Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Citrus Glaze

Instead of a purchased coffeecake or Dunkin Donuts, I like to have a homemade bundt cake or muffin with my morning coffee. Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are a quick recipe for you to throw together (all the ingredients are combined in one bowl) and will bake up in about 20 minutes - about the same time it takes you to run to the bakery for donuts. The muffins are good, but it is the glaze that puts them over the top.

No Thank You boy can devour about a half dozen Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins in one sitting. See if you can beat his record.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

makes about 24 muffins

for muffins-
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/8 cups canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups milk

for glaze-
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard sized muffin pan with muffin liners or spray with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix until just blended. Fill muffin cups a little more than 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 - 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes and then pour over muffins. Dust with powdered sugar when cool. Let glaze harden before enjoying with your morning coffee.

It makes a large batch - stash a few in the freezer!!

Hasselback Potatoes

Most of my dinners include a meat, a couple vegetables and a starch of some sort - usually potatoes, pasta, or rice. I get bored of the same starch side dishes. Roasted potatoes, oven fries, steamed rice, pasta tossed with a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese. I came across a new recipe for an easy to prepare potato with a slight twist on the baked potato.

Hasselback Potatoes are the Swedish version of baked potatoes with the addition of a crispy coating. They look like a fancy side dish, but are actually easy to make.

Thumbs up from all family members for the potatoes. We loved the tender potatoes with a seasoned crunchy topping. Shockingly, there was no need for sour cream.

I will be making these again very soon.

Hasselback Potatoes

serves 5

5 large baking potatoes
1 stick of butter, melted
seasoned bread crumbs
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes and cut a small slice from the bottom of each potato. This helps the potatoes lie flat and not roll. Cut 1/4 inch vertical slices making sure not to cut all the way to the cutting surface. You want to keep the slices intact and still joined at the bottom of each potato.

Tear 5 sheets of foil large enough to wrap around each potato. Place 1 potato in each sheet of foil. Drizzle with butter and sprinkle with a generous amount of the seasoned bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Wrap foil around potatoes and bake for about 45 minutes.

After initial baking time, partial open each foil wrapped potato and bake for an additional 15 minutes to crisp up the topping.

Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Korean Barbecue Short Ribs

I like ribs. But usually only baby back pork ribs. Nice, uniform slabs of 13 ribs waiting for a sweet and spicy rub and a slow roasting in the oven. Finish them off on a hot grill with some Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce, and I'm happy. All those other overly meaty and fatty, prehistoric looking ribs at the meat market counter look intimidating.

For those who are faithful readers of my blog, you know I am not a huge fan of my crock pot. It's great for making pulled pork and keeping sausage and meatballs warm for a Super Bowl party. But, I have never found a recipe that was fantastic. They were all pretty good, but nothing that knocked my socks off. Then I came across the blog of Stefanie who is vowing to cook in her crock pot every day for an entire year. I thought she must have a few stellar crockpotting recipes for me to try.

Korean Barbecue Short Ribs was the first recipe that caught my eye on her blog. It met the criteria for a good meal in my house. Beef. Check. Asian-inspired. Check. Some spicy jalapenos in the recipe (for The Husband). Check. Easy to prepare. Check. Ok. I'll give it a try. I browned up about 8 beef short ribs on my grill pan, threw them in the crock pot, poured in 1 cup of soy sauce, 1 cup of brown sugar, and 6 big jalapenos and set it low for 6 hours. A friend of No Thank You Boy who was over for the day commented that it really looked good even before it had started cooking.


Here are the ribs before their 6-hour slow cook.

We left the crock pot to do what is does best and headed for an afternoon at the pool. We returned to a wonderful aroma in our house. "Man that smells good," said My Middle One. "When is it ready?"

"Only 2 more hours to go," I informed her.

When 7 p.m. finally rolled around, these ribs did not disappoint. Superb flavor. Lacquer-colored beef falling off the bones. And everyone commented on how much they enjoyed them. I served the ribs with jasmine rice and steamed green beans. Dinner was a success.

With school starting up and all the running around it involves, get out the crock pot and make some ribs tonight.

Korean Barbecue Short Ribs

serves 3 - 4

10 beef short ribs
olive oil
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
6 jalapeno peppers, whole

Heat a grill pan to high. Drizzle ribs with olive oil and brown on all sides in hot grill pan. Remove ribs from pan and place in crock pot. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and jalapeno peppers. Set to low and cook for 6 hours.

Remove from crock pot and enjoy! Make sure to drizzle the ribs with the sauce.

A Couple of Dips for Happy Hour

Pinto Bean and Sun Dried Tomato Dip

It's Friday so that must mean Happy Hour is not far behind. I have been making some more nutritious dips lately to combat all the Tostito Scoops, Pringles, cookies, Cheez-Its, and ice cream we have been eating this summer.

My two latest creations are Pinto Bean and Sun Dried Tomato Dip and Greek Cannellini Bean Dip. By keeping a supply of canned beans on hand, I can always whip up a dip quickly in the food processor. Serve with cut up vegetables and crackers and your favorite drink.

Happy Friday!!

Pinto Bean and Sun Dried Tomato Dip

Pinto Bean and Sun Dried Tomato Dip

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
5 sun dried tomatoes, oil-packed
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon capers
dash or two of hot sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, place beans, sun dried tomatoes, yogurt, oregano, capers, and hot sauce. Pulse to combine until mostly smooth - the dip should be slightly chunky. Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse about 10 times. Salt to taste. Serve with vegetables and crackers.


Greek Cannellini Bean Dip

Greek Cannellini Bean Dip

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup plain yogurt
12 good black olives, I used kalamata
2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/3 cup olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, place beans, feta cheese, yogurt, olives, and thyme. Pulse to combine until mostly smooth - the dip should be slightly chunky. Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse about 10 times. Serve with vegetables and crackers.

Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls

Today was a personal chef cookdate for a new client of mine. The family picked 2 beef dishes, 2 chicken dishes, and 1 seafood dish. A pretty typical menu for my clients. Off to the grocery store at 8 a.m. with my shopping list in hand. Imagine my shock when I was reaching for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and the price was a whopping $5.29 per pound. Ouch!!

I was glad I had some frozen chicken breasts in my freezer for my family dinner tonight. Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls are an ideal make ahead dinner for a busy night. Diced chicken, red peppers, mushrooms, and garlic are sauteed in a little peanut oil and seasoned with teriyaki and hoisin sauce. Serve in a lettuce lined bowl filled with rice and topped with the flavorful Asian chicken.

Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls are a go-to meal for my family. I make a big batch because it tastes great reheated, and I can get a few meals out of it. Make a triple batch and park some in the freezer for later. Imagine your delight when you pull your homemade dinner from the freezer and all that needs to be done is heat it up. The simple things in life make me happy.

Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls


serves 5

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 large red pepper, diced small
1 10-ounce package baby portebello mushrooms, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced small
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained, diced small
2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 cups of hot cooked rice
romaine lettuce leaves
sesame seeds
scallions, thinly sliced

Heat peanut oil over medium high heat in a large saute pan. Add red pepper and mushrooms and saute for 5 - 6 minutes until tender. Add garlic and saute an additional minute. Add chicken to pan and cook for 6 - 8 minutes or until cooked through. Stir chicken and red pepper mixture occasionally while it cooks. Add water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and hoisin sauce and stir to coat the chicken and vegetables. Continue cooking until heated through.

To serve, line a single serving size bowl with romaine leaves. Top with a large scoop of rice, some of the hoisin chicken, and a sprinkle of the sesame seeds and scallions.

Alternately, serve the rice and hoisin chicken on top of a large romaine lettuce leaf and eat like a taco similar to my Maple-Dijon Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potato Lettuce Wraps.

Grilled Jezebel Chicken

Grilled Jezebel Chicken

A new study by the University of Minnesota recently was published about dinner habits and adolescent girls. Being the mom to two teenage girls, I was interested in the results of the study. According to the report, for adolescent girls the positive impact of sharing regular family meals appears to last throughout their teenage years. Those who ate with their families at least five times a week during middle school were much less likely to drink, smoke or use marijuana five years later.

Wanting to do my part to promote drug-free girls, I made dinner for my daughters and one of My Oldest's teenage friends. I tested a couple new recipes on the girls. One of them was Grilled Jezebel Chicken. What could be better than a dish named after the wicked biblical temptress to serve a group of teenage girls? The sweet and spicy Jezebel Sauce, which is popular in the southern United States, was basted on grilled chicken breast.

Here is the Jezebel Sauce -


We all liked the new sauce for grilled chicken. It was like a fruity barbecue sauce without the ketchupy flavor. It would be delicious on ham or pork roast, tenderloin, or chops also. One grilling note, be careful brushing the sauce on the chicken while it is on the grill. The high sugar content can cause flare ups.

Do your part to keep our teenage girls on the straight and narrow. Have dinner at home with them tonight.

Grilled Jezebel Chicken

1/2 cup apricot jam
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
5 chicken breasts, skinless - either with or without bones

In a blender or food processor, combine the apricot jam, pineapple, and Dijon mustard. Process for about 15 seconds. Set sauce aside.

Heat a grill to medium high. Grill chicken about 10 - 12 minutes total time for boneless and 20 - 25 minutes for bone-in. Turn chicken half way through the grilling time. After the first turn, brush chicken with sauce. After total grilling time, turn chicken again and brush with sauce. Grill for a couple minutes to char chicken slightly. Remove to platter and serve with extra sauce for dipping.

A quick appetizer idea -

The Jezebel Sauce can also be served on top of cream cheese with crackers.

Grilled Teriyaki Salmon and Fresh Corn and Scallion Timbales

Cooking fish on the grill is a low maintenance dinner. I am pretty lazy on the weekends when it comes to cooking. My menus typically come together quickly. Grilled Teriyaki Wild Salmon , Fresh Corn and Scallion Timbales, Caprese Salad, and a baguette with olive oil for dipping was enjoyed on our deck Sunday night.

I'm sure the first thought that popped into your head is that I'm never going to make a timbale for my family. What the heck is a timbale anyway?!? It's just a fancy name for a ramekin-type dish which is usually hardier than a souffle and like a crustless quiche. Timbales can contain a variety of ingredients. For mine, I included fresh corn, scallions, three cheeses, cornmeal, and a few eggs.

The salmon marinated for an hour. I used this recipe but had The Husband grill the salmon for about 5 minutes per side instead of roasting it in the oven. The prep for the Fresh Corn and Scallion Timbales was mainly the measuring and mixing of ingredients. The most time consuming part of the recipe is the 30 minutes they spend in the oven. The timbales can be served in the individual dishes or unmolded for a different presentation.

Almost any salmon dish is a no-brainer for my family. 2 pounds of fish is almost not enough for us. Good thing I had a loaf of bread to fill up those kids. 3 family members enjoyed the timbales. No Thank You Boy was in true no thank you form and wouldn't even try it. The little sh!t. He had is teeth clenched so hard I think he ground the enamel off. My Middle One was a good sport and tried it. Not that she liked it, but she tried it. I think she gagged.

In my years of cooking, I have discovered that not everyone is going to like everything you cook. I have also discovered that most people have preconceived notions of what they like and dislike. If you can get someone to try something new, a majority of the time he will like it. The challenge lies in getting people to try something new. I'm up for the challenge.

Fresh Corn and Scallion Timbales

makes 8

8 ears of corn
3 scallions
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Gorgonzola
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
4 extra large eggs
1 cup half and half
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8 ramekins (1-cup each) with cooking spray. Place on a large baking sheet and set aside.

Cut the corn off the cobs and place in a large bowl. Add the scallions, cornmeal, cheddar, Gorgonzola, and ricotta cheeses and stir to combine. In a small bowl combine the eggs, half and half, sugar, salt and pepper. Add to the corn mixture and stir to combine. Divide evenly between the ramekins.

Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes until the tops are lightly brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes. Either serve in the ramekins or run a knife around the edge and invert on a plate and gently shake to unmold.

Mac and Cheese Bites

Anything small is big. Pick up a foodie magazine and there will undoubtedly be a recipe for a small version of a favorite food. Slider-sized burgers made of ground beef or turkey, mini lobster rolls, shots of gazpacho or clam chowder, and bite-sized chicken tacos. The culinary world is in love with "The Mini."

As I was planning for a client's birthday barbecue bash, I suggested Mac and Cheese Bites - a macaroni and double cheese one-bite appetizer or side dish. I have served these cheesy nibbles with barbecued baby back ribs, grilled lemon chicken, and pulled pork sandwiches.

The Mac and Cheese Bites can be made ahead of dinner or party time and reheated just before serving. Add this recipe to your file and enjoy mac and cheese a little more often.

Mac and Cheese Bites

adapted from a recipe in Food & Wine magazine November, 2007

makes about 36 bites

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups, packed, sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for sprinkling on top
3 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 pound elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 24-count, nonstick mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking occasionally, for about 2 -3 minutes until thickened. Add cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and stir to melt. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolks, salt and nutmeg. Stir in macaroni.

Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of macaroni and cheese into the prepared mini muffin pan. Each cup should be filled to the top. Pack each one down gently. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 10 - 15 minutes. Using a teaspoon, carefully loosen the mac and cheese bites and transfer to a platter to serve.

To make ahead, bake and cool mac and cheese bites. Sprinkle with a little more Parmesan cheese. Package and refrigerate. Place bites on a baking sheet and bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Taco Bowls

Even with about a month of summer left, I am feeling the dinnertime crunch. Our summer vacation to the Jersey Shore seems like a distant memory as a couple of my kids are starting practice from their fall sports. My personal chef business occupies a good chunk of my time, and the general summer activities are in full swing. With some family members eating at 5 p.m., others eating at 6:30 p.m., and a couple stragglers eating at 8:30 p.m., I have had to buckle down and plan dinner.

Tonight's Taco Bowls are a variation of the average taco. The cardboard tasting taco shells from the grocery store don't excite me. Neither does the spice packet to season the taco meat. The kids helped me experiment with making our own tortilla bowls while I made a batch of Mexican-spiced ground turkey for the filling.

The tortilla bowls are easy to make, but take some time. I highly recommend them though because the superior taste beats the boxed version hands down. Here is what a tortilla bowl looks like before going in the oven --


And here it is when after baking for about 8 minutes in the oven --


The baked tortilla bowls are filled with seasoned ground meat, shredded lettuce and cheese, diced tomatoes, Mexican rice, and sour cream. The tortilla bowls, seasoned meat, and toppings can all be made earlier in the day when you may have a few minutes to spare. Stash the baked tortilla bowls in resealable bags and the remainder of the fixings in the refrigerator. Dinner will be waiting for you instead of the other way around.

My Oldest ate two failed tortilla bowl attempts for lunch. I am assuming she enjoyed them. My Middle One ate the "filling" out of her tortilla bowl and then refilled it. She is my "green" kid and is into recycling. I have to say the tortilla was one of my favorite parts of the meal. And don't think that the peanut butter in the recipe is a mistake. It really adds just the right hidden flavor to make the meat taste authentic.

Taco Bowls

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 package ground turkey - about 1 and 1/3 pounds
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons diced green chilis - the ones in the little cans
1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
10 flour tortillas - 6-inch ones
cooking spray

Fillings
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Mexican Rice - I cheated and used the packaged kind
Diced tomatoes
Sour cream

Heat a medium-sized saucepan to medium high. Add oil and onions. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add coriander, salt, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the onions are softened, but not browned. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned - about 6 - 8 minutes. Add tomato paste, diced green chilis, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 degrees. To make the tortilla bowls, spray a tortilla with cooking spray. Form a tortilla to the inside of a small, ovenproof metal or glass bowl that is about the size of a large coffee cup. Top with another small bowl and gently press down. Bake for about 4 minutes. Remove the top bowl and continue to bake the tortilla bowl until slightly browned, about 3 - 4 more minutes. Carefully remove from oven and put tortilla bowl on a metal rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

To make a Taco Bowl, fill a tortilla bowl with shredded lettuce, seasoned meat, cheese, Mexican rice, diced tomatoes, and sour cream.

YUM!

Thai Chicken Tenderloin Satay with Peanut and Red Onion Dipping Sauce

Thai Chicken Tenderloin Satay

It was time for having my neighbor and her kids over for dinner - The Husbands were on extended business trips. The dinner party was set for an uneventful Tuesday night.

When planning a menu, I try to come up with ideas that everyone will like. With the ages of our dinner guests ranging from 7 to 42, I needed a menu that would appeal to all. I'd rather make the majority of dishes enjoyable to everyone. Therefore, I don't revert to serving pizza and hotdogs for the kids while the adults have leg of lamb with mint jelly.

One of my culinary tips is to put food on a stick. Kids and adults alike always ohh and ahh when even the simplest foods appear at the table on a skewer.

With that in mind, I settled on the following menu:

Thai Chicken Tenderloin Satay
Peanut & Red Onion Dipping Sauce
Jasmine Rice
Potstickers - I bought the frozen ones
Steamed Edamame
Roasted Asparagus
Mini Watermelon and Pineapple Kebabs
Watermelon Lemonade - add a little vodka for the over 21 crowd
S'mores

The only items that took some planning were the Satay and Peanut Dipping Sauce. The chicken spent the day lounging in the marinade in the refrigerator, and I made the sauce before the kids even woke up. Not that this is a difficult task. I usually don't see them until about 11 o'clock in the morning.

Off to the pool for a few hours and then home to get dinner on the table. No Thank You Boy and My Middle One skewered the chicken - quite a slippery project. I like using the tenderloins because they are more tender (duh) and they come in the perfect size for skewering. My Oldest prepared the potstickers. She needs to pay more attention when she cooks and less to texting her friends - and clean up the mess. I was grateful for their help, kind of, and dinner was a success.

As predicted, the Thai Chicken Tenderloin Satay were a hit. Also was the Peanut and Red Onion Dipping Sauce. I'll be making this again. The highlight of the night was the S'mores. Between the 7 kids, they ate their way through 2 boxes of graham crackers, an extra large bag of marshmallows, and 32 mini chocolate bars.

The night ended with a bunch of kids on a sugar high and a couple relaxed moms.

Thai Chicken Tenderloin Satay

3 lbs. of chicken tenderloins -

I made extra for Chicken Caesar Salads the next night

1/8 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
a few shakes of hot sauce

12-inch wooden skewers

** I don't soak them because they always seem to burn anyway

Place chicken in a large resealable bag. Whisk the remaining marinade ingredients together and pour over chicken. Let marinate in refrigerator for 2 and up to 24 hours.

Heat a grill to hot. Remove chicken from marinade and skewer one piece on each skewer. Grill for about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve with Peanut and Red Onion Dipping Sauce.

Peanut and Red Onion Dipping Sauce

adapted from a Barefoot Contessa recipe

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3/4 cup small diced red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon white wine
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
a squeeze of lime juice
a few shakes of hot sauce

In a small saucepan, heat oils and cook red onion, garlic, and ginger over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Whisk in red wine vinegar, white wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, peanut butter, ketchup, lime juice, and hot sauce. Cook for another minute or two. Cool.

Can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a month.