Banana Berry Muffins

Ingredients

·                     1 cup plain yogurt

·                     2 eggs

·                     6 tablespoons butter, melted

·                     2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·                     2 cups white whole wheat all-purpose flour*

·                     1 cup rolled oats

·                     1 cup brown sugar

·                     1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·                     1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·                     1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

·                     1/2 teaspoon salt

·                     1 ½ cup of fresh blackberries or blueberries

·                     1/4 cup raw sugar

·                     3 bananas

Directions

1.      Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper muffin cups. Whisk the yogurt, eggs, butter, mashed bananas and vanilla extract together in a bowl.

2.      In another large bowl or a stand mixer mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the egg mixture. Stir until just combined. Gently fold in the berries. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups, and sprinkle with the remaining berries.

3.      Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

*note: if you don’t have white whole wheat flour, you can substitute it for 1 cup of whole wheat mixed with 1 cup white all-purpose flour.

Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken

Here’s a healthier version of fried chicken, but just as delicious.  To make things less messy, use a plastic bag instead of a bowl to marinate.  Leave the chicken in the buttermilk overnight for best results.  Serve with a nice, light salad.

Ingredients

    * 5 chicken drumsticks
    * salt and ground pepper
    * 4 cups breadcrumbs
    * 2/3 cup buttermilk
    * 2 tablespoons dijon mustard

Directions
Rub chicken with mustard, salt and pepper. Pour your buttermilk into a plastic bag, add the chicken drumsticks and leave for two hours.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rub baking sheet with oil. Remove the chicken from the liquid, dredge in the breadcrumbs, turning to coat evenly.  
Arrange the chicken pieces on the rack and place in the hot oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, lower the heat to 375 degrees and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and crispy.

Blackberry Rice Pudding

• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• ½ cup Arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Blackberry/ Blueberry Jam
• A few blackberries

Place the milk, rice, vanilla extract and sugar in a deep saucepan. Bring to a simmer and put on the lid. Cook for half an hour, stirring occasionally, until the rice pudding is creamy. Keep a close eye on it as milk tends to bubble up rather quickly. If the pudding ends up being a bit too thick, you can thin it down by adding a little more milk. Serve in glasses, topped with spoonful of jam and a few blackberries.

Mia’s Pumpkin Pie

Here is a fast way to make a Pumpkin Pie for the holidays or just for the weekend when pumpkin is in season. You can puree real pumpkin or just use a can of pureed pumpkin.  Also, you may want to cover the crust with tin foil to prevent it from burning.

Ingredients

• 1 (9 inch) pie crust
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons whole milk yogurt or sour cream
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups of milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin, milk and yogurt. Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour into pie crust.

3. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F; bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for half hour.

Green Fish Curry

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup green beans, trimmed and halved
• 1 large onion
• 2 bell peppers
• 3 tablespoons green curry paste
• 1 can coconut  milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 pound skinless, boneless sea bass
• sea salt
• 1 lime, juiced
• A bunch of cilantro

Cooked basmati rice for serving

Directions

Place a large skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. Sauté the onion, green beans, peppers and cilantro stalks for 8 minutes to soften. Add the curry paste to the skillet and stir for 3 minutes. Stir well to coat everything with paste. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir together and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the fish and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Squeeze in the lime juice and sprinkle in some cilantro leaves; serve in dinner bowls with rice. .

Cast Iron Chicken Pot Pie

Here is a fast way to make Chicken Pot Pie …and you only have to wash one pan.  You can also use the cast iron pan to serve your dish for a rustic look.  So give this recipe a try, and remember, don’t use soap on your cast iron, LOL.

Ingredients

·         1 pound of boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

·         3 celery stalks, trimmed and diced

·         2 carrots chopped

·         1 bunch of spring onions chopped

·         1 cup sliced mushrooms

·         1 cup of frozen peas

·         1 heaped teaspoon plain flour

·         ½ teaspoon Herbes de Provence

·         2 teaspoons olive oil

·         2 teaspoons mustard

·         2 heaped teaspoons of sour cream or plain yogurt

·         1 cup of chicken broth

·         1 sheet of puff pastry

·         1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat and add celery and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes. Cut chicken into small cubes; cook the chicken for 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon flour and stir well to coat the chicken.  Add 2 teaspoons of mustard, 1 heaped teaspoon of sour cream and 1 cup chicken broth – stir.

2. Throw in spring onions, mushrooms and frozen peas. Season with salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

3. Place puff pastry atop chicken mixture. Beat the egg and brush it over the pie; cut holes in pastry. Transfer skillet to oven; bake until crust is browned, about 20-25 minutes.