Carrot Muffins

Great for breakfast or a snack. To be honest, I haven't tried these yet because I'm really full from my dinner still... but they smell pretty good. I will update in the morning after I've had one for breakfast. I was a little scared when making them because the muffin dough is so much thicker then cake batter, but they seem to have turned out alright!

• All-purpose flour, 1 cup
• whole-wheat flour, 2/3 cup
• baking soda, 1/2 tsp
• baking powder, 1/2 tsp
• salt, 1/4 tsp
• cinnamon, 1/2 tsp
• large eggs, 2 
• vegetable oil, 1/2 cup
• brown sugar, 1/2 cup firmly packed
• carrots, 2-3 peeled and grated (1 an 1/2 cups)
• milk, 1/2 cup
• optional: walnuts 1/4 cup
• optional: raisins, 1/4 cup

Makes 10-12 muffins. 

Preheat the oven to 325. Line 10-12 cups of a standard muffin tin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, stir together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and brown sugar. Stir in carrots. Add flour mixture and milk. Stir until dry ingredients are evenly moistened. If using walnuts and raisins, add now. Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake until tops of muffins are set and spring back when lightly pressed, around 20-25 minutes. 

These store up to 2 days at room temperature in an air tight container or in zippered freezer bags and freeze up to 1 month. 

FUN FACT: carrots deep yellow-orange pigment is linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. They are an excellent source of vitamin A. Whole-wheat flour is rich in insoluble fiber linked to improved digestive health. It provides antioxidants that enhance heart health. It is a source of complex carbs, which help regulate blood sugar. 

Sausage and Lentil Soup

Sausage and Lentil Soup

This recipe was inspired from the vegetable and lentil soup found in one of my new cook books. We decided adding sausage would make it delicious. It was very filling and very delicious! Wonderful for a cold day.

• brown lentils, 2 cups
• olive oil
• 4 sausages
• 1 yellow onion, chipped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 piece of celery, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• chicken broth, 4 cups
• whole or diced can of tomato
• smoked paprika, 1 tsp
• ground cumin, 1 tsp
• thyme, 1 tsp
• salt, 1/2 tsp
• ground pepper, 1/4 tsp
• baby spinach or kale (or both!), a large handful
• red wine, 1/3 cup

Rinse lentils under cold running water and drain thoroughly. Put aside. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Remove sausage from its casing and add sausage to the pot. Break it up into bite sized pieces. Cook on medium heat. Once the sausage begins to brown, add onions, carrot and celery. Allow it to cook until softened, approximately 5-8 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, cumin and thyme. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Poor in wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add in can of tomatoes and its juices. If using a can of whole tomatoes, break them down with the spoon into bite sized chunks. Add lentils and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently until lentils are tender. Approximately 20 minutes. Chop up kale or spinach (or both) and stir into soup. Cook for another minute. 

Garnished with parsley and fresh parmesan. Served with baguette (broiled with a drizzle of olive oil on top and then rubbed with garlic). 

FUN FACT: lentils are an excellent source of fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar. Extremely rich in heart-healthy nutrients like folate and potassium. Kale is a source of antioxidant known to prevent cancer and promote eye health and detoxification. It is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K. Contains nutrients to help build strong bones. 

Butternut Tagliatelle with Crispy Bacon and Mushrooms

Butternut Tagliatelle with Crispy Bacon and Mushrooms

from "Drizzle and Dip" blog. Recipe found here. 

If I could eat one food for the rest of my life... it'd be this. Okay, that might be a little extreme but this is amazing. As said in the original blog, this is a wonderful change from regular old tomato sauces and cream based sauces. When mixing it all together and adding the bacon it reminded me a little of pasta carbonera, but this was better (and healthier) then any carbonera i've ever had!  

• 1 medium butternut, peeled and diced (about 4 heaped cups)
• olive oil for drizzling
• salt & pepper
• 4 slices prosciutto or Parma ham
• 150g mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 100g bacon, cut its bite sized pieces
• 120g brown mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• pinch of hot pepper flakes
• tagliatelle pasta

Preheat the oven to 400. Place the cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Put the butternut squash into a food processor or blender. While the oven is still hot, put the slices of prosciutto on the baking tray used for the squash and roast for 5 to 10 minutes or until crispy and curly. When the prosciutto is ready, set aside. Blend the butternut squash, mascarpone cheese and chicken stock until smooth. Set aside. Heat a large frying pan and cook the bacon. Set aside. In the same pan, add butter and cook the mushrooms. When they start to get all nice and brown, add the thyme and garlic. Cook for another few minutes. Add the butternut squash mixture, the regular bacon and a pinch of hot pepper flakes to the pan and mix. Boil water, and a generous pinch of salt and cook the pasta according to instructions. Save some pasta water to thin down the butternut squash sauce in the pan (approx 60 ml). When the pasta is cooked, add to the sauce.

We garnished our with the prosciutto, fresh parsley, parmesan cheese and pumpkin seeds! Yum. Yum yum yum. Yum. I can't wait for lunch tomorrow because I'm eating left overs. 

FUN FACT: butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and beta-carotene, power antioxidants. It also provides vitamin C and fiber and is an ample amount of potassium which helps regulate blood pressure. 

Maple-Glazed Sweet Potato Wedges & Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon

Maple Glazed Sweet Potato Wedges & Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon served with pork chop

I'm baaaaaaaack! I got home from work today and there were two brand new cookbooks sitting on the counter for me. I'm pretty sure they were supposed to be Christmas presents but they forgot to hide them... and then we wanted to use recipes.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon

• brussels sprouts (1 lb)
• olive oil, 2 tbsp
• lemon zest, from half a lemon
• 3 tbsp of lemon juice
• salt, 1/4 tsp
• freshly ground pepper
• squirt of dijon mustard
• splash of white wine

Peel off the outer layer of the Brussels sprout and cut them in half lengthwise. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium to high heat. When the oil is hot, and sprouts. Mix around. Add lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Keep heat high, stirring constantly, but adjusting the temperature to avoid scorching the leaves. You want the sprouts to be lightly brown around the edges and tender. This should take 7-8 minutes. Add in lemon juice and cook for another minute. At this point, my sister and I decided a squirt of dijon mustard and a splash of white would be an excellent addition. We were correct. Top with a little extra zest! 

FUN FACT: brussels sprouts are loaded with folate and vitamins C and K; they're filled with compounds that are thought to detoxify and protect against cancer; and they're rich in fiber! 

Maple-Glazed Sweet Potato Wedges

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 450. Peel the sweet potato (if you want...) and cut into 1/4 inch rounds. Then cut though rounds in half. In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne. Add the wedges and coat evenly. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle any left over glaze. Roast for 15 minutes and then flip over. Cook for another 15 minutes. The sweet potatoes should have a caramelized color and be tender when poked with a fork. 

FUN FACT: sweet potatoes are high in fiber, contain a large amount of vitamin B6 and potassium (heart healthy), contain vitamin A which is useful in preventing cancer, they are a great source of magnesium, and are rich in vitamin C and E which also help prevent disease! 

The pork chop was very simple. Salt and pepper on each side. Olive oil drizzled into a pan on high. When the pan is hot the pork chops were added, heat turned down to medium. Cooking time depends on how thick the pork chops are, but sear on both sides until nice and golden brown. Pour in some white wine, 1 clove of crush garlic, a pinch of hot pepper flakes, and a squeeze of lemon juice. If your pork chops are on the thicker  side, you may have to pop them in the oven for a few minutes. 

Oh and this was all delicious.