Brown Butter Banana Muffins

May 23, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

 

Ingredients:

4 Ripe bananas

1/3 Cup Raw Agave Syrup or Honey

1 Stick Unsalted Butter

1 Large Egg

1 3/4 Cups Self Rising Flour

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin liners.

Peel bananas and add to a large bowl. Add agave syrup add mash the bananas with a fork until very liquified but still a little lumpy.

Melt butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until milk solids have turned a nutty golden brown.

Too the brown butter, add about 1 cup of the mashed banana mixture and whisk to combine. Cook for a few more minutes until a darker golden colour is achieved. Add to the remaining banana mixture and whisk to combine, then whisk in egg. Fold in the flour, in 2 batches,  with a rubber spatula, until just combined. Do not over mix. With an ice cream scoop, evenly divide the batter among muffin cups.

Bake in the centre of the oven until golden brown and the tops spring back when pressed, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 mins in the pan, then transfer muffins to a rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Irish Soda Bread

May 22, 2011 by lovelypantry

This recipe was made out of sheer curiosity. I found this recipe in Healthy Eating magazine. It went down well in no time at all! Enjoy.

 

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Raisins

1 Cup boiling water

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/3 Cup sugar

3 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Salt

1 Egg

2 Cups Buttermilk

1/4 Cup Butter, melted

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Place Raisins in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins.

Transfer to a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

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Chicken Meatballs & Spinach Pesto Linguine

May 22, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

I love a good meatball. I found a recipe by Sunny Anderson (Cooking for Real) and gave it a try. WIN!

Ingredients:

1 lb Lean ground chicken

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Egg, whisked

3 Tblsp unseasoned whole-wheat breadcrumbs

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tsp Hungarian or Hot Paprika

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1 Tsp Chopped fresh oregano leaves, about 1 small sprig

1 Tblsp chopped fresh Thyme leaves, about 5 sprigs

1 Tsp Brown Sugar

1 Lemon, zested

1 Tblsp Unsalted Butter

1 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

 

Directions:

In a large bowl, gently mix the chicken, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, onion powder, oregano, thyme, brown sugar, lemon zest, 2 pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Form into mini-meatballs, slightly smaller that a golf ball. It should make 28-30 meatballs. Place them on a sheet of parchment paper.

Warm the butter and oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Transfer the meatballs to the pan and do not disturb for 3 minutes in order to brown well. Turn, cooking another 3 minutes without disturbing. Keep cooking until browned and cooked on all sides, but still juicy and plump with a spring to the touch. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb some of the oil. Serve atop Spinach Pesto Linguine, if desired.

 

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Herbed Salmon, Sweet Potato & Asparagus

May 14, 2011 by lovelypantry

I was glad to try this recipe since at the time, salmon was still fairly new to me. The thought of breading a salmon fillet excited me  –  perhaps because I don’t see many recipes like this. I was pleasantly surprised about how this salmon came out. I’d make it again and again. Its perfect for entertaining. People will admire the attractiveness and simplicity. The awesome thing is that I had excess of the combined herbs. I had separated the mixture into 2 portions and stored the unused portion in the freezer for future use.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cups Fresh Breadcrumbs

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped

2 Tblsp Fresh Thyme, Chopped

3 Tblsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Tsp Grated Lemon Zest

1/4 Tsp Salt

3 Tblsp Butter, Melted, Divided

1/2 Salmon Fillet (4 Slices)

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F Degrees.

In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese, thyme, lemon zest and salt. Combine well. Add 2 Tblsp butter and toss lightly to coat. Set aside.

Pat salmon dry. Place skin side down (you can get slices with the skin already removed) in a greased baking dish. Brush with remaining butter. Cover with crumb mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with mashed sweet potato and steamed asparagus. Enjoy.

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Apple Raisin Mini Muffins

Apr 26, 2011 by lovelypantry

This is a family and crowd favourite adapted from Paula Deen. The original recipe called for walnuts but I try not to bake with nuts. Also, I incorporated whole wheat flour to increase the fiber content. I should probably warn you… These mini-muffins are highly addictive. These Apple Raisin Mini Muffins are a perfect gift too. Guaranteed to please!

 

 

Enjoy these wonderful muffins!

 

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