I started making this recipe about 19 years ago but then I stopped working at the school where I was making about 6 dozen of these a week, my own children grew up and left home and I no longer felt the need to make chocolate muffins. Now I am back at that same school and find myself making these again!
Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
4 cups Flour
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened Coca
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 cups Milk
2 large Eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Butter, melted
1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 400F.
Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners or lightly spray with Pam.
In large mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar and cocoa; make a well in the centre and set aside.
In large mixing cup combine liquid ingredients.
Pour liquid ingredients into well in dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon into prepared muffin tins. ( I use a #5Pampered Chef scoop)
Bake in 400F oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
Turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.
I was flipping through my November Issue of Chatelaine and came upon this recipe in the “it’syourhealth” section on page 155. I had just taken boneless, skinless chicken breasts out of the freezer with absolutely no idea what I was going to make with it. I was only missing the oranges called for in this recipe but did have a can of mandarin oranges in the pantry. I also subbed in a can of coconut milk for the milk.
The husband says the chicken was delicious! I wouldn’t know as I remain a Vegetarian … I rely on smell, A LOT, and I grill the husband about taste, texture, presentation…I usually get, “It was….tasty, very tasty.” <- A quasi quote from 84 Charing Cross Road
2 teaspoons Butter
1 Onion, sliced
1 teaspoon each: Paprika, ground Cumin, Dried Mint
1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 lb skinless, boneless Chicken Breast, cut into strips
1/3 cup chopped Dried Apricots and/or Raisins
2 cups Coconut Milk (or milk)
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 can Mandarin Orange slices, drained
In large non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
Saute onion, paprika, cumin, mint, cinnamon, salt and pepper until onion is softened.
Add chicken; saute for 3 minutes.
Add dried fruit.
Whisk a small amount of coconut milk into cornstarch, until smooth; whisk in remaining coconut milk.
Stir into skillet.
Simmer, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink inside, 4 – 5 minutes.
Top with mandarin orange slices.
Serve over a bed of Brown Rice or Whole Wheat Couscous with a Green Vegetable.
Serves 4
Isabelle Neiderer, November 2012, Chatelaine, it’syourhealth, Volume November/12, page 155
Moroccan-Spiced Chicken and Brown Rice with Blackened Peppers
When making up your weekly batch of Granola, have another bowl on hand to mix up the ingredients for these Granola Bars so you can have a healthy, nutritious snack at work, at school or at play!
Fruit and Nut Filled Granola Bars
1. 4 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
2. 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
3. 1/2 cup Wheat Germ
4. 1/4 cup Ground Flax Seed
5. 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
6. 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds
7. 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
8. 2 generous teaspoons Cinnamon
9. 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
10. 1/2 cup Flour
11. 3/4 cup Raisins (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drained well)
12. 1 cup Coconut
13. 1 cup chopped Dried Apricots (optional)
3/4 cup Honey
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
3/4 cup Applesauce
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
2 cups whole Blanched Almonds
Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
Prepare a 11x15x1 inch (28x38x2.5cm) baking tray by spraying lightly with vegetable oil spray.
Combine first 12 ingredients together in a large bowl.
In small mixing bowl, combine honey, eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce and vanilla.
Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients until well blended.
Press into prepared pan.
Bake in 350F oven for 12 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle evenly with whole almonds, gently press the almonds into the granola bars.
Return to oven and continue baking for 12 to 17 minutes.
Score into bars and let cool for 30 minutes.
Cut into bars and allow to cool completely.
Store in airtight container.
NOTE: Luke loves chocolate so when they are finished baking, I sprinkle with 200g Chocolate Chunks, return to turned off oven for 2 minutes, remove from oven and spread melted chocolate to cover the whole pan of granola bars.
Looking for a yummy yogurt topping to replace the chocolate….
Late last year I came across Cinnamon Roll Pancakes at Recipe girl and immediately fell in love with the idea of morphing cinnamon rolls and pancakes together to create a super special brunch treat! I usually make a triple batch! The leftover ones are just as yummy as the fresh off the griddle ones. I would even go so far as to say they are better because the flavours have had a chance to meld and the brown sugar swirl has hardened as it cooled. Yummers!
Yes, they are a bit of work to prepare but well worth the effort. So brew yourself a cup of coffee, gather your ingredients and do it! Start by preparing the Brown Sugar/Cinnamon mixture, make the Cream Cheese Frosting and finally the Pancake Batter. Now I suppose you could cheat and use store bought Pancake mix, but why would you want to do that when whipping up Pancake Batter is so easy to do?
Alright, get ready to make Cinnamon Roll Pancakes!
A Scrumptious Brunch Cinnamon Roll Pancake
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Mixture:
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Mixture:
Melt butter in small mixing bowl; add brown sugar and cinnamon and stir well to combine.
Pour the mixture into a Piping Bag or a small Ziploc Freezer Bag. (I fasten the end of my piping bag with a small clip, prop the bag in a drinking glass, fill the bag then put the whole thing into the fridge to bring the mixture back to a semi solid paste)
Cream Cheese Glaze:
In small mixing bowl cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until no lumps remain.
Add icing sugar and vanilla, stirring well.
Spoon the Cream Cheese frosting into a second Piping Bag or small Ziploc Freezer Bag. (Again, I secure the tip while I load the piping bag and leave it sit in another drinking glass until I am ready to use it)
Pancake Batter: In medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; make a well in the centre.
In large pyrex measuring cup, melt butter; add 1 cup of the milk then stir in eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, add another 1 1/2 cups milk along with the vanilla and whisk together until well combined; add enough milk to right consistency. A few lumps may remain.
Now we are ready to cook the Pancakes!
Cooking Cin Roll Pancakes
Heat a large non stick griddle to 350F. and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray.
Scoop about 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake onto the hot griddle, lightly spreading each portion evenly.
When pancakes begin to bubble pipe the Brown Sugar/Cinnamon mixture onto each pancake and continue cooking pancakes until the bubbles begin to pop.
Carefully slide a wide spatula underneath the pancake and flip over; cook for another 2 – 3 minutes, until golden.
Flip the pancakes onto a plate.
Serve each pancake with a drizzle of cream cheese frosting.
Recipe girl tells you to wipe out the pan between batches but I don’t do that. I did it the first time I tried the recipe and found it just made a mess so I just scoop more batter onto the griddle after I remove a batch. The griddle does get messing, as does the spatula but both clean up very easily. Once finished cooking I pour a enough water to coat the griddle, stick the spatula in HOT water to melt the sugar off. Works like a charm every time! Trust me, if this did not clean up nicely, I would not make them as often as I do.
A light dusting of icing sugar is nice on leftover Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.
Please do visit Recipe girl for the original recipe. She has also listed a couple of delicious variations. I definitely want to try the Gingerbread-Cinnamon Roll Pancakes around Christmas time.
Now I have not made meatloaf in years and I was really doubtful about whether or not I could pull it off using Yves Just Like Ground Round but, lo and behold, it worked!
I suppose my husband might enjoy REAL meatloaf made with ground beef…perhaps I will give it a go sometime in the future though I must admit out of all the meats there are to cook? Ground beef is my least favourite to cook!
Where did I get the recipe? I googled Low Carb Mexican Meatloaf and one of the top hits was http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1221493. Of course there would be substitutions and no, I didn’t exactly follow the recipe but I was happy with the results.
Low Carb Mexican Meatloaf
2 lbs Ground Beef (2 pkgs Yves Just like Ground Round)
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Sour Cream (Greek Plain Yogurt)
2 Eggs
1 cup Colby and/or Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 cup Salsa
*7 ounces canned Black Beans, rinsed and drained and mashed
Black Olives, sliced
Easily sub in Yves Just Like Ground Round for a Vegetarian version
Preheat oven to 400F.
Lightly spray 9X5 loaf pan with vegetable oil spray.
In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef (Yves JLGR) eggs, spices, sour cream (yogurt), mashed black beans and half of the cheese.
Evenly spread half of the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle with a bit of cheese and 1/2 cup salsa.
Pour remaining beef mixture on top, spread evenly and top with remaining salsa, sprinkle with black olives and remaining cheese.
Bake in 400F oven for 45 to 60 minutes.
Ready to go into the 400F oven for 45 – 60 minutes.
Serves 8.
Calories per serve: 507, Total Fat: 42.3g, Cholesterol:198.6mg , Sodium:497.1mg, Total Carbs: 2.1g, Dietary Fibre: 0.6g, Protein: 28.2g (when made with Ground Beef)
