Category Archives: Anytime

Ginger Pumpkin Muffins

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So if you read the last post you probably know that I have an abundance of pumpkin in my fridge. I used half of it to create a spiced pumpkin and tahini soup, which was delicious fresh and and days after. Last night, I used most of the other half (apparently roasting 1 pumpkin makes A LOT of pumpkin puree) to make ginger pumpkin muffins. I adapted this recipe from a weight watchers one that called for butternut squash and though I have never tried the original, I really think pumpkin is the way to go on these– they don’t call it pumpkin pie spice because it should be used with butternut squash…

Now, before you think “oh no, healthy pumpkin muffins,” rest assured that I would never post a Mich Dish that wasn’t delicious. Also, I can honestly say that I have very rarely found a weight watchers recipe that wasn’t a crowd pleaser. So bottom line– you’re in good hands!

This recipe has a lot of ingredients, but overall it is pretty simple and straightforward.

First, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of nutmeg, allspice, and ginger)
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Then, combine wet ingredients and mix for 2-3 minutes:
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used light, because that’s what I had on hand, but the recipe asks for dark)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1/3 cup fat free yogurt (I used Greek yogurt, but you can use any kind)
  • 3 Tbsp molasses
  • 1 egg

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture into the center. Stir until just combined (meaning until you don’t see any more flour).
Depending on the size of your bowl, you may not be able to fit all the wet ingredients in one batch, so just pour half and then pour the rest in while stirring. If you are like me and you find that you have flour that hides on the bottom of the bowl and refuses to mix in no matter what, you might want to pour the mixture back into the wet ingredient bowl, putting the rogue flour at the top and making it easier to mix in. If you have no idea what I’m talking about… ignore that!
Grease or line a muffin pan and fill each cup 2/3 full.
Bake at 350 for 22 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean. As is, these muffins great for breakfast with a hot cup of tea. They’re nice and spiced without being overwhelming or overly sweet. If you are more of a dessert/sweets lover, you can easily put a cream cheese frosting on these and they’d be delicious too.  This recipe makes 12 muffins. I doubled the recipe since I was planning to bring them into the office (and because I wanted to use more pumpkin puree).
Post baking thoughts:
  • Though these muffins are called ginger pumpkin, the ginger flavor can easily be confused for pumpkin pie spice. I love ginger, so next time I make these, I will chop up about 1/2 cup crystallized ginger and mix it into the batter right before baking. I think that will help these muffins be more accurately named.
  • I was reading some other food blogs, and I saw someone who sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on top of the muffins before baking them to give a nice sweet crunch on top. I might try this next time as well.

Better Bites: Broccoli Cheddar Smashies

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One of my best friends from high-school called mashed potatoes “smashies” and I think that’s an appropriate title for this dish because these are not your average potatoes… they’re playful, they’re filling, and they’re healthier than they look.

I invented this dish on one of those “use whatever’s left in the fridge” nights.  Basically, I had gotten a bunch of potatoes from the farm share and didn’t have too much else left in the fridge. What I did have, though, was a convenient steam in a bag broccoli with cheddar sauce. Here’s the full ingredient list:

  • 12 small-medium russet potatoes
  • Garlic
  • Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers: Broccoli Cheddar Variety
  • Greek Yogurt (I use Fage 0%)
  • Garlic salt
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I use Weight Watchers Mexican blend)
  • Hot Sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot)
Because I was not in the mood to spend a lot of time on dinner and because peeling tiny potatoes is a pain in the neck, I just rinsed and scrubbed the potatoes very well.
Next you want to cube the potatoes so they’re all equal sizes (the smaller you cut them, the faster they’ll cook). My trick to getting flavorful potatoes and not munching on chunks of garlic is to add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic with the potatoes to a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are fork tender (meaning you can easily put a fork into the potato), drain, and mash!
In the mean time, cook the broccoli and cheddar sauce according to package directions. In order to keep the broccoli from overcooking, I recommend microwaving it for the least amount of time it says on the bag. Add cooked broccoli and cheddar sauce to the potatoes along with 1/2 c Greek Yogurt, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, garlic salt, cayenne, and hot sauce to taste.
I like to use Greek Yogurt instead of milk and butter in potatoes because I like the tang it adds to the potatoes. You could also use fat free sour cream if you didn’t have yogurt on hand.
And that’s it! You can feel free to season according to the way you like your baked potatoes… since essentially this is a play on a loaded baked potato in smashie form! You could add grilled chicken, chives, bacon bits, whatever you want! The results will be delicious.

Celebrating Fall: Maple Cinnamon Apple Sauce

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Apple sauce is really one of those under-appreciated foods. It’s so delicious, it’s quite healthy, and as I learned tonight it’s really quite simple to make. Today was my one year wedding anniversary so I wanted to make a special dinner. If you recall from the last post, I have a ton of apples in my house and they’ve been sitting in the fridge for a while, so I wanted to find a good way to use them. I also had a pork loin so I thought what goes better with pork than apples!

After scouring the internet for recipes, I found one from cooking light that seemed perfect: Cinnamon-Maple Apple Sauce. Because of a certain friend of mine who gives me easy access to amazing maple syrup, I am always drawn to recipes involving that specific sweetener.

That brings me to my first ingredient. Channeling Ina Garten for a moment, the key to this recipe is good maple syrup. My choice, of course is Cedarvale Maple Syrup. It is wonderful. I highly recommend the dark amber variety.

When it comes to simple recipes that involve a few ingredients, having good quality ingredients is so important. The first thing you want to do is bring 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup water to a boil. While that is coming to a boil peel and cube 5 medium apples. I used a combination of red delicious and what I believe to be Jonagold apples (I say I believe because the orchard was not super well labeled so we just ended up picking apples that tasted good). My ratio was 3 sweeter apples to 2 more tart apples. Add apples to the boiling maple syrup and water along with 1/8 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. You already know that I am not a big measurer so I just sort of sprinkled both of these ingredients.

Cover and cook for about 25 minutes or until apples are soft. (WARNING: THIS WILL MAKE YOUR HOUSE SMELL AMAZING!) Using a potato masher, mash the apples. Now, I feel like things that are home made should look home made, so I left the applesauce chunky. If you are more into a smooth consistency, I would recommend using an immersion blender instead of a hand held potato masher. Once you’ve got the apples to a consistency that you’re happy with, continue to cook them uncovered so that the liquid evaporates. 

And that’s it! See? I told you it was simple. The results are amazing on pork, on cornbread, or on a spoon. It really makes me wonder why I have never done this in the past. If you have apples lying around you should DEFINITELY make this apple sauce! You will not be disappointed.