Recipes

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Fall: Zucchini Muffins + Chili

Crisp Fall Sunday with not much to do = all I want to do is cook and bake!! I know I’m not the only one who gets this feeling as soon as the temps start to dip

To start, I had a zucchini from our garden chilling on the counter for about a week and new I needed to use it!

I took inspiration from a few different recipes and just decided to wing it. I also didn’t have any eggs so I made my first flax egg!

Zucchini Muffins with Streusel Topping

Pre-heat oven to 375

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl:

  • 1 1/3 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 2/3 cup quick oats
  • 1/2 All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • few shakes ground ginger
  • 1/4 cup organic sugar

In a separate bowl combine:

  • 1 medium zucchini – grated
  • 1 flax egg (1T ground flax + 2.5 T water…let sit for 5 min)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 T Maple Syrup
  • 3 T canola oil

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until combined, then add chopped walnuts if you want :)

Topping:

  • 1.5 T butter
  • 1.5 T brown sugar
  • 3 T flour
  • shakes of cinnamon

Combine streusel ingredients with a pastry cutter til crumbly.

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Grease muffin tin with canola oil spray, add batter, top with streusel and bake for 18 min!

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Smells deeeeelicous!

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These came out great! Brian loved them too…I think next time I’d even add more cinnamon and spices.

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Later in the day I made one of my other favorite dishes…perfect for Fall, Football, and leftovers for lunch :)

Chili!

Chili is one of those things that you can just toss in whatever you want, spice it up however you want and it will always be good. I remember a while back seeing this recipe and I was really curious about the addition of red wine and wanted to try it in my batch of chili so I used her recipe as inspiration!

Bean and Beef Chili (based on this recipe from Eat Live Run)

To a large pot or Dutch oven add:

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  • 1-2T olive oil, then add:
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 bell peppers, any color (I used a red and orange)
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 6 cloves of garlic, chopped…or more if you like!

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Sauté for 5 or so minutes until onions are softened up a bit, then add:

  • 1 package lean ground beef…I used TJ’s 96% lean beef :)
  • Brown it up!

Time to spice it up!

  • 2T – 3T chili powder, I used 2T of regular chili powder and a couple tsp’s of chipotle chili powder
  • 1.5T cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 T brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)

Then add:

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  • approx. 1/2 can tomato paste (the little cans, you know what I’m talking about)
  • stir it up, and then add about 1 cup red wine.
  • 2 – 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 2 cans kidney beans, rinsed
  • any other beans you’d like :)
  • 2 bay leaves

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I let mine simmer for about 1.5 hours, then another 1/2 hour uncovered.

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This has to be one of my favorite chili’s to date!! I really enjoy the addition of the red wine, and love how it made the chili take on a darker color. Now if only I could figure out how to make it more tangier?? You know? Anyone have any ideas?

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We devoured our chili with some Jiffy corn muffins (you guys know I love those things), and topped the chili with sharp cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream….mmm. It’s made some wonderful lunches the past couple days! IMG_4829

7 comments:

  1. I have always been intimidated to make zucchini muffins, but these look wonder. I love that fall is coming, although San Francisco is having a bit of an Indian summer right now!

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  2. The muffins look so good, love the topping. I;m so in love with fall foods.

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  3. The muffins look AMAZING- especially the topping ;) I am a huge chili fan ...year round, but especially in the fall/winter. I love that you can use whatever you have on hand. Hope you're having a nice week

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  4. I was totally all about cooking and baking on Sunday. We had guys over for the game and I felt like such a house wife... actually had to stop myself at some point so that I wouldn't seem crazy ;)
    Both the muffins and the chili sound incredible and perfect for an early fall day :)
    PS- I'm hosting a giveaway. Check it out if you haven't already :D

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  5. Ahh... chili. Quintessential fall meal. And it gets better every day!

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  6. Everything looks fabulous!! I've been hearing about flax eggs everywhere recently and have been wondering about it! Now I'm craving chili :)

    Sues

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  7. I'm a fellow Bostonian and just stumbled upon your blog- loving it!

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