Carrot Muffins

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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you enjoy Morning Glory muffins I hope you will give this recipe a try. Long term readers of One Perfect Bite know that the highest accolade I give a recipe involves my socks rather than stars or other rating equivalents. I had one bite of these muffins, happened to glance down, and, sure enough, my socks were going up and down. These Texas-sized gems are really, really good. They are moist and lightly spiced and I hope that you will give them a try when you get some time to experiment. I found the recipe on La Belle Cuisine and made it exactly as it appeared there. Having tasted them, the only change I would make next time I make them, would be to cut back on the amount of orange zest called for in the recipe. I think a teaspoon would be fine. I used the large holes of a box grater to prepare the carrots, because I like a bit of texture in my muffins and I think the food processor grates them too finely. I do have one caution for those of you who plan to try this recipe. The instructions direct you to fill the muffin cups to the brim. If you do that I guarantee you will have spillover and the muffins will be difficult to remove from the pan. Filling the cups 7/8 full is a much better idea and it will give you one small additional muffin. These are delicious. Here is how they are made.

Carrot Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of La Belle Cuisine

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups grated carrots
1 tablespoon minced orange zest
An 8-ounce can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:
(All ingredients should be at room temperature.)
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously spray 6 giant-sized muffin cups with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
3) In a medium bowl combine oil, egg, buttermilk, vanilla, carrots, orange zest and pineapple. Stir to combine.
4) Add liquid mixture to flour mixture and combine briefly with wire whisk. Stir in chopped nuts. Fill muffin cups to top. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for about 20 minutes longer, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Turn the muffins out onto a wire rack. When completely cool, store in an airtight container. Yield: 6 large or 18 standard muffins.










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Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

              My Thought for the Day can be found, here. If you like it, give us a thumbs up.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Things are proceeding apace here in the land of don't eat, won't eat and make me. I've been at my daughter's for several days now and cooking for elves rather than my gentle giant. So far, so good. It appears that no one will starve while I 'm in charge of the kitchen and hopefully my daughter will be able to reclaim her apron within a week or two. In addition to the stuff that's good for you, we've been making lots of cookies, including tonight's feature, which is a very special oatmeal cookie that we made to celebrate  the Silver Fox's birthday. He was unable to make the trip with me, so it was a long distance celebration The highlight of the evening was our youngest grandson, now just three, taking the phone to inform his grandfather that, "she's sleeping with me tonight." These cookies are easy to make, but you may want to cut back on the ingredients. The recipe, which comes from Taste of Home magazine, makes a lot of cookies. If you enjoy oatmeal cookies, I think you'll really like these. They are chewy and the addition of butterscotch chips gives the a real flavor boost. Here's the recipe.

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home Baking Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
6 tablespoons butter-flavored shortening
1-2/3 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2-1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) In a very large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chips and pecans.
3) Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Yield: about 6-1/2 dozen cookies.












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Frugal Foodie Friday - Chicken in Chipotle Sauce

My Thought for the Day can be found, here. If you like it, give us a thumbs up.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe turned out to be a delightful surprise. At first glance it didn't appear to have a lot going for it, but I chose it for Frugal Friday testing because it cost next to nothing to make and I was tired of featuring bean dishes. Obviously, my expectations were low. As it turns out, the dish is enormously flavorful and downright easy to make. The chipotle cream sets this dish apart from others of its kind. It lightly penetrates the chicken and gives it a modest heat that is really pleasant on the tongue. I made the recipe, which comes from Allrecipes.com, exactly as specified, up to the point the chicken was removed from the sauce. The chipotle cream still looked thin to me, so I tented the chicken in foil to keep it warm while I reduced the cream until it had a slightly thicker consistency. I then returned the chicken to the pan, rolled the drumsticks in the sauce to coat all surfaces and let it sit, off-heat, for 10 minutes before I served it. I realized after the fact, that I could have thickened the chipotle cream with cornstarch had I been in more of a hurry. This is a really nice recipe and it has made it to my personal recipe rotation. I do hope you'll give it a try. It is hard to beat fast, easy, cheap and delicious. Here's how the chicken is made.

Chicken in Chipotle Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
4 chicken leg quarters or 8 drumsticks
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1-1/2 teaspoons butter
Salt to taste

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Roast chicken legs in preheated oven until skin is crispy, and the meat is cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.
3) While chicken is roasting, puree milk, sour cream, chipotle pepper, and chicken bouillon granules in a blender until smooth.
4) Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Pour in chipotle puree, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and season with salt to taste. Add cooked chicken legs, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until chicken has taken on the flavor of sauce. Yield: 4 servings.











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Anise Butter Cutouts

My Thought for the Day can be found, here. If you like it, give us a thumbs up.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely cookie is a riff on the bizcochitos that are served during Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the Southwestern United States. I have several recipes for cookies of this type. Authentic versions are made with lard and the cutters used to shape them are more elaborate than the 2-1/2 inch molds that I use. Fortunately, this cookie is about flavor rather than appearance, and I know those of you who enjoy barely sweet treats will love these anise flavored gems. They are perfect with afternoon coffee or tea and they transport reasonably well. That makes them a great candidate for bake sales or morning meetings. The recipe is straight forward and easy to follow, but be sure to work on a well-floured board in order to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface on which it is rolled. I hope you'll give this recipe a try. It makes a nice cookie. Here is how to make the anise butter cutouts.

Anise Butter Cutouts...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Taste of Home Baking cookbook

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
1 egg
2 tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate
2 teaspoons aniseed, crushed
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) In a large bowl, cream butter and 1-1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange juice concentrate and aniseed.
3) Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
4) On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
5) Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.










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Chicken Soup with Orzo, Lemon and Dill

My Thought for the Day can be found, here. If you like it, give us a thumbs up.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a great pantry soup for spring and summer meals. It is light and easy to prepare, though I did come across a problem the first time I made it. When raw chicken is poached or boiled it creates an unpleasant scum that rises to the surface of the liquid in which it cooks. The problem can be avoided by blanching or pre-cooking the chicken until it loses its pink color. I did not do that and as a result my first effort had more than a bit of scum in it. Second time around, I cooked the chicken along with the vegetables before the stock was added and had a relatively clear soup to show for my efforts. Third time through, I used a rotisserie chicken and had a lovely, scum free soup in no time at all. I've obviously become a proponent of rotisserie chicken for use in this soup. The combination of flavors made experimenting with this recipe worthwhile and I know you will enjoy the final results. There is nothing here not to like and the soup is truly easy to make. The recipe, which I'm featuring as it was originally written, comes from Bon Appetit magazine. My riff, substitutes 12 ounces of rotisserie chicken for the thigh meat, so I also do away with the 15 minutes required to cook the raw chicken and simply warm it through. The finished soup tastes a bit like avgolemono, but it is easier to prepare. Here is how it is made.

Chicken Soup with Orzo, Lemon and Dill...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
1 celery stalk, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup orzo
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Lemon halves (for serving)

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add leek and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 5-8 minutes. Add chicken and broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool, then shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
2) Meanwhile, return broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3) Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken and dill. Serve each bowl with a lemon half to provide additional flavor.








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Asian-Style Asparagus Salad

My Thought for the Day can be found, here. If you like it, please let us know with an official  thumbs up.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...By rights, I should have kept this salad to use as a feature for Frugal Friday, but it looked so pretty and is so easy to assemble, that I couldn't contain my enthusiasm. The first of the local crops to flood our farm stands are leeks and, of course, asparagus. I've been doing some work with both and I have a few really nice recipes to share with those of you who are in the market for new ways to prepare either vegetable. I do, however, want to start with asparagus because it has a shorter season and is the more popular of the two vegetables. We had guests on Friday evening and I made this salad to accompany the gorgeous planked salmon the Silver Fox had on the grill. The salad is a hostess dream because it can be made hours ahead of time and left to marinate and chill until you are ready to use it. The recipe I used comes from the Better Homes and Gardens website. There are no problems with the recipe but I did want to briefly touch on blanching, why it is done and why instructions for the technique vary from one website to another. Food is blanched to soften it, or to partly or fully cook it, or to remove a strong taste, or to set color. Blanched vegetables are cooked for a prescribed period of time in boiling water before being plunged into a cold water bath to quickly stop the cooking. In the case of asparagus, exact times are difficult to pinpoint because the size of the spears varies from one bunch to another. This recipe suggests blanching the asparagus for about a minute in boiling water before transferring it to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. That's fine if all you want to do is set color, but it is not long enough produce the crisp tender spears you want to use in a salad. You are going to have to stand there and test them to make sure you get it right. Mine took about three minutes to reach that perfect crisp tender texture that my family so enjoys. The recipe is Simon simple, so, if you get the blanching right you can't go wrong. This is a lovely spring salad or starter and I really think you'll enjoy its simplicity. Here is how the salad is made.

Asian-Style Asparagus Salad ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bit courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:
1)  In a covered large saucepan, cook asparagus in boiling water for 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer asparagus to a large bowl of ice water. Let stand for 2 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Place asparagus in a large resealable plastic bag.
2)  In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce and sesame oil; pour over asparagus. Seal bag. Chill for 1 to 4 hours. Drain, discarding soy sauce mixture. To serve, sprinkle asparagus with sesame seeds. Yield: 4 servings.







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Dutch Spice Cookies

My Thought for the Day can be found, here. If you like it, please let us know with an official  thumbs up.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Should you have any doubts, I am here to tell you that Murphy is alive and well and has recently been parked outside my kitchen door. I'll be swapping coasts come Wednesday and have been working on recipes to feature while I'm gone. Things were going swimmingly, until I heard a knock on my door and inadvertently let the devil  in. Shortly thereafter, I went to take  a tray of cookies from the oven and heard a wrenching screech as the door was opened.  It wasn't until I tried to close it that I realized the door springs had broken. Suffice it to say,  our repair man did not consider my plight an emergency, so the Silver Fox had to create a prop that would allow me to continue cooking. It is not a perfect solution, but God love him, it works and I was able to get  my work done. These cookies were among the treats that were baked with the propped oven door. The recipe for the cookies came from the Taste of Home Baking cookbook and while the cookies are delicious, the dough used to make them is very soft and difficult to work with, even when it is cold. The surface on which you roll the dough must be well-floured or you will not be able to transfer the cookies to trays for baking. If you like spicy, European-style, cookies you will love these. They are a bother to make, but they are delicious and keep really well. Here's how they are made.

Dutch Spice Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home Baking

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon crushed aniseed
1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons 2% milk
1 cup finely chopped slivered almonds

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Combine flour, spices, baking powder and salt and gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in milk and almonds.
2) Roll dough into a 16 x 10-inch rectangle between two sheets of waxed paper. Cut into 2-inch squares. Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3) Place squares 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 40 cookies.






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