My Blueberry Muffin Variations (Raspberry and Banana)

I have been a much happier person in the last few weeks thanks to Smitten Kitchen's blueberry muffin recipe. It is so good I have tried some variations that I want to write down so that I don't forget.  

INGREDIENTS for Raspberry Variation:

-70 grams of butter.
-1/2 cup of sugar (100 grams)
-The grated zest of a lemon.
-3/4 cup of yoghurt or kefir.
-1 egg
-1+1/2 tsp of baking powder.
-1/4 tsp of baking soda.
-1/4 tsp of salt.

-1+1/2 cup of flour.
-1+1/2 cup of frozen raspberries  (25o0 grams)

INGREDIENTS for Banana Variation:

-70 grams of butter.
-70 grams of white sugar (a lot less sugar!)
-3/4 cup of yoghurt or kefir.
-1 egg.
-1+1/2 tsp of baking powder.
-1/4 tsp of baking soda.
-1/4 tsp of salt.

-1+1/2 cup of flour.
-4 bananas as old as you can  (25o0 grams)

    

Southern Oven Fried Chicken

 

One of my cooking goals this year was to make oven fried chicken. I mean a woman is not a full woman if she does not know how to cook this dish in my view. 

Soooooo, I have achieved full womanhood status this week! and this recipe was soooo good from the first bite we took. I think it is going to be a classic in our lives. It does take some work, but I think once you master it you can really make it much faster.

INGREDIENTS:

-1 whole chicken cut up in pieces.

For the marinate:
-1 cup of buttermilk.
-1 tablespoon of cajun spices.

-some salt and pepper.

-3 garlic cloves crushed.

For the crispy coating:

-2 cup of japanese/tempura crumbs.

-1 cup of cornstarch.

-2 tsp baking powder. 

-1 tsp of salt.

-1 tablespoon of paprika.

-1 tablespoon of garlic powder.

-1 tablespoon of onion powder.

-1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

-1 teaspoon of dried herbs.

-1 teaspoon of white pepper.

STEPS:

1. Dry your chicken with paper towells and now add the cajun spices, salt and pepper and garlic cloves. Coat it well with your hands. 

2. Now put all the chicken in ziploc and add the buttermilk and let it all coat in the fridge overnight or for a few hours. 

3. Now prepare the mix. Add everything in a bowl and mix together well. 

4. Coat the chicken well and place in oven at 200 degrees for 1 hour.

Delicious! so so good. This recipe  is a keeper. Pictures of final product  coming up soon. 

Cheesy Potatoes with Bacon and Broccoli

 This recipe was some serious work. Salads and casseroles kinda fool people...you think you throw everything together and that's it, but involves soooooooooo much chopping and cooking beforehand that before you know it you have been in the kitchen for 1,5 hours. Anyway! it tasted pretty pretty good so I thought I would keep the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

-800 grams of potatoes.

-500 grams of broccoli.

-200 grams of bacon.

-400 grams of chicken.

-some green onions.

For the white sauce:

-200 grams of shredded cheese.

-2 tablespoons of butter.

-50 grams of flour approx.

-2 cups of milk.

-1 teaspoon of onion powder.

-1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

-salt and pepper.

STEPS:

1. Cut up the potatoes in dices and boil them. Together in the same pot, for the sake of time, throw in the chicken and steam the broccoli in the microwave so that it is softer.

2. Dice up the chicken, brocolli, green onions and once the potatoes are soft, assemble in the same tray.

3. Cut up the green onions and sprinkle.

4. Now make the white cheesy sauce: start melting the butter in a pot, and after it is melted add the flour, it will create a paste. Now add the milk and stir stir and stir. Add the onion powder, garlic powder and the salt and peper.

5. Now let it come to a boil it will thicken. Now add the cheese.

6. Pour over the potatoes and mix well. 

7. Stick in oven for 30 minutes.

So good. That's all I am going to say. In a way this is a version of hashed browns.

Classic Russian Potato Salad

 This is a good salad for summer that will make your basal temperature drop like crazy. I had to put on a sweater after it, I was so cold! I found this recipe in this website, hoping the lady is Russian! It was pretty good and I think pretty Russian too.

The key magic ingredient of this salad that takes it to another level is fresh dill or eneldo. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is the ingredient that will make this dish like something else and not like the billions of russian potato salad that taste like nothing, or a bunch of white cardboard at best. Finally this salad take about 2 hours to make, because you need to chop, let veggies cool and let it sit in fridge.

INGREDIENTS:
-4 chicken thighs.
-1 and 1/2 cup of peas.

-3 carrots.

-100 grams of  turnip (nabo in Spanish).

-3 big potatoes.

-4-5 big sweet pickles.

-1 cup of mayonnaise approx.

-Fresh dill, lots.

-salt and pepper.

-1/2 beetroot for decoration.

STEPS:

1. In a big pot of water boil the chicken, the potatoes, and the carrots and the turnip until it is all soft for 30 minutes. Get the meat out before once it is cooked. Let is all cool off for 1 hour.

2. Now chop everything into small pieces with a knife: the chicken, potatoes, carrots, turnip, and pickles etc. The reason why you chop it now and not before it's because if you do it before boiling the veggies and everything lose its shape. 

3. Now add everything together in a bowl and add the peas. 

4. Now beging to add the mayonnaise spoon by spoon, and add a lot of dill that you have chopped up. This ingredient is a MUST: fresh dill. Add also salt and pepper and mix well.

5. Now place in some type of oven tray or plate and place a layer of mayonnaise on top and decorate with beetroot. Beetroot is another protagonist of Russian cooking.

6. Stick in fridge for at least 30 minutes and it will solidify and flavors come together.

I tell you this salad will make you cold! Perfect for summer.

How to make Streusel (topping for desserts)

Germany is basically covered in Streusel. 

All bakeries have that in common....drooling mouth watering desserts covered in crunchy buttery Streusel like in the photo of Berlin.

 Well it turns out it is not such a big deal at all. I made it the other day for a coffee cake (and the cake ended up in its entirity in the trash), but the saving grace of the cake was that I learned to make Streusel and I made so much that I froze it and now I am putting it on all muffins. It is awesome.

 In Germany they make it with only butter, flour and sugar, but I like this american twist and brings cakes and muffins to another level, like Pro-level.

INGREDIENTS:
-1 cup of brown sugar (170 grams).

-1+3/4 cups of flour.

-3/4 cup of cold butter (170 grams).

-1+1/2 cups of pecans or walnuts (optional).

-1+1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

-1/2 tsp of salt.

STEPS:

1. Cut the cold butter into little cubes and add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients (except for the nuts). 

2. With your hands mix it all together until it all becomes this brown mix. The butter will be a little dissolved but still will have chunks. 

3. Now add the nuts that you have chopped up before to make them smaller.

That's it! Now freeze it! and you will always have it ready to top up desserts. It is great. I use brown cane sugar cause it is not too sweet, or coconut or any brown sugar that is not crazy sweet like white.

 

Blueberry Muffins

 This recipe is so good I cannot describe it. It is not heavy, not hard, tastes amazing and yields 12 perfect muffins. Well done to Deb from Smitten Kitchen. I made this last night at 11:30pm after a crappy day and it kinda fixed the whole thing. Give it a try this summer, seriously.

INGREDIENTS:
-70 grams of butter.
-1/2 cup of sugar (100 grams)
-The grated zest of a lemon.
-3/4 cup of yoghurt
-1 egg
-1+1/2 tsp of baking powder.
-1/4 tsp of baking soda.
-1/4 tsp of salt.

-1+1/2 cup of flour.
-1+1/2 cup of frozen bluberries  (25o grams)

STEPS:

1. Super easy recipe. Melt the butter in a bowl in a microwave. 

2. Now add to that the lemon zest and the sugar and whisk.

3. Now add the yoghurt and the egg and whisk.

4. Now add the salt, baking soda and baking powder and whisk well.

5. Now add the flour and whisk, it will be pretty thick batter but it's fine, make sure there are no pockets of flour.

6. Now add all the blueberries, give it 2 or 3 stirs and THAT'S IT, otherwise the blueberries will bleed to death and the whole batter will be blue.

7. Place in the paper cups and fill them with some brown crystal sugar on top or some streusel (I had some frozen). This makes the muffins look super professional. But if you don't have it, or don't want to make it just sprinkle some white crystal sugar and it will make the top hard and crunchy.

8. Stick in oven for approx. 30 mins. First bake them for 10 minutes in 210 degrees so that they rise, and then lower heat to 175 and let them cook for 20 minutes.

9. Stick knife and if it comes clean they are done. Let them cool off.

You guys this recipe is so awesome. Cannot get over it. I've had 4 in 12 hours. 

 

Turkey Cordon Bleu

This dish is very easy but pretty impressive. I have been meaning to make it since last summer but never had a chance. It is perfect for summer and for picnics. It took a little more work than what I thought but I think if you make 2 rolls then it is worth it, but one I would say is not.

INGREDIENTS:
-2 x 400 grams of turkey breast spread out.

-6 slices of thin ham.

-8 slices of sandwich cheese.

-1 cup of fresh basil leaves.

-oil, salt and pepper.

Basil sauce:

-8 tablespoons of mayonnaise.

-8 leaves of basil.

-2 tablespoon of vinegar.

-1 teaspoon of white sugar.

-pinch of salt and pepper.

STEPS:

1. Spread out the turkey breast as much as you can in one piece, have it cut in one piece with a knife.

2. Now place the basil leaves spread around and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Now place the ham and then the cheese.

4. Roll it up tight and then tie it down in 4 parts.

5. Place in tray and brush with oil, dry parsley, pepper and salt.

6. Stick in oven to 200 degrees top and bottom and then after 30 mins turn off the top oven and leave the bottom one only for another 30 mins, total 1 hour.

7. Let it cool before cutting up. The slices have to be 1 cm approx.

It's a good recipe you guys. I mean the oven part is annoying but good result.