The Family Kitchen: Mom's Pumpkin Muffins

 I have been thinking about mom lately and wanted to make a sweet treat. I found this recipe of Mom's. It's Libby's Pumpkin Muffins recipe but I have made some changes to make it more diabetic friendly. It is not as sweet and a bit more dense but still good. I prefer using just cinnamon, but I was out, so I used pumpkin pie spice, and it was not too overwhelming. I added in some pecans and sugar free caramel to the muffins and topped a few with dark chocolate chips. 

The ingredients:

3 C whole wheat flour

1 TBSP + 2tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp salt

1.5 C sugar or sugar alternative (I used splenda)

1 15oz can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1/2 C oil

1/2 C of water or orange juice (I used water)

optional: pecans, chocolate chips, caramel, raisins, dried cranberries, etc. 

In my recipe I added a bit of sugar free caramel and pecans chopped. I added some dark chocolate chips to a few of them. 

The recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon/ pumpkin pie spice).

In stand mixer add wet ingredients and sugar (pumpkin, sugar, eggs, water, and oil) and mix until just combined. 

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. 

If adding caramel add at this step. 

Grease muffin pan. 

Add batter to muffin pan filling cups 3/4 full. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. 

Allow to cool for 5 minutes then remove from muffin tin to finish cooling. 

Note: if using the whole wheat flour these will be denser. These are not super sweet. If you like a sweeter muffin the original recipe calls for 3 C of sugar. 

See below the original recipe written in mom's handwriting. I love that I have these reminders of her. I wish I had a whole bunch more to discover. I have added some adjustments I made or notes myself on here. 

The Italian Kitchen: Spinach Artichoke Chicken Orzo

 I have never really had artichokes much except in spinach artichoke dip and wanted to try cooking with them because they are really healthy. I found this recipe from Half Baked Harvest and thought it sounded good.  This recipe is also a great way to get some dark leafy greens into your meals. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Not sure why but I was. 

The ingredients:

1 lb chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)

2 TBSP EVOO

4 tsp Italian Seasoning (I used Rivera seasoning from Burlap and Barrel)

crushed red pepper

salt and black pepper

1 shallot chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

2 TBSP salted butter

1 C dry orzo

1 TBSP thyme

1.5 C water

1 C milk or heavy cream

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 jar marinated artichokes quartered

2 C baby spinach

3/4 C grated parmesan

2 tsp lemon zest

fresh basil

The recipe:

Combine the chicken, EVOO, and 2 tsp Italian seasoning in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. 

Add the shallots, garlic, and butter. Mix in the orzo, thyme, and 2 tsp of Italian seasoning. Cook until slightly golden, approx. 2 minutes. 

Add 1.5 C water and bring to boil and cook for 5 minutes. then add milk/cream and Dijon. 

Stir in the spinach, artichokes, parmesan, and lemon zest. 

Cook another 8 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the orzo is al dente. 

Serve topped with lots of basil and parmesan. 

Notes: I forgot to get parmesan at the store, so I used Gruyere cheese. I used rotisserie chicken, so I really only had to heat it up in the 1st step. I used toasted onion powder instead of the shallots and garlic powder instead of the garlic cloves. I used frozen spinach instead of fresh. 

Note: EVOO is extra virgin olive oil.

The Breakfast Kitchen: Bacon, Broccoli, Onion, Sweet Pepper, and Gruyere Casserole

 I'm on my journey of trying to incorporate new healthy ingredients into my recipes. Today I added chopped broccoli to my casserole. I will say it is good but not my favorite if I am being honest. I used Herbes de Provence for my spice, and I may have liked it better with just the rosemary.  It turned out well and I can feel good about eating it. 

The ingredients:

Crumbled bacon

1 C chopped broccoli

1 C chopped onion

sliced sweet mini peppers

4 oz Gruyere shredded

12 eggs

1/2 C milk

2 tsp baking powder

garlic powder

smoked paprika

salt and pepper 

Herbes de Provence

The recipe:

Grease a baking dish. 

Layer in the broccoli, onion, and sweet pepper slices. 

Bake in the over at 350 for 10-30 minutes to soften. 

In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, baking powder, and spices (excl the Herbes de Provence) and blend until combined or whisk. 

Add the shredded cheese and the Herbes de Provence and stir to incorporate. 

Pour the egg mixture in the baking dish and spread out the cheese to cover evenly. 

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes. 

Note: I used frozen diced onion and frozen chopped broccoli, and the peppers had been sliced ahead and frozen. 

The Soup Kitchen: Tuscan Sausage Orzo Soup

 I have been wondering about cooking with orzo and finally found a whole wheat orzo so decided to try a couple recipes. The first being this Tuscan soup. This soup has veggies, sausage, kale (leafy greens) and the orzo. It is very good. 

The ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 lb. Italian sausage cooked and drained

1/2 C diced shallots

3 cloves garlic

2 stalks celery chopped

1 C whole wheat orzo pasta

6 C chicken broth

30 oz diced tomatoes

1 TBSP dried Italian seasoning

1 TBSP dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground fennel

1 tsp salt

black pepper to taste 

1 parmesan rind

1 bunch kale leaves (can use frozen chopped kale)

Note: I did not have Italian seasoning or fennel so substituted with Tutto Porchetta which has fennel in it. 

The recipe:

In a skillet brown the sausage in olive oil with the shallot, (can use onion if not shallot).

Once browned add to a slow cooker. 

To the slow cooker add the rest of the ingredients, except the kale. 

Cook on Hi for 3 hours or Low for 6-8. 

Add kale the last 30 min to an hour. 

Notes: you can add white beans or switch the kale out for spinach. 

The Breakfast Kitchen: Tex-Mex Breakfast Casserole

 I love breakfast casseroles I make them all the time for breakfasts. They are generally low carb and high protein. This one turned out especially well. For this I paired it with some tortilla chips and guacamole for a kind of breakfast casserole nachos. This would be great with just the guacamole even. 

The ingredients:

1 lb. sausage cooked and drained

sliced shallot

1 C crumbled bacon

sliced sweet mini peppers

sliced jalapeno peppers

1 can Rotel

black lime

crushed red pepper

12 eggs

dash of milk

1TBSP black lime

1 TBSP smoked paprika

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 TBSP baking powder

4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

The recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Cook sausage and shallot in skillet. Drain and place in greased casserole dish. 

Add bacon, peppers, and Rotel to skillet cook until cooked through adding some black lime and crushed red pepper. 

Top the sausage with the bacon and veggie mixture spreading out to make sure evenly covered. 

Scramble eggs with milk, black lime, paprika, salt, pepper, and baking powder. (The baking powder keeps your eggs from falling when cooling). 

Shred cheddar cheese and add to the scrambled eggs. Pour over the casserole mixture.  Spread cheese out evenly. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes until eggs are set then serve.

Garnish with cilantro, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, tortillas, or tortilla chips. 

For my dinner, I placed a pieced cut up on the plate with some tortilla chips and topped with guacamole. I then added some silk chili on top. 

You can make this healthier by using turkey bacon and sausage and omitting the tortilla chips. 

This can easily be made meatless by switching the meats out for black beans. 

 

The Italian Kitchen: Mini Pesto Lasagna

A twist on a classic and would be a festive dish for Christmas. This is a simple twist on a recipe.

The Ingredients:

Olive oil

Diced onion

6 garlic cloves

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1-2 TBSP tutto porchetta

1-2 TBSP pizza party

Salt and pepper to taste

1 jar marinara sauce

16 oz cottage cheese

6 oz Pesto

1/2 C parmesan cheese

2 large eggs

No boil Lasagna noodles

16 oz Mozzarella cheese

4 small foil trays

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 375.

In a skillet, add some olive oil, diced onion, and garlic then the meat and cook until softened and cooked through. 

Add the marinara and seasonings and cook until flavors combined. If you want to thin sauce add a bit of beef broth.

Set aside.

In food processor, add the parmesan, cottage cheese, pesto, and eggs and pulse until combined and creamy.

In foil pans, add about 1/2 C sauce, then a Lasagna noodle, then rest of the sauce and some mozzarella, another Lasagna noodle, then pesto cheese mixture plus rest of mozarella.

Sprinkle a bit more pizza party on top.

Bake pan covered with foil for approximately 30 minutes. Then remove foil and bake another 5-10 min.

Notes:

Remaining trays can be refrigerated or frozen.

Lasagna sets up best if it rests in the fridge for 12-24 hours.

Easy Garlic Toast

2 slices of bread toasted

Butter

1 garlic clove halved

Toast the bread and butter. Once butter melts rub cut side of garlic all over buttered toast.

The Healthy Kitchen: Cinnamon Raisin Quick Bread

I just needed to make something a bit healthier and my dad loves cinnamon raisin bread so I made this bread.

The ingredients:

2 C White whole wheat flour

1/2 C truvia sugar blend

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBSP cinnamon

1 C Milk

1 TBSP lemon juice

1/3 C vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 C raisins

For cinnamon swirl:

6 TBSP swerve brown sugar

1 1/2 TBSP cinnamon

2 TBSP melted butter

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 350. Line liaf pan with parchment paper.

In medium bowl, combine flour, truvia, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 1 TBSP cinnamon.

In a large bowl, whisk milk and lemon juice and set aside for 5 minutes. Then add vanilla, oil, and eggs.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 parts stirring until just combined. 

Add the raisins.

In a small bowl add the melted butter, swerve brown sugar, and 1 1/2 TBSP cinnamon.

Pour half the batter in the loaf pan.

Add 3 lines of the brown sugar mix and use a toothpick to swirl.

Top with remaining batter.

Add three more lines to the top and swirl with toothpick.

Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan.

The Breakfast Kitchen: Scrambled Egg, Pork, Spinach, and Quinoa Bowl

Eating a good breakfast is so important and is a meal I always try to eat well. It really gets my day going well. For me that includes protein and whole grains. Definitely, limiting sugar. 

The ingredients:

1 TBSP butter

1 lb ground pork or sausage

Sliced shallot

1-2 tsp tutto porchetta (if using ground pork)

Spinach

6-8 eggs

Dash of milk

Dash smoked paprika

Dash garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 C quinoa cooked

The recipe:

In a skillet, brown the meat in butter. Adding the shallot and tutto porchetta if needed. 

Once browned, add the spinach.

In bowl, scramble the eggs with milk, garlic, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. 

Add eggs to skillet and cook until eggs are just about set.

Cook quinoa in rice cooker.

Serve meat and egg mixture with the quinoa.

Garnish with cheese, cilantro, sriracha, etc.

Note: you could also add this to a wrap and make it a breakfast wrap.

The Soup Kitchen: Creamy Indian Tomato Soup

When a snowstorm is coming, it's a great time to make a double batch of comforting soup. Plus, this soup is loaded with warm Indian spices that just knock up the coziness. As an added plus, the spiciness clears out the sinuses! You can adjust the heat on this soup by omitting the cayenne. Also, this soup is loaded with anti-inflammatory ingredients like tomatoes and turmeric. It is vegetarian and gluten free and can be low carb if you omit the croutons. This is super easy to make in the crockpot, but you can cook on the stove if you prefer.

The ingredients:

6 TBSP ghee or unsalted butter

2 yellow onions diced

6 cloves garlic minced 

4 tsp fresh ginger peeled and grated (I used ground ginger and only 2 tsp)

4 10-oz cans Rotel

2 15-oz cans of crushed tomatoes

2 15-oz cans of diced tomatoes

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp garam masala

2-4 tsp salt to taste

2 tsp cracked black pepper

pinch of cayenne (optional)

1 tsp baking soda

2 13.5 oz cans of full fat coconut milk

The recipe:

Sauté your aromatics in the ghee (garlic, onion, and ginger).

Add to a slow cooker with all the tomatoes and their juices, the spices, and baking soda. 

Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 4-5 hours. 

Puree the soup with an immersion blender. 

Stir in the coconut milk, salt, and pepper. 

Continue cooking an additional 30 minutes, then serve. 

Notes: 

I used ground garlic and ginger. If you use dried for these you will want to cut back on the amount a bit. 

If you do not have crushed tomatoes, you can use 4 cans of diced or vice versa.

Some of these spices you may not have on hand. If not, there is an Indian Market in town that would carry them all. 

Adding the baking soda will cause the soup to foam a bit initially this is normal. 

Stir up the coconut milk before adding to the slow cooker if you can. 

Garnish with cilantro, naan, you can make croutons out of naan, add a yogurt sauce or make a good Indian spiced grilled cheese sandwich. 

I added a cube of cilantro from my freezer to the crockpot and added some coriander chili chutney on top. (found at the Indian market). 

I also made a grilled cheese baked in the oven. For the butter I melted the butter in the microwave and added some Indian seasoning to the butter and brushed it on the bread. Bake at 400 degrees on 1st side for 7 minutes, flip then bake an additional 5 minutes. The grilled cheese turns out perfect.  I line a baking sheet with foil and use a metal spatula to flip. I used mozzarella cheese, but you can use any good melting cheese. 

Indian Spice Blend (used on grilled cheese)

1 TBSP turmeric

1 TBSP garam masala

1 TBSP cumin

1 tsp mango amchur

1tsp coriander

1tsp Zingy Cumin Tadka (optional)

*all spices from Burlap and Barrel

The Healthy Kitchen: An Indian Spiced Pork Quinoa Bowl

 I know pork is not usually served in Indian dishes, but I like it and it's what I had. This recipe ended up being made up of all green veggies which is a first for me. I am being a bit more adventurous. This included some leafy greens. Which, spoiler alert, is one of my goals for 2025, to include more leafy greens in my meals. I created a spice blend to cook my veggies and meat in made up of traditional Indian spices. I was going to add carrot to this but realized I was out. So I pivoted and I liked this version a lot. 

Indian Spice Blend

1 TBSP turmeric powder

1 TBSP garam masala

1 TBSP cumin

1 tsp mango amchur

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp Zingy Cumin Tadka (Burlap and Barrel blend)

*all of the spices I used were from Burlap and Barrel

The ingredients:

1 TBSP ghee

1lb ground pork

1 green pepper diced

1 onion diced

Indian Spice Blend

Chopped Broccoli

Peas

Pinch of Saffron

Garlic Powder

Ground Ginger

Spinach 

Black Urfa Chili

Silk Chili

Salt

Coriander Chili Chutney

Garnish: Cilantro leaves

1 C quinoa

2 C broth

The recipe:

In a rice cooker, start your quinoa with the broth, plus a pinch of saffron. 

In a skillet melt the Ghee and add the onion, pepper, pork, and Indian Spice blend plus the garlic and ginger. Cook until veggies soften, and meat is cooked through. The spices will bloom as you cook. 

Add the rest of the veggies (broccoli, peas, spinach) and cook until to your liking.

Add the Black Urfa Chili, Silk Chili, pinch of saffron, and salt to taste. 

Add a bit of Coriander chili chutney (this is found at the Indian market in town).

Stir to combine all of the seasonings. 

Serve the meat mixture over a bed of quinoa. 

Top with cilantro to garnish.