Blueberry Muffin with Pili Nut Crumble

I truly enjoy this muffin for breakfast! Whenever I have this, I always make sure that I savor each bite of it and each sip of my coffee!

What you need:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup butter
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup 2% milk
• 6 tsps blueberry pie filling

Crumble topping:

• ½ cup honeyed pili nuts
• 9 T flour
• 6 T cold butter
• 3 T white sugar

How to do it:

1.       Pre heat oven to 350F. Grease a large size muffin pan (6 muffins)
2.       Sift together the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3.       Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, then the egg and 2 yolks.
4.       Add the milk.  The mixture will lump up a bit. Just continue.
5.       Put the mixer in low speed, add in the flour gradually until everything is smooth and creamy.
6.       Laddle the batter into the muffin pan.
7.       Crumble topping: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter into the flour and sugar. The pili nuts will also be crushed in this stage into smaller pieces.
8.       Put a tsp of blueberry pie filling on top of each muffin. I leave mine on top, but you can alternatively, swish the topping with a slender knife to create swirls in your muffins. Take a handful of crumble topping and cover the top with it.
9.       Bake in the oven for 18 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
10. When done, cool for 5 minutes before taking the muffins out of the pan to prevent them from falling apart.

Sloppy Joes

We always enjoy our sloppy joe sandwiches on weekends when we eat it 

with some chips and a cold glass of Coke!

What you need:

• 1/2 kilo lean ground beef
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 4 tsps brown sugar
• salt and pepper to season
• 3 hamburger buns

How to do it:
1. Brown beef, then, drain off the fat.Set aside the beef.
2.  Saute onions,garlic and pepper.
3.  Add in the beef , mustard, spaghetti sauce, ketchup and brown sugar.
4. Simmer for 25 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Scoop beef onto the buns and take a BIG bite!

No-Yeast Cinnamon Buns

I prepared these soft and sticky Cinnamon Buns for Valentine's Day breakfast! These buns surely added sweet sparks to this heart's day! I tried to make these buns as healthy as I could without sacrificing taste, so I used whole-wheat flour, coconut sugar and no egg. 

What you need:

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup creamy yogurt
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (I used 2% milk and 1 tsp cane vinegar)
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tsps cinnamon

Cream Cheese Topping:

• 4 tablespoons cream cheese (50% fat-free), room temperature
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk (2% milk) or less

How to do it:
1.  Butter a round 9 inch cake pan. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl (except butter) and set aside.
3. Sift the 2 kinds of flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
4. Stir in the raisins. 
5. Mix yogurt and oil and add to flour mixture. Add in too the buttermilk.Mix well together until you form a dough.
6. Flour your kneading surface. Knead your dough around 10 times.
7. Roll the dough into a rectangle.
8. Spread butter on the dough then sprinkle the filling.
9. Roll the dough and pinch the seam to seal the roll.
10. Cut into 8 portions and arrange in a circular pattern on your greased pan.
11. Bake for 14 minutes or until a bit golden brown.
Topping:
1. Make sure cream cheese and butter are in room temperature.
2.  Mix cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla .
3.  Add milk a little at a time until you get the consistency that you want. I want mine more liguidy like a glaze, so I used-up all the 1/4 cup of milk. At times, I want the cream cheese topping more like a spread so, I just drizzle the milk until I get a spread-like texture.
Serve warm with a cup of coffeee! 

Chicken Curry

After eating in a nearby Indian restaurant, I went home still with the curry taste in my mouth thinking how to make my own version of the chicken curry I just chomped down! You will be delighted by the mango chutney in this dish which added a hint of sweetness to it!  Hope you'll like this!

What you need:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 chicken breasts, cubed
• 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 generous tablespoons of mango chutney
• 3 tablespoons of green curry paste
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 2 tablespoons water (as needed)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (I have also made this using 2% milk)

How to do it:

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil until fragrant.
2. Add chicken and cook for a few minutes.
3. Mix in tomatoes.Cook for a few minutes.
4.  Add mango chutney, curry paste and curry powder.
5.  If it appears a bit dry, add 2 T water. Otherwise, just let it simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add coconut milk (or 2% milk). Stir and simmer for additional 1 minute.

Serve with warm rice!

Crispy Salmon Flakes Sandwich

Since I find the taste of smoked salmon a bit fishy, I looked for a way to prepare salmon which I and my husband will like. This is when I decided to fry salmon flakes until they are crsipy! The resulting sandwich has become a favorite in my home now!

What you need:

• 1 can salmon (213 gms)
• 1/4 tsp organo
• 2 T olive oil
• 4 T cream cheese + more to spread on the bun
• 3 hotdog buns
• 2 small tomatoes,sliced
• some lettuce leaves

How to do it:

1. Drain and flake the salmon. Add oregano and mix.
2. Fry salmon flakes in olive oil until crispy. Set aside for a couple of minutes to cool down.
3. In a small bowl, mix 4 T cream cheese and salmon flakes.(The cream cheese will hold the salmon flakes together, otherwise, they will just fall out of your sandwich).
4. Assemble the sandwich: Spread some more cream cheese on both sides of the bun. Add some lettuce. Spread the salmon flakes generously. Add some tomatoes.

Enjoy this with some potato chips on the side!