Wholesome Double Chocolate Muffins

Good afternoon!

Here is a recipe of the *most delicious* chocolate muffins you will ever eat... And they so happen to be good for you too! But beware, they are addictive! ;)

My sister, Sara, found this awesome recipe on http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/04/17/skinny-double-chocolate-chip-muffins/ and modified it a little bit. These beauties- I mean muffins, are so good that she had to make them twice this week! Thank you sister for letting me share the recipe! :D

Sara says: These muffins are wonderful... They are moist, filling, and satisfying to the sweet tooth! They make great diversity for busy mornings, plus, they're suitable for anytime snacking as well! :)

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (We didn't have any, so I made my own using this recipe:http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/sauces-dips-spreads-recipes/apple-sauce/92142)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 3/4 cup plain yogurt)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 white)
A dash of salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips, plus a handful for sprinkling on top.

Directions:
Preheat the over to 425F, and grease your muffin tins with oil or use 12 reusable muffin cups.

Mix together the applesauce, sugar, honey, egg, yoghurt, and vanilla until smooth.

Sift together the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.

Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and whisk until combined (but don't overmix!), then fold in the chocolate chips. Put enough mix in the molds to fill about 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle a couple chocolate chips on top, and bake for 5 minutes at 425F.

After 5 minutes, without opening the oven, lower the temprature to 375F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Insert a toothpick, and when it comes out clean, you know they're ready!
 

They also make wonderful hospitality gifts; just wrap them in a pretty tin, and voilà! I hope that you and your family will enjoy these scrumptious muffins, please let me know how they turned out! :)

In all sisterly love,

Recipe: Kheema - Indian Ground Beef with Peas

"Visit is coming tomorrow morning!" Mom rushes to pick up clutter, wipe the counters, sweep the kitchen floor, freshen up the bathrooms, ... 6 o' clock arrives and 4 hungry, tired people are scrambling to get things done, so I pick up the cast iron skillet and cook up a *really* easy and oh-so-delectable supper! ;) And no, I'm not bragging! The family told me to say that. :D 

If you like the curried taste of butter chicken, you will LOVE this beef dish. Unfortunately, we didn't have ground beef, so instead I used ground turkey (even chicken would work), and it made the dish soft and tender!

Serves 4-6 people (recipe altered from FoodNetwork.com)

Ingredients...

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala, cumin, and ginger

3 teaspoons cayenne (optional)

2 pounds ground beef or turkey

2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 cup frozen peas

4 teaspoons malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few extra leaves for garnish (or 1-2 tablespoons cilantro paste)

4 chapatis or pitas (or rice)

Directions...

In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for another minute. Stir in the coriander, paprika, garam masala, cumin and cayenne, if using and cook for 1 minute.

Add the beef, breaking up lumps with a spoon, and saute until the meat is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, 1-2 cups of water and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in the peas. Stir well and simmer, partially covered, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the vinegar and chopped cilantro. Garnish with torn cilantro leaves and serve with warm chapatis, pita bread, or rice.

Now don't be afraid of the amount of spices in this! If you set yourself next to your spice rack with a bowl and teaspoon, it will go very quickly! Just don't inhale the cayenne pepper... ;) Next time I will include a picture of my finale dish, but the peas in this one turned out a pale, brownish green because I was desperately waiting for the brown rice to cook and thus made the meat mixture cook a little too long. But the taste was SO good! I cannot wait for leftovers. :)

Bon appétit!

In all sisterly love,