The Muffin Tin Cookbook (18 page)

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Authors: Brette Sember

BOOK: The Muffin Tin Cookbook
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2. Place the raisins and water in a small bowl and allow to soak while you prepare other ingredients.

3. Prepare pie crust according to instructions in “Using Pie Crusts” in the Introduction.

4. Cook onion in oil over medium high until translucent.

5. Add turkey and garlic and cook until turkey is cooked through.

6. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

7. Stir in broth and stir until thickened.

8. Remove from heat and stir in raisins (and remaining water), olives, egg, and potato and season with salt and pepper.

9. Divide mixture among muffin cups.

10. Bake for 15 minutes. Refer to the “Meat Temperature Chart” in the Introduction for doneness.

An empanada is a traditional South American stuffed pastry. This version reimagines it as a mini pie but is still packed with the ingredients that make it stand out.

CALORIES
207 calories
FAT
9.6 grams
PROTEIN
8.5 grams
SODIUM
354 mg
CARBOHYDRATES
21.6 grams
SUGARS
2 grams
FIBER
0.4 gram
chicken cordon bleu

Makes 4

4 round or oval deli ham slices

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ½−1" pieces

¹⁄³ cup grated Gruyère cheese

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon heavy cream

⅛ teaspoon rosemary

2 teaspoons seasoned bread crumbs, for topping

Regular

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare 4 regular muffin cups by spraying with cooking spray.

2. Place 1 ham slice in each cup, pressing down to fill the cup. Allow any excess to fold into the cup.

3. Mix chicken, cheese, salt, pepper, mustard, parsley, cream, and rosemary.

4. Divide chicken mixture among cups, and sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Spray tops with cooking spray.

5. Bake for 12−15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Refer to the “Meat Temperature Chart” in the Introduction for doneness.

Chicken cordon bleu is turned inside out when the ham acts as a cup for the dish. This is great with Savory Spinach Muffins (see
Chapter 8
).

CALORIES
132 calories
FAT
6.9 grams
PROTEIN
13.8 grams
SODIUM
498 mg
CARBOHYDRATES
2.3 grams
SUGARS
0.2 gram
FIBER
0.6 gram
peanut chicken with crunchy
soba noodles 

Makes 6

6 ounces soba noodles, cooked according to package instructions

About 1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 small garlic clove, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces

½ teaspoon fresh grated gingerroot

½ cup broccoli florets

1 teaspoon chopped lemongrass (see sidebar)

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon tamari sauce

½ cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Jumbo

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare 6 silicone jumbo muffin cup liners by spraying with cooking spray.

2. Divide soba noodles among cups and place 2−3 drops of sesame oil on each. Gently stir.

3. Bake for 20 minutes.

4. Cook garlic and scallion in olive oil for 1 minute, then add chicken breast, gingerroot, and broccoli and cook until the chicken is almost cooked through.

5. Add lemongrass and peanut butter. Continue cooking.

6. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, tamari and chicken broth with cornstarch, then add to chicken mixture and cook until thickened.

7. Divide chicken mixture among muffin cups and bake for 7 minutes until heated through.

Soba noodles are made with buckwheat; you can find them in the Asian section of your supermarket. Lemongrass is the stalk of a plant, which, not surprisingly, has a lemony flavor. You can buy it fresh in the produce section, but I like to buy it minced in a squeeze tube. It lasts longer and is very easy to use. If you buy it fresh, peel off the hard outer part, and mince the soft inner part. You can substitute crunchy peanut butter for the creamy peanut butter if that’s what you have on hand.

CALORIES
133 calories
FAT
7.3 grams
PROTEIN
7.7 grams
SODIUM
244 mg
CARBOHYDRATES
9.9 grams
SUGARS
0.8 gram
FIBER
0.9 gram
chicken and biscuits

Makes 10

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon flour

1¼ cups chicken broth

⅛ teaspoon onion powder

⅛ teaspoon dried rosemary

⅛ teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

10 regular refrigerated canned biscuits

Regular

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare 10 regular muffin cups.

2. Cook chicken breast in oil over medium heat until cooked through, then remove from pan. Once it is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken and set aside.

3. Using the same pan with the drippings, add butter and flour and cook until combined.

4. Whisk in chicken broth and stir in onion powder, rosemary, and poultry seasoning. Cook until thickened.

5. Stir in the shredded chicken.

6. Press one biscuit into each tin, pressing so it comes about ¾ up the sides.

7. Fill with chicken mixture.

8. Bake for 13 minutes until the biscuit is cooked through.

Chicken and biscuits is one of my favorite meals, and this version now makes it easier and more accessible than ever. Enjoy with Stewed Tomato Cups (see
Chapter 7
).

CALORIES
141 calories
FAT
5.6 grams
PROTEIN
4.9 grams
SODIUM
375 mg
CARBOHYDRATES
16.4 grams
SUGARS
3 grams
FIBER
0.7 gram
chicken fettuccine

Makes 8 or 9

6 ounces fettuccine, cooked according to package instructions

¾ cup cream, divided

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

Salt and pepper

½ a garlic clove

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 ounces light cream cheese

Pinch of nutmeg

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into 1" pieces.

Regular

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, and prepare 8 or 9 regular muffin cups by spraying with cooking spray or lining with silicone liners (with liners you’ll fill about 9; without, about 8).

2. Place fettuccine, ¼ cup cream, ¼ cup Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor and blend until it forms a sticky paste with small pieces of pasta visible.

3. Press pasta mix into muffin cups, pressing up the sides.

4. Bake for 7 minutes.

5. Rub a skillet with the cut side of the garlic, then melt butter in it over medium heat.

6. Add cream cheese, ½ cup Parmesan, ½ cup cream, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¹⁄
8
teaspoon pepper, nutmeg, and parsley. Stir until thickened and cheese is melted.

7. Add chicken and divide among cups.

8. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top and bake for about 7 minutes until bubbly and slightly brown on top and chicken is cooked through.

I love inside-out dishes like this, which combine all the flavors of the classic dish, but present them in a new and fun way. You could use shrimp in this dish instead of chicken, if you prefer.

CALORIES
202 calories (assuming recipe makes 8 servings)
FAT
13.8 grams
PROTEIN
10 grams
SODIUM
251 mg
CARBOHYDRATES
8.4 grams
SUGARS
0.7 gram
FIBER
0.4 gram
Chapter 5
Seafood

Seafood cooks beautifully in muffin tins, and makes it easy to create flavorful and exciting dishes that will entice you to enjoy the bounty of the sea in your diet more often. This chapter contains recipes for shrimp, crab, and different types of fish that you can enjoy cooked in individual muffin cups.

salmon noodle bake

Makes 10

6 ounces salmon fillet, cooked and flaked

2 cups egg noodles, cooked

¼ cup heavy cream

Green part of a scallion, chopped

¼ cup soft light cream cheese

¼ cup green beans, cut into ½" pieces

¼ teaspoon dill weed

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 egg

⅛ teaspoon onion powder

Regular

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare 10 regular muffin cups by lining with foil or silicone liners.

2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl completely.

3. Divide among muffin cups and bake for 12 minutes until cakes are set.

Similar to a tuna noodle casserole, this dish incorporates fresh cooked salmon, noodles, green beans, and cream cheese to create a tasty entrée.

CALORIES
115 calories
FAT
5.8 grams
PROTEIN
6.5 grams
SODIUM
59 mg
CARBOHYDRATES
9 grams
SUGARS
0.6 gram
FIBER
0.5 gram
tilapia with bok choy and loganberry 

Makes 4

2 tilapia fillets

1 head baby bok choy (substitute spinach if preferred)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon loganberry syrup

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce)

½ teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot

Pepper to taste

Jumbo

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, and line 4 jumbo muffin cups with foil liners.

2. Cut each tilapia fillet in half the long way, then again the short way, for a total of 8 pieces.

3. Place 1 of the thinner pieces in each cup.

4. Divide the bok choy among the cups, breaking the leaves in half to fit if needed.

5. Top with remaining fish.

6. In a small bowl, mix oil, syrup, juice, tamari, gingerroot, and pepper.

7. Divide among the cups.

8. Bake for about 13 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

Loganberry syrup is a specialty in my hometown. Loganberry drinks were a staple at the now-defunct Crystal Beach amusement park, but you can still buy loganberry in a soda bottle or the syrup to make your own drink (
Amazon.com
sells PJ’s Crystal Beach Loganberry Syrup). If you do pick up a bottle of syrup, follow the instructions to make your own beverages, or use it over shaved ice for a treat. You can substitute another fruit syrup if you prefer.

CALORIES
88 calories
FAT
1.2 grams
PROTEIN
15.4 grams
SODIUM
128 mg
CARBOHYDRATES
3.5 grams
SUGARS
2.6 grams
FIBER
0.4 gram
shrimp and pesto in phyllo

Makes 6

6 sheets of phyllo dough

½ pound raw shrimp, cleaned and chopped

¼ cup pesto sauce

Regular

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and spray 6 regular muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Cutting through all 6 sheets of phyllo, create 6 squares that are roughly 4½" or 5" on each side.

3. Place the stacks of phyllo squares in the cups, leaving the corners hanging over.

4. Spray the insides of the phyllo cups with cooking spray.

5. Mix shrimp and pesto and divide among cups.

6. Fold the corners of phyllo in over the shrimp, and spray the tops with cooking spray.

7. Bake for 10 minutes until shrimp is cooked through.

Phyllo dough creates a flaky and crisp cup for this dish. You can make your own pesto or buy it prepared in a jar.

CALORIES
93 calories
FAT
4.6 grams
PROTEIN
7.2 grams
SODIUM
440 mg
CARBOHYDRATES
13 grams
SUGARS
0.4 gram
FIBER
0.6 gram
very veggie tuna noodle casserole

Makes 18

3 cups whole wheat egg noodles, cooked until al dente

1 6-ounce can of light tuna in water, drained

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

¼ cup frozen chopped spinach, drained

½ cup roughly chopped very tops of broccoli florets

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Italian herb mix

6 cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 baby bella or button mushrooms, roughly chopped

2 green onions, roughly chopped

¼ cup skim milk

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

8 saltines or other crackers

Regular

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare regular muffin tins by lining 18 cups with foil or silicone liners.

2. Mix all ingredients except crackers in a large bowl.

3. Using an ice cream scoop, fill the cups with the mixture.

4. Crush the crackers, and sprinkle on top, then spray with cooking spray.

5. Bake for 25 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.

This isn’t your mom’s tuna noodle casserole! The colorful and delicious vegetables make this delectable and appealing.

CALORIES
114 calories
FAT
4.1 grams
PROTEIN
7 grams
SODIUM
236 mg
CARBOHYDRATES
11.8 grams
SUGARS
0.8 gram
FIBER
1.4 grams
crab cakes with lemon mayo sauce

Makes 10

5 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs, plus additional for topping

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over

2 eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

½ teaspoon dried dill weed

4 teaspoons lemon juice

½ cup light mayonnaise

Lemon Mayo Sauce

½ cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon dried dill

Ground pepper to taste

Regular

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, and prepare 10 regular muffin cups with foil or silicone liners.

2. Spray the liners with cooking spray, then sprinkle ½ tablespoon of bread crumbs in each and shake to coat bottom and sides.

3. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.

4. Divide among the muffin cups.

5. Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of bread crumbs on each, then spray with cooking spray.

6. Bake for 12−13 minutes until hot throughout and set and serve with Lemon Mayo Sauce.

Lemon Mayo Sauce

1. Mix and serve.

Enjoy these crab cakes as is, with the sauce on the side, or put them on a bun with the sauce slathered on and some lettuce and tomato as toppers. Either way, they are fresh and delicious tasting.

CALORIES
164 calories
FAT
8.9 grams
PROTEIN
10.9 grams
SODIUM
539 mg
CARBOHYDRATES
8.2 grams
SUGARS
1.7 grams
FIBER
0.5 gram
halibut and broccoli with brown butter

Makes 6

2 cups cooked broccoli crowns (or frozen, thawed)

12 ounce halibut fillet, cut into
6 pieces

6 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Jumbo

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