Raspberry Lemon Muffins

We had berries in our CSA basket today and I didn't want them to go to waste! This recipe was perfect! Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons white sugar for decoration (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, egg whites, and, if using, lemon extract. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just blended. Gently stir in the frozen raspberries. Spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the tops for decoration, if desired.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool muffins in the tin on a wire rack.
Original Recipe HERE

Marinated Flank Steak

Oh this was GOOD!

Marinated Flank Steak

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and ground black pepper. Place meat in a shallow glass dish. Pour marinade over the steak, turning meat to coat thoroughly. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 hours.
(you can grill as directed below, or I broiled it. On high, maybe 6-8 minutes on each side)
Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
Oil the grill grate. Place steaks on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill meat for 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Original recipe HERE

Curried Lentils and Rice

If you guys have been following my blog, you know that we are trying to eat a vegetarian meal at least once a week. I made this last week, and it is one of the few meatless meals that got the "you can make this again" approval from both Jer and I, so I thought I'd share, in case you're looking for a pretty good (and cheap!) meatless meal.

Curried Lentils and Rice

Cook dried lentils first.

1 Cup dried brown lentils
2 1/2 cups water
2 bullion cubes (chicken, beef or vegetable - I used chicken because that's what I have, but probably should have used vegetable, right?) :)
1 tsp salt (I would omit this, or at least cut it back a lot, because the bullion cubes make it salty enough)

Put all above ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 min.

Then you'll need:

1/4 cup butter
1 onion (chopped) (I omitted this and just used onion powder)
4 carrots (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tsp. salt (again, I would use less salt)
2 Tbsp. curry powder
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Saute butter, onion, carrots and garlic
Add the salt and curry powder for just a moment
Add cooked lentils and lemon juice and stir all together
Cook until heated through

Serve over brown rice (or white, if you prefer)

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

These were super yummy!! I am trying so hard to not go to my fridge right now and eat the rest! :)

Original Recipe found HERE

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars


Crust
1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9″-square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides. Butter the parchment paper.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Press crust mixture into bottom of pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.
Cookie Dough
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Using an electric mixer, mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

Filling
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended. Pour batter into baked crust. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.

Bake about 30-35 minutes, or until set. Transfer to wire rack.

For chocolate topping, melt 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. (Tip: put the chocolate chips into a zipper bag and heat on 50% power for a few minutes. Cut the corner off the bag and squeeze the bag to make drizzling less messy). Use a teaspoon to drizzle chocolate over top of bars. Cool bars in pan completely, about an hour. (Stick the bars in the freezer for 5 minutes to set quickly if you're in a hurry).

Using the edges of the parchment paper, remove bars from pan. Cut into bars (clean the knife after each cut) and serve.