté Blueberry Greek Yogurt is the secret ingredient in these yummy Double Blueberry Walnut Muffins, and the reason [in my humble opinion] why they are so, so, so good… sweet, hardy, and soft. Perfect trifecta for muffins, I think!

If you’ve never tried Liberté Greek and Méditerranée yogurt before, you should definitely check it out. Ben and I had tried it once or twice before I received a BzzKit from BzzAgent, but after eating this yogurt in place of our normal brands for a week, I think I’m going to become a loyal Liberté fan! The Coconut Méditerranée is amazing! Here’s some info about the yogurt… then I’ll get back to the muffins!

Liberté is not just made. It is crafted, by hand, to be the absolute best. In true artisan fashion, Liberté Méditerranée yogurt is made using whole milk and cream to achieve a silky texture in seven different rich, deep flavors. The six flavors of Liberté Greek yogurt are hand nurtured using skim milk to create a smooth, creamy, protein-rich yogurt that’s perfectly balanced and (surprise!) fat free. Each Liberté variety is punctuated with real fruit to up the taste even more in these natural, indulgent treats.

Liberté is new to the US yogurt scene, but has a long history in Canada so I found a recipe for Raspberry Coconut Muffins on their website and modified it based on what I had on hand. I was so pleased with these muffins that they might become my basis for other yogurt muffins in the future! You can definitely modify this recipe based on the fruit, yogurt, and nuts of your choice. I usually don’t add nuts to muffins, but the toasted walnuts in these were excellent. When I baked them last Sunday afternoon, they made my whole kitchen smell absolutely divine, and then they stayed fresh all week long for a lunchbox addition. Yum-o! Can’t wait to make some more. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

Double Blueberry Walnut Muffins [adapted from Liberté]
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Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 carton Liberté Blueberry Greek Yogurt [5.3 ounces]
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup blueberries [fresh or frozen]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place walnuts on a cookie sheet and toast in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Watch carefully to make sure they don’t burn! Set aside to cool, then increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, yogurt, milk, and vanilla. In a larger bowl, stir together flours, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.

Chop cooled walnuts, then gently fold walnuts and blueberries into batter. Spoon into muffin cups, filling 2/3 of the way. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Time: 40 minutes.

Yield: 16 muffins.

Disclosure: I am a BzzAgent and received free coupons to try out Liberté. All opinons are my own. Thanks to BzzAgent and Liberté for a great experience!