Concord Grape Muffins

My family has a problem – we cannot pass up a deal.  We recently went to a local  “Grape Festival” – which was super lame and there were no grapes for sale!?!  So on our way home we were determined to find some local Concord grapes, which are in season now – and are only found for a short window of time.  So when we asked the man at this roadside farm stand we passed how much it cost for the large bushel of grapes – and he said “$10” – we were SOLD!     This above photo may not look too imitating – but we split this bushel between four people and I still ended up with 28 cups of Concord grapes, when all was said and done!  It didn’t help that I ended up with the basket and everything that was left for the sole reason of “Well, Christine – you like to cook – so you’ll figure out what to do with them”. 

If you’ve never had a Concord grape – you are really missing out.  They are a true grape flavor and are unbelievably delicious.  The problem is that there are little itty bitty seeds inside – so you have to either remove the skins and cook the pulp and strain out the seeds OR slice them in half and pick out the seeds.   Either way, they do require a bit of prep before you can use them.  Luckily I have experience, since I’ve been making grape pies for several years.  So in addition of two batches of grape pie filling (that I have in my freezer for Thanksgiving), I made several other goodies – since I was determined not to let a single grape go to waste.  And these muffins were the biggest surprise for me – they were super simple to make – and so delicious.  I cannot wait to make them again.     

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
• 1 cup whole milk
• 8 ounces halved and seeded concord grapes
• 2 tsp. coarse sugar, for sprinkling tops

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º F. Line 12 standard size muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

3. Add butter and using a pastry blender, or your fingers, blend until it forms a sandy-looking mixture.

4. Pour in the milk and stir, using a wooden spoon, until just mixed and there are no visible traces of flour.

5. Gently fold in the grapes. Spoon into the prepared muffin tins and sprinkle tops with an even amounts of coarse sugar.

6. Bake 20 minutes, until tops are golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean (it's okay if there's grape jam on it). Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Source: In Jennie’s Kitchen

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Bruchetta Chicken Pasta

Each week I carefully plan out our menu – which consists of items that I’ve already posted in my blog, some things that I haven’t posted yet, and items that appeal to me in blog posts throughout the week before.  As soon as I saw the title of this recipe I knew I would like it. What an ingenious idea – bruchetta & chicken & pasta – can you say healthy and delicious!  I also chose to add in some roasted eggplant – since it is one of my new favorite foods :)  Enjoy this – we really did!

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• 1 box whole wheat spaghetti
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus 1 Tbsp. for topping
• parmesan cheese, cracked pepper & kosher salt
• 1/2 eggplant, sliced

Directions

1. Marinate chicken in 1/2 cup (more or less as needed) balsamic vinegar at least 30 minutes.  Season sliced eggplant liberally with kosher salt in a colander and let sit for 30 minutes as well (once drained, rinse and squeeze out moisture between layers of paper towels). 

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until cooked all the way through, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to plate.

4. Preheat broiler on high.  Roast eggplant under broiler for 5-8 minutes on each side, flipping once. 

5. In same skillet that chicken was cooked, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté garlic until golden – about 1 minute.

6. Add tomatoes, 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and herbs. Heat until sauce is slightly reduced and tomatoes softened, about 2 minutes.

7. Add pasta and chicken to tomato mixture and heat until warmed, about 2-3 minutes, tossing/stirring to fully incorporate. Serve topped with fresh basil, parmesan and eggplant slices.

Source: Erin’s Food Files

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Crispy Parmesan Chicken Fingers

Who doesn’t love a crispy, crunchy chicken finger.  Coated in bread crumbs and shredded parmesan cheese – with easy, homemade tomato sauce – these are so easy and delicious.   I will not lie – I had some difficulty with pan frying these, with the coating coming off in the pan.  So make sure you don’t overcrowd and that your oil is good and hot when you are ready to cook them.  But, believe me, they are worth it in the end.   And don’t skip out on the tomato sauce – it was the perfect compliment!  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup, plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup panko
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1.5 lbs. chicken tenderloins

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds). Stir in tomatoes and simmer until thickened, about 7 – 10 minutes.  Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and keep warm.

2. Spread flour in a shallow dish.  Beat eggs in a second shallow dish.  Combine cheese and panko in a third dish. 

3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  One at a time, dredge in flour, dip in eggs and coat with panko mixture.

4. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Cook half of chicken until golden brown on each side and center reaches 170 degrees F.  Place on paper towel lined plate.  Repeat with remaining oil and chicken.  

5. Serve chicken with marinara sauce.

Source: Americas Test Kitchen 30-minute Suppers, Summer 2010

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Chocolate chip Scones

I know they look like chocolate chip cookies – not scones.  But trust me – they have the scone texture with the chocolately deliciousness of cookies.   And they were super-duper simple to make – you could not get any easier than this recipe.  You basically mix everything together and drop on a baking sheet (you can also form into a rectangle and cut into triangles to get your typical scone shape).  Either way – they were the perfect pick me up in the morning before a long day at the office – or whip them up to treat your coworkers to something extra special! :)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• Additional coarse sugar for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. 

2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; stir to combine.  Toss in the chocolate chips and stir to blend. 

3. Add the heavy cream to the flour mixture, stirring just until a dough forms and the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Knead the dough very briefly with well floured hands to ensure even mixing.

4. Using a large dough scoop, drop rounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  Brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with additional sugar.

5. Bake 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned.

Source: Annie’s Eats

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Carrot Cupcakes

These are definitely not carrot muffins – not with the mound of cream cheese frosting on top.   :)   But they are absolutely a delicious cupcake – the carrot cake is so flavorful – I was worried it would be bland with out the addition of many other flavorings that are typically in carrot cake – such as walnuts or pineapple.  But the carrot flavor really is the star of this cupcake.  They are also super moist and a great addition to any celebration you may have this autumn.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

for the cupcakes:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. (6-7 medium) carrots, peeled
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil

for the frosting:

• 12 oz. cream cheese
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 3 3/4 - 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt; whisk together and set aside.

3. In a food processor fitted with a shredding disk, shred the carrots (you should have about 3 cups).  Add the carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients and set aside. 

4. Wipe out the bowl of the food processor and fit with the metal blade.  Process the sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds. 

5. With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream through the feed tube.  Continue to process until the mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 more seconds. 

6. Pour into the flour/carrot mixture.  Stir to combine until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.

7. Scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. 

8. Bake for about 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

9. To make the frosting - in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla extract.  Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Source: Annie’s Eats

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