Tabbouleh Quinoa Salad

Being pretty much banned from your kitchen for two weeks when you have a bountiful herb garden in the back and a fridge full of inspiration is downright torture for a food blogger like myself! This was the case for me, up until last week, when my house was being prepped and went up for sale. With sporadic showings every few hours, forcing me to flee my home, I wasn't allowed to make any sort of mess in the kitchen, or create any food smells that possible buyers may find offensive. I certainly consumed my fair share of toast and instant oatmeal in those two weeks, and was dying for a good home cooked meal. After only being on the market for a short time, we were lucky to find a lovely down-to-earth family that would become our future home owners. With the house sold, I was ready to get back in action in the kitchen, make a great big mess, and create something fantastic! With all the ingredients for a tabbouleh salad in my fridge and garden, and two big bags of organic quinoa in the pantry I had found my mess-making winner of a dish to reunite me with my kitchen! I whipped up this Tabbouleh Quinoa Salad in next to no time, adding some fresh bell peppers for an extra hit of flavour and some crunch. I loved eating this salad alongside fresh grilled fish, and saving the leftovers for my lunch the following day!

Note: If you have any salad leftover, you may want to add more dressing. I find with many quinoa salads that my dressings seem to disappear, which means flavour disappearing, when stored overnight. Just squeeze in some extra lemon juice, olive oil, and perhaps some more garlic and a splash of apple cider vinegar to make your flavour last!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
zest from 1/4 of a lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (plus more to taste)
1/2 large cucumber, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped fine

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to directions on package. 
2. While the quinoa is cooking, whisk together lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly begin to pour in the olive oil in a small stream while continuing to whisk. 
3. Once quinoa is cooked, fluffed and slightly cooled, stir in the lemon dressing, cucumber, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and mint. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately or, if serving the following day, see above note.

Listening To:
Frank Ocean - Super Rich Kids (feat. Earl Sweatshirt)

Powered by mp3skull.com
Sooo excited for his concert at the Kool Haus tonight!!

Weekly Roundup - July 27, 2012

  CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

The best French onion soup - Aaaah the comfort in devouring a steaming hot bowl of cheesy, rich French Onion Soup! Even with this blistering heat in Toronto, I couldn't help but crave my favourite French onion soup from Coquine last weekend when heading out to dinner with my mom. "Soup? In this heat?" my mom kept asking. No, not just any soup, the BEST French onion soup! I had to have it! After walking into Coquine and watching a piping hot bowl of French Onion soup get delivered to another table, my mom decided she couldn't go without one either. We enjoyed a really nice evening, just mother and daughter, talking about our future and our hopes and dreams, while sipping on the best French onion soup in Toronto!

Tabbouleh Quinoa Salad - After two weeks of being forbidden to cook anything/make a mess in the kitchen with showings all day every day, I was dying to make a mess in the kitchen! I always say to my mom, the bigger the mess, the better the dish! So off I went to make one delicious mess! Like usual, I found inspiration in my fridge with a cucumber needing to be used up as well as lots of fresh tomatoes and parsley. Chopped bell peppers were my new addition to this salad adding lots of flavour and a bit of crunch. Recipe coming this week!

Chicken Marsala - I mentioned last week that the sage in my herb garden has been growing wild, each day taking over more and more of the large pot it's planted in. Well, in only a week the sage has TRIPLED! What the heck do I do with all this sage? It was easy to find a yummy use for all that sage on Wednesday night with a pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts in the fridge, and a bottle of marsala just calling my name in the liquor cabinet. Chicken Marsala is one of my favourite comfort foods! I remembered that last time there was a ton of that delicious sweet sauce left over from the chicken, begging to have something sop it all up. Fresh fettucini did just the trick to act as a bed for the chicken, the sauce steeping down into the silky ribbons of fettucini. Get my recipe for Chicken Marsala here!

Roast Beef Sliders - I whipped these up for lunch by the pool the other day and thought they were just so darn cute, I couldn't resist taking a pic! Deli fresh roast beef is topped with artisan horseradish mustard and dill pickles on rye bread to create this cute little sandwich. See, burgers aren't the only sandwich that likes to slide! Why not make pulled pork sliders, turkey club sliders, steak sandwich sliders! The list could go on and on!

Follow me on Twitter!

Like me on Facebook!

Follow me on Instagram @thisgingerrose

Listening To:
Deerhunter - Agoraphobia

Powered by mp3skull.com

Cottage Eats

Last week my mom and I were able to take a lovely little escape out of the city and head up north to Jeffery Lake to a beautiful cottage that my aunt and uncle had rented. With our house still up on the market at the time, and offers scattering through, it was nice to have a different atmosphere and be surrounded by close family to take our minds off all of the anxiety and stress we were dealing with. While a lot of people go up to a cottage to escape chores such as cooking, in my family food is once again one of the highlights! No cottage escape is complete without a killer meal! Now what we're going for here is a meal that is killer in flavour, but easy on the effort, which does require some simple planning. This time around all of the three families that were up each brought groceries, with my uncle Eddie taking the reigns in the kitchen. Eddie wanted nothing more than to spend the afternoon blasting his awesome Motown music, while singing and cooking up a feast for us...and possibly sneaking some ribs for himself along the way. Although he spent the day working hard keeping an eye on those delicious slow-cooked ribs that him and my mom collaborated on, the truth is, the meal that we planned was clever and simple enough that you could truly spend all day on the dock, with only a few short last minutes in the kitchen, all it takes is a little planning. When I'm planning cottage meals, I like to think of dishes that allow me and my family to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. I like to keep things simple, but take things that one step further to make them a little special and memorable. 

THE ENTRÉE

For our entrée, we chose slow cooked ribs. We got two families to each bring up several racks to split the cost, then my mom cooked up her notorious rib sauce recipe back at home so that she could simply pour it into a container to travel up north with us, saving us a lot of time in the kitchen at the cottage. With the ribs needing little babysitting while slow-cooking, you have plenty of time to enjoy cottage life outside! Pulled pork, brisket, ribs, just about any slow cooked recipe will do here.

• Do the prep - Make your sauce ahead of time, back in the city! 
• Take it slow - Go for slow roasted meats like ribs, pork shoulder, brisket, etc. Why not bring up your slow cooker from your city kitchen! You won't regret using up that extra space in the car!
• Start early - Start your cooking first thing in the morning so that you have everything done before the sun comes up, and by dinner time you'll have fall-off-the-bone delicious meat.

THE SIDES

For the sides, we're once again going for simplicity. Little ruby red potatoes and fresh Ontario corn on the cob can be cooked up in no time at all by simply tossing them into some boiling water. Here is where the planning comes in. It's easy to end the dish at that and have your guests and family season up the veggies with some salt and pepper themselves, but why not aim to impress? Whip up some easy and delicious flavoured butters to bring up to the cottage in a cooler. Perfect for topping corn or stirring into hot potatoes, these butters can quickly and easily transform a simple side dish! You can also do all the prep work for an awesome potato salad ahead of time! Just a quick chop of some bell peppers and you're pretty much good to go!

• Herbaceous Butters - Whip up some softened butter with fresh chopped herbs like basil, parsley, chives, mint, and/or rosemary, scoop and drop it onto a piece of plastic wrap, roll into a log, and refrigerate until solid. Serve with corn on the cob or stir into steaming hot ruby red boiled potatoes.
• Hot & Spicy Butters - Whip up some softened butter with cayenne pepper, lime, and cilantro for a festive butter with a kick! Scoop and drop it onto a piece of plastic wrap, roll into a log, and refrigerate until solid. Serve with corn on the cob or stir into steaming hot ruby red boiled potatoes.
• Speedy Potato Salad - Cube up some red, yellow, and/or orange bell peppers ahead of time at home and toss into a tupperware container. When your potatoes are boiled and ready to serve quickly stir in those cubed bell peppers, a scoop or two of mayo, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper, chives and a bit of garlic and ta da! You have a simple, delicious, and healthy potato salad!

THE DRINK

No cottage meal is complete without a fantastic drink! My uncle Eddie once again stepped up to the plate this time around, creating a delicious and striking gin and tonic. By simply cutting up some halved cucumber slices and adding just a touch of fresh cracked pepper, the classic gin and tonic is transformed and becomes irresistible! With only two extra steps, Eddie's take on a classic gin and tonic is sure to be your new favourite!

• Play with a classic - It's easy to create your signature cocktail by simply adding an ingredient or two to your favourite classic cocktail! Uncle Eddie chose cucumbers and fresh cracked pepper for his gin and tonic, but don't shy away from other ingredients like hot peppers, fresh herbs, berries, brines, syrups, and more! 

Listening To:

Danny Brown - Grown Up - Love the video for this song! Check it out!

Powered by mp3skull.com

Weekly Roundup - July 20, 2012

  CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Burgers with Grilled Pineapple - You know those perfect summer days? Saturday could have been absolutely horrible with our first Open House taking place at home, but we all turned our day around and ended up having another one of those perfect summer days. Unable to make a mess for the next Open House, we decided to make a mess-free dinner of burgers on the barbeque. To make our burgers just as perfect as our day, my sister Justine suggested grilling up pineapple slices to top our cheeseburgers with. WOAH! Did they ever turn out incredible! Top those babies with sriracha hot sauce and grilled onions and you've got one perfect burger! You've gotta try it!

Hot Stone Beef Bulgogi - On that same perfect Saturday, my mom and I decided to spend the day together so that we could both be out of the house while the Open House was taking place. We decided to finally check out the Picasso exhibit at the AGO, but first I suggested we grab some Korean food across the street. I was first introduced to Korean Hot Stone Bulgogi last summer and have been hooked ever since! I love how the piping hot bowl crisps the rice on the outside as well as mixing up the egg with all of the delicious veggies and savory beef. Mmmm sooo good!

Cottage Fishin' - While the offers were coming in for our house, my mom and I decided to escape the city and spend two days with our family up north at a cottage that my aunt and uncle rented on Jeffery Lake. It was great to have the distraction to keep my mom and I from stressing about the house, and to have people to lean on in this difficult time. It was so nice to be able to spend some quality time with my cousins Lucas, Evan, and Nick fishing, making bracelets, and goofing around on the dock. 

Picasso at the AGO - A fantastic exhibit, I absolutely loved Picasso at the AGO. I loved being able to go right up and see every brush stroke and learn more about his life and career. You can't help but feel inspired walking away from an exhibit like that! 

  CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Cottage Fishin' - The greatest. These boys are the coolest.

Cottage Meals - We sure know how to cook up a cottage meal in our family! My mom and uncle Eddie collaborated to make some seriously delicious ribs! More about our meal in a post coming soon!

SOLD - Yup.

Frog - Look at this little guy who I found swimming around the pool! He looks big but he was just a wee lil' guy!

Follow me on Twitter!

Like me on Facebook!

Follow me on Instagram @thisgingerrose

Listening To:
Frank Ocean - Forrest Gump

Powered by mp3skull.com

Gnocchi in Brown Butter Sage Sauce

With only a few precious months of my herb garden being able to grow in Toronto, it's hard for me to snip out any of my herbs, but when it looks like a sage monster is trying to escape out of your herb garden pot and devour the rest of the herbs, you know it's definitely time to do some snipping!  I couldn't let any of the sage that I snipped out go to waste, so I had to think up an easy and quick recipe that I could make to utilize all that delicious sage.  With a fresh package of potato gnocchi in the fridge, and little other sauce ingredients, I knew I had my dinner fix! I have tried making a brown butter and sage sauce in the past but unfortunately learned the hard way that brown butter can turn black very quickly. With my brown butter burning memory clear in my mind, I knew I could perfect the simple sauce this time around. The last time I attempted the sauce I was pouring it over delicious sweet potato agnolotti which already has a lot of flavour in it. I knew the dish would be a little one dimensional if I had left it as is with just the mild flavoured gnocchi, so I kicked up the flavour by adding fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, and lots of parmesan cheese. I also wanted to play around with the texture of the dish a little bit. I was able to achieve a slightly crispy coating to the soft and slightly chewy gnocchi by sautéing it until golden in a pan. A quick toss with the nutty and sage infused brown butter, a squeeze of lemon, a bit of seasoning and you've got an elegant, satisfying, and quick weeknight meal that will keep you coming back for more!

Ingredients:
about 8 tbsp unsalted butter, sliced
about 10-15 fresh sage leaves
1 package potato gnocchi
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
salt & pepper, to taste
freshly grated parmesan cheese, to top

Directions:

1. Cook gnocchi according to instructions on package.
2. Heat a large skillet at medium heat. When pan is hot, add the butter.  Whisk frequently as butter melts. When butter has melted, add the sage leaves.
3. The butter will foam up then die down and will begin to turn brown. Keep your eye on the stove as the butter can burn really quickly at this point. When you begin to see brown specks form at the bottom of the pan and the butter begins to smell a little nutty, turn the heat off immediately and take the pan off the heat. Pour butter into a glass cup/measuring cup and set aside.
4. When the gnocchi are cooked, rinse and add to the same skillet that the butter was melted in. Add a small amount of butter and sauté the gnocchi at medium - medium-high heat until the gnocchi begins to get golden in colour.
5. Meanwhile, use a spoon to carefully scoop out the white bits that will form at the top of the butter so that you are only left with brown butter. 
6. Once gnocchi is golden, add the brown butter and sage back into the pan at medium-low heat and toss to coat. Add the lemon juice and zest, season with salt and pepper, and top with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. 

Listening To:
Frank Ocean - Sweet Life

Powered by mp3skull.com

Weekly Roundup - July 12, 2012

 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Victoria's Wedding Shower - This past weekend I got to spend the day surrounded by lovely ladies, sipping punch, eating hors d'oeuvres, sushi, pad thai, and Italian food (a delicious mish-mash) served to us by attractive men, all to celebrate Victoria's Wedding shower! The big sister to one of my best friends Alex, I have known Victoria since grade four. Having never had a big sister myself, I have always looked up to Victoria as being that cool and smart older sister I wanted to grow up to be like. Now, truly all grown up, I still admire Victoria for always following her dreams, for standing up for what she believes in, for sharing her warmth with not just myself but my whole family, and for finding someone that matches her so perfectly. Alex and the other bridesmaids did an incredible job with the shower! Everything looked spectacular and the food and drinks were awesome! 

Gnocchi in a Brown Butter Sage Sauce - With sage growing like weeds in my herb garden this year, I had to do a little pruning to beautify my herb garden that I love so much (some may say obsessed!).  With all those extra branches filled with sage that I had to cut off and a package of store-bought gnocchi in the fridge, dinner was a no-brainer. A quick little weeknight dinner, it's super easy to throw together a delicious brown butter and sage sauce to top store-bought or homemade gnocchi! Recipe coming soon!

Lucas' 12th Birthday - I am super close with my two youngest cousins Lucas and Evan, so I was really glad to be able to make the time to ring in Lucas' last real birthday celebration as a kid! I still remember so clearly going to visit my Aunt Darlene in the hospital to meet Lucas for the first time.  Now at 12 years old, Lucas is almost as tall as me, and far more wiser. The older he grows the more kind, talented, smart, and interesting he gets. I can't wait to see the incredible things that Lucas does with his future!

Escape - With all the chaos going on at home right now, I've had to escape off on my own a lot. I forgot how much I love walking and hiking, alone with my thoughts, taking in the nature around me. Sometimes an escape is all you need to reawaken the soul.

 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

For Sale - The signs up. It's real. My beautiful home is up for sale. 

Sorn Thai - Not being able to make a mess in the house with unexpected showings all the time means having to eat out a lot! The other night my mom and I decided to try someplace other than our usual Satay on the Road, we headed to Sorn Thai on North Yonge remembering that they have a tiny patio outside. Although we really liked the start of our meal, their tasty spring rolls, I hate to say that the rest was pretty disappointing. Neither my mom nor I could get over how extremely salty both the Pad Thai and Spicy Tofu were. 

Channel Orange - The incredibly talented Frank Ocean has come out with his debut album Channel Orange, a beautiful collection of 18 tracks that send your emotions on a roller coaster, all the while keeping your head bobbing, fingers and toes tapping, lips synching. Definitely check it out! My favourite song at the moment? It's what I'm listening to now, Pink Matter ft. Andre 3000. But my favourite song on the album has got to be Ocean's epic 10 minute song Pyramids.

Beautiful Ruins - My smart as a whip, future publisher cousin Kimberlee recommended this book to me. Only a few chapters in and I'm hooked! 

Follow me on Twitter!

Like me on Facebook!

Follow me on Instagram @thisgingerrose

Listening To:
Frank Ocean ft. Andre 3000 - Pink Matter

Powered by mp3skull.com

Anyday Magic Recipe Makeover: Fresh Mixed Mushroom Mac & Cheese

Check out my recipe for Fresh Mixed Mushroom Mac & Cheese for Dairy Goodness Anyday Magic Recipe Makeover! With the meaty flavour and texture of mushrooms, it was easy to see how I could amp up the nutrition of this recipe!

Listening To:

Frank Ocean - Lost

Evergreen Brick Works Farmers Market

"The Evergreen Brick Works Farmers Market is more than a local food market. It is a celebration of the diverse communities working together to build a sustainable food system from the ground up.

The Evergreen Brickworks Farmers Market will:

• Engage local food producers and consumers.
• Share ideas to generate understanding of the environmental impacts of food choices.
• Inspire others and empower them to make positive changes
• Promote organic and GMO-free foods, as well as markets where rural food producers and urban consumers both benefit from fair trade and a vibrant local economy.
• Celebrate our diverse food traditions!"

(ebw.evergreen.ca)

SPRING/SUMMER/FALL SESSION

Saturday's from May 5, 2012 - November 3, 2012

8 AM - 1 PM

With 65-85 unique vendors selling everything from baked goods, fresh produce, cheese, meats, preserves, spreads, beverages, crepes, burritos, and more, the Evergreen Brick Works Farmers Market is a great way to introduce yourself and your friends and family to new and unique  products that help to support and promote local Ontario farmers, chefs, and artisans.  Touring the market is a great way to become informed on what produce is in season, and better yet, gives you an opportunity to interact with the farmers and artisans themselves to get first-hand knowledge on how your food got to the table. A featured live band helps to set the mood while you weave your way through the many vendors. I like to  start my tour around the market with breakfast! The last time I went to the Brick Works Market, my mom and I decided to wake ourselves up with the Ultimate Breakfast Burrito and a glass of lemonade, both delicious! With food in hand to snack on, you're all set to tour the other vendors, because trust me, touring the market on an empty stomach can be a dangerous game for your wallet! Make sure to ask lots of questions and strike up a conversation at the vendors, you never know what information, or even recipes, the farmers and artisans may be able to give you! So this weekend start your week off right and stock your kitchen with all the yummy seasonal finds you got your hands on at the Evergreen Brick Works Farmers Market!

Listening To:

Cat Power - Ruin

Powered by mp3skull.com

Weekly Roundup - July 6, 2012

I've decided to try a new thing to keep you guys updated on where I'm eating, what I'm eating, and what's going on in my life each week by publishing a weekly roundup each Friday. If you like what you see, get daily updates from me by following my Twitter (@thisgingerrose), Instagram (@thisgingerrose), and Facebook accounts! 

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Hadley's - I have always been super close with my aunt Darlene. She was the one who would take my sister and I on special day trips on the subway around the city as kids, and now, all grown up, we've made it our thing to meet up for a delicious lunch every few months. At our most recent lunch we hit up Hadley's on College St. With such a delicious sounding menu, we decided to split two dishes so we could each try more! This was Hadley's tasty take on a Club Sandwich with side salad! 

Oh Canada - I spent Canada Day weekend at my friend Laura's beautiful family cottage! Laura was one of the girls I befriended on my Birthright Israel trip and was a great host all weekend long! We couldn't have asked for better weather to enjoy our relaxing weekend! 

Hadley's - The other dish that Darlene and I split was Hadley's oh-so-decadent French toast special of the day, Pulled Pork French Toast with a spicy coulis!

Oh Canada - A photo montage from my Canada Day cottage weekend! No Canada Day is complete without Canada's Cocktail, the Bloody Caesar!

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Milkshakes For Dinner - After coming home tired and yucky from being at the cottage all weekend and after a very intense weekend for my mom, all we could possibly think of doing come dinner time was collapse onto our patio chairs on the porch. Too hot to eat a big meal, my mom slyly suggested having milkshakes for dinner! Obviously, I said YES! She didn't want me to tell anyone that she made us milkshakes for dinner, but really, it's things like that that make me love my mom the most!

Za'atar in Food & Wine Magazine - I was excited to see a recipe featuring za'atar, the herb I ground and brought home from Israel featured in the August issue of Food & Wine Magazine!

Shisha & Falafels - What do you do on a humid, cloudy mid-week afternoon with your sister? Why eat falafels and smoke Shisha of course! 

Efharis - My friend Rommi just got back from an amazing vacation in Israel and Greece. Rommi was thoughtful enough to bring me back this beautiful bracelet from designer Efharis that is meant to be a symbol of good luck!

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Caprese Salad - Need I say more?

Holy Chuck Burgers - Holy Chuck Burgers just may have stolen my heart away from my beloved Burger's Priest. With lots of seating, no line ups, friendly staff, and, of course, a killer burger, Holy Chuck Burger just may be my favorite burger joint in the city! I have tried they're Jr. Cheeseburger and fries in the past and absolutely LOVED them, but this time around I tried the recommended Holy Chuck Burger, a double cheeseburger with bacon and sautéed onions. This mega filling burger turned out to be a true winner in my books!

Blueberry Pie - If you read my latest blog post on Guilt-Free Apple Pie Muffins you'll know that I absolutely hate rolling out pie dough! With a big tub of blueberries in the fridge, I couldn't resist making another attempt at a pie. Because I am far from confident in the pie pastry department at the moment, I decided to forego scratch-made and use Dr. Oetker's, just add water, pie crust. Even though I still had trouble getting the pie dough to fit the pie plate, the blueberry pie turned out delicious, and looked pretty good too!

Neal Brothers Foods - After being introduced to Neal Brothers Foods, I was interested to try their take on healthy organic snacks. Neal brothers was kind enough to send me a big box of a number of their products, as well as some other interesting brands for me to try! After now having tried their Organic Cheese Puffs, Lotus Fine Foods Cranberry Cinnamon Granola, Organic Salsa, and Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Dish Soap, I can say that I am very impressed with their products. With big flavours and little guilt, Neal Brothers is my new favourite brand for healthy snacking!

Follow me on Twitter!

Like me on Facebook!

Follow me on Instagram @thisgingerrose

Listening To:

Guilt-Reduced Apple Pie Muffins

My mom has always been the pie-maker in the family, always there for each and every season to bring a sweet and delicious fruity creation to our table. A skill she must have picked up from my pie-making grandmother, my mom makes all of my favourite pies including apple, peach, strawberry, blueberry, and an assortment of other mixed fruit creations that drive me wild! Since being promoted at her job, my mom has had less and less time to make pies, and I've had to step up my baking game to keep my family's sweet tooth satisfied. Having never had any luck with pie-making myself, I wasn't exactly looking forward to trying my hand at rolling out that dough that never seems to fit the pie plate. How come the pies that I've made never look like the picture perfect creations you see in magazines and on TV? And how come my mom seems to be able to replicate those beautiful fluted edges with such ease while I complain and struggle? I'll never understand it.

Some may say I gave up at this point, but I choose to think of it as "adapting". Instead of going through what I consider to be agony, struggling to roll out that darned pie dough, I decided to switch up the recipe. I wanted to keep the same flavours that you find in a traditional apple pie, but get rid of the labour and mess (just imagine all that flour and dough stuck to your countertop!) that comes with preparing the dough. Being so incredibly sick of the pub food that I get 50% off of at work, I also liked the idea of making a sweet snack that I can take to work with me so I wouldn't have to eat another frozen chicken finger. After doing some research I decided to make Food.com's recipe for Apple Pie Muffins, but get rid of the guilt that comes along with eating pie, by swapping out some ingredients and adjusting the flavours and textures to my liking. The muffins turned out great! Despite being "guilt-reduced", my Apple Pie Muffins totally satisfied my apple pie craving as a late night snack, as well as being the perfect little sweet treat to munch on at work! I also loved that I could happily eat a second muffin without feeling that same guilt that comes along with eating a second helping of pie. So say farewell to the dreaded rolling pin this time around, and make life a little easier and sweeter for yourself and whip up a batch of my Guilt-Reduced Apple Pie Muffins! 

Note: This recipe was updated on October 27, 2015. Click here to see the updated recipe!

Recipe adapted from Food.com
Ingredients:
Topping
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Muffins
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup apple sauce
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups shredded firm and tart apples, with a bit of lemon juice squeezed on top

Directions:

1. Make the muffin topping by stirring together the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, rolled oats, melted butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the brown sugar, oil, apple sauce, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl sift together the all-purpose flour, whole grain flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Some of the whole grains from the flour may get caught in the sifter so just toss those remnants in with the rest of the flour after. 
4. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
5. Fold in the shredded apples, until just combined.
6. Using a retractable ice cream scoop, spoon in the batter into a lined muffin tin so that the cups are almost full.
7. Sprinkle the topping evenly over all of the muffins and bake in a 350º oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Listening To:

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home

Powered by mp3skull.com