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Children have early morning sports and club activities to dash off to, early morning buses to catch . . . mom and dad are trying to get everything sorted, showered and fed before they have to dash off to work . . . and the list goes on and on. It soon becomes far much easier to pick up a donut at the coffee shop on the way in, or feed the hungry babes with a pop tart or other equally as chemical and additive filled portable "breakfast" goodie. Not good . . . they might taste good . . . but they are just not good for you.
Wholesome and hearty muffins, baked with natural ingredients are a delicious and healthier alternative to a fast food breakfast sandwich or other "quick" choice. Taste tempting muffins such as these fabulous ones shown here today . . .
Muffins made with whole grains . . . fruit, not a lot of fat, not a lot of sweetening . . . filling and tasty nonetheless . . . and reasonably sized, not gargantuan. A muffin is supposed to be a muffin . . . not a cake baked in a muffin tin.
Breakfast on the go. Portable goodness. Very easy to bake ahead and freeze, and then just take out as and when you are wanting something quick, and wholesome . . . and filling. This will put some lead in your pencil and help to get you and your family through the morning without finding yourself hungry again half an hour down the road, and so starving by elevensies that you grab something very bad for you like a candy bar or a bag of crisps . . .
The low fat buttermilk makes them moist . . . sweetened naturally with some maple syrup and muscovado sugar . . . whole bran cereal and unbleached plain flour . . . naturally sweet sultanas, high in fibre and low in fat. These are my breakfast winners! (Sans the butter, of course!! What can I say . . . I felt like indulging myself this morning . . . I can sometimes be quite naughty.)
*Everyday Maple, Bran and Sultana Muffins*
Makes 12 medium muffins
Printable Recipe
I like my Bran Muffins chock full of raisins, but feel free to subsitute other dried fruits such as blueberries, cranberries or chopped apricots or dates.
Moist and delicious muffins! Not too sweet. I bake these and then store them in the freezer. Then I take them out, one or two at a time and just reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave.
375ml of low fat buttermilk (1 1/2 cups)
2 large free range eggs
4 TBS unsalted butter, melted
60ml of sunflower oil (1/4 cup)
60ml of pure maple syrup (1/4 cup)
50g of all bran cereal (about 1 1/2 cups)
225g of raisins (1 1/2 cups)
100g of plain flour (1 cup)
30g of wheat or oat bran (1/2 cup)
50g of soft light brown muscovado sugar (1/4 cup packed)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
50g of toasted chopped walnuts, or pecans (1/2 cup) (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a standard sized 12 cup metal muffin tin(2 1/2 inch diameter cups) really well, including the top of the pan. Set aside.
Combine the buttermilk, butter, eggs, oil, maple syrup, bran cereal and raisins in a large bowl. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to soften the bran and plump the raisins.
Bon Appetit!
This delicious Greek Chicken & Cucumber Salad recipe is what summer eating is all about! Simple ingredients and fresh flavors, with minimal fuss!
Nobody wants to be spending all their time in the kitchen when they can be outside enjoying the warmer temperatures! Quick and easy recipes are the order of the day!
This recipe I am sharing with you today is one that I downsized from a recipe I found on the New York Times for a delicious Greek Chicken with Cucumber Feta Salad.
The original recipe served four people. There is only one of me and whilst I am keen to try new things, I don't want to be eating them four days in a row, although I can manage to enjoy it at least twice.
So I downsized it to feed only two people. I have also streamlined the instructions and made them a bit easier to understand. At least I think that I have!
This is built for two and deliciously keto, low carb and diabetic friendly as well!
.JPG "Greek Cucumber Salad")
What you have here is a delicious salad with very Mediterranean flavor and textures. Broken, bruised cucumbers, baby plum tomatoes, garlic, yogurt, feta cheese, salt and pepper.
I added a bit of red onion because I like the spark that it brings to the table, but you can leave it out by all means.
Something really wonderful happens to cucumbers when you bash them around a bit and bruise them. The exercise creates lots of rough edges which are perfect for soaking up all of that lovely yogurt dressing!
.JPG "Greek Chicken")
The chicken is likewise filled with flavor. Marinated for about 15 minutes in a garlicky yogurt and oregano marinade it becomes really tender.
I loved the garlic and herby flavor that the marinade gave to the chicken. It made the chicken really moist and juicy!
The chicken and the salad together were a brilliantly tasty combination!!
.JPG "Greek Chicken & Cucumber Salad")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GREEK CHICKEN & CUCUMBER SALAD
There is nothing spectacularly out of the ordinary here. Fresh an simple ingredients put together in an incredibly simple and delicious way!
For the chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
- 1/2 cup (125g) Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- oil to grease the grill or grill pan
.JPG "Greek Chicken & Cucumber Salad")
For the salad:
- 3/4 pound seedless cucumber (Japanese, mini seedless or Persian)
- 1/2 pound ripe baby plum tomatoes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (65g) Greek yogurt
- 2 ounces (60g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 clove garlic, peeled and grated
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 6 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- thinly sliced red onions, optional
.JPG "Greek Chicken & Cucumber Salad")
You can use either full fat or low fat yogurt here. Both work well. I used fresh fat garlic cloves for this. My chicken was free range free from antibiotics chicken. I trimmed it of all the fat that I could.
I used dry oregano, but you could use fresh oregano. Just double the amount and chop it.
I used Kalamata olives in brine. I had to pit them and then tear them in half. Confession here, I always like to suck on the pits while I am working. They have loads of flavor in them.
.JPG "Greek Chicken & Cucumber Salad")
I used block feta cheese in brine that I found at the store which was made here locally in Nova Scotia. It was lovely. The brand is Holmestead. It has a lovely flavor and texture.
I have not been paid or given free product to tell you that either. I speak the truth as I find it. I am enjoying discovering new things now that I am back in Canada and I like to share them with you when I do.
I used local hothouse English cucumbers, which are all that are available to me in my small town, and baby plum tomatoes.
.JPG "Greek Chicken & Cucumber Salad")
HOW TO MAKE GREEK CHICKEN & CUCUMBER SALAD
This was really very simple to make. Whisk together the ingredients for the chicken marinade and then marinate it while you are making the salad.
The most unusual part of making this was the bashing of the cucumber to bruise and crack it. I had never done this myself. I had seen Molly Yeh do it on one of her programs the other day however and I was keen to try it.
I didn't have baby cucumbers, but I used half an English cucumber and just gave it a good bashing with the flat side of my meat pounder.
.JPG "Greek Chicken & Cucumber Salad")
Then I ripped it apart with my hands into small chunks, which sounds a lot more aggressive than it really was. I didn't bash it very hard, just bruised it and it broke apart very easily.
Apparently this helps to create nice craggy edges to help soak up all that dressing. Who knew?
Now that I have tried it I will be doing it regularly. I loved the resultant rough looking bits of cucumber! Much more interesting than flat cubes!
The dressing is made by mashing grated garlic, yogurt, crumbled feta and some seasoning together with a fork. Easy peasy, and oh so delicious. Do remember that feta cheese and olives are both very salty ingredients so be careful when salting the dressing.
.JPG "Greek Chicken & Cucumber Salad")
The marinated chicken is simply grilled until golden brown and down and then served along side of the salad. I grilled my chicken in my Cuisinart Griddler machine. I love the results it gives.
I had one of these in the UK which I used a lot and so it was one of the first things I purchased for myself back here in Canada. You can use either the ridged side of the plates, for grilling meats and panini, or the flat side for making pancakes, etc. It opens out flat for that purpose.
Its a really cool little machine. I have the waffle plates for it as well. Yummy!!
.JPG "Greek Chicken & Cucumber Salad")
Altogether this made for a really delicious and simple meal. It was quite healthy as well I think. I very much enjoyed it.
If you are looking for more chicken to grill might I recommend the following:
MORROCAN SPICED GRILLED CHICKEN & COUSCOUS SALAD - I love Moroccan flavours . . . cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic . . . lemon . . . olive oil . . . so delicious. Both the chicken and the salad benefit from them in this delicious summery recipe.
GRILLED PEANUT CHICKEN - A delicious marinade which yields a really tasty bit of chicken. I like to make extra marinade to dip the finished chicken in when I am eating it. Its just so tasty!
EASY CHICKEN GYROS - Gyros are a Greek sandwich which consists of grilled meat (chicken, lamb, beef or pork) which has been marinated in a delicious marinade prior to grilling, sliced and layered onto a flat bread along with some salad and some creamy Tzatzki sauce. These are quick, easy and most delicious!
Greek Chicken & Cucumber Salad
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
This is simple to make, delicious and filled with flavor. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are marinated and then grilled to perfection and served along side a deliciously creamy and crunchy salad!
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
- 1/2 cup (125g) Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- oil to grease the grill or grill pan
For the salad:
- 3/4 pound seedless cucumber (Japanese, mini seedless or Persian)
- 1/2 pound ripe baby plum tomatoes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (65g) Greek yogurt
- 2 ounces (60g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 clove garlic, peeled and grated
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 6 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- thinly sliced red onions, optional
Instructions
- Mix the garlic and yogurt for the chicken marinade together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the chicken, turning to coat it in the marinade. Cover and set aside while you begin the salad.
- Take the cucumber and bash it about a bit with the flat end of a meat pounder, until it is bruised and cracked. Tear it into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces and place into a colander along with the tomatoes. Add the salt and toss to combine. Leave to drain in the sink.
- Grease your grill or grill pan with a bit of oil. Heat to medium/high. Scrape off any excess marinade from the chicken and place into the grill/grill pan. Cook until it is well browned and releases easily from the pan on one side then flip and cook longer, until cooked through and the juices run clear. (5 to 7 minutes each side. If using a closed grill, 7 to 8 minutes altogether.)
- Leave to rest while you finish the salad.
- Measure the yogurt for the salad into a bowl. Add the garlic and feta cheese and mash well with a fork until you get a chunky paste. Shake the cucumbers to get rid of any excess moisture and add to the bowl along with the olives. Stir to combine and coat everything well. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. (Remember feta cheese and olives are salty.)
- Serve the grilled chicken with the salad on the side.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
As I write this (Saturday) it is the day of my mother's funeral. I wanted to bake something in my mom's memory today and the first thing which came to mind was these fabulous Butterscotch Cookies.
My mother used to bake these for us all the time when I was a child, either these or her soft molasses cookies. I've just realised that I don't have that recipe on here either, so I will have to bake them soon to share with you.
To be honest when we were kids we were not overly fond of these. We kind of took them for granted and not the treat that they were. We wanted cream stuffed store bought cookies . . . from the Keebler Elves, baked in a tree. We were not mature enough to appreciate the finer qualities and value of homemade goodies as opposed to store bought. (We liked frozen chicken pot pies for crying out loud, and Frozen TV dinners! 😝)
Actually we did enjoy these, we never turned them down . . . and my favourite ones were the ones that had lumps of brown sugar in them that hadn't quite gotten mixed totally into the dough. They ended up like little bits of butterescotch candy. Bonus!
These are refrigerator, slice and bake cookies. You make the dough and shape it into a log and then chill it overnight, ready to slice and bake as you need. Fresh baked cookies on call!
Flavoured with vanilla and brown sugar . . . nothing more . . . I used Muscovado brown sugar this time and I like them even more. (Muscovado brown sugar is a less refined brown sugar.)
They do use white vegetable fat . . . something like Crisco, Tenderflake, Trex, White Flora or the like. I have never made them with butter so I don't know how they would work with butter. I've always just used the white vegetable fat. I am not a snob that way.
I don't bake things like this often enough to be worried about any ill effects from using white vegetable fat. There are plenty of other things to worry about.
These are lovely and crisp . . .
See that lovely little lump of brown sugar there . . . that's mine!
Crisp and perfectly dunkable . . .
Equally at home with a hot cuppa as they are with a tall cold glass of milk!
They are delicious. I suspect they were a family recipe and one that my grandmother used to make for my mother, although in those days they would have used either lard or rendered bacon fat . . .
For me they are a lovely bit of delicious nostalgia and a fitting remembrance of a mother who loves us enough to bake us cookies from scratch, even if they were not always appreciated.
Yield: 5 dozen
Mom's Butterscotch Cookies
prep time: cook time: total time:
These cookies were not our favourites when we were growing up. Oddly enough, I love them now and feel very nostalgic when I bake them. They're actually quite delicious! I cringe to think that as a child I preferred a store bought sandwich cookie to these delights!
ingredients:
- 110g of white vegetable shortening (1/2 cup)
- 200g soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 245g of flour (1 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
instructions:
- Cream the shortening and sugar together. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Sift the flour, soda and salt together and stir this into the creamed mixture until well combined. Shape into a log 2 1/2 inches across. Wrap well in wax paper or greaseproof paper and chill in the refrigerator overnight or until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 190*C.375*F/gas mark 5. Cut into 1/8 inch thick slices. Place on un-greased baking sheets, leaving space in between for spreading. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Store in an airtight container.
Created using The Recipes Generator
See how crisp they are? Luvelly jubbly!
They are also Grace approved! Ariana stopped by for a short visit and let Grace have one. I sent a bag full home with her. My Mum would have approved of that. Home baked Cookies = Love = Joy shared.
I love you mum. I can feel your love for us in every bite.
One thing that I love about food blogging is that it's not about me. It's not even about you . . . it's about the recipes and the food!
It's about being able to cook and taste some of the best and most indulgent foods ever . . . and exploring the culinary delights my adopted country has to offer me.
It's about stretching my skills . . . both in the kitchen and . . . behind the camera . . . and about making food that not only tastes delicious, but food that looks good.
It's about waking up every morning and making YOU believe that what I am presenting to you on this page is the absolute best thing ever . . .
and about making you want to go into your own kitchen and cook it for yourselves, because you have just got to taste it for real, and because I have inspired you to do it, and given you the confidence to believe that you can!
Your comments are like me winning the "X Factor of food" every day of my life, and I thank you for that. Here's to more deliciousness in 2014. Let's begin as we mean to go on.
Cream Palmiers . . . tasty little bites of fluffy crisp buttery pastry, filled with a soft cloud of sweetened whipped cream and sticky sweet strawberry jam. Kind of like a de-constructed jam tart . . . with puff pastry . . . and CREAM. A delicious teatime treat.
The only down side is they all have to be eaten on the day they are filled . . . so NOT a problem!
*Cream Palmiers*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe
Absolutely delightful on the tea tray!
225g (1/2 pound) of all butter puff pastry
1 1/2 ounces granulated sugar (a scant 1/4 cup)
1 TBS icing sugar, sifted
400ml of double cream (1 3/4 cups)
a few drops of vanilla
2 TBS strawberry jam
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Slightly dampen a baking tray. Set aside.
Dust the work surface with half of the sugar. Roll the pastry out on the sugared surface to a rectangle 10 by 12 inches in size. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining half of the sugar. Gently press the sugar in with a rolling pin. Starting at the short sides, roll the pastry towards the middle from both edges into the centre until they meet. Press together gently. Cut across the rolls into 16 slices. Place onto the baking tray. Press down to flatten slightly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until crisp and golden, turning them over halfway through the baking time so that they caramelize equally on both sides. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Whip the cream along with the icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Sandwich together pairs of the palmiers with some of the whipped cream and some of the jam. Serve immediately.
Today I baked us another sheet pan recipe for our tea. Sheet Pan Macaroni and Cheese. It was a recipe that I had saved by Amanda Hesser on Food52. If you have never perused that site, I highly recommend you join it. It is a veritable cornucopia of delicious recipes and meal ideas.
As soon as I saw this recipe for Sheet Pan Mac and Cheese I bookmarked it as something I wanted to make. I love mac and cheese and I love sheet pan suppers. The idea that you could combine those two ideas was really appealing to me.
Macaroni and Cheese is one of my absolute favorite things to eat. I try not to have it very often because really, its quite high in fat and not that good for you, but every now and then I cannot help myself.
It is not something that my mother ever made for us when I was growing up. I am not sure why.
We did have macaroni, on occasion, but it was always served plain, mixed with tomatoes and ground beef as a sort of goulash. Never with cheese. The closest we ever came to mac and cheese was the occasional treat of the blue boxed mac and cheese. That was a very rare treat.
To be honest, I was rather fussy when it came to cheese when I was growing up. I didn't mind processed cheese, but I was too afraid to get stuck into "real" cheese. Mom would buy some cracker barrel at Christmas, but I could never be tempted to eat it.
It wasn't until I got married that I started to sometimes cook with "real" cheese and came to enjoy it. And, of course, when I moved over to the UK and got to taste really GOOD cheese, I fell in love with it.
I remember when I first moved to the UK, I would go to the Chester City Market to shop. They had all sorts of stalls in there. Meat/butchers, fish mongers, green grocers, bakers, and a beautiful cheese shop. They would sell sandwich sized bags of crumbled cheese ends for 50 pence. You never really knew what kind of cheese it was. It was just marked cheese.
It was a really good price really and I always picked up a few bags that I would then bring home and make us some mac and cheese, or cheese on toast or cheese filled omelets with. So good.
You can't live in a country that produces the best cheddar in the world and not fall in love with it! Then when I cooked at the Manor, I used to be responsible for putting together cheese trays to close their Dinner Parties with. You had to know what you were eating in order to put together a tasty tray.
I got to try and taste an abundance of different cheeses and really good cheeses to be honest. I really did fall in love with all sorts of cheese and have quite an experienced palate now. I love cheese.
One of the nicest ones I got to try was this one that their daughter's In-Laws had brought over from Germany. I think it was called Tete de Moine. It was a semi hard washed rind cheese and was secured on a board with a metal pole running up the centre of the cheese round which was attached to a cheese cutter handle. This tool was called a Girolle. It scraped around the surface of the cheese, paring it into thin rosettes, which greatly resembled carnation flowers. Very yummy.
That is not the cheese used for this very delicious Sheet Pan Mac and Cheese. For this you will want two strengths of a good cheddar cheese. And quite a lot of it. (Yes, it is very naughty!)
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SHEET PAN MACARONI AND CHEESE
Other than a good sturdy sheet pan, basically only a very few ingredients.
- 1 TBS butter
- 12 ounces (3 cups/340g) extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 12 ounces (3 cups/340g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 4 cups (454g) elbow macaroni (or other small shape)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, plus more to garnish
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
Do try to get the best cheddar possible for this, both a strong and an extra strong (Old and Extra Old). You won't regret it. Also don't be tempted to use anything less than a whole milk for this recipe.
Whole milk will give you the rich result that you want. In for a penny in for a pound. You've got all that cheese, why quibble over full fat milk. This is not a recipe you want to be figuring out the calories and fat content of!
It is important that you use the right sized sheet pan for this. You want one where you can spread everything out in a nice thinnish layer so that you can get optimum surface crunch, with more of the macaroni and cheese being exposed to both the hot sheet pan and the hot oven.
If your pan is too small, your macaroni cheese won't get as crunchy. I don't know about you, but cheese crunch is one of my favorite things!
HOW TO MAKE SHEET PAN MACARONI AND CHEESE
I was amazed at how very easy this was to make. The hardest part is grating all the cheese!
Preheat the oven to 475*F/246*C/ gas mark 4. Using the TBS of butter, generously grease a rimmed sheet pan that measures 11-inches (28cm) by 17-inches (44 cm). Set aside.
Cook your macaroni according to the package directions, knocking 2 minutes off the cook time. Drain well, rinse, drain again. Pour the macaroni into a bowl.
Grate your cheeses and combine. Remove 2 heaped cups (2 1/4 cups/260g) and reserve. Toss the remainder into the bowl with the macaroni. Add salt, pepper and the cayenne pepper, again tossing to combine.
Spread the macaroni mixture into the baking sheet, spreading it out evenly. Pour the milk evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the reserved cheese evenly over top.
Sprinkle on some additional cayenne pepper if desired.
Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown and crisp in areas. Serve hot.
If you are looking for crisp, cheesy decadence, you really can't go wrong with this recipe. Its deliciously indulgent, with a lovely amount of crunchy bits, both on the bottom and the top.
Rich. Rich. Rich.
You probably don't want to know the fat and calorie content. I sent a goodly part of this home with my sister. It was really delicious and I didn't think I could be trusted not to do myself some serious harm with it in the house!
This makes a wonderful, once in a blue moon treat!
If you are looking for something not quite so indulgent, might I suggest the following:
SKINNY MAC & CHEESE - Lower in fat and calories, high in fiber and protein, but not compromised in flavor in any way. If you are wanting to indulge in Mac and Cheese without going over the top, this could be your Mac and Cheese. Its really very good.
BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER MAC & CHEESE - This is a delicious way to indulge your need for mac and cheese and at the same time get in two of your five a day. There is roughly half as much vegetables in this as there is macaroni, which helps to cut back on the carbs. This really is delicious and is one of my favorites!
Yield: 6
Sheet Pan Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
All I can say is oh my goodness! This is the cheesiest. Decadent.
Ingredients
- 1 TBS butter
- 12 ounces (3 cups/340g) extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 12 ounces (3 cups/340g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 4 cups (454g) elbow macaroni (or other small shape)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, plus more to garnish
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475*F/246*C/ gas mark 4. Using the TBS of butter, generously grease a rimmed sheet pan that measures 11-inches (28cm) by 17-inches (44 cm). Set aside.
- Cook your macaroni according to the package directions, knocking 2 minutes off the cook time. Drain well, rinse, drain again. Pour the macaroni into a bowl.
- Grate your cheeses and combine. Remove 2 heaped cups (2 1/4 cups/260g) and reserve. Toss the remainder into the bowl with the macaroni. Add salt, pepper and the cayenne pepper, again tossing to combine.
- Spread the macaroni mixture into the baking sheet, spreading it out evenly. Pour the milk evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the reserved cheese evenly over top.
- Sprinkle on some additional cayenne pepper if desired.
- Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown and crisp in areas. Serve hot.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
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