Blueberry Buckle Muffins with Streusel Topping

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Blueberry Buckle Muffins with Streusel Topping
Recipe Type: Dessert, Breakfast
Cuisine: Muffins and Breads
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 18
Easy, summery muffin recipe with a hint of lemon flavor! I used Greek yogurt and applesauce in place of the extra oil in this one, and it did not disappoint! Fresh, zingy, and a perfect streusel crumble for the top!
Ingredients
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 very ripe banana, mashed
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup lemon flavored Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 cups blueberries
  • For the Crumble:
  • 5 tablespoons cold cubed butter
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, oil, eggs, banana, and applesauce until smooth.
  4. Add yogurt and lemon juice.
  5. Gradually add dry ingredients until just combined.
  6. Fold in the blueberries and gently stir to combine.
  7. Scoop batter into a prepared muffin tin (I lined mine with holders first!).
  8. Top each muffin cup with about 1-2 tablespoons of the crumble topping (see below).
  9. Bake 3 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 22-23 minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown on top.
  10. Repeat with remaining batter.
  11. For the crumb topping, pour the flour, brown sugar and cold cubed butter into a medium bowl. With two forks or knives, cut the butter into the flour and sugar until you are have pea sized crumbs of flour coated butter. Sprinkle on top of each muffin as described above.

 

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Star-Spangled Vanilla Chex Bars (No-bake and Gluten-Free!)

Okay okay, so we didn’t win the soccer game yesterday. But hey, at least we still have our independence! This recipe is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS and the perfect easy take-along to your 4th of July picnic or potluck. You know how Rice Krispie Treats are ALWAYS a hit at parties, even when there are decadent cakes and gourmet pies right next to them? Who knows why… but here’s a more patriotic spin off of the original Rice Krispies recipe that is sure to please your party guests. It literally takes about 10 minutes to make, and it’s gluten-free in case any of your friends are concerned about that! I got the original recipe from Iowa Girl Eats and made a few modifications based on what I could find in the store. Enjoy!

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Star-Spangled Vanilla Chex Bars (No- Bake and Gluten Free!)
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes” (original recipe from Iowa Girl Eats)
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12-16
The perfect picnic dessert that’s simple to make, fancy to look at, easy to eat, and gluten-free!
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 10oz bag mini marshmallows
  • 13.5oz box Vanilla Chex (gluten-free)
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup freeze-dried strawberries (I just used the whole bag they came in)
  • 1/2 cup dried blueberries (you could also use freeze-dried if you can find them!)
Instructions
  1. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with nonstick spray.
  2. Add Vanilla Chex, chocolate chips, freeze-dried strawberries, and dried blueberries to a very large bowl and stir together- careful not to crush the Chex!
  3. Add butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 second increments until melted. Add marshmallows and stir, then microwave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth.
  4. Immediately pour over Chex mixture and carefully stir until evenly coated.
  5. Press into baking dish in an even layer, and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

 

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Southwestern Quinoa Salad

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Southwestern Quinoa Salad
Recipe Type: Salad, Vegetarian, Healthy
Cuisine: Southwestern
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Here’s a fuel-’em-up lunch salad that’s perfect on its own or wrapped up in a tortilla or spread on a few tortilla chips! Pack in the protein and veggies, and it only takes a few minutes to make!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
  • 1 can diced green chiles, drained
  • 1 16 oz jar mild chunky salsa, drained of excess liquid
  • 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped or torn into smaller pieces
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Remove from heat and allow to cool while preparing the rest of the salad.
  2. Combine rest of ingredients in a large bowl and stir.
  3. Stir in quinoa. Add additional lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Can be made in advance and stuck in the fridge!
  5. Serve with a dollop of plain greek yogurt, sour cream, or cheddar cheese! Can be used as a filling in wraps or as a dip for some crunchy tortilla chips.

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I love serving this salad over a bed of greens, with a poached egg and some sliced avocado on top! Garnished with a dollop of plain greek yogurt 🙂

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Lemon Curry Tofu with Orange Honey Yogurt Sauce

Here’s a fun update to my Chickpea Lentil Power Salad! I decided that instead of my normal fried egg to go on top as my “meatless protein,” I’d experiment with a curry marinade and drizzle it with some orange yogurt sauce! A delicious variation to this power salad!

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Curry Tofu with Orange Honey Yogurt Sauce
Recipe Type: Dinner, Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian, Indian, Healthy
Author: Claire McCormick
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Here’s a healthy baked tofu recipe that’ll satisfy the curry-lover in you! I served it on top of my chickpea lentil power salad from a few weeks ago, with a honey lemon yogurt sauce. Delish!
Ingredients
  • 1 14 oz packet firm tofu
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice (or juice of 1/2 squeezed lemon)
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • Squirt of orange juice (about 1 tbsp)
Instructions
  1. Open tofu packet and drain water out.
  2. Slice tofu into 1/2″ slices lengthwise, then place between a few paper towels and set a heavy book or brick on top of the tofu to drain. Drain for 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  4. Add all marinade contents (up to honey) to a quart-sized ziplock bag and shake vigorously to combine.
  5. Cut tofu into squares of about 1/2″. Add to bag with marinade ingredients. Shake vigorously until completely coated. Marinate in fridge for at least 20 minutes.
  6. Empty the tofu onto a large, well-oiled cookie sheet.
  7. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through.
  8. Broil an addition 4-5 minutes for a nice crisp on the outside!
  9. **Optional: Toss some broccoli and cauliflower into the remaining marinade in the bag, then add to the pan with the tofu. Remove from oven before broiling.
  10. For the dressing, whisk together honey, yogurt, and orange juice. Drizzle over tofu.

 

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His and Her “Crustless” Quiche

I never really liked quiche before… and I think that’s because of the icky store bought refrigerated pie crust that it gets baked in. For some reason, the sides of the pie always crumbled on my fork, and it never tasted like much anyway. I’ve realized since that I would really enjoy quiche (I mean, who DOESN’T like a baked mixture of eggs, veggies, and about three types of cheese?) if it didn’t have a crust. At the same time, there is something comforting about having some sort of shape to the slice- some kind of “crunch” at the bottom that makes it a bit more satiating.

The other night I was preparing two quiches for an event at church, but I also wanted to make one for home. The problem is that pie crust comes in packs of two at the store. Hmmmm… wheels went spinning. Why not use the leftover barley soup I had made the night before (which had sort of already sucked up all the liquid from the cooked barley I’d added!) and somehow beef it up a bit to turn it into a crust of sorts? After all, I’d heard of other people using quinoa as a base- why not barley?

The soup was still a bit too runny to serve as a sturdy crust, so I added some random dry ingredients I had on hand- I didn’t want to mess with clumps of flour in my dinner, so I decided on some good ol’ fashioned, wholesome oats, and Panko bread crumbs. I also added an egg together before pressing it down into the dish to help the crust set a bit better.

Then, layered in the rest of the quiche ingredients as per usual! Since Ben and I would both be eating this, I used diced ham and shredded cheddar on “his” side, and turkey and swiss on “mine.”

The result was exactly what I was hoping for- a lighter pie with a chewy crust on the bottom and crisped sides. Plus, with every bite you get a forkful of veggies from the original soup! Served over a spinach salad, this was the perfect addition to our regular “staples.” In fact, Ben even said it was the “best quiche I’d ever made!” Well, that seals the deal- definitely making this one again!

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His and Her “Crustless” Quiche
Recipe Type: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Healthy, Savory
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
A crustless quiche recipe light enough to satisfy the lady’s mind and hearty enough to satisfy the man’s stomach! Read on to find out the secret ingredient!
Ingredients
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup leftover vegetable soup (I used an organic “rustic bean and vegetable” boxed soup from the “simply balanced” line at Target- link in the intro above!)
  • 1/2 cup cooked pearl barley
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
  • 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup raw old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • raw spinach
  • handful of chopped broccoli or cauliflower (or both)
  • handful of sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
  • diced ham
  • shredded deli turkey
  • shredded cheese (any kind, but I used a “casserole” blend)
  • sliced Swiss cheese, torn into smaller pieces
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together soup, barley, and 1 of the eggs.
  3. Add bread crumbs and oats. Stir to combine.
  4. Using fingers or back of a spoon, press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a lightly oiled pie plate.
  5. Layer spinach (I torn mine into smaller pieces first) into dish, followed by broccoli and tomatoes. In half the dish, sprinkle ham. In other half, add the shredded turkey.
  6. In the mixing bowl, beat the remaining 3 eggs, milk, cottage cheese, spices, salt and pepper. Pour into the dish.
  7. On ham side of the quiche, sprinkle a handful of shredded cheese. On other half (turkey side), place the Swiss cheese slices.
  8. Bake uncovered at 350 for 40-50 minutes, or until eggs have set and cheese is bubbling.
  9. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving

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Mediterranean Barley Power Salad with Cucumber Lemon Marinade

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Mediterranean Barley Power Salad with Cucumber Lemon Marinade
Recipe Type: Salad, Healthy
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Perfect for Meatless Monday! And vegan, too!
Ingredients
  • 2 cups cooked pearl barley, cooled
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1/2 cucumber, chopped roughly
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped roughly
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped roughly
  • 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped roughly
  • 3 stalks green onion, chopped
  • 1 bunch cilantro, minced
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • juice of one lemon
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried dill (or 1 bunch fresh! I didn’t have fresh on hand, unfortunately)
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley (or 1 bunch fresh)
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • spinach, for serving
  • fried egg, for topping
  • Plain Greek yogurt, for topping
  • frozen pomegranate seeds, for topping
  • parmesan or feta cheese, for topping
Instructions
  1. Prepare bulgur according to package directions (I used my rice cooker!) and cool.
  2. Chop up the red onion and green onion and add to a bowl of ice water (this helps take out the “bite” from the onion!).
  3. Chop the veggies, herbs, and all spices and add to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  4. Add the garbanzo beans.
  5. Mix in cooled bulgur.
  6. Add lemon juice and olive oil and stir until well coated.
  7. Drain onions and add to mixture.
  8. Sprinkle in salt and pepper.
  9. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
  10. Serve over spinach and top with a fried egg, plain Greek yogurt, parmesan or feta cheese, and a handful of pomegranate seeds!

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