recipes

I have been making these all-bran muffins for about four weeks now… one batch per week which my lad then tends to devour (with a dad a close second behind him).  I am extremely fortunate if I manage to eat two of them (which is silly since I make them FOR ME!).   But what’s a momma to do eh?   Keep making them and steal some muffins when I can eh!  Holler at the boys once in while to leave MY MUFFINS be.  🙂

The original muffins can be found here. 

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-bran
1 1/4 cups  milk

1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil

TO THIS I often add a mashed banana, or some frozen blueberries, or some frozen raspberries.  I never make them plain, I like some fruit in my berries.   I’ve also done apple bits and chocolate as well.  🙂

Directions

1. In large mixing bowl, combine all-bran cereal and milk. Let stand about 2 minutes or until cereal softens. 
2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. To the All-bran bowl add egg and oil. Beat well.  ADD FRUIT if adding. Then add flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion evenly into twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin pan cups coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 400° F about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm. (or cold…they taste good that way too).  🙂

Other muffins I’ve made:

Banana blueberry high fibre.Rhubarb.Banana Apricot Muffins. 

In a pot toss in the following: 

five cups chicken broth

1 can tomato soup

3/4 lb ground beef  (brown first in a fry pan)

mixed veggies 2 cups approx

pepper 1/2 tsp

salt 1. 5 tsp

diced onion 1/2 large

diced celery 3/4 c

worchestershire sauce (1 tbsp. approx.)

Hubby tossed this recipe in a crock pot for most of the day and we enjoyed it for supper.   It turned out really really well and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  In face we enjoyed it so much that I was unable to get a picture of it!  🙂  Silly me eh?  

Don’t you just love a hearty meal on a wintery night?  This meal that my sweetheart made hit the spot on a night with snow falling in gusts. Shepherd’s Pie with Potato Crust is an excellent meal with flavours that are well blended.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup dry red wine
1 small can tomato paste

3 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cups mixed vegetables
3 minced garlic cloves
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp. worchestershire sauce
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme leaves
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

1 package instant potato flakes

Directions:

1. Prepare filling: Cook ground beef in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until crumbled and no longer pink.  Add wine and tomato paste, and cook, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes or until wine is completely evaporated.  Remove mixture from skillet.  Wipe skillet clean.
2. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and carrots, and saute 4-5 minutes or until slightly browned and tender.  Add garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in broth, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to medium, stir in Worcestershire sauce and next 4 ingredients.  Simmer 10 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in beef mixture. Remove from heat.
3. Prepare crust.   Preheat oven to 375.  Prepare mashed potatoes as per package instructions.   
4. Place mixture in a baking dish.  Cover with mashed potatoes. Bake for 40-45 minutes. until golden brown and crispy. 

My muffin quest continues.   Today I went the route of oatmeal with bran, calling this one Banana Apple Oat Bran Muffins. They tasted pretty good!   The Oatmeal Apple Muffins from RockRecipes served as my inspiration. 

Small Bowl

2/3  cup all bran buds with 2/3 cup water

Dry Mix

1 1/2 cup oatmeal .. I used instant as it is what I had on hand (regular might be better)
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Wet bowl

Mix together until good and fluffy 2 eggs 4 tbsp. vegetable oil 6 tbsp. sugar

Then add 2/3 cup milk

Mix all bran mix with wet, then add to dry.

Then add 1 cup mashed banana (usually 2 bananas) 1 large apple grated with peel Just until mixed.

Bake in 350 oven for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Verdict:

My Son likes them as is.. adding chocolate chips he think would be marvellous
Dad: they are okay, nothing special, but good enough to eat
Me: I liked them, would like to try with honey next time

Other Fibre Muffins
Banana Blueberry High Fibre.

 

I’ve been trying different things to increase the fibre in my diet.

Mix together and let it sit

1 1/2 cups all bran
1 mashed banana
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

 
in a separate bowl mix together

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

in a third bowl mix together

1 tbsp. oil…. can be melted butter, coconut oil or vegetable oil.
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 1/2 cups of blueberries.

Mix together second bowl and third bowl.
Add in the first bowl.

Mix until just moistened.

Cook in a 350 oven for 20-24 minutes depending on your oven.
Let cool in muffin tray 5 minutes, before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Thoughts:

The lad ate them so quickly I was astonished.  They aren’t a large muffins…but still!   I got three, hubby got one and the lad just kinda had fun eating them.  I think next time I make them FOR ME I will need to remind him he can’t eat them all… hungry growing boy or not.  🙂  I really liked them.  Hubby thought them good “but too small”.

 

One of the things that I love about my recipe link up is that I have access to lots of lovely recipes!   It’s like OH MY!   I sometimes need to adapt them, but today I was inspired to try Chicken Cordon Blue and Broccoli Casserole.. and yes, I needed to do some adaptations and those are what I’ll be putting up here.   I found this recipe on my Australia Country Study linky. 

Turkey Mixed Veggie Casserole

Ingredients and Instructions for the casserole:

Layer these four in order in a 11 x 13 casserole.

• 2 cups cooked turkey, cut into bite sized pieces
  Deli meat… whatever you have.  I had eight pieces  total of smoked beef and some ham/bacon loaf and some plain ham.  Dice it up.
  1 cup mixed veggies
  1 1/2 cup shredded cheese – I used Havarti, smoked cheddar and regular cheddar
• 

In a fry pan (or sauce pan whatever your preference)
Melt 2 Tablespoons butter and
Whisk in 2 Tablespoons flour
Slowly add 2 cups milk until you get a nice sauce.
Add spices/herbs that you like: I did garlic salt, thyme, pepper

Pour the sauce over the layered meat/veggies/cheese

For the topping:
I used about a cup of mixed crushed saltines and panko with 1/4 cup melted butter mixed in. Season however you prefer. Parsley works well.  Spread this evenly over top of your casserole. 

Put in 350 oven for 30 minutes. 

Eat as is or serve with quinoa, rice, potatoes or pasta.  Whatever your preference is.

Reactions:

My son didn’t try it… he looked and said “can I have my turkey leg instead?”  Since it had to be eaten I said “sure”. 🙂

Hubby said “tastes good hun” (had seconds with ketchup)

My thoughts: it’s pretty good, I preferred it as seconds (when I reheated it).