Blueberry Whole Wheat Muffins - Erica

1 cup flour 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1 Tbsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 2/3 cup sugar 1 egg (beaten) 1/3 cup butter (melted) 1 cup milk 3/4 cup rolled oats 1 1/2 cups blueberries Combine first 5 ingredients. Stir in egg, butter and milk until just blended. Fold in oats, then the blueberries. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins until 2/3 full Bake at 400 for about 20 mins.

Moroccan Chicken Stew

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp cinnamon

Dash of ground cloves

2 bay leaves

2 cups chicken broth

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1 large carrot, sliced

1 cup green peas

½ small butternut or acorn squash, peeled and diced

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ cup raisins

Salt to taste

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it is translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves and cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, chicken thighs, and tomatoes and bring the stew to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the stew with the pot covered for 25 minutes.
Stir in the carrots and squash. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and using the edge of the spoon to break the chicken chunks into smaller pieces.
Add the green peas, chickpeas and raisins. Turn the heat back up to medium and continue simmering the covered stew until the vegetables are tender (10 or so minutes more). Add salt to taste. Ladle the stew into bowls around a mound of cooked jasmine rice or couscous. Serves 4 to 6.

* I made this in a pumpkin instead of using the squash and it turned out really good

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

This recipe is from Be Book Bound

  

2 cups all-purpose flour

  2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

  4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

160z canned pumpkin

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 cup vegetable oil

Maple Frosting (recipe follows)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped Heath bars, for serving (2 1.4-ounce bars)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place 24 cupcake liners in muffin tins. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely. Spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and sprinkle with the chopped toffee bits.

Maple Frosting 

  8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

  4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon maple extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Cups Confectioner's Sugar

  

  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple extract and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

(adapted from Ina Garten and House Beautiful) (Makes 24 cupcakes)

* You can obviously cut this recipe in half if you don't want this many cupcakes. Because if you make this many you will eat this many. Trust me, these are so SO good!! I actually used my own pumpkin puree and measured out 16 oz and I was able to make about 30 cupcakes instead of 24 (I'm assuming that's why, but I don't know for sure)