Low-Fat Oat Bran Muffins

I'm always baking muffins. I'm making them for me and Dave or to give to new neighbours. There's always a reason to bake them. So, over the years, I've tried many recipes and some I still bake. Here is a new muffin recipe that hits the nail on the head with its lightness, sweetness and just the right moistness. I hope you enjoy them, too! 

Low-Fat Oat Bran Muffins

Makes 10-12 medium muffins

In a large bowl, add: 

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups oat bran (you can also use natural bran)
1/2 cup white sugar (or brown sugar if you prefer the taste)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Sift together and set aside. 

In a medium bowl mix:

1 beaten egg
1 cup sour milk (add 1 Tbsp vinegar to cup before measuring milk)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid mixture into it. Blend until just mixed. Not too much. 

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins to almost full and bake for 15-17 minutes. Check for doneness by gently pressing on the top. If it bounces back up, the muffins are done. Cool on a cooling rack. 

Enjoy! 

Jeanne’s BBQ Spice Rub

We all find our favourite spice mixes and stick to them. I was hard at working trying to find the ideal recipe to make my own mix so we wouldn't be having to depend on store-bought mixes. Homemade is always better, anyway. This recipe is a compilation of 3 different recipes and some changes to make it to our own liking. We use this spice rub mix often to coat chicken for the BBQ or oven.  It's also great on mini potatoes, potato wedges and any roasting vegetables. Just toss veggies (I just use a plastic bag) with a tablespoon of olive oil then with 1 tablespoon of spice rub and roast in the oven (400F) for 35-45 minutes. Enjoy! 

Jeanne's BBQ Spice Rub

1/2 Cup brown sugar (8 Tablespoons)
1/2 Cup paprika (8 Tablespoons)
1/2 Tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 Tablespoon salt
1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon onion powder
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 Teaspoon celery salt

Mix well and place in sealed jar for use on EVERYTHING!

Makes about 1 and 1/2 cups spice rub. 

Slow Cooker Meat Ragu

Dave and I just love a good pasta meal, whether in a restaurant or at home. I've been making my own sauce for many years, changing it here and there. I was watching Valerie Bertinelli on TV making her Lasagna alla Besciamella and I proceeded to made it from start to finish. We loved it, but we loved the sauce the most. Over the several times that I've made the sauce since, I've added and subtracted ingredients to make it just the way we like it. It is so much better than store bought sauce.

Slow Cooker Meat Ragu

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped small

3 large garlic cloves, chopped fine

1 pound Italian sweet basil bulk sausage (or links, casings removed)

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 heaping teaspoon dried basil

1 heaping teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3-4 dried bay leaves 

3-26oz cans of crushed tomatoes

1 cup white wine (Yes. White. Not red. I like to use Sauvignon Blanc)

Directions: 

In a large frying pan, add olive oil and onions. Cook on medium until onions are translucent. Add chopped garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Do not burn the garlic. Remove from frying pan and place into a large (5 qt or more) slow cooker with heat set on low. 

In the same skillet, brown Italian sausage and ground beef on medium heat until no longer pink. Add oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes until the spices start to release their aroma. Place mixture into the slow cooker. 

Into the slow cooker, add the crushed tomatoes, Bay leaves and white wine. 

Cook on low for 7-8 hrs or on high for 5 hrs. 

Serve over your favourite pasta. Enjoy! 

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Everyone loves chocolate, right? Well, okay, maybe not everyone but you could always substitute the chocolate chips any other flavour of chips or for fresh or frozen berries or even raisins. They all go well in this basic muffin recipe. I used carob chips to make these. They are yummy and won't last long... Enjoy! 

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes approximately 10 medium muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
3 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare muffin tin with non-stick spray or muffin cups. 

In a large bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Make a well in the middle of this and set aside. 

In a smaller bowl, mix together the milk, oil and egg. Pour this into the well of the flour mixture and blend, only until mixed. Do not over-mix. The batter will be lumpy. 

Bake muffins for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven, until the muffin tops spring back when you press lightly on top. 

Remove from muffin pan and let cool completely. Enjoy! 

Heavenly Potato Salad

Everyone loves summer and salad season, right? I thought so. This potato salad came through trial and error and now I think I've got it down pat. From the two-thumbs up I got from my husband Dave, I think I've finished practicing and I'll finally share it with you. I use chopped eggs in my potato salad but you don't have to use them. You may also want to increase the mayo to 1 and 1/4 cups. Enjoy!

Heavenly Potato Salad

2 1/2 pounds potatoes (I use about 30 mini red-skinned potatoes)
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 green onion (green and white parts), sliced small
4 cold hard-boiled eggs (I only use two of the yolks), chopped small
1 cup mayonnaise (I use low-fat. Oh, and mayo only. I prefer the flavour)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard (Dijon is good too)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh or dried parsley to garnish

Cook the potatoes, without peeling, until done and let cool for an hour or so, or overnight in the fridge. Chop mini potatoes into quarters or smaller pieces if you prefer, same with the larger potatoes. It's all in how you like to chop it.

Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise, white vinegar and prepared mustard in a small bowl until smooth. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large bowl, place the chopped potatoes, celery, green onions eggs.

Pour the mayo mixture over top and toss lightly to completely cover the salad ingredients.

Garnish with fresh cracked pepper and parsley. Let cool in the fridge for several hours. I find it's best to make it in the morning if you're serving it for supper. Overnight is good, too! The flavours blend even more as it sits.

Enjoy!!

Slow Cooker Pork Steaks & Veggies

I'm always using the slow cooker, no matter what the season. We seem to be on the go a lot and this is perfect for those days. I also find it perfect for slowly cooking cheaper cuts of meat to perfection. There's nothing like coming home to a supper all ready to eat and the place smelling like you've been cooking all day. Mmmmmm We love pork, whether it be chops, steaks or a roast. This is a perfect recipe for those small pork steaks that are always on sale. Throw everything in the slow cooker and off you go for the day. The measurements I use here depend on how much you want to make at once. Our slow cooker is a 6 Qt so I make a bit more for leftovers. Enjoy! 

Slow Cooker Pork Steak and Veggies

10 baby potatoes, halved

   or 3 medium potatoes, cut in chunks

4-5 medium carrots, cut into 1" pieces

Layer veggies on the bottom of a greased slow cooker and season with pepper, if desired. I desired. Note: I find that, if you precook the veggies (a bit at a time) for about 2 minutes in the microwave before adding them to the slow cooker, they don't take as long to cook. Carrots and potatoes take forever in the slow cooker. 

Cover veggies with 6-8 so small pork steaks. 

In a medium bowl, mix together well: 

1 28g packet of Ranch Salad Dressing mix

2 Tbsp corn starch

1 cup cold water

Blend in: 

1 10z can of Cream of Celery soup

   (I use low sodium whenever possible)

Pour this over the pork and veggies. Season again with pepper, if desired. I don't season with salt as there is plenty of it in this recipe. 

Sprinkle the top of it with 1 tablespoon of dried onion flakes. 

Cook on High for 6 hours or on Low for 8-10hrs. In my eyes, this cannot be overcooked so set it and forget it. 

Enjoy!