Doughnut Muffins

 Batter:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup milk

Topping:

• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

Add the eggs, beating to combine.

Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.

Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave).

Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.

Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.

Yield: 12 muffins.

VERDICT:  We mixed all the dry ingredients together, rather than stirring in the baking powder, etc., into the wet ingredients, and added the vanilla with the milk.  We also rolled the whole muffin in butter and cinnamon sugar (which requires about twice as much of both), which I think made it more donut-y.  They were not bad at all, though not as good as actual donuts.  Still, since I rarely make muffins for anything but breakfast, when I really want them to be healthier, toss.

Sweet Potato and Pecan Flapjacks

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup fat-free milk 
• 1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large egg yolks 
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten 
• Cooking spray 

Lightly spoon all-purpose flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Combine milk, sweet potato, sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg yolks, stirring until smooth; add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form; fold egg whites into batter. Let batter stand 10 minutes.

Heat a nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat griddle or pan with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle or pan. Cook 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over, and cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

Serves 6 (2 pancakes); 276 calories.

VERDICT:  Dense and soggy in the middle, with weird bits of pecans and not-quite-mashed sweet potatoes.  Toss. 

Vegetarian Chili

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 c. chopped celery
• 1 1/2 c. chopped green pepper
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 28 oz. cans tomatoes, cut up
• 3 15 oz. cans beans (kidney, black, northern, pinto, and/or garbanzo), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 3 to 4 tsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. snipped parsley
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 12 oz. can beer
• 3/4 c. cashew nuts
• 1 c. shredded Swiss, mozzarella, or cheddar cheese (optional)

In a 4- to 6- quart pot heat oil.  Add celery, green pepper, onion, and garlic.  Cover and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in undrained tomatoes, drained beans, raisins, vinegar, chili powder, parsley, sugar, basil, oregano, cumin, allspice, salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce, and bay leaf.  Bring to boiling, reduce heat.  Simmer, covered for 1 1/2 hours.  Stir in beer.  Return to boiling; simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes more or to desired consistency.  Remove bay leaf.  Stir in cashews.  Sprinkle cheese atop each serving, if desired. 

Serves 8 (1.5 cups); 333 calories.

VERDICT:  The raisins and cashews were subtle; the beer definitely added flavor.  Keep.

Homemade Granola

• 6 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add syrup, honey, juice, and almond extract; toss well. Spread mixture evenly onto a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300° for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Stir in cranberries and apricots. Cool completely. Store in a zip-top plastic bag.

Note: Prepare the granola up to two days ahead, and store in an airtight container. Serve for breakfast with low-fat yogurt and fruit.

Serves 10 (1/2 c.); 384 calories.

VERDICT: Not bad, but not as almond-y as I hoped, and a very skimpy fruit-and-nut-to-oat ratio.  Toss.

 

Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes, Kale, and Pesto

• 2  cups quinoa, rinsed
• 1/2  cup olive oil
• 3 small sweet potatoes (about 1.5 lbs), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 2 bunches kale (1.25 lbs), thick stems removed and leaves cut into bite-sized pieces (about 14 c.)
• pesto and toasted walnuts, for serving
• Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, tossing occasionally, until the potatoes begin to brown and soften, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the onion to the pot and cook, tossing occasionally, until the sweet potatoes and onion are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add as much kale to the pot as will fit and cook, tossing frequently and adding more kale when there is room, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Reserve half the quinoa and vegetables for tomorrow's dinner. Serve the remaining vegetables over the remaining quinoa, topped with the pesto and walnuts.

Reheat and serve: Microwave the quinoa and vegetables in a microwave-safe dish covered with a damp paper towel on high for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Serves 8, 528 calories.

VERDICT:  I halved the recipe kind of unevenly and forgot to add salt and pepper, and this still turned out well.  So well, in fact, that I never bothered turning it into Crispy Quinoa and Bean Patties.  The pesto unexpectedly tied things together and added a savory saltiness.  Keep! 

Caramelized Onion Galette with Feta and Thyme

VERDICT:  This recipe is so long, I could not stand the idea of typing the whole thing.  Plus, it was not that good, especially the heavy crust.  If I'm going to hang around caramelizing onions, I'm going to make Caramelized Onion and Thyme Pizza.  Toss.