Sweet and Spicy Bran Muffins

Sweet and Spicy Bran Muffins
Change is in the air.  Fall weather is here, changing relationships, new and evolving hobbies. I'm sure other people are experiencing changes in their lives different than mine.  2012 is just around the corner now, and I hope everyone is begining to look forward to the new year approaching.

I love this time of year.  When the leaves are just changing, Halloween, birthdays, Thanksgiving, birthdays, lots of birthdays, Christmas and my ever favorite...New Years!!  The next 3 months are such a whirl wind for me that this is the time that I start to look forward to the next coming year and what it will bring.  The older I get, the more I find myself looking forward to next year and what changes my life will under go different from the last.  I can specifically remember the year that I began to look forward to the next, now its just a part of my mind wondering fall thoughts.

I'm sure you've noticed some minor new things about dgydd (don't get your dress dirty) and there will be more to come as I get more organized.  I wanted to add a little more structure and variety to my blog, I found myself getting bored and uninspired lately, so I decided to take a little break and think about the progress this blog has made over the last 9 months.  Initially I had planned to wait until dgydd's first birthday to start with my new plan, but I'm ready now.  That way the kinks will be out and it will be easy flowing for the new year.  At first I thought I would explain my ideas of new things that will be added, and then go for it...but I think I'm just going to let it flow and keep it more random.  Not a real big deal in the scheme of the world and won't really affect anyones lives or anything, but I'm kind of excited about it.  So stay tuned.  And thank you to everyone that checks in on a routine basis.  I'm glad there are a few people out there that enjoy this hobby of mine.

So, lets talk about these muffins.  Don't let the "spicy" throw you off.  I have made these muffins about 10 times now and only once did they really have a spice to them.  You may get a little twinge of spice for a split second, but its nothing that is going to heat your mouth up and stay for a while.  Ancho chilies are such a mild chili that they really only give the bran muffin a rich taste that complements the chocolate and heartiness of the bran.  I kind of forgot about these muffins, I'm really glad my memory didn't fail to remind me of these tasty snacks.

What you'll need:
3 cups crushed bran flakes
2 1/2 cups flour
1 pack or about 5 ancho chilies (you can find them in the mexican section of most grocery stores)
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 cups honey
5 cups water (3 cups will be to boil ancho chilies in)
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
2 eggs
1-2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon


In a medium pot, add ancho chilies and cover with about 3 cups water.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and steep chilies for 15 minutes flipping them over half way.  Reserve 2-3 chilies and 1 cup of the water.


Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, add bran flakes and set aside until chili tea is done.  Once chilies finished steeping, pour one cup of the chili water and apples sauce over flakes and mix until a thick paste forms and you can no longer make out the flakes.  Set aside.


In a large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, sugar, baking soda and salt.  Add eggs, water, yogurt and honey and mix until no longer lumpy.  Add bran paste and mix until fairly smooth, some lumps are ok.  Take the two or three chilies you saved, split them in half and remove seeds, then either chop them in a food processor or by hand into small bits.  Fold in chocolate chips and chilies into muffin batter.


Spray muffin tins with cooking spray, you can use muffin papers if you choose, I didn't.  Fill each cup 3/4 of the way full and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for a few minutes before removing from pan.  You will probably have to run a butter knife around the edges, but they still come out easy. 

If you want something different than the typical fall pumpkin/apple fall overload, give these a try.  You could probably even add a little all spice to keep them on the same fall flavor flow.  I love them.  Enjoy!

Breakfast Quesadilla

This actually tasted better than I expected.  I was making a loaf of banana bread, which was a failed attempt buts thats another story, and Kam decided right when I started that he wanted to cook breakfast.  So instead of having him in the kitchen, in my way and complaining that I was taking up all the counter space, I just made it for him.  All the spices with the ham and sharp cheddar made a rich and full flavor breakfast.

What you'll need:
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 cup green pepper chopped
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 mushrooms sliced
4 eggs
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 avocado sliced
1/2-1 cup cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
Few dashes green tabasco (or any hot sauce)
1 cup ham lunch meat or cooked sausage
4 or 5 pickled jalapeno rings (optional)
2 tortillas

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in medium fry pan over medium. Add onions and bell pepper.  Saute until onions are translucent and soft.  Slice lunch meat into smaller pieces.  Add meat to pan with mushrooms, cumin, coriander & black pepper.  Cook for a few more minutes or until mushrooms begin to soften and ham has brown bits all over it.  Cover a cookie sheet with foil (optional) and spray with cooking spray (tortilla will stick).  Place one tortilla in the center and evenly spread meat/veggies over tortilla.

Preheat oven to 400.  Melt other teaspoon of butter into pan.  Be sure to leave all the brown bits in the pan, they will flavor the eggs.  Crack eggs into pan.  Break yokes and scramble.  Once eggs are cooked through, spread over meat/veggies on tortilla.  Top with cheese, cilantro, avocado slices, jalapenos and a few dashes of hot sauce.  Top with other tortilla and press down.  Place in oven and bake for about 5 minutes.  Cheese should be melted.  Turn on broiler and brown top.  Slice like a pizza and serve!

I was pleasantly surprised that this didn't just taste like every other quick thrown together scrambled eggs.  Because thats basically what it was.  Enjoy!

PS...check the Cinnamon Coffee Recipe again if you were interested in that.  I'm going to add a new flavor option to the same recipe.

Bring'n out the bacon~

I don't cook with bacon very often, but I always have some high quality thick cut in the freezer for when I get the urge.  It turned into Saturday morning breakfast bowls and Sunday potato salad.  I was so happy that it was a sunny and beautiful May 1st that potato salad and bbq'd steaks were the best way to celebrate.

I got these bowls the other day with the handles on them, they kinda look like giant coffee cups.  When I made the pot pie I noticed on the bottom that they were oven safe, JACK POT!  So I couldn't wait to try my hand at baking something in them.  Saturday morning breakfast bowls it is!

What you'll need: (for 2 bowls)

1 medium russet potato diced
1 green pepper chopped
1/2 or 1 cup onion chopped
3 or 4 slices bacon (precooked)
4 mushrooms sliced
teaspoon salt
teaspoon pepper
eggs
shredded cheese (about a cup or so)
toast

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Cook bacon, set aside.  Drain fat but leave about a tablespoon in the bottom of pan.  Add potatoes, onions, salt and pepper to pan and cook over medium high until potatoes are brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.  Add green pepper and mushrooms.  Cook for another 5 minutes or until peppers are soft.

Add as much potato mixture into the bottom of your bowl and you'd like, just make sure you leave an inch on the top for eggs.  Add a layer of large bacon pieces over potatoes.  Crack desired number of eggs over bacon.  Place in oven for 15-20 minutes or until whites just about set.  Sprinkle cheese and put back in oven until cheese is melted, eggs should be set by then.  Serve with toast.

If you don't have oven safe bowls, add your bacon to the potatoes and create holes into the potatoes where you can crack the eggs.  Cook the same way as above, if your frying pans are oven safe.  If not, crack eggs like I mentioned before and reduce heat to low and cover.  Eggs should still set.

Kam got a double yoke, score!  It was actually the first time I've cracked a two yoke egg.

My breakfast was a little smaller.

Garnished with toast and bacon!  What could be better than that?

Simple breakfast.  I am going to love my new oven safe bowls, or should I say Kam is going to love my new bowls. Enjoy!

Breakfast Sandwich

So I was making these potato pancakes the other day, and was inspired.  What if I made a potato pancake/egg fu young hybrid.  What if it had breakfast meats, hash browns, onions and peppers swimming in egg and fried.  So I did it.  And I believe Kam referred to them as amazing....then ate another one.  I wasn't going to post these sandwiches, so photos are limited.  But they tasted so good, I just had to share!

What you'll need:

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 bell pepper diced (any color, I used red)
Your favorite breakfast meat cooked.  (I had some left over skirt steak to a dinner a few nights ago, so I just chopped that up.  If I made these again, I would use sausage.)
2 cups frozen hash browns
8 eggs
Salt
Pepper
1 cup chopped cilantro
Frying oil
Sliced bread (how many sandwiches are you making?  I ended up with about 7 patties)
Ketchup
Mayo
Tapatio (if you like)

In a large bowl combine first 8 ingredients.  Mix until well combined.  Grab your largest frying pan and heat about a tablespoon of oil over medium high heat.  Pour about 3/4 cup amounts into an and spread out until about 5 or 6 inches across.  If egg tries to run, just keep pushing it back toward patty until it begins to set. Allow to cook on each side until nice and brown.  About 3 minutes on each side, give or take.  When you flip, be gentle, they are a little weak until the second side gets cooked.  You may have to add a little more oil to the pan as you go.

I placed mine on a cookie sheet in the oven on low while I cooked to keep warm.  Toast your bread, then spread on mayo, ketchup, and Tapatio.  Slap a breakfast patty on, and eat!

Like I said, Kam had 2.  They are really simple, but really tasty.  Quick, simple, and tasty...can cooking get any better than that?  Enjoy!