I felt the need to post a cupcake recipe, since I've dubbed myself the Cupcake Chemist and whatnot, so here's a yummy one! These little guys are light and creamy, and a nice way to take a break from the cold winter days and visit a place a little more tropical. When I made them last, the grocery store didn't actually have Key limes, but I just used what they had and no one seemed to notice the difference. :)
Ingredients
12 foil liners for cupcake pans
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temp
1 can low-fat sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Key lime juice (about 3 medium sized limes)
1 8-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed (I prefer the lite variety)
Thin lime twists, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Line cupcake tin with foil liners and set aside. Place the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter into a bowl and stir to combine. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of graham cracker mixture into each liner, then press down with your fingers to make a crust. Save some of the graham cracker crumbs to sprinkle on the top of the cupcakes for garnish and overall fancy-factor. Place cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer on low until creamy. Turn off mixer, then add sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Mix at medium speed until just combined. Add one cup of whipped topping, then blend at low speed to combine, about 15 seconds. Spoon lime mixture on top of the crusts in the foil liners until full. Cover cupcake tin with plastic wrap and place in freezer until firm, 2-3 hours. Once firm, remove cupcakes from freezer and thaw for about 15 minutes before serving. To serve, remove foil liners, add a dollop of whipped topping, some graham cracker crumbs, and a lime twist for garnish. Then enjoy a delicious cool treat that will remind you of summertime!
Helpful Notes
- I made my graham cracker crumbs by taking some old, semi-stale graham crackers I had and blending them in my food processor for awhile. Once they were crumb-sized, you couldn't tell how stale they originally were. :)
- When I made these, I didn't do the extra dollop of whipped cream. I added the graham cracker crumbs and lime twist to the top prior to freezing and everything still looked and tasted great.
- To make the lime twists, cut a lime into very thin slices. Remove the fruit from the peel, then take the thin strip of lime peel and twist it around your finger a few times - instant fanciness.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Turkey Meatloaf
I am a huge fan of meatloaf. It's good warm on a dinner plate, it's good cold in a sandwich, and this recipe is actually pretty good for you! I've added a lot of veggies to boost the health-factor, but feel free to add more if you like! (And if you find a particular veggie that is really yummy, please share in the comments!)
Ingredients
1-lb package of lean ground turkey
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup oats
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium size green pepper, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (yellow works, too, but Dijon is so much better. . . especially the seedy kind)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix turkey, egg, oats, onion, pepper, carrots, milk, and parsley together in a bowl using your hands (mix too much and your turkey may get tough, so be gentle and don't spazz out while mixing). Shape the mixture into a mound on a lightly oiled cookie sheet or in a lightly oiled loaf pan. Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard, then spread the glaze on top of the meatloaf. Bake for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.
Crockpot Oatmeal
Hurricane Sandy has brought the cold to Michigan this week, so I'm in the mood for a warm and tasty treat for the cold mornings. This oatmeal recipe is very easy to prepare and makes enough that you can have oatmeal for breakfast for the week. It's a pared-down version of Alton Brown's "Overnight Oatmeal", but I think it's still yummy!
Ingredients
1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water
1-3 apples finely chopped (the number used really depends on your liking of apples and their size)
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Directions
Combine all ingredient in a crockpot and stir. Place cover on crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Stir mixture prior to serving.
Helpful Notes
- This recipe works really well if you start the crockpot before going to bed - then you wake up to a house that smells like cinnamon and a warm, tasty breakfast!
- You can add half-and-half (up to 1/2 cup) to the crockpot before cooking if you like your oatmeal to be a bit more creamy. I prefer to add skim milk to my bowl in the morning.
- If you put a little brown sugar on the top of the oatmeal when serving, it'll make your whole day better. :)
- If your oatmeal is a bit runny in the morning, just stir and let the pot sit with the top off for 5-10 minutes before serving. The water will absorb and the oatmeal with thicken up a bit.
Ingredients
1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water
1-3 apples finely chopped (the number used really depends on your liking of apples and their size)
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Directions
Combine all ingredient in a crockpot and stir. Place cover on crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Stir mixture prior to serving.
Helpful Notes
- This recipe works really well if you start the crockpot before going to bed - then you wake up to a house that smells like cinnamon and a warm, tasty breakfast!
- You can add half-and-half (up to 1/2 cup) to the crockpot before cooking if you like your oatmeal to be a bit more creamy. I prefer to add skim milk to my bowl in the morning.
- If you put a little brown sugar on the top of the oatmeal when serving, it'll make your whole day better. :)
- If your oatmeal is a bit runny in the morning, just stir and let the pot sit with the top off for 5-10 minutes before serving. The water will absorb and the oatmeal with thicken up a bit.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Smoothies for Breakfast
I love a good smoothie in the morning. I never remember to take a multivitamin, so I've convinced myself that if I have a smoothie every morning, I will probably get all the vitamins I need for the day. . . or at least more than I would without the smoothie. . .
This recipe comes from my lovely sister, Beth. I've made a ton of these little packs and stuck them in the freezer for a quick and healthy breakfast in the morning. I usually have a side of toast or a small bowl of cereal with my smoothie, and then I am full until lunch time.
Ingredients
*Note: amounts are eyeballed and depend mostly on what size blender you have
Fresh spinach
Strawberries
Blueberries
In the morning, remove smoothie bag from freezer and place in a blender. Add milk, greek yogurt, and a few ice cubes, then blend away and enjoy!
This recipe comes from my lovely sister, Beth. I've made a ton of these little packs and stuck them in the freezer for a quick and healthy breakfast in the morning. I usually have a side of toast or a small bowl of cereal with my smoothie, and then I am full until lunch time.
Ingredients
*Note: amounts are eyeballed and depend mostly on what size blender you have
Fresh spinach
Strawberries
Blueberries
Peaches
1/2 Banana
1/2 Banana
1 tablespoon milled flax seed
1 tablespoon coco powder
Skim milk
1 tablespoon coco powder
Skim milk
Non-fat plain greek yogurt
Directions
Place all ingredients (except milk and yogurt) in a sandwich bag and store in freezer.In the morning, remove smoothie bag from freezer and place in a blender. Add milk, greek yogurt, and a few ice cubes, then blend away and enjoy!
Helpful Notes
- You can make a bunch of these bags ahead of time, so making breakfast in the morning in a snap.
- If your blender isn't super powerful, take the bag of smoothie ingredients out of the freezer the night before and store in the fridge until morning. The fruit will thaw a bit and make blending a lot easier.
- The fruit in the ingredient list is really just a suggestion. I've tried lots of different mixtures of fruit and I've enjoyed them all. My only suggestion is to be careful with the amount of raspberries you add - too many and your smoothie will be icky-sweet.
- The fruit in the ingredient list is really just a suggestion. I've tried lots of different mixtures of fruit and I've enjoyed them all. My only suggestion is to be careful with the amount of raspberries you add - too many and your smoothie will be icky-sweet.
- If you are a protein buff, you can add powdered protein to these or my sister suggests adding peanut butter.
- To make the smoothie drinkable, you want your milk/yogurt ratio to be >1. This probably seems obvious, but I promise you in the morning, when you're still a bit sleepy, you'll be very confused why your smoothie is stuck in the bottom of your blender like a purple-goopy mess.
Pumpkin Muffins
In honor of Halloween tomorrow (aka best candy holiday ever), I am going to share one of my favorite muffin recipes (which are pretty much just cupcakes for breakfast). The muffins are super easy and super yummy - so make a bunch and stick them in the freezer. They make a great healthy snack on the go!
Ingredients
1 can pure pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie stuff - straight up pumpkin for these bad boys)
1 box spice cake mix
3 tablespoons milled flax seed
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Once they are combined, and you can no longer see clumps of cake mix, fill muffin tin cups ~3/4 of the way full and bake muffins for 18-22 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
Some Helpful Notes
- It has been my experience that getting the pumpkin to combine with the cake mix can be a real upper body workout. So, don't be surprised if you spend a good ten minutes mixing with a wooden spoon and start to develop calluses. Trust me, the pain is worth it. These muffins are that good.
- I always use liners in my muffin tin when making these muffins. I don't spray the tin with any kinda of cooking spray before putting the liners in and I've never had a problem with the muffins getting stuck.
- Cooking times can vary a lot with different ovens, so I usually check my muffins around 16 minutes with a knife, or you can tap the tops with your fingers. If the knife comes out messy or the muffin tops sink a bit, let them bake a little longer.
- If you are feeling fancy, add some chocolate chips to the batter. It will change your life.
Ingredients
1 can pure pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie stuff - straight up pumpkin for these bad boys)
1 box spice cake mix
3 tablespoons milled flax seed
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Once they are combined, and you can no longer see clumps of cake mix, fill muffin tin cups ~3/4 of the way full and bake muffins for 18-22 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
Some Helpful Notes
- It has been my experience that getting the pumpkin to combine with the cake mix can be a real upper body workout. So, don't be surprised if you spend a good ten minutes mixing with a wooden spoon and start to develop calluses. Trust me, the pain is worth it. These muffins are that good.
- I always use liners in my muffin tin when making these muffins. I don't spray the tin with any kinda of cooking spray before putting the liners in and I've never had a problem with the muffins getting stuck.
- Cooking times can vary a lot with different ovens, so I usually check my muffins around 16 minutes with a knife, or you can tap the tops with your fingers. If the knife comes out messy or the muffin tops sink a bit, let them bake a little longer.
- If you are feeling fancy, add some chocolate chips to the batter. It will change your life.
Banana Bread
For my inaugural post, I'd like to share this banana bread recipe I found on a blog I often read. I tweaked the recipe, though, in an attempt to make it a bit healthier.
Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
3 tablespoons melted butter
6 tablespoons milled flax seed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325F. Using a potato masher (or something equivalent), mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix melted butter and flax seed into the mashed bananas using a wooden spoon. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda on top of the mixture, then gently mix with wooden spoon. Add the flour and gently mix. Pour mixture into a buttered loaf pan, then sprinkle walnuts on top (if you choose to make your bread a little nutty). Bake for 1 hour, then cool on a wire rack. Enjoy with a bit of peanut butter on top for an extra yummy treat!
Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
3 tablespoons melted butter
6 tablespoons milled flax seed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325F. Using a potato masher (or something equivalent), mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix melted butter and flax seed into the mashed bananas using a wooden spoon. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda on top of the mixture, then gently mix with wooden spoon. Add the flour and gently mix. Pour mixture into a buttered loaf pan, then sprinkle walnuts on top (if you choose to make your bread a little nutty). Bake for 1 hour, then cool on a wire rack. Enjoy with a bit of peanut butter on top for an extra yummy treat!
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