Flourless Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Mini Blender Muffins

I made this recipe because it's sugar, flour and  gluten free for my moms birthday. Use enjoy life chocolate chips so that it is dairy free too!! Found it on Pinterest at http://www.averiecooks.com/2014/05/flourless-double-chocolate-peanut-butter-mini-blender-muffins.html

Yield: 17 mini muffins

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 to 12 minutes, or until done - see below

Total Time: about 30 minutes, for cooling

Ingredients:

1 medium/large ripe banana, peeled
1 large egg
heaping 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I recommend using classic storebought peanut butter, and not natural or homemade because it can be oily or separate)
1/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
3 tablespoons honey (agave, brown rice syrup, or maple syrup may be substituted)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
heaping 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips + more for sprinkling muffin tops

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare mini muffin pans by spraying very well with cooking spray or grease the pans; set aside.
2. To the canister of a blender, add first 8 ingredients, through optional salt, and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
3. Add heaping 1/2 cup chocolate chips and stir in by hand; don't use the blender because it will pulverize them.
4. Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, drop rounded 1 tablespoon mounds into prepared pans. Each cavity should be filled to a solid 3/4 full.
5. Sprinkle each muffin with a generous pinch of chocolate chips.
6. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are set, domed, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. That's a large range with baking time and I find with medium bananas, there's less batter, the cavities are less full, and 8-9 minutes is about right. With a larger banana or slightly more batter in each muffin cavity, 11-12 minutes is right. For these, I used a large banana and baked 11:30. Due to the mini size and oven variance, watch your muffins closely, and bake until done. Allow muffins to cool in pans for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until they've firmed up and are cool enough to handle. It's normal for muffin tops to be quite domed in oven but flatten as they cool. Muffins will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I find the muffins get softer over time and taste better on days 2-3 after the flavors have married.

Caesar Salad dressing

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing 

Recipe found by: Mal

By Jennifer Segal, adapted from Gourmet magazine

http://www.onceuponachef.com/2010/08/caesar-salad-dressing.html

Servings: Makes 1-1/3 cups (enough for about 10 starter salads)

Total Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (found near the tuna fish in the sbupermarket)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I like the brand Maille)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's Real
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking. The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week.

Homemade Granola

My good friend Keisha gave me this recipe and i love it!!

How to bake eggs for hard boiled eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Put 1 egg in each of 12 muffin cups.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
4. Plunge baked eggs in a large bowl filled with ice water until cooled completely, about 10 minutes.

Butternut squash soup

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

1 whole butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1 whole onion, chopped

1 quart chicken stock, (free range organic)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp real salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tablespoon coconut oil, organic

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saute chopped onion in coconut oil in a large pot

2. Add in cinnamon, nutmeg and salt

3. Add chopped butternut squash to pot, and pour in broth.

4. Boil the butternut squash in the broth until tender. (About 10-15 mins)

5. Puree soup in a food processor or high-speed blender until smooth.

6. Garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon and chopped walnuts.

SLOW-COOKER SHREDDED BEEF FOR TACOS

So easy, so yummy. I used half for tacos and then used the other half in a chili for the next day! 

1 (2 lb.) boneless beef roast (I used chuck)

1 Tb. canola oil

1 small to medium-sized onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 Tb. tomato paste

3/4 cup beef broth

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat, and add the oil.  Sprinkle the beef roast liberally with salt and pepper.  Once the oil is hot, add the roast to the pan and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.  Place in the crockpot.

To the pan, add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes before stirring in garlic and tomato paste.  After another minute, stir in the beef broth and spices.  Scrape up any browned bits, and then pour the seasoned broth and onions over the top of the roast.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Shred with two forks and serve.

Crockpot BBQ Drumsticks

This is one of my new favorite recipes!! 

This recipe benefits hugely from a short sit under the broiler to caramelize the skin--watch it closely so it doesn't burn! From America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution.

serves 4 to 6

1 Tb. paprika

1 tsp. dry ground mustard

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks, trimmed of excess skin or fat(if necessary)

1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce 

Mix paprika, mustard, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper together, then rub mixture evenly over chicken; transfer to slow cooker. Pour 1/2 cup barbecue sauce over chicken and toss to coat. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours on low.

Position oven rack 10 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place wire rack in aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and coat with vegetable oil spray. Transfer chicken to prepared baking sheet; discard braising liquid.

Brush chicken with 1/2 cup more sauce and broil until lightly charred and crisp, 10-15 minutes. Flip chicken over, brush with remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, and continue to broil until lightly charred and crisp on second side, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve.