Each year around this time, I take a little time to go through my blog statistics and see which recipes have been most popular over the last year. From year one to year two, many of the favorites remained the same. Finally, this year, we have a few new contenders but it looks like nothing is going to unseat the muffin in the top spot!
No. 5 - Homemade Cheese and Spinach Ravioli
This recipe is a personal favorite because making homemade ravioli is a fun family activity as well as a delicious meal. If you are over visiting, we’ll put you to work as well. Best part is, you also get to share the meal.
No. 4 - Vegetable Noodle Stir-Fry
I make this vegetable-full stir-fry often when I need a quick meal that’s not too heavy. I was surprised when it made it into the top five last year because it’s one of my older posts and the photos are pretty sad. It gives me hope though that the recipes matter more to you all than my pictures and I am pleased to think that at least I have improved since then.
No. 3 - Spicy Keema Naan
I love belonging to different blogger groups that challenge me to step outside my comfort zone and use ingredients or make recipes that are unusual. This keema naan was my last for a group called Twelve Loaves, which motivated me to start Bread Bakers with my friend Renee from Magnolia Days. If you are a bread baking blogger and would like to join us, check out the link to find out more.
No. 2 - D.I.Y. Veggie Cup Noodles
This do-it-yourself veggie noodle cup is a great recipe I adapted from River Cottage Veg (<affiliate link) for another of my favorite groups, Sunday Supper, which is dedicated to encouraging folks to gather once more for meals around the family table. It pleases me immensely that a relatively recent Sunday Supper recipe made it so far up the popularity list for the year.
No. 1 - Cheesy Spinach Muffins
And here again, for the third year running, are my cheesy spinach muffins in first place, so far ahead of the runner up that I really cannot imagine any post catching up. I love a savory muffin, especially when it involves cheese but I suspect the popularity of these can be attributed to the tomato slices perched so jauntily on top of the muffins before baking. They make something simple and delicious look fancy.
If you’d like to see 2012's top five list, click here. And here for the 2013 list.
Many, many thanks!
It is my great honor that you take the time to visit me here and interact with me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Nothing gives me greater joy than to read your kind comments, especially those of you who let me know when you’ve made and enjoyed a recipe I’ve posted. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping by and reading. I wish you all a marvelous new year filled with love and good food.
Fondly yours,
Stacy
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query spinach muffins. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query spinach muffins. Sort by date Show all posts
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
Star-Spangled Muffins #MuffinMonday
When you want to show your love of the Stars and Stripes, bake these Star-spangled muffins. Blueberries for blue, strawberries for red and cream cheese for white. And, of course, just a little colored sugar to finish them off. Pretty and delicious!
.
Monday isn't any old day on Food Lust People Love: It is always Muffin Monday. So, without further fanfare, here are my Star-Spangled Muffins.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups or 190g flour
1/2 cup or 50g quick cook oats
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup or 180ml milk
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 oz or 100g cream cheese
1/2 cup or 100g blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup, chopped, or 90g fresh strawberries
Optional to decorate: A couple of tablespoons each of colored sugar sprinkles and/or pearl sugar
Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Prepare your 12-cup muffin pan by greasing it with butter or nonstick cooking spray or lining it with paper muffin cups.
In a large bowl, combine your flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Cut your cream cheese into small chunks and toss them in the flour mixture to coat so they won’t stick together.
In another smaller bowl, whisk together your milk, oil, egg and vanilla.
Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients. Add in the chopped strawberries and blueberries. (If using frozen blueberries, they can be added without thawing.)
Fold all the ingredients together until they are just combined. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter between your 12 muffin cups.
Sprinkle the tops with colored sugar and/or pearl sugar to decorate.
Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool for several minutes before removing the muffins from the pan and cooling further on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
Needing more more Memorial Day ideas and recipes? Check out what my fellow Kick Off to Summer Week 2014 participants are sharing today!
Hands over our hungry bellies, repeat after me:
I pledge alliance to the muffin
of the United Straw- and Blue Berries
And to the breakfast for which it stands,
one muffin, under sugar,
with oatmeal and cream cheese for all.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups or 190g flour
1/2 cup or 50g quick cook oats
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup or 180ml milk
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 oz or 100g cream cheese
1/2 cup or 100g blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup, chopped, or 90g fresh strawberries
Optional to decorate: A couple of tablespoons each of colored sugar sprinkles and/or pearl sugar
Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Prepare your 12-cup muffin pan by greasing it with butter or nonstick cooking spray or lining it with paper muffin cups.
In a large bowl, combine your flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Cut your cream cheese into small chunks and toss them in the flour mixture to coat so they won’t stick together.
In another smaller bowl, whisk together your milk, oil, egg and vanilla.
Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients. Add in the chopped strawberries and blueberries. (If using frozen blueberries, they can be added without thawing.)
Fold all the ingredients together until they are just combined. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter between your 12 muffin cups.
Sprinkle the tops with colored sugar and/or pearl sugar to decorate.
Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool for several minutes before removing the muffins from the pan and cooling further on a wire rack.
- Margarita Grilled Shrimp Skewers by From Gate to Plate
- Cherry Limeade by Summer Scraps
- Turkey and Grilled Pineapple Burger by Keep it Simple, Sweetie
- Place of Honor by Lil Huckleberries
- Edible Patio Table Centerpiece by Bits of Ivory
- Easiest Ever Grilled Chicken by Forty Eighteen
- Ranch Burgers by Lady Behind the Curtain
- Strawberry and Candied Almond Spinach Salad by We Like to Learn as We Go
- BBQ Banner Printable by My Daylights
- Red White and Blue Fruit Pizza by Like Mother Like Daughter
- Star-Spangled Muffins by Food Lust People Love
- German Potato Salad by Denise Designed
Pin these Star-spangled muffins!
.
Labels:
#MuffinMonday
,
breakfast recipes
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Memorial Day
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muffin recipes
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Sunday, December 29, 2013
Top Five Recipes to Date and a Thank You (2013)
The best part of writing this blog is the connections I make with readers like you. It is such a joy to read your comments, especially when you tell me your stories in return. This year has been one of adjusting to and exploring yet another city and making Dubai our home. It’s been a year of celebration and of loss and it delights me no end to have you along for the journey. Occasionally I check my blog statistics and it’s always fun to see what you’ve liked the most week by week, month by month and year by year. About this time last year, I shared the most viewed recipes to date so I thought I’d do the same at the close of this year.
5. Tasty Turkey Potpie for Denise
This was 2012’s most viewed recipe. As I wrote in the post last year, it came out of nowhere to take top place, even though it was one of the most recent posts. This year it’s still in the top five. It’s something I make every time I have leftover roast turkey or sometimes even chicken. Yesterday, I picked the Christmas turkey bones clean and will make it again.
4. Banana Cream Pie
My husband was delighted to hear that his birthday sweet of choice was still in the top five, albeit sliding down from to number four from second place last year. With its homemade vanilla custard and flakey shortcrust, it's the perfect pie anytime of the year.
3. Madam Wong’s Pizza Rolls
The third most viewed recipe is one of my personal favorites, not just because I love a savory roll but also because it reminds me of good times and wonderful friends from the International School of Kuala Lumpur, the school our daughters attended for the many years we lived in Malaysia. I posted this recipe as part of #SundaySupper, a group dedicated to encouraging families to gather regularly around the supper table. My first #SundaySupper post was on January 6th this year, so I am close to a personal anniversary of sorts. If you are a food blogger interested in joining us, I encourage you to click on the link to learn more. It's been such fun!
2. Quick Vegetable Stir-fry
This quick stir-fry of vegetables and ramen noodles starting surging up in views about mid-year and steadily climbed to number two. I have no idea what triggered the jump since it’s one of my oldest posts and the photographs are terrible. But it truly is delicious and a dish I make quite often, so it’s rather gratifying to know that ingredients and method are often enough. This makes me feel better when I am agonizing over poor lighting and sorry pictures.
1. Cheesy Spinach Muffins
This recipe is so far ahead in views than its next closest contender that I will be surprised if anything else ever catches up! I love making muffins, especially savory ones, so I am thrilled to have a muffin from #MuffinMonday in top position. I'd like to send out a special thank you to Anuradha from Baker Street who got me started down the road of Muffin Monday. I enjoyed baking with her week after week and it made me sad when life took over and she got too busy to continue.
If you’d like to see 2012's top five list, click here.
Thank you for your comments, for your interaction on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ but, most of all, for being a part of the Food Lust People love community of readers. I am grateful daily and wish you all a most astoundingly wonderful new year.
Fond regards,
Stacy
Tasty Turkey Potpie |
5. Tasty Turkey Potpie for Denise
This was 2012’s most viewed recipe. As I wrote in the post last year, it came out of nowhere to take top place, even though it was one of the most recent posts. This year it’s still in the top five. It’s something I make every time I have leftover roast turkey or sometimes even chicken. Yesterday, I picked the Christmas turkey bones clean and will make it again.
Banana Cream Pie |
4. Banana Cream Pie
My husband was delighted to hear that his birthday sweet of choice was still in the top five, albeit sliding down from to number four from second place last year. With its homemade vanilla custard and flakey shortcrust, it's the perfect pie anytime of the year.
Madam Wong's Pizza Rolls |
3. Madam Wong’s Pizza Rolls
The third most viewed recipe is one of my personal favorites, not just because I love a savory roll but also because it reminds me of good times and wonderful friends from the International School of Kuala Lumpur, the school our daughters attended for the many years we lived in Malaysia. I posted this recipe as part of #SundaySupper, a group dedicated to encouraging families to gather regularly around the supper table. My first #SundaySupper post was on January 6th this year, so I am close to a personal anniversary of sorts. If you are a food blogger interested in joining us, I encourage you to click on the link to learn more. It's been such fun!
Vegetable Stir-fry |
2. Quick Vegetable Stir-fry
This quick stir-fry of vegetables and ramen noodles starting surging up in views about mid-year and steadily climbed to number two. I have no idea what triggered the jump since it’s one of my oldest posts and the photographs are terrible. But it truly is delicious and a dish I make quite often, so it’s rather gratifying to know that ingredients and method are often enough. This makes me feel better when I am agonizing over poor lighting and sorry pictures.
Cheesy Spinach Muffins |
1. Cheesy Spinach Muffins
This recipe is so far ahead in views than its next closest contender that I will be surprised if anything else ever catches up! I love making muffins, especially savory ones, so I am thrilled to have a muffin from #MuffinMonday in top position. I'd like to send out a special thank you to Anuradha from Baker Street who got me started down the road of Muffin Monday. I enjoyed baking with her week after week and it made me sad when life took over and she got too busy to continue.
If you’d like to see 2012's top five list, click here.
Thank you for your comments, for your interaction on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ but, most of all, for being a part of the Food Lust People love community of readers. I am grateful daily and wish you all a most astoundingly wonderful new year.
Fond regards,
Stacy
Saturday, August 30, 2014
#BaconMonth Round Up for #InternationalBaconDay
Bacon Parmesan Twists |
In honor of this great holiday - Seriously who's working? Leave me a comment, I'll see what I can do about sending you some bacon in recompense. - I've stopped by every post from every blog in our linky tool for Bacon Month and created a link list, categorized for ease of clicking! We've got everything from Appetizers and Drinks to Cookies and Dessert and lots of great bacon recipes in between.
What are you making with bacon today in celebration? Might I suggest a few recipes from the following 116 links?
Enjoy!
Candied Habanero Bacon |
Appetizers and Snacks
- Bacon and Beer Hushpuppies
- Bacon Cheddar Croissant Turnovers
- Bacon Cheeseburger Tachos
- Bacon Chocolate Covered Popcorn
- Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
- Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Wontons
- Bacon Gouda Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Bacon Guaca-Hummus
- Bacon Parmesan Twists
- Bacon-wrapped Green Hatch Chiles
- Baked Bacon Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
- BLT Dip
- Blue Cheese Almond Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Candied Habanero Bacon
- Cheesy Bacon Ranch Popcorn
- Creamy Corn Bacon Dip
- Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños with Brown Sugar Bacon
- Jalapeño Popper Chicken Taquitos
- Layered Sweet Sour Asian Dip Fried Wonton Dippers
- Roasted BLT Dip
- Sweet and Spicy Bacon Cocktail Sausages
- Warm Bacon Jalapeño Corn Dip
Drinks
Condiments
Sweet and Spicy Bacon Cocktail Sausages |
Salads
- Bacon Cantaloupe and Arugula Salad
- Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
- Bacon Salad Pasta
- Bacon Salad with Warm Dressing
- Caribbean Cobb Salad with Spicy Pineapple Dressing
- Macaroni Salad with Bacon
- No Mayo Roasted Potato Salad
Cheesy Bacon Baked Onions |
Side Dishes
- Bacon Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
- Bacon Mozzarella and Tomato Zucchini Boats
- Charred Skillet Corn with Bacon
- Cheesy Bacon Baked Onions
- Fried Potatoes with Bacon and Sugar Snaps Peas
- Loaded Bacon and Cheese Fries
- Parmesan Dill Bacon Hasselback Potatoes
- Pepperjack Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans
- Spicy Roasted Bacon Tomato Cauliflower
Spicy Roasted Bacon Tomato Cauliflower |
BLT Muffins |
Bread
- Bacon Banana Bread
- Bacon Breakfast Muffins
- Bacon Cornbread
- Bacon Foccacia
- Bacon Jalapeño Cheesy Bread
- BLT Muffins
- Maple Bacon Doughnut Holes
- Pumpkin Bacon Streusel Muffins
- Rosemary Potato Bacon Biscuits
- Spicy Bacon Beer Muffins
Breakfast
- Avocado Ranch Breakfast Quesadillas
- Bacon Breakfast Potatoes
- Bacon Hash Browns
- Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles
- Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes
- Huevos Rancheros with Bacon Tortillas
- Loaded Waffles
- Make Ahead Vegetable Bacon Egg Bake Skillet
Bacon Butty |
Sandwiches
- Bacon Butty
- BBQ Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Bacon Lettuce Avocado Tomato Chicken Wraps
- BLT Esquites Sandwich
- Candied BLT Sliders
- Caprese Tuna BLT
- Grilled Bacon Fontina Sandwich
- Not Your Mama’s BLT
Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken |
Main Courses
- 30-Minute Chicken Carbonara Potpie
- Bacon and Corn Risotto
- Bacon and Leek Gnocchi
- Bacon Brocolli Garlic Fried Rice
- Bacon Buffalo Mozzarella Pizza
- Bacon Mushroom Beer Alfredo
- Bacon Ranch and Pimento Cheese Stuffed Veggies
- Bacon Shrimp Pasta Toss
- Bacon Spinach Rigatoni
- Bacon Spinach Tomato Pizza
- Bacon-wrapped Italian Smoked Sausage
- Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken
- Baked Potatoes and Chicken Skillet
- Bean, Bacon and Tomato Bake
- Black Bean and Bacon Flautas
- BLT Pizza
- Cheesy Bacon Ranch Squash Casserole
- Chicken Scaloppini with Bacon
- Deep Dish Bacon Potato Pizza
- Easy BLT Pasta
- Halushki with Bacon and Ricotta Cheese
- Pasta with Mushrooms, Bacon and Sweet Corn
- Potato Crust Quiche
- Spaghetti Carbonara with Browned Butter
- Spicy Shrimp and Bacon Casserole
- Three Cheese Caramelized Onion Bacon Frittata
- Zucchini Bacon Rice Casserole
Cookies and Bars
- Bacon & Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Bacon Dark Chocolate Bourbon Cookies
- Candied Bacon S’mores Pizza
- Elvis' Puddin Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bacon Cookies
Bacon Dark Chocolate Bourbon Cookies |
- Bacon and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Maple Frosting
- Bacon and Fig Bread Pudding
- Bacon Apple Coffee Cake
- Bacon Bourbon Peach Ice Cream
- Bacon Salted Chocolate Truffles
- Candied Maple Bacon
- Chocolate Covered Bacon S’Mores
- Elvis Banana Split with Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream
- Mini Bacon Apple Pies
- Southern Pecan Pie with Bacon
- Wired Piggy S’mores Cupcakes
How to:
- Bake perfectly crisp bacon
- Cure your own bacon
- Make bacon bits at home
- Oven-fry Bacon Oven-fried Bacon
Once again, many, many thanks to Julie from White Lights on Wednesday for organizing Bacon Month and sponsoring all the cookbook giveaways!
Labels:
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Monday, October 28, 2019
Tiny Taco Bites #MuffinMonday
These tiny taco bites are made with oven baked tortillas filled with spicy ground beef and extra sharp cheddar, then topped with a fresh pico de gallo made with onions, tomatoes and jalapeños. They’d be great as an appetizer for your next cocktail party, especially if you are serving margaritas.
Saturday night we were invited over to my brother-in-law’s home for an early birthday dinner of fajitas and margaritas. (He turns 50 on Thursday!) Of course, I always ask what we can bring. “An appetizer,” came the response. It just so happens that my Muffin Monday friends are going rogue this month, that is to say, using our muffin pans for deliciousness other than actual muffins. Otherwise I’d have made some savory mini muffins. Perhaps even my artichoke dip mini muffins. We all LOVE those. I also considered my sincere pumpkin patch cheese ball, because Thursday is Halloween, after all. It's not just adorable but tasty too.
But I’ve long been wanting to make tiny taco bites using Tostitos scoops. They are already perfect little bowls! I floated that idea by my younger daughter and she shook her head. Apparently she finds Tostitos too salty. And anyway, I thought that was an idea for another day, since it didn’t use a muffin pan. Then inspiration struck. I could make the tiny taco bowls myself with fresh tortillas and a mini muffin pan, killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.
As with most of my other fabulous ideas, when I checked the interwebs, there were almost 4 million results. It would seem tacos in a muffin pan are a thing. Never mind. These are delicious and bite-sized, and everyone at the dinner party loved them! Make sure you scroll down and check out all the other fun non-muffin recipes you can make in your muffin pan.
Ingredients
For the beef filling:
1 lb or 450g ground beef (I used ground sirloin. Because it’s lean, you don’t lose much weight as it cooks. More to eat!)
2 tablespoons olive oil – if your ground beef is fatty, you might not need as much
1/4 cup or taco seasonings
2/3 cup or 156ml water
For the tiny taco bowls:
16-18 (6-in or 15cm) soft corn, half corn/half flour or flour tortillas
2-3 teaspoons canola or other light oil for greasing the muffin pan
For the pico de gallo:
3 ripe Roma tomatoes (approx. 1 lb or 450g in weight)
1/2 large onion
2-3 fresh jalapeños
Small bunch fresh cilantro
2-3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Pinch fine sea salt
Pinch sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
For topping:
4 oz or 113g extra sharp cheddar, grated finely
Method
Brown the beef in the olive oil over a medium high heat, breaking it up into little pieces as it browns. When it’s well browned, even crunchy in places, add the taco spice mix and the water.
Pop the lid on and lower the heat to simmer. Simmer covered for 5-7 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer uncovered until most of the water has evaporated, another few minutes. Remove from the heat and tip the pan to one side so any oil drains off and collects away from the beef.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 325°F or 163°C. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with a little canola.
Cut the tortillas into 3 in or 7cm circles using a cookie cutter. (Save all the scraps for making your favorite tortilla soup recipe!) With a 3 in (7cm) cookie cutter, I got 3 taco bowls per tortilla. They don’t hold much so the seasoned beef was enough for 54 tiny taco bites! The perfect bite-sized appetizer, truly.
Use the bottom of a small glass or jigger to press the circles of tortilla into the mini muffin pan. I find it helps them release if you also grease the jigger.
Bake the tiny taco bowls in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through so they brown evenly. Watch them closely so they don’t suddenly burn. Remove them from the oven. Some of them will be puffy and not so bowl-like anymore.
As soon as they are cool enough to handle, use a folded towel if you need to, pick the puffed ones out of the muffin pan and put the glass or jigger back in it and press the bowl back into the muffin pan. Place to cool on a wire rack. Cute, right?
Continue cutting and baking all of the tortillas, until you have about 50 of them.
While they bake, cut the onion into small bits. Stem and chop the jalapeños small as well. When chopping the jalapeños, remove the membranes and seeds if your family and friends aren’t chili lovers. At our house we say, the hotter, the better.
Put the chopped onion and jalapeños in a bowl with the fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar and a few good grinds of black pepper. Stir well and set aside.
Cut the tomatoes in half and remove all the seeds and juice. We don't want the pico de gallo too wet or it will make the taco bowls soggy. Chop the tomatoes finely. Remove the hard stems from the cilantro and chop it roughly. Add the tomatoes and cilantro to the onion/jalapeño bowl. Mix well.
Turn your oven temperature up to 350°F or 180°C. In a large baking pan, arrange your tiny taco bowls and divide the spicy beef between them.
Top with the grated cheese.
Bake the tiny taco bites for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the beef is hot through. I actually made these through this step and then baked again for 10 minutes at 350° or 180° when I arrived at my brother-in-laws, just to warm them again. These guys are very forgiving though, delicious even at room temperature.
Top with pico de gallo or set the pico out with a spoon and let everyone top the tiny tacos themselves so they don't get soggy.
Enjoy!
Many thanks to Sue of Palatable Pastime for her fun suggestion that we go rogue for Muffin Monday and use our muffin pans for other delicious recipes. This just might be a more regularly scheduled theme, if feedback is positive. Check out the other great recipes below:
Saturday night we were invited over to my brother-in-law’s home for an early birthday dinner of fajitas and margaritas. (He turns 50 on Thursday!) Of course, I always ask what we can bring. “An appetizer,” came the response. It just so happens that my Muffin Monday friends are going rogue this month, that is to say, using our muffin pans for deliciousness other than actual muffins. Otherwise I’d have made some savory mini muffins. Perhaps even my artichoke dip mini muffins. We all LOVE those. I also considered my sincere pumpkin patch cheese ball, because Thursday is Halloween, after all. It's not just adorable but tasty too.
But I’ve long been wanting to make tiny taco bites using Tostitos scoops. They are already perfect little bowls! I floated that idea by my younger daughter and she shook her head. Apparently she finds Tostitos too salty. And anyway, I thought that was an idea for another day, since it didn’t use a muffin pan. Then inspiration struck. I could make the tiny taco bowls myself with fresh tortillas and a mini muffin pan, killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.
As with most of my other fabulous ideas, when I checked the interwebs, there were almost 4 million results. It would seem tacos in a muffin pan are a thing. Never mind. These are delicious and bite-sized, and everyone at the dinner party loved them! Make sure you scroll down and check out all the other fun non-muffin recipes you can make in your muffin pan.
Tiny Taco Bites
For the taco seasoning, I use a brand called Tone’s. It comes in a large container so I just scoop out how much I need when seasoning taco and enchilada beef and even fajitas, rather than buying those little pouches of spice mix. Such a waste of packaging. You can always make your own, of course. Plenty of recipes online. For the tortillas, I love the ones at my local grocery store here in Houston, called mitad y mitad: half and half, by which they mean half corn and half flour. This is Texas, after all, where many aspire to be bilingual. They are flavorful because of the corn and supple because of the flour. Use whichever fresh tortillas you can find or your personal favorite.Ingredients
For the beef filling:
1 lb or 450g ground beef (I used ground sirloin. Because it’s lean, you don’t lose much weight as it cooks. More to eat!)
2 tablespoons olive oil – if your ground beef is fatty, you might not need as much
1/4 cup or taco seasonings
2/3 cup or 156ml water
For the tiny taco bowls:
16-18 (6-in or 15cm) soft corn, half corn/half flour or flour tortillas
2-3 teaspoons canola or other light oil for greasing the muffin pan
For the pico de gallo:
3 ripe Roma tomatoes (approx. 1 lb or 450g in weight)
1/2 large onion
2-3 fresh jalapeños
Small bunch fresh cilantro
2-3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Pinch fine sea salt
Pinch sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
For topping:
4 oz or 113g extra sharp cheddar, grated finely
Method
Brown the beef in the olive oil over a medium high heat, breaking it up into little pieces as it browns. When it’s well browned, even crunchy in places, add the taco spice mix and the water.
Pop the lid on and lower the heat to simmer. Simmer covered for 5-7 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer uncovered until most of the water has evaporated, another few minutes. Remove from the heat and tip the pan to one side so any oil drains off and collects away from the beef.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 325°F or 163°C. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with a little canola.
Cut the tortillas into 3 in or 7cm circles using a cookie cutter. (Save all the scraps for making your favorite tortilla soup recipe!) With a 3 in (7cm) cookie cutter, I got 3 taco bowls per tortilla. They don’t hold much so the seasoned beef was enough for 54 tiny taco bites! The perfect bite-sized appetizer, truly.
Use the bottom of a small glass or jigger to press the circles of tortilla into the mini muffin pan. I find it helps them release if you also grease the jigger.
Bake the tiny taco bowls in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through so they brown evenly. Watch them closely so they don’t suddenly burn. Remove them from the oven. Some of them will be puffy and not so bowl-like anymore.
As soon as they are cool enough to handle, use a folded towel if you need to, pick the puffed ones out of the muffin pan and put the glass or jigger back in it and press the bowl back into the muffin pan. Place to cool on a wire rack. Cute, right?
Continue cutting and baking all of the tortillas, until you have about 50 of them.
While they bake, cut the onion into small bits. Stem and chop the jalapeños small as well. When chopping the jalapeños, remove the membranes and seeds if your family and friends aren’t chili lovers. At our house we say, the hotter, the better.
Put the chopped onion and jalapeños in a bowl with the fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar and a few good grinds of black pepper. Stir well and set aside.
Cut the tomatoes in half and remove all the seeds and juice. We don't want the pico de gallo too wet or it will make the taco bowls soggy. Chop the tomatoes finely. Remove the hard stems from the cilantro and chop it roughly. Add the tomatoes and cilantro to the onion/jalapeño bowl. Mix well.
Turn your oven temperature up to 350°F or 180°C. In a large baking pan, arrange your tiny taco bowls and divide the spicy beef between them.
Top with the grated cheese.
Bake the tiny taco bites for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the beef is hot through. I actually made these through this step and then baked again for 10 minutes at 350° or 180° when I arrived at my brother-in-laws, just to warm them again. These guys are very forgiving though, delicious even at room temperature.
Top with pico de gallo or set the pico out with a spoon and let everyone top the tiny tacos themselves so they don't get soggy.
Enjoy!
Many thanks to Sue of Palatable Pastime for her fun suggestion that we go rogue for Muffin Monday and use our muffin pans for other delicious recipes. This just might be a more regularly scheduled theme, if feedback is positive. Check out the other great recipes below:
- Green Eggs No Ham (Egg Bites with Spinach and Parmesan) from Farm Fresh Feasts
- Individual Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Mac and Cheese Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Mini Cheesecakes from Making Miracles
- Mini Pumpkin Pies from Palatable Pastime
- Tiny Taco Bites from Food Lust People Love
Pin these Tiny Taco Bites!
.
Labels:
#MuffinMonday
,
appetizer recipes
,
Mexican recipes
,
spicy recipes
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Dimbleby's Breastfeeding Bread #BreadBakers
A flavorful, low gluten bread made with spelt flour, this subtly spiced loaf is divine toasted, which enhances the nuttiness of the pumpkin seeds, pine nuts and sunflower seeds.
First, let me set your mind at ease by saying that I am not going to tell you my lactation stories, although I did nurse both daughters until they were 13 months old. Nor will there be a single photo of anyone’s breastal region, although I firmly back your right to bare yours if you are feeding your baby, even in public. (Oh, the strange and wonderful places that I have bared mine for the cause... but I promised.)
The name of this bread recipe comes from its creator, one Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the highly successful Leon restaurants and food writer for the Guardian, who wanted to use up a packet of spices given to him to make an infusion for his wife, supposedly to stimulate her milk production, just after she had given birth. He made the hot drink, tasted it and decided that his wife had suffered enough. So he used the rest of the spices to bake bread, which seemed to have the desired effect in a much more appetizing package. He assures his readers, so I duly assure you on his behalf, that it works only on lactating women; the rest of us can enjoy it for the taste.
This month Bread Bakers is hosted by Robin of A Shaggy Dough Story, who challenged us all to make bread using only ancient grains, defined loosely as grains that have remained largely unchanged/un-hybridized over the last several hundred years, which means NO MODERN WHEAT. Some examples include spelt, quinoa, millet, sorghum, amaranth, teff, freekeh, chia seeds, farro, kamut and einkorn. I already had a bag of spelt flour hanging out in my freezer from before I made these super fudgy brownies, so that’s where I started my recipe search. Many thanks to Robin for this most excellent challenge! If you haven't read A Shaggy Dough Story, do head over there. Robin is an over-achiever that grinds her own flour, bakes gorgeous loaves and takes beautiful photographs, but I love her most because of her fabulous sense of humor.
Mr. Dimbleby’s recipe makes three loaves so I have adapted the ingredients for only one deliciously nutty spelt loaf. Check out the original, if you’d like three on hand. He says they freeze well in freezer bags.
Ingredients
Soft butter, for greasing your loaf pan
For the bread dough:
1 teaspoon aniseed
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek
4 1/8 cups or 500g strong wholemeal spelt flour
7g fast-acting dried yeast (I used Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise.)
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes (Use less if yours is fine grain.)
1/4 cup or 50g pine nuts of which: 1 tablespoon set aside
1/4 cup or 50g pumpkin seeds of which: 1 tablespoon set aside
1/4 cup or 50g sunflower seeds of which: 1 tablespoon set aside
3 tablespoons or 45ml extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups or 350ml warm water
For the egg wash:
1 egg
Splash water
To decorate:
1 tablespoon of each of the pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, set aside from the original amounts for the dough.
Method
Grease your bread pan generously with softened butter and set aside, along with your one tablespoon of each pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds for decorating.
Grind your spices with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
Mix all of your dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer or in a bowl large enough to knead the dough in.
Add in the oil and mix well.
Add in the warm water and mix again.
Knead with your bread hook or by hand in your bowl for just a few minutes, until smooth. Mr. Dimbleby says you can add more flour if necessary but “wetter is better.” I was using my bread hook so I just kept going. The dough was very slack and it would have been very sticky to knead by hand, so do what you need to, if you don’t have a machine.
Scrape the dough out of the bowl and use damp hands to shape it into a loaf and pop it into your buttered loaf pan.
Whisk the egg with a splash of water to create an egg wash.
Cut some slashes into the top of the dough and then brush it with your egg wash.
Sprinkle on the reserved seeds and nuts, tapping them down gently so they stick.
Place in a large plastic bag in warm place and leave to rise until doubled. When my kitchen is cold, as it is this time of year, I like to partially fill one basin of my sink with hot tap water (about halfway up the loaf pan) and place the loaf pan in the water, covering the whole basin with a large cutting board and “sealing” the gaps with multiple dishcloths. Behold!
When your dough is nearly ready, preheat your oven to 450°F or 220°C.
Bake the bread for the first 20 minutes at that temperature, then turn the oven down to 400°F or 200°C for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cover with foil if your toppings look like they might begin to scorch.
Turn out to cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
Do you like to bake using ancient grains? Hope we inspire you to try if you haven't before. And give you a few new ideas if you are already a fan. Here's what our creative bakers came up with.
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.
.
First, let me set your mind at ease by saying that I am not going to tell you my lactation stories, although I did nurse both daughters until they were 13 months old. Nor will there be a single photo of anyone’s breastal region, although I firmly back your right to bare yours if you are feeding your baby, even in public. (Oh, the strange and wonderful places that I have bared mine for the cause... but I promised.)
The name of this bread recipe comes from its creator, one Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the highly successful Leon restaurants and food writer for the Guardian, who wanted to use up a packet of spices given to him to make an infusion for his wife, supposedly to stimulate her milk production, just after she had given birth. He made the hot drink, tasted it and decided that his wife had suffered enough. So he used the rest of the spices to bake bread, which seemed to have the desired effect in a much more appetizing package. He assures his readers, so I duly assure you on his behalf, that it works only on lactating women; the rest of us can enjoy it for the taste.
This month Bread Bakers is hosted by Robin of A Shaggy Dough Story, who challenged us all to make bread using only ancient grains, defined loosely as grains that have remained largely unchanged/un-hybridized over the last several hundred years, which means NO MODERN WHEAT. Some examples include spelt, quinoa, millet, sorghum, amaranth, teff, freekeh, chia seeds, farro, kamut and einkorn. I already had a bag of spelt flour hanging out in my freezer from before I made these super fudgy brownies, so that’s where I started my recipe search. Many thanks to Robin for this most excellent challenge! If you haven't read A Shaggy Dough Story, do head over there. Robin is an over-achiever that grinds her own flour, bakes gorgeous loaves and takes beautiful photographs, but I love her most because of her fabulous sense of humor.
Mr. Dimbleby’s recipe makes three loaves so I have adapted the ingredients for only one deliciously nutty spelt loaf. Check out the original, if you’d like three on hand. He says they freeze well in freezer bags.
Ingredients
Soft butter, for greasing your loaf pan
For the bread dough:
1 teaspoon aniseed
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek
4 1/8 cups or 500g strong wholemeal spelt flour
7g fast-acting dried yeast (I used Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise.)
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes (Use less if yours is fine grain.)
1/4 cup or 50g pine nuts of which: 1 tablespoon set aside
1/4 cup or 50g pumpkin seeds of which: 1 tablespoon set aside
1/4 cup or 50g sunflower seeds of which: 1 tablespoon set aside
3 tablespoons or 45ml extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups or 350ml warm water
For the egg wash:
1 egg
Splash water
To decorate:
1 tablespoon of each of the pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, set aside from the original amounts for the dough.
Method
Grease your bread pan generously with softened butter and set aside, along with your one tablespoon of each pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds for decorating.
Grind your spices with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
Mix all of your dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer or in a bowl large enough to knead the dough in.
Add in the oil and mix well.
Add in the warm water and mix again.
Knead with your bread hook or by hand in your bowl for just a few minutes, until smooth. Mr. Dimbleby says you can add more flour if necessary but “wetter is better.” I was using my bread hook so I just kept going. The dough was very slack and it would have been very sticky to knead by hand, so do what you need to, if you don’t have a machine.
Scrape the dough out of the bowl and use damp hands to shape it into a loaf and pop it into your buttered loaf pan.
Whisk the egg with a splash of water to create an egg wash.
Cut some slashes into the top of the dough and then brush it with your egg wash.
Sprinkle on the reserved seeds and nuts, tapping them down gently so they stick.
Place in a large plastic bag in warm place and leave to rise until doubled. When my kitchen is cold, as it is this time of year, I like to partially fill one basin of my sink with hot tap water (about halfway up the loaf pan) and place the loaf pan in the water, covering the whole basin with a large cutting board and “sealing” the gaps with multiple dishcloths. Behold!
When your dough is nearly ready, preheat your oven to 450°F or 220°C.
Bake the bread for the first 20 minutes at that temperature, then turn the oven down to 400°F or 200°C for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cover with foil if your toppings look like they might begin to scorch.
Turn out to cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
Do you like to bake using ancient grains? Hope we inspire you to try if you haven't before. And give you a few new ideas if you are already a fan. Here's what our creative bakers came up with.
- Ancient 4 Grain Breakfast Bread from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Ancient Grain Carrot Bread from The Schizo Chef
- Barley Flour Donut Muffins from I Camp in my Kitchen
- Blueberry Peach Quinoa Oatmeal Muffins from Magnolia Days
- Buckwheat Savoury Pancakes from Mayuri's Jikoni
- Dimbleby's Breastfeeding Bread from Food Lust People Love
- Eggless Sorghum and Pearl Millet Banana Muffins (Eggless Jowar and Bajra Banana Muffins) from G'Gina's Kitchenette
- Foxtail Millet Bagels from Cooking Club
- Garlic Cheesy Einkorn Crackers from The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Injera Bread from Spiceroots
- Little Millet Banana Bread from Sara's Tasty Buds
- Millet Idli from Gayathri's Cook Spot
- Multigrain Seeded Loaf from What Smells So Good?
- Quinoa Banana Bread from Wholistic Woman
- Seeded Spelt Boules from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Spelt and Buckwheat Soda Bread from A Shaggy Dough Story
- Spelt and Einkorn Sourdough with Caramelized Onions from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Spelt Bread from Hostess at Heart
- Spelt Sweet Potato Paratha from Cook's Hideout
- Teff Crepes with Spinach and Mushrooms from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Yeasted Jowar Naan from Sneha's Recipe
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.
.
Labels:
#BreadBakers
,
ancient grains
,
aniseed
,
bread
,
breastfeeding
,
caraway
,
fennel
,
fenugreek
,
pine nuts
,
pumpkin seeds
,
rapid rise yeast
,
spelt
,
sunflower seeds
,
yeast
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