Good For You Blueberry Muffins

I really like muffins but I hate how full of fat and sugar they are.  I played around with lots of recipes until I finally perfected this one.  I use no fat Greek yogurt and applesauce in place of lots of fat and sugar.  I also use whole wheat pastry flour. 

I've made them will all kinds of different fruit, including mango, which was really, really good but very ooey and gooey to eat.  They don't keep well out of the refrigerator so I usually put most of them in the fridge and just leave out a couple or three right after I bake them.

Here they are right out of the oven.

And, since I forgot initially, here is the recipe!:

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 T. ground flax seed (optional)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar  

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1 cup + 2 T. natural unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup (6 oz.) fat free (0%) Fage yogurt (or other Greek yogurt)

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Coat muffin pans with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flax seed.
In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and oil until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.
Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the yogurt. Whisk just until combined.  Using a spatula, gently stir in the blueberries.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a pick inserted in center of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Makes 12 large muffins.

Mango Chipotle Sauce

Seriously, this stuff ought to be called Crack Sauce; it is that good!  I only make it when the mangoes at work are really good, but I have made it once with frozen mangoes and it was good too.  The sweetness of the mangoes and the smokey spicy chipotle just work beautifully together.  I didn't have cilantro so there is no green in the picture, but just use your imagination!

We eat this on chicken, fish, and especially quinoa.  Yeah, we eat a lot of quinoa.  I buy big bags of it at Costco and keep it in the fridge.  It's just such a good food and so easy to make.
This sauce keeps well in the fridge and a little goes a long way.  It has so much flavor that you just need a little.  Here's the recipe:

Combine the following in a food processor and pulse until smooth:

2 large mangoes (or use 12 oz. bag of frozen mangoes, thawed)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (seeds removed)*

1 t. adobo sauce

Juice of one lime

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. olive or canola oil
handful of fresh cilantro

Salt

*Amount of chipotle depends on how much heat you want and the size of the mangoes.

Roasted Carrots

We absolutely LOVE roasted carrots.  I always buy organic carrots so I don't need to peel them and I buy them with the green tops attached.  They taste completely different than regular carrots.

All you have to do it cut the ends off, give them a good scrubbing, and then cut them into pieces.

Put in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Use a spoon and make sure the olive oil has coated the carrots completely.  Sprinkle generously with cumin.  Add salt and pepper.

Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.  The timing will depend on the thickness of your carrots.

For a picture, see Herbed Chicken below.  I seem to be on an orange kick lately.  Sweet potatoes, carrots, mango sauce, orange chicken.  Oh well, always did like orange.  Hey mom, remember the color of my bedroom growing up??  LOL!

Herb Baked Chicken Breasts

I got some huge chicken breasts on sale at the grocery store the other day.  They were bone-in, skin-on breasts, which I like best because they don't dry out when you cook them.  I don't eat the skin (or the bones!) but cooking breasts skin-on makes them more flavorful and juicy.  I had leftover tarragon and some rosemary from the only herb plant to survive the big chill this month in Austin (can you say snow??), so I chopped the herbs, added some olive oil, garlic and lemon juice and put it under the skin of the chicken and some on top.  It ended up being really good.

I'm sure you can use any combination of fresh herbs and don't worry about measurements.  Use what you have and however much of it you have.  I served it with Quinoa and Mango Chipotle Sauce and Roasted Carrots.  Definitely a great dinner!  Here's the recipe:

3-4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

Olive oil

2-3 T. each fresh tarragon and rosemary, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

½ lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper

Rinse chicken breasts and dry with a paper towel. 

Mix herbs with about 2 T. olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  Loosen skin from breast and put herb mixture under and on top of skin. 

Put breasts, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake 375° for 40-60 minutes.  The cooking time depends on the size of your chicken breasts.  Use an instant-read thermometer and remove from oven when the temperature reads 155-160°.  Cover chicken loosely with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.  The internal temperature should rise to 165° after resting period.

Update:  Tonight I made this recipe again and, since I have all kinds of herbs growing now, I used different ones.  I used a mixture of tarragon, parsley, basil, thyme, and rosemary.  Chopped them all up and mixed it with olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, and lemon juice.

Orange Glazed Chicken Thighs

Stuart and I were in Florida recently and stayed at Emerald Isle in mom and dad's condo.  Iris and Mom came over one day for lunch and I made my Baked Spring Rolls and Spinach Egg Soup.  I had to buy sweet chili sauce for the spring rolls so when I needed a dinner idea a couple of days later, I found a chicken recipe that called for sweet chili sauce.  I figured it was a sign, so I made Orange Glazed Chicken Thighs for dinner at mom and dad's.  Everyone loved it so I decided to work on the recipe a little and add and change things like I always do. 

Last night I made it again for dinner for me and Stuart and it turned out perfect, if I say so myself!  Here's a picture of the finished product:

I served it on a bed of quinoa and poured extra glaze on the top.  The original recipe didn't have enough glaze so I've changed that.  I also added some chipotle in adobo sauce to balance the sweetness.  So, here's the recipe:
2-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 10 thighs)

Marinade:

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, about 2 large oranges

2 T. grated orange zest (zest from one of the oranges)

1 t. kosher or coarse sea salt

1 t. freshly cracked black pepper

2 T. basil leaves, cut into strips (chiffonade)

3 T. white balsamic vinegar

2-3 T. minced shallot (1 medium shallot)

1 T. celery seeds or celery flakes

NOTE:  Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for the glaze*

Combine the orange juice and the rest of the ingredients.  Arrange chicken in an 8x8 glass baking dish or a dish where the thighs fit snuggly, cover with marinade (remember to reserve ¼ cup) and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, turning once.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry.  Put the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet or pan large enough not to crowd the thighs.  They are butterflied but fold the halves together to make them look like bone-in thighs.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven, pour off excess moisture, and spoon glaze over each chicken piece (you will have glaze left over).  Bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve chicken pieces on a bed of quinoa.  Pour excess glaze on top of chicken and quinoa.

Glaze:

1-2 T. olive oil

2 T. minced shallots (1 medium shallot)

1 T. minced ginger (about a 1” piece, with the peel cut off)

¾ cup orange marmalade

1/3 cup sweet chili sauce (find it on the Asian aisle)

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeds removed, minced fine

2 T. white balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup reserved marinade

In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the shallots and ginger and sauté for 3 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes.  

*If you forget to reserve marinade, add orange juice to glaze.

Make sure you have a microplane to zest the orange.  Citrus zest is the best way to give food a burst of flavor, but you have to make sure you use a microplane so that only the colored part of the peel is used.  The white part underneath is bitter.

And did I mention that you should line your baking sheet with foil?  This is why:

My dishwasher (aka Stuart) appreciates the foil-lined pan!

My (Current) Favorite Salad

My current favorite salad is very simple.  I like to use a nice leaf lettuce, like green or red leaf lettuce, or romaine.  I usually don't use the already washed greens unless I'm using spinach.  I have a very inexpensive (like $5) salad spinner and that takes care of washing my salad greens.

I like to add tomatoes, asiago or parmesan cheese, and croutons to a nice bed of greens.  Then I add my favorite salad dressing:

Creamy Garlic Dressing

1 T. mayonnaise

1 T. + 1-1/2 t. red wine vinegar

1-1/2 t. fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 t. Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, finely minced

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, except olive oil, salt and pepper.  Slowing pour in olive oil while whisking.  Season with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate leftovers.

Quinoa

First of all, this is not pronounced Kwin-O-Ah.  I put that here for Iris, who manages to cook and eat the stuff, but mutilates the pronounciation.  It's KEEN-wah.  Honestly, this is the perfect grain, except it's not a grain.  This is actually a seed from a plant that looks a lot like spinach.  It was a staple of the Incan diet and no wonder since it's a complete protein.  That means it contains all of the essential amino acids.  That does not occur often in the plant world. 

It's also really easy to cook...just think of rice.  Two parts water or broth to one part quinoa.  Bring water and quinoa to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.  It's done when you take a fork and part the grains and find no water.  Use the fork and fluff it like you would rice.  You'll find it used in a lot of my recipes that will get posted in the future.

Oh, and don't forget that it needs to be rinsed before cooking.  Quinoa has a coating on it that keeps birds from eating it while it's on the plant.  Rinsing gets rid of any bitter flavor the coating imparts.  You'll need a pretty fine meshed strainer for this or else the quinoa seeds will escape!  Some quinoas have already been rinsed so read the package and you may not have to bother with rinsing.

Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This is without a doubt my favorite vegetable dish of all time.  I make a bunch of it so I have plenty of leftovers.  I love having a bowl of this for lunch...it just makes you feel good!  Chipotle in Adobo Sauce is a wonderful smokey and spicey seasoning.  You find it in small cans in the Latin food aisle.  I use it in all kinds of dishes and I keep it refrigerated until I use it all up.

1 lbs. sweet potatoes, scrubbed and dried

2 T. butter

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely diced

1 t. adobo sauce

1 t. salt

Put the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake 375° for 45-60 minutes, or until potatoes start oozing out of their skin.  Let cool and remove peel.

Melt butter in a large pot.  Add potatoes and mash well.  Add chipotle and adobo sauce.  Season with salt.

This is one of those dishes that you need to play with.  You may want to add more or less chipotle.  Start with what's recommended and play with it from there.

Chicken Salad

I absolutely love this chicken salad.  I made it last summer for a beach get-together with my sisters and family.  I served it with whole wheat pita pocket bread and it was a huge hit.  The secret is fresh tarragon and only making it when grapes are really good.  I also use golden raisins instead of the regular black ones.  The mayonnaise amount is approximate; I really only use enough to "wet" the salad and make it stick together.  As always, fresh lemon juice is a must.  Never, ever buy a bottle of lemon juice!  Real lemons are the only way to go.  You can also cheat and use a rotisserie chicken, but I really prefer to bake whole bone-in, skin-on breasts.

2-3 chicken breast halves, skin-on, bone-in

1 stalk celery, small diced

1 small apple, peeled and diced

1 cup+ green and/or red grapes, cut in half

½ cup golden raisins
1/4 cup roasted nuts (pistachio, almond, etc.) - optional

¾ cup mayonnaise

2-3 T. fresh chopped tarragon

Juice of one lemon

Salt and pepper

Combine first five ingredients in a bowl.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.  Pour over the chicken mixture and blend well.  Refrigerate at least an hour before serving and preferably overnight.

To cook the chicken:

Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake at 400º on a foil lined baking pan until internal temperature reaches 165º (about 35-45 minutes, depending on oven).  Let cool, discard skin, remove meat from bone, and shred or cut up for salad.

The recipe isn’t exact…just use as much of everything as you like.  And if you can, use Hellman’s mayonnaise.

Stir Fry and Baked Egg Rolls

This recipe takes a lot of prep time but it's so easy once you're done with all the chopping.  Have everything ready and chopped before you start cooking.  The egg rolls absolutely rock.  They are baked and filled with vegetables so we're talking healthy!  I use the same veggies for the stir fry except I add mushrooms.  Don't be tied to the veggies; use whatever you have or can get. Stir fry is great with brown rice but also good with quinoa or noodles.  Of course, white rice is great too, although we don't usually eat white.  If you use rice, I would suggest Jasmine. 

Vegetable Stir Fry

• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms (I like Baby Bellas)
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper (I like to use ½ of each), cut into bite-sized chunks
• 4 oz. sugar snap peas
• ½ bag Broccoli Cole Slaw (or use cabbage and carrots)
• 4 green onions, sliced
• ½ can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
• 1 cup or more bean sprouts
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled* and minced
• 2-3 T. Chinese salad dressing
• 1 T. corn starch
• 1 cup broth

Sauté mushrooms in olive oil until brown and caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.  Add peas and bell peppers and continue cooking about 5 minutes.  Add the slaw and cook another couple of minutes.  Add the green onion, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, garlic and ginger.  Sauté a few more minutes.  (Don’t worry about the cooking times; just cook the veggies until they are just done but still crisp).

Add the salad dressing to the vegetables.  Stir a little broth into the corn starch and combine.  Add the corn starch and the rest of the broth to the vegetables and stir until sauce has thickened.

Serve over rice, quinoa or pasta.  Although not as healthy as brown, I find that white Jasmine rice tastes best with the vegetables. 

You can also add meat or shrimp to the recipe.  Just cook the meat or shrimp first and set aside while cooking the vegetables.

*I don’t actually peel the ginger; I just use my knife and cut the skin off.

Baked Spring Rolls

• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger root
• 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 cup cooked whole wheat angel hair or capellini*
• 1 green onion (scallion), julienned
• 1 carrot, finely grated**
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
• 1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and julienned
• 1 cup finely shredded or julienned cabbage (or use packaged slaw mix)**
• 1 cup sugar snaps, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup bean sprouts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup water chestnuts, julienned
• 6-8 square (7”) egg roll wrappers
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon Asian (or toasted) sesame oil
• Hot Chinese mustard, sweet chili sauce, and/or plum sauce, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and minced garlic. Add the noodles and stir to coat.  Add green onion, carrot, bell peppers, cabbage, snow peas, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts; toss to coat. Place the egg roll wrappers on a clean dry work surface. With one corner of the wrapper facing you, put filling about 2” above the corner.  Pull corner over filling and then roll over tightly.  Fold in the sides and continue rolling.  Seal the end with a little water to make it stick. 

Combine the vegetable oil and sesame oil. Lightly brush each spring roll with oil mixture and place on the baking sheet.  I have tried cooking these on a foil-lined sheet but it just doesn't work as well.  Bake it directly on the baking sheet for best results.

Bake until the spring rolls are crisp on the bottoms; about 10 minutes; turn and bake until crisp all over, about 8-10 more minutes.

*Break pasta into smaller pieces before cooking.

**Or buy prepared Broccoli Cole Slaw in place of the carrots and cabbage.

This recipe makes a lot of stir fry, which is great leftover, but only make as many spring rolls as you think you'll eat cause they get soggy when refrigerated.

Welcome to My Blog!!

So, I have decided to start a food blog.  I decided on the rather weird name for my blog because most people associate relaxing with hammocks.  I associate relaxing with cooking.  I LOVE to cook.  And why Hen and not Helen?  Well, when our nieces, Colleen and Megan, were little they couldn't say Helen, so they just called me Hen.  Why be a Helen when you can be a much more original "Hen".

I hope you all enjoy my blog and find some of my recipes worth trying.  I try to cook mainly healthy things but taste is most important.  I also try not to get overly complicated.

So, how did I get so interested in food?  I've always enjoyed cooking and I have a mom who is a great cook so I have always expected that food should be good.  But, I wasn't obsessed with it until we moved to Austin.  See, I used to be crazy about gardening in Florida, but when we moved to Austin I realized that gardening involves heavy equipment, like a pickaxe!  A little too labor intensive for me, so I needed a new hobby.

I started watching the Food Network and started getting more adventurous with my cooking.  I fell in love with a local grocery store called Central Market, which just happens to be five minutes down the road.  The place is incredible and I am now forever spoiled.  About four years ago, I got a job at Central Market and I am now known as a Foodie.

What is a Foodie??  Foodies are unique to Central Market.  We are a group of 10 fabulous ladies whose job it is to help our customers find products, help them with dinner suggestions, answer cooking questions, and much more.  So basically, I get paid for walking around in a store I love and I get to talk about food all day.  Tough job, I know, but someone's got to do it.

I wanted to put together a collection of my favorite recipes and make it into a book to give to my sisters, mom, nieces, etc.  Then my friend, and fellow Foodie, Shelly, told me about her food blog (http://shellypalooza.blogspot.com/).  I knew that was the way to go!  So, now I have a blog that I am sharing with you.  Stuart has been so supportive of my new hobby.  Of course, he loves to eat the food I cook, but he also puts up with my craziness before almost every dinner:  "Wait, don't eat that yet; we need a picture for the blog!!!"