Mini Banana Apple Bran Muffins

 

 the petit appetit COOKBOOK 

Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler 

by Lisa Barnes

Makes 24 Mini Muffins Or 12 Regular Muffins

1 c organic whole wheat flour
1/2 c organic oat bran
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 c organic applesauce or Apple Puree (page 59)
3 medium organic bananas, 1 mashed (about 1/2 c) and 2 sliced
1/2 c packed organic light brown sugar
2 cage-free, organic eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degree.  Grease 24 mini muffin cups or 12 regular muffin cups.

With a fork, combine flour, bran, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave for 25 seconds on High.  In a large bowl, combine melted butter, applesauce, mashed banana, sugar, and eggs.  Mix together with a rubber spatula.  Add flour mixture to applesauce mixture and stir until just blended.  Batter will be lumpy and very moist.

Spoon batter in prepared muffin cups, filling two-thirds full.  Place banana slice on top of each muffin.  Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown and set.  Cool muffins in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes before turning out muffins.

Tip
Pick a test.  Because these muffins are so moist with the mashed bananas and applesauce, the wooden-pick test is difficult.  the center may not come out clean if you hit a chunk of banana.  If you're not sure if they're done, you can always pop one out an take a taste.

*Changes I made.
I used regular flour and unorganic everything.  I didn't have any oat bran in the house, I substituted oat meal.  I tossed in the sliced bananas at the same time the mashed bananas were added to the bowl, no banana decoration on top because I didn't read that part until typing this... oops!  I also added 1/4 cup pecan meal, yum!  I used the regular 12 muffin cup pan and baked them for 18 minutes, perfect.  The muffins are delicious and a hit with the kids.  Enjoy!

French Apple Tart By Ina Garten

 

For The Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1Tbl sugar
12 Tbl (1 1/2) sticks cold, unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water

For The Apples

4 Granny Smith Apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbl (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small-diced
1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
2 Tbl water

For the pastry, place flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Pulse for a few seconds to combine.  Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas.  With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together.  Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 X14 inches.  Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges.  Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem.  Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller.  Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices.  (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.)  Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown.  Rotate the pan once during cooking.  When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the water and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture.  Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper.  Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Pepperoni Bread

1 cup scalded milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup warm water, 105 - 115 F
2 pkgs active dry yeast
2 eggs lightly beaten

5 cups flour

2 cups of your favorite cheese
1 pkg pepperoni

Mix milk, butter, sugar & salt.  Cool to lukewarm.  Pour warm water into a warm bowl, sprinkle yeast in & dissolve.  Add cooled mixture, eggs & 3 cups flour, stir well.  Add the rest of the flour & knead lightly on a floured board until elastic.  Shape dough into a ball & place in a greased bowl, turn over to grease all sides.  Let rise until doubled in size.

After dough has risen, split in half.  With one half, roll out into rectangle shape, nice & thin.  Layer pepperoni on the dough.  Grate cheese over pepperoni and roll up into a stuffed loaf.  Bake at 325 degrees until lightly browned on top.

One Hour Bread

One Hour Bread
Makes 4 Loaves

10.5 c bread flour
.5 c sugar
1 heaping Tbls. salt
3 rounded Tbls. instant yeast
3 Tbls. liquid lecithin
4 c hot tap water

Mix dry ingredients.  Add water and mix.  Spray counter and hands with Pam, shape into loaves and cover.  Let rise 20 - 25 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

*I halved the recipe and added a heaping handful of cheese to the dough and shaped balls rather than loaves for burger buns.  The recipe also works for pizza and sticky buns.  Couldn't be much easier.

Two Muffins

Kellogg's - Our Best Bran Muffins

1 1/3 c flour
.5 c sugar
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1.5 c Kellogg's All Bran Original
1 c milk
1 egg
1/3 c shortening (I substitute applesauce)

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large mixing bow, combine All Bran cereal and milk. Let stand 2 minutes or until cereal has softened. Add egg and shortening (applesauce). Beat well. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion evenly into 12 muffin pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 degrees about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

*I like to eat these hot, warm and even cold! I press sliced strawberries and sprinkle sugar on top before baking or load them with blueberries.

Swedish Hotcakes

Mix together:
2 eggs
1.25 c milk
.25 c vegetable oil

Add:
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbls sugar
.5 tsp salt
1 c flour

Stir well until there are no lumps. Pour 1/3 c of batter into heated, greased pan and swirl pan to form flat circle. When edges start to curl and small bubbles appear, flip and cook on second side until golden.

Topping suggestions are: melted butter with cinnamon & sugar, maple syrup with fresh fruit, fruit with whipped cream... the topping possibilities are endless.

Julia Child's Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine (Cream and Bacon Quiche)

The classic quiche Lorraine contains heavy cream, eggs, and bacon, no cheese. The bacon is usually blanched in simmering water to remove its smoky, salty taste, but this step is optional. Diced, cooked ham, sauteed briefly in butter, may replace the bacon.

For 4 to 6 servings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3 to 4 ounces lean bacon (6 to 8 slices, medium thickness)
1 quart water
An 8-inch partially cooked pastry shell placed on a baking sheet

3 eggs or 2 eggs and 2 yolks
1.5 to 2 cups whipping cream or half cream and half milk
.5 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 to 2 Tbl butter cut into pea-sized dots

Cut bacon into pieces about an inch long and .25 inch wide. Simmer for 5 minutes in the water. Rinse in cold water. Dry on paper towels. Brown lightly in a skillet. Press bacon pieces into bottom of pastry shell.

Beat the eggs, cream or cream and milk, and seasonings in a mixing bowl until blended. Check seasonings. Pour into pastry shell and distribute the butter pieces on top.

Set in upper third of preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until quiche has puffed and browned. Slide quiche onto a hot platter and serve.

* I normally cook my bacon like normal and toss it right into the egg mixture. Tonight I used cooked deli ham - did not saute it, sorry Ms Julia. I also like to be a quiche rebel and add in broccoli tops!

Orange Pull-Aparts

ORANGE PULL-APARTS from Shirley Aaron

1/2 C. butter

1/2 C sugar

3 Beaten eggs

2 Pkgs. yeast

1/4 C. Warm water (to activate yeast)

1 C. Hot water

2 Tsp. salt

4 1/2 C. Flour

1/3 C. Shaklee N.P.S. or I just added flour instead when I didn’t have it.

Orange rind, grated

Melt butter, let cool; add remaining ingredients in order given. Let stand until raised double.Punch down and refrigerate. Next day, 3 hours before serving, roll into rectangle the size of the Tupperware pie sheet (mine measures: 15 X 21 inches). Spread with soft butter completely and sprinkle with sugar and grated orange rind. Cut into 2-inch squares. Stack squares into towers and stand them up in greased Bundt pan (butter side of square to the next unbuttered square) until pan is full. Press down and let rise to the top of Bunt pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 min. until golden brown.

Notes from Lizzie: Shaklee NPS is a protein supplement: I added more flour. If you have a pie sheet I recommend using it to roll the dough out. Take directly from frig. and roll out before the dough gets real sticky on you (some light flouring required). Here's a photo of the "towers" but keep in mind my dough was a little warm and thus gooey.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

I've had this recipe for ever and finally decided to make it, boy have I been missing out! It's so yummy, we gobbled it right up! The recipe makes a very large quantity, but I halved it and only used 2 lbs meat, turned out wonderful.

Ingredients:
6 lbs pork loin
2, 16 oz cans salsa
2 cans coke
3 cups brown sugar
raw tortillas (or hamburger buns)

Directions:
Place pork in crock pot and fill it 1/2 way up the pork with water. Cook on high for 5 hours. (I cooked on low overnight.) Drain off liquid. Cut pork into thirds. Mix together sauce and pour over pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave on low til ready to serve.

Sweet Pork Salad

We had this meal at my girls cooking club. It is soo good. It tastes like the saled you buy at Costa Rica, the restaurant. This receipe can be found at the sister's cafe http://www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com. It can also be found at cooklikecrazy.blogspot.com. The second website is one of the gals in my cooking group. She is an awesome cook.

Shredded Sweet Pork
3 lb pork roast
1 c brown sugar
1 c Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tb dried minced onions

Cook all ingredients in a crock pot on low all day (abt 8 hours). One hour before serving, remove roast and shred it. Dump out all cooking juices and place shredded pork back into crockpot and add...1 c brown sugar and 1 c red enchilada sauce

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 c water
3 c rice
4 cubes chicken bouillon
4 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tb canola oil
2 Tb fresh lime juice
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 onion1 can green chilies

Blend cilantro, onion, and chilies in food processor. Bring water to boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked.

Garlic Black Beans
1 can black beans
1/3 c tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
2 Tb canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tb chopped cilantro

Heat oil then add cumin and garlic until garlic begins to pop. Add rest of ingredients and serve warm. *I would at least double this recipe--but I really like beans!

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
3 tomatillos, peeled and quartered
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c sour cream
1 pkg dry buttermilk ranch dressing
1 c fresh chopped cilantro
6 green onions with ends, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp sugar1 jalapeno, sliced thin - add to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.


To assemble salad: Grate cheese onto a tortilla shell and place in oven under broiler until cheese is melted and shell is puffy. Top with romaine lettuce, beans, rice, and pork. Garnish with tomatoes, avacado, pico de gallo, whatever you like. Top with dressing and crispy tortilla strips.
*The recipe calls for cotija cheese, but I used sharp cheddar.