Best Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

How to Bake Muffins

Baking muffins is fairly easy - All you have to do is decide just what kind of muffins you want to bake. My muffins are very popular with the guests at our B&B. Here is what you will need. It takes around 20 minutes to make up a delicious batch of muffins. Do NOT try to bake two batches at the same time or one will come out overcooked!

You need:
* plain flour
* one large egg
* sugar
* baking powder (to make it rise)
* flavouring

This is my easy recipe for my own chocolate chip muffins (makes 12 small or 6 big ones.) Most people find this foolproof. You will need the following on your kitchen table. It really helps to assemble everything first.

* Large Mixing Bowl for the dry ingredients (My Victorian bowl is still the best!).
* Fine metal sieve
* Smaller mixing bowl for the wet ingredients (I use a pyrex bowl)
* Cup or mug for butter One teaspoon dessert spoon
* Non-Stick muffin tray with paper cases place in holes. (paper cases are MUCH easier to use and the muffins will not stick to them)
* Wooden spoon balloon whisk (or fork)
* Packet of chocolate chips (100 g)
* Good quality vanilla essence
* 8 oz milk (just over 200cc)

Measure out the following:

* 10 ounces (250g) of PLAIN FLOUR
* 3 teaspoons (15g) (heaped a little bit) of BAKING POWDER
* 1/2 teaspoon of SALT
* 3 ounces (85g) of granulated SUGAR (I use demerara sugar but white is fine too)
* Soften 3 ounces of butter in cup in oven or microwave (on low or it gets messy) just until liquid is ok
First light your oven (around 5 to 6 is best for a gas oven).

Pour the sugar and the chocolate chips into the big bowl. Sieve above the big mixing bowl on to the sugar and chocolate. chips Pour through the sieve the flour with the salt and the baking powder (I like to sprinkle salt & Baking powder over the flour so it mixes better.)

Take the balloon whisk or fork and mix well till it all looks fairly well mixed. (Do not wash the balloon whisk you will need it again now!)

Crack the egg into the smaller bowl whisk until it is pale yellow pour in the milk and whisk again till well mixed.

Take butter out of microwave. Light oven to gas mark 5 to 6 (depends on your oven!) Pour molten butter into small bowl with egg/milk mix. Whisk like crazy or the butter will solidify and go lumpy. (they will still taste good )

Whisk into wet mixture TWO teaspoons Vanilla essence. Pour wet mixture on to dry mixture and with a wooden spoon mix well - again as fast as you can.

With dessert spoon half fill paper cups in muffin tray. Top up muffin cases with mixture till it is all evenly placed in cases. Now put tray of muffins on middle shelf of oven. Set timer/watch for 11 minutes.

After 10 minutes peek into oven press on a muffin - it should be firm to the touch. If they are still soft then close oven and come back again in a couple of minutes.

Eat your yummy muffins!

I Hope you love these muffins as much as I do. My waist shows how much that is.
Please visit my website for more recipes at http://www.squidoo.com/howtobakeacake
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Jones

Try This Tangy and Spicy Beef Soup and it is Okay For the Diabetics, Too!

I am a person who could eat soup everyday all-year-round. If you like soup, too, try this Tangy and Spicy Beef Soup for something new. This soup is made with steak, vegetable broth, vegetables, pasta, spices, etc. Served with a crusty bread, cornbread, or assorted crackers, it is good no matter how you serve it. If you have family members, like my husband, who think they need steak instead of soup, well here you go. They get their steak in their soup! For a healthier soup, or if there are diabetics in your group, I recommend you use whole-wheat pasta.

TANGY AND SPICY BEEF SOUP

3/4 to 1 lb beef round tip steak
1 can (approx. 14-oz) vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup julienned carrots
3 tbsp lite soy sauce, divided
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes
1 oz uncooked angel hair pasta, (about 1/4 cup broken up)
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Cut the steak lengthwise in half then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips.

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the broth, 1 1/2 cups water, mushrooms, carrots, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the vinegar and red pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet in 1 tablespoon olive oil, if needed, stir-fry the steak pieces to brown lightly.

Add the angel hair pasta to the broth mixture and simmer for another 5 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and the 1/4 cup water until smooth; stir into the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the beef to the soup and remove from the heat. Cover the saucepan and let stand for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining soy sauce and the green onions. Serve immediately while still hot.

Yield: 4 servings.

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com For her old fashion recipe collection visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Carol_Wilson

How to Make Steamboat Soup

You need a good steamboat soup for an enjoyable steamboat feast. There are many ready-made soups that you can buy from the supermarkets, but there is nothing that beats the real thing. Here is a simple recipe that you can use to make a delicious steamboat soup.

This serves around 4-6 people.

You will need:

• 10 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tablespoon of tamarind pulp
• 150 ml of boiling water
• 1200 ml of water
• 2 tablespoons of Thai fish sauce
• 8 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of caster sugar
• 1 small pineapple, cut into huge chunks
• 170g of tomatoes, cut into 4 pieces each
• 8 spring onions
• 250g of prawns
• 3 squids, cut into thick rings
• 250g of fish fillets, preferably cod fish
• some coriander leaves
• 2 chillies, sliced thinly

Here are the directions:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan and when it is hot, deep-fry the garlic until it is golden-brown to bring out its fragrance. Drain the oil away and leave the garlic on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.

2. Put the tamarind pulp into a mixer bowl with the boiling water and leave it to stand for 20 minutes. Allow the pulp to dissolve. Strain the liquid through a sieve and discard the residue. Put the liquid into a saucepan with the water and mix it with the sugar, pineapple, tomatoes, spring onions and fish sauce. Cook until it boils.

3. Pour the mixture into the hot pan and add in the garlic, prawns, squid rings and fish fillets. Allow it to simmer for 6 minutes.

4. Serve the steamboat while it is hot.

This is a delicious soup base and you can add in all the seafood that you need for a fantastic family gathering. Top it up with coriander leaves and chillies for added flavour.

Banana Bread Recipe

There can be no substitute for the banana bread. Soft, moist bread with the sweet taste of bananas is just the right snack to go into a child's school snack box. This is one snack that's enjoyed by children and adults all over the world. And it's so easy to make too. You don't have to go searching for ingredients. Whenever you have bananas that have become over-ripe, you could bake a batch of sweet bread. Leave alone the taste and the flavour; I bake bread habitually because I love its aroma.

Bananas have a long freezer life. You can store blackened bananas in the freezer for as many as six months and use them to make bread whenever you want. This fragrant bread is said to have been found in the eighteenth century by housewives who experimented with pearlash as a leavening agent. The recipe was revived in the 1930's when baking powder became popular. Now, banana bread is popular throughout the world as a comfort food. Australia has a special fondness for this bread; they even celebrate a National Banana Bread day every year on Feb 23rd.

This bread has in it the goodness of bananas; potassium, found in bananas helps to regulate blood pressure and helps to calm down frayed nerves. You can make your homemade banana bread healthier by adding raisins and nuts. If you've never made this dish before, you'd be surprised at how easy this is. Just bake many loaves and store it in your freezer to use whenever you want.
Here's my recipe for banana bread.

You'll need -
All-purpose flour - 2 cups
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 1/2 cup
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Brown sugar 3/4 cup
Beaten eggs - 2
Overripe banana pulp - 2 1/3 cups

Instructions -
1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease a bread pan, 9 x 5 inches. Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

2. Take another bowl and fold in brown sugar with softened butter. Blend in eggs and mashed bananas and keep mixing till the mixture's uniform. Now, pour this mixture into the flour bowl and mix. Transfer this batter to the bread pan. Keep this in the oven and bake for one hour. The banana bread is ready if it passes the toothpick test. Let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes; then transfer to a wire rack.

Your banana bread is ready. Serve this with butter and a cup of hot tea.

If you would like to see the photo of this final bread, please visit: http://www.homemaderecipes.org/featured-food-photo-gallery/banana-bread-by-ginnerobot/

Awesome Chocolate Pie Recipe

My family loves chocolate pie. The more I make it, the more my family wants it!! I thought a good way to spread chocolate cheer is to explain the bliss of chocolate pie to more people. Here goes! The basics of chocolate pie (in order of importance) are:

Filling
Pie crust
Whipped cream
Toppings

The biggest difference you can make is in the filling. The next is the crust, and last is the whipped cream. The toppings can also make an impact, but I place this in last place. :-) These items in concert make the best overall recipe. However, some of these components are more impactful than others.

The crust can vary. One good recipe we use are crushed Oreo cookies in the crust. Other times, crushed peanut butter cookies are a good choice as well. Most often, we use crushed graham crackers. If you are seeking a quick and easy method, a ready-made pie crust will do also.
The best filling I've ever made was with chocolate pudding. Chocolate pudding can vary, but find your best pudding you like, and reduce the consistency by 1/4 to make the filling rigid. A good article on filling is here.

The toppings you place on the pie can make a great impact as well. I've seen M&M's, chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, and many other candy treats. Naturally, you'll want a flavor that compliments the chocolate goodness you've made! This is my favorite chocolate pie recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!

3 Excellent Asian Vegetarian Recipes - Easy Step By Step Cooking Instructions

One of the best ways to enjoy the delicious vegetarian cooking is by cooking some Asian dish. You can cook any of the various Asian vegetarian cooking recipes. Some individuals like to choose their own Asian vegetarian cooking that is their favorite while others like to try something new from the list of Asian vegetarian cooking. Some of the great recipes are as follows:

(I) Indian Lentils with Rice:

You need to have the following ingredients to cook this dish.

1) finely chopped one tablespoon gingerroot
2) finely chopped two garlic cloves
3) five 1/4 cups of vegetable broth
4) one teaspoon of ground turmeric
5) one cup chopped large tomato (1 tomato)
6) two teaspoons of dried mint leaves or fresh mint leaves that are chopped
7) one 1/2 cups of plain fat-free yogurt
8) eight chopped medium green onions(1/2 cup)
9) crushed red pepper (1/8 teaspoon)
10) one 1/2 cups or 12 ounces of dried lentils, rinsed and sorted
11) half teaspoon salt
12) one-fourth cup shredded coconut
13) three cups of hot cooked rice

Now just follow some cooking steps as,

First of all, spray cooking spray on 3-quart saucepan. Now, cook gingerroot, garlic, onions and red pepper in saucepan. Until onions become tender stir occasionally themixed ingredients in saucepan on medium flame for three to five minutes.

Secondly, stir turmeric, lentils and salt in five cups of broth. Reduce heat once it reaches the boiling stage. Cover the dish and let it simmer for about half an hour until the lentils are tender. If required, add remaining broth.

Thirdly, you need to stir the mixture in coconut, mint and tomato. Serve the dish with yogurt over rice.

(II) Spicy Confetti Noodles:

You need to have the following ingredients to cook this dish.

1) two medium bell peppers
2) ten ounces of uncooked spaghetti or two packages of Japanese curly noodles of five ounces each
3) 1/3 cup water
4) half teaspoon of chicken bouillon granules
5) two tablespoons soy sauce
6) one teaspoon curry powder
7) two finely chopped garlic cloves
8) three medium green onions
9) medium carrots 10) two teaspoons sesame oil
11) 1/4 cup of water or dry sherry
12) finely chopped one tablespoon gingerroot
13) one tablespoon of chili puree with garlic
14) 1/4 teaspoon of sugar

Now just follow some cooking steps as,

First of all, cut the onions into two inch pieces. Then cut these pieces into thin strips. You need to cut carrots into julienne strips and bell peppers into thin strips.

Secondly, read the instructions on the package and cook noodles accordingly. Then, toss the noodles along with some oil in a large bowl. Stir carrots, bell peppers and onions.

Thirdly, you need to mix the remaining ingredients in 12-inch skillet or wok. Stir occasionally on medium heat and to boiling. Add noodle mixture and toss it with some sauce. Stir the contents constantly and heat it properly.

(III) Indian Split Peas along with vegetables

You need to have the following ingredients to cook this dish.
1) 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin or 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seed
2) finely chopped and seeded two jalapeno chilies
3) two cups of cooked yellow split peas
4) drained and rinsed two cups of Green Giant frozen sweet peas and one can of Progresso black beans.
5) two teaspoons vegetable oil
6) 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
7) three cups or one pound cauliflowerets
8) 1/4 cup vegetable broth or chicken

Now just follow some cooking steps as,

First of all, heat the oil over medium-high in a 10-inch sillet. Stir occasionally and cook chillies, turmeric and cumin in oil for two minutes.

Secondly, stir broth and cauliflowerets and cook for around 3 to 4 minutes. Cook until the cauliflowerets are tender.

Add all the remaining ingredients into the sillet and stir occasionally. Cook for about five minutes until it is hot.

Abhishek is really passionate about Cooking and he has got some great Cooking Secrets. up his sleeves! Download his FREE 88 Pages Ebook, "Cooking Mastery!" from his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com/770/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal

Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

Baked chicken breast can be prepared in different ways. This article contains one such recipe. Some items can be substituted out, or in, or as replacements for ones that are mentioned. For instance, you may want to add some cheese to the recipe, remove the paprika, or use sea salt instead of the regular kind. This recipe does call for the chicken to be marinated overnight, so allow for sufficient time.

Ingredients

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2 cups sour cream, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup lemon or lime juice, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. paprika, 4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, 1 3/4 cup bread crumbs, dry 1/2 cup melted butter

Directions

Dry the chicken as well as possible. In a separate bowl, stir together the sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, lemon or lime juice, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper. Place the chicken into this marinade, and be sure that all the pieces are coated well. Let the chicken marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

When ready to bake the recipe, set the oven to preheat at 350 degrees while making the final preparations. Using a baking pan, set the chicken in it so that there is only one layer. Cover the top with the dry bread crumbs, and then drizzle the melted butter over the dish. Allow the meal to bake uncovered until it is tender in texture and brown in color, which should be around 1 hour.
The of servings this recipe provides may vary depending on the size of each helping. Serve this baked chicken breast meal warm.

You can read further about baked chicken breast recipe ideas, and other related information, at BakedChickenBreast.org.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_K.

Steak Marinade Recipes

Anyone who has followed our blog for a bit knows that I am a fan of marinades and so I though that I would give you a couple of good steak marinade recipes. Now not a lot because I give out a whole lot more in our free newsletter that you can sign up for. And then we have our new ecookbook coming out soon which will have a lot more recipes in it.

Here is a good balsamic steak marinade recipe which I love to use:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic - chopped
optional: a few sprinkles of red chili flakes.

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a medium bowl. Place the steaks (this recipe will work for up to 4 steaks) in a plastic bag or shallow dish, pour the marinade over them, and refrigerate. Turn occasionally if needed to marinate evenly. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and drain well. Grill steaks, uncovered, to desired doneness.

Here is one we used to use in the restaurant business for beef kabobs (and even pork) but will work great on steaks:

* 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, olive oil, or peanut oil,
* 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning,
* 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar,
* 1 1/2 teaspoons of pepper,

Stir together all of the ingredients and marinate your steak in the refrigerator for 2-6 hours. It can be left overnight in the refrigerator. You can also use the marinade to baste your steak while cooking.
So when asked about steak marinade recipes you can always share some of these. They are great on steak, whether it be ribeye, porterhouse, delmonico, you name it. And then when talking about steak marinade recipes remember that we have a lot more in our free newsletter that you can sign up for.

For more great recipes visit Chef Michael's Barbeque Blog at: Steak Marinade Recipes
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Cobb

One of the Top Five Recipes For Pork Chops

There are so many different ways that you can get pork chops. Hopefully, we are going to give you one of the top five recipes for pork chops here today. First of all, look at how you can purchase them. You can have the bone in, or you can get them without the bone: hence, the term, boneless.
You can get your pork chops loin, or you can get them as they are called rib chops. But here is the most important thing to consider when you are buying and grilling the pork chop: thickness. For the thinner chops, meaning under three-fourths of an inch, they need to be handled just a little bit different than the thicker pork chops. And then, again, when I say, thicker, I mean anything that is over that three-fourths of an inch.

Simply put, for all recipes for pork chops, the thinner ones will tend to dry out faster. So those we need to grill (or bake, or fry on the stovetop) faster and quicker over a higher heat than the thicker ones.

With the thicker ones, we need to cook them slower and over a lower heat because we want them to cook all the way through but at the same time not to dry out.

When grilling thin chops we need a fire that is hot so that we can BBQ them quickly. We are going to treat them just like a good steak. We are going to just flip them once over a fire as hot as we can get. The whole thing with those thin chops should not take us more than about five minutes. Remember, those thin chops will dry out rather quickly so that is why we are going to be cooking them over a hot and fast fire.

Now when we are thinking of recipes for pork chops, a lot of times thicker cut pork chops come to mind. That is a good thing for they are so tasty and delicious...when they are cooked right. And that would mean just the opposite of barbequing the thinner ones.

Here is a good tip for grilling up those thicker cuts of pork chops. At the start we want the fire just as hot as when we would be doing the thinner cuts because we are going to sear the chops on both sides very quickly over that high heat.

Preheat your grill as high as it will go (if you are using charcoal build your fire hotter on one side for searing with a cooler side to finish them off on). Put the chops on the grill and close the lid. After one minute open the grill and flip the chops. Close the lid for one minute. Now turn down the heat on your grill to medium (or move the chops to the cooler side of your charcoal grill). Rotate the chops to get your cross hatch marks and let them cook for about 3 more minutes with the lid down. After this time flip the chops over and continue cooking for about 4 more minutes. It is best at this point to turn your grill down to its lowest setting (or close the vents on your charcoal grill).

Now, that is a basic primer for cooking pork chops. And I know that this will be a little different but today we are going to give you a recipe for what I would call 'indoor cooking.' You are going to be baking your pork chops in the oven with this recipe, but trust me, it is really good.

I will be talking about French's Mustard, but in the restaurant I used to use Ranch dressing. The end result that you wind up with is still the same: you are going to get a product which is tasty, juicy, moist, and you will really be impressed with it.

With all that being said, I though I would write about one of my favorites that I would fix in honor of one of my kids who is a 'mustard' nut. Mustard, mustard, mustard, as long as it was French's and it was yellow.

Ingredients:

6 pork chops
Salt & pepper to taste
French's mustard
2 cups Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with salt & pepper to taste. Brush the mustard on both sides.
3. Coat on both sides with the bread crumbs and then place on a wire rack so that it is off of a baking sheet. You do not want it sitting in a pan. You want the hot air of the oven to be able to reach all sides of the meat.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

There you go, one of the top recipes for pork chops. They are really good and have a hint of mustard flavor seasoning the meat. And then, of course, you know that the resting part is the most important part of cooking, whether it be grilling or baking. Once you get them the way you want them, then place them on a dish, or plate and cover with aluminum foil for about five to ten minutes to let them rest. This period of recovery is what lets the meat loosen up and the juices to flow back into the pork chops.

And remember you can always make your pork chops barbeque style, Cajun, Asian, Mexican, or even Southwestern. You can even add some honey/mustard. If you are going for that Mediterranean flavor then try adding some garlic, basil, thyme, and rosemary. If it were Asian, then you can always add ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. If it were to be barbeque, then some good barbecue rub along with some Liquid Smoke.

Hopefully I have given you some good ideas for when you are looking for recipes for pork chops.
For more great recipes and tips and advice from Chef Michael check out my barbeque blog at: Recipes For Pork Chops

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Cobb

5 Easy Microwave Egg Recipes For Students

Being a student means you have very little time or money to spend on your food. Heres five simple egg recipes that you can do in your microwave oven. Using your microwave will not only save you time but also use less energy and can provide you with some great nutritious meals.Eggs are simple and easy to cook, they have great nutritional value and will help retain you through those long evenings of study. Because they are full of protein they are a great source for athletes to help build up muscle.

1. Scrambled eggs: This is probably the easiest thing to cook in a microwave. Take one egg and crack it into a microwave safe container. Add about a tablespoon of water or milk and whisk the two together and put them in your microwave oven. Cook on full power for 50 seconds or 1/2 power for 1and a half minutes. Remove from your microwave and stir with a fork. Leave this to stand for two minutes and in less than five minutes you will have light fluffy scrambled eggs.

2. Breakfast English Muffin: Take a microwave cup and melt some butter in it for about 15 seconds. Swish the butter around the cup [ this helps to stop the egg from sticking to the cup ] crack an egg into the cup and microwave on full power for 45 seconds. Be careful though to check the power of your microwave and adjust your cooking time appropriately as the egg may explode. Cook some bacon on a microwave griddle until your happy that its cooked right for you. Butter an English muffin add the bacon, a slice of cheese and the egg and blast on full power your microwave for another 15 seconds. You have a great breakfast muffin in little time that will keep you going through the morning.

3. Garlic cod with eggs: Take a small piece of cod, between two and four ounces and place it in a microwave safe dish and add a clove of chopped garlic. Cover this with a microwave cover or microwave safe wrap. Cook on full power for about a minute. Whisk two or three eggs together and pour them over the fish cook on full power for a further two minutes. Take out of the microwave and leave to stand for two minutes. This makes a great filling and healthy meal for you to enjoy and will impress your friends.

4. Fridge omelette: Take all those left over bits of veg,ham,bacon and any other left overs in your fridge. Put them in a microwave dish and add two or three eggs and cook on full power for one and a half minutes. This should use up your left overs ad give you a tasty fun snack.

5. Meringue with mars bar sauce: Take two egg whites and add sugar or a sweetener, whisk the two together until the mixture turns into white peaks. Butter a microwave dish and spoon in three or four blobs of of the mixture. Microwave on full power until it puffs up. Take out of the microwave and leave to finish cooking through. Chop up a mars bar and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on full power until it melts. Pour the sticky mess over the puffed up meringues and consume rapidly. Be careful as the melted mars will be very hot.

These recipes are all easy and quick to prepare and are great value. Ideal for students and people on tight budgets. You can use any microwave to cook them in.
Brought to you by Rossgo of http://www.everythingmicrowaves.com