Best Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

There is nothing better than having a fresh baked muffin in the morning. They are so easy to make and can be eaten on the go if like me, you find yourself rushed in the mornings. This recipe is so great and is always really moist. I found this recipe on Cat Can Cook and just added chocolate chips to it.
3 or 4 large mashed bananas
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup of butter
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bakingsoda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. I find using bananas that are just a bit over ripe makes it easier to mash them and you get a better flavour.

In a mixer combine the bananas, sugar, butter and egg and set aside.

In a separate bowl sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set your mixer to a low speed and add the dry ingredient mix in two batches. This helps keep the dry ingredients in the bowl instead of all over you.

Line a muffin tin and fill them 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy.

 

Roast Chicken with roasted vegetables

There is nothing better than a good roast chicken with roasted vegetables on a Sunday night. You may think that roast chicken is too time consuming or are afraid you will under cook it but don't worry, once its in the oven you are free to do what you want. As for under cooking the chicken its simple, cook the chicken until the legs move freely in the joint or cook for 20 minutes a pound. I like to use Jamie Oliver's roast chicken recipe as a guide. His method of putting a boiled lemon inside the chicken makes it so moist and flavour full I don't think I would ever cook a whole chicken again without using a lemon in it.
4 1/2 lb chicken
sea salt and black pepper
1 large lemon
fresh thyme
fresh rosemary
butter
Take your chicken out of the fridge about half an hour before you are going to cook it. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil you lemon for about 3 minutes and remove it from the water. Carefully take the lemon in your hand, I find putting a folded tea towel or an oven mitt in my hand first and then picking up the lemon keeps me from getting burnt. Prick the lemon about 10 times with a knife before you place it in the chicken.

Put the rosemary and thyme inside the cavity of the chicken before you put the lemon in. Lift up the skin from the flesh of the chicken with your fingers so that you can get some of the thyme and rosemary under the skin. Rub the butter all over the chicken, this will make it go nice and crispy golden colour.

Put the chicken in the oven and turn down the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes, remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes.

 

If like me you like roasted vegetables with your chicken then put them in the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking. Quarter and parboil all or your vegetables for about 3 minutes before putting them in the over. Put all the parboiled vegetables in an oven safe dish and toss with olive oil, rosemary, thyme and 4 or 5 whole garlic cloves. Crush the garlic with the palm of your hand before putting them in with the vegetables so you get the flavour of the garlic without getting a big chunk of garlic on your vegetables. Once they are all covered in olive oil and in a single layer season with salt and pepper and put them in the oven for 45 minutes. 

 

Once the chicken has sat for 15 minutes carve and serve. I hope you like this chicken as much as I do :) Its really flavourful and never dry. 

Paninis

Paninis are one of my favourite things to make because you can put just about anything you can imagine in them. I love a good goat cheese and roasted vegetable panini or a  Swiss cheese and roast beef panini. Its much easier to make a panini if you have a panini maker but two heavy cast iron frying pans heated will work as well. A good loaf of crusty Italian bread is best but a few day old loaf of sour dough bread will work just as well. Slice the bread into thick slices. 

Put mustard, or mayonnaise on both slices of the bread and remeber to brush olive oil onto the sides of the bread that will be places on the grill. Put your first slice of bread on the grill and put a slice of cheese of your choice, just nothing to runny, onto the bread followed by your veggies or meat of choice.

Place another piece of cheese onto the meat and the other slice of bread. Close the panini press so that it squashes down the sandwich. Leave the paninis in for about 3 to 5 minutes depending on how hot your press gets. When golden brown remove from the press and enjoy :)

 

New Years Resolution or Devils food cupcakes

Clearly my New Years resolution is not to cut out sweets and junk food, not even 3 days into the new year and I've already made chocolate devils food cupcakes. I figure I ran 10K on new years eve I can have a cupcake ..... or 12. For those of you who are not familiar with devils food it is the same as angel food cake just chocolate. I like angel or devils food cake for cupcakes because it is lighter and not as dense as a traditional cupcake, so you don't feel as guilty eating them.

Devils food cupcakes
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
6 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 6 or 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter in an electric mixer untill smooth, around 2 minutes. Increase the speed and slowly add the sugar until light and smooth.

Decrease the speed and add the eggs one at a time making sure they are completely mixed in before adding the next egg. Add the vanilla and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Bring the water just to a boil and remove from heat. At low speed slowly add the flour mixture into the butter batter in 4 instalments alternating between flour and water.

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 of the way full and cook for about 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool fully before icing them.

Chocolate Icing
1/3 cup of butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk

In a mixer beat the butter until smooth and add the confectioners sugar, cocoa, vanilla and milk. When mixed ice away.