Pomegranate Muffins

Adapted from: Pomwonderful.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup arils from 1 large Pomegranate 2 cups flour 3/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tsp ground ginger 1/2 c chopped walnut (same size of the arils) 1 cup milk 1 egg 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

1. Score 1 fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) 2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Generously grease 12 muffin cups. 3. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in ginger,walnut and pomegranate arils. Make a well in the center. 4. In a measuring cup, whisk together milk, egg and cooled butter. Pour liquid into well. Stir just until batter is moistened and ingredients are evenly mixed. 5. Spoon batter into 12 prepared muffin cups. 6. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let muffins cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.

Rigatoni with Spiced Meat Sauce

Adapted from Martha Everyday Food

kosher salt and ground pepper
12 oz rigatoni
1ob ground lamb or beef chuck ( I used lamb and it was VERY rich)
1 med onion, finely chopped
1 med green bell pepper chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2c tomato paste
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1/8tsp cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Cook pasta until al dente and set aside. While pasta is cooking, cook lamb in a large saucepan over medium meat breaking up the large pieces until no longer pink. Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent.
Stir in tomato paste, cinnamon and cayenne and cook until fragrant. Add 1 1/2c water, bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Stir in vinegar and season again with salt and pepper. Add sauce to pot with pasta, toss to combine and serve. Shown here served with sauted Zucchini.


I wasn't sure how I would like this at first but I am trying to broaden my palate. I am so glad I did, this was terrific and nice from the ordinary Italian rigatoni.

Saturday Night Dinner

On the menu:

Two Timed Chicken with Silva's BBQ Sauce
Marinated Tri-Tip
Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic and Horseradish Aioli
Spinach Salad with Blue Stilton Cheese, Pomegranates, Candied Pecans and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan Cheese and Olive Oil and Fresh Cracked Pepper

Recipe for Chicken
Dry Rub ingredients:
Garlic Powder, Kosher Salt, Cracked Pepper and chili powder. Combine with 2 tbsp of Olive Oil. Cover chicken completely and roast at 325 for 45 minutes covered lightly with foil. Remove foil and place chicken (while still on roasting rack) on bbq and baste with bbq sauce while it finishes cooking. Baste frequently for best results. I put a piece of foil between the chicken and the rack so it wouldn't burn. Turned out great.

Lets Get Saucy!

This past week I have been craving BBQ chicken...not necessarily the chicken but the sauce and since I am unwilling to buy premade sauces from the store my family and I decided to make our own this past Saturday. It came out very good for the first try.


Silva's BBQ Sauce - Round 1

1/2 c apple cider vinegar
3/4 c oil
1/3 c organic cane sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
2 or 3 tbsp Honey
2 tsp Guldens mustard (coarse grain would have been better but we are all out)
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
3/4 c dried apricots
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tsp cumin
1/3 c Ketchup

a shake or two of the following spices, I didn't measure these and my kids added them in.
Cinnamon
Ginger
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked paprika

Transfer all ingredients to a blender and add ketchup. Blend until smooth and adjust ingredients to your liking. I did add more honey and more ketchup. To make it spicy you can add some red chili flakes or any hot peppers you like. Let me know how you jazz it up...

Vegan Breakfast Muffins - Our New Staple

My kids wake up VERY hungry and I am always looking for something to hold them through my first cup of coffee. It is sometimes a sprouted wheat bagel with cream cheese but even that is TOO much work so early in the morning. So I found this wonderful recipe for muffins. Dominic looks forward to his muffin in the morning and he lets me know with his "mmm, mmm, mmm," monkey grunts.

Recipe:
Preheat oven 350

1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c organic cane sugar
1 1/2 tsp Saigon cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 c shredded carrots
1/2 c apple sauce or grated apple
2 tbsp flax seed meal
4 tbsp warm water
1/4 soy milk
1/4 c Olinda Ridge Olive Oil (or whatever you have but you can really taste the difference)
2 tbsp Agave Nectar or Honey
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Combine the flax seed meal with warm water stir and set aside. In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients. In another bowl mix all wet ingredients including the flax seed mixture. Add the wet to the dry ingredients just until combined. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 way and bake for approx 20 -25 min. Store in a tupperware in the fridge, they are best when warmed for a few seconds.