Muffin Tin Mania: 20 Unique Muffin Ideas

"Muffin Tin, how do I love thee, let me count the ways.  You have faithfully cooked up delicious little cakes and breads since the day of your invention, and we have discovered that you are the perfect pan to make delightful, little portable, handheld meals, snacks and desserts already portioned out in just the right size.  Children and adults  love the foods that pop out of those little cups of yours; food that is perfect for  parties, picnics, or lunch boxes; breakfasts, lunch or dinner; to stay or to go; beautiful or rustic; wholesome or comforting, glitzy or humble, your creations are perfect for any occasion. You are adorable".

One of the most viewed posts on this blog,  is Spaghetti Pie Meal in a Muffin as pictured in the header. It isn't the post I would have thought to have had so much traffic. It has been featured in several websites such as Chowhound,  Luvo, Huffington Post and The Whoot, all of which have contributed to its popularity; but I think the main reason that it has done so well, is that Muffin Tin ideas are flourishing and I can understand why, they are irresistible. I find myself often thinking of meals that I can make for the muffin tin.

Soooo …..I decided to share some of my favorite muffin tin ideas that I have saved on my Muffin and Cupcake Pinterest board; they are from a variety of websites, including this one. So get out those  muffin tins, and put them to use with some of these recipes, and change up the menu plan with a little bit of fun.

Cheesy Steak Cups

by Gather For Bread

Pizza Pie Muffins 

From Where Your Treasure Is

Hashbrown Egg Muffins 

By Play Party Pin

Meatball Sandwich Muffins

by Where Your Treasure Is

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

by Circle of Moms

Mini Corn Dog Muffins

by Iowa Girl Eats

Shepherd's Pie Muffin

From Where Your Treasure Is

Breakfast Oatmeal Cupcakes

From Chocolate Covered Katie

Reuben Sandwich Muffins

From Where Your Treasure Is

Almost No Bake Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies
From Carlsbad Cravings

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

From Cakes Cottage

Meatloaf Cupcakes

from Cincyshopper.com

Eggplant Parmagiana Meal in a Muffin

From Where Your Treasure Is

Baked Potato Cupcakes

From Dairy Makes Sense

Granola Yogurt Cups

From Muffin Mania

Mac n Cheese Muffins

From Fifteen Spatulas

Trim Healthy Mama Compliant

Chocolate Pecan Muffins
from Flowers in His Garden

Eggs in a Potato Nest

from Stranded Foodie

Pancake and Sausage Muffins

from Heavenly Homemakers

Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Muffins
from Where Your Treasure Is

14 Southern Recipes for Pie and a Free e-Cookbook

I have been having a bit of catch up time with Steve here in Colorado, and enjoying every moment of being with him… as well as cooking up a storm for him.  I had felt his deprivation of some lovingly made home cooked meals, over the last few months and have been working away to fill  that gap.  He has finally cried "Mercy", so now I am refocusing from the cooking of comfort foods, to the cooking of some leaner meals…. we don't have the metabolism we once had haha.  I haven't quite gotten my blogging inspiration going, so I have been away from blogland longer than I had intended.  Hope to remedy that soon.

I did have some fun news that arrived in my e-mail today so I thought I would share it with you;  I was asked to be a part of an E- Cookbook recently called 14 Southern Recipes for Pie. I was notified today, that it was completed and published. It is put together by FaveSouthernRecipes.  They have featured two of my recipes on their site in the past, (Texas Sheet Cake  and Strawberry Hand Pies), which I have greatly appreciated, and they have just finished this e-Cookbook on Pies, which has my recipe for those Little Strawberry Pies in it.  If you click the link, and scroll down to the Hand Pie Section, you will see my little pies featured there; It is the first picture on the left.  You can also down load the e-Cookbook, it is free.  If you are a "pie junky"  like I am, I'm sure you will love it.

Have a lovely week end Everyone;

Quinoa Lentil Salad

Beans or legumes combined with grains make a complete protein,  They also make nice salads, and are perfect in summer to serve as light, cool suppers, or side dishes.  You can easily take extra left over beans of any kind and grains of any kind and combine them with a variety of ingredients; veggies, fruits, cheeses, nuts and a nice dressing; toss together and you have a delicious salad.

I  have come to enjoy Quinoa over the years.  It is a nice variation from brown rice, and is higher in protein, fiber and many vitamins.  This salad is loaded with healthy ingredients and is so refreshing and delicious.

Dice all of your veggies: Tomatoes

Onions

Carrots

Celery

Cucumber

And fresh Basil (or any herbs you like).

Combine in a bowl.

Drizzle with Lemon Juice and Olive Oil.

Gently Toss to combine.

Top with Feta Cheese and serve.

Quinoa Lentil Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 1/4 cups cooked lentils
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 of a medium/small onion, diced
1 clove fresh garlic, crushed and diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/3 cup thinly sliced and diced celery
3/4 cup diced cucumber
1/3 cup fresh herbs, chopped ( I have used parsley, basil and dill, and sometimes a combination).
3 -4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

1. Place quinoa, lentils and all of the chopped vegetables and herbs in a bowl.
2. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper.
3. Toss gently to mix.
4. Top with feta cheese
5. Enjoy!

Enjoy!

Creamy Cottage Cheese and Coconut Pancakes

I loved the food in Russia when we were there.  I was surprised at how many delicious comforting foods there were to eat,  many of which were new to me.  One of our favorites, was a pancake that our hosts called "cheese cakes" I think in an effort to give them a name we could pronounce.  In Russian they are called "Syrniki".  They are just so good.

Cottage cheese is the main factor that makes these pancakes what they are, and gives them that moist, creamy goodness. These are a lower carb version because my waistline has been telling me I need to get back to some Trim Healthy Mama eating, and yet ….my comfort food cravings go down deep.  Sooooo here is one of my starting places to satisfy both sides of this tug of war.  These are a delicious, low carb, zero grain and down right satisfying pancake, and I can eat them with my sausage and egg because they work as an S meal on the THM plan.  Unlike traditional pancakes which fill me up momentarily, and wear off too quickly, these pancakes satisfy;  this is probably due to the high fiber content, in the coconut flour.

Cooking and baking with coconut flour can be tricky, due to the fact that it absorbs liquids like crazy, and can't be substituted measure for measure for regular flour.  It takes a little working with  and experimenting.  The coconut has so many benefits, that I love incorporating it in a variety of ways when cooking… and I could probably do whole post on the benefits of coconuts from oil to flour… but perhaps another day. Just a final note about coconut flour, if you are counting carbs as you go, remember that the carb count in coconut flour is 2/3 fiber, so the "actual" carb count can be reduced by two thirds.

 1. Place eggs and cottage cheese in blender.

 2.  Blend until thoroughly mixed.

3.  Pour into a medium mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix well together. 

4. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, to allow the coconut flour to absorb the liquids; it will thicken up a little.

 5. Scoop 1/4 cup measures and pour onto a prepared pan.

 6. Cook about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes after you have flipped them.

 6. Serve with berries or sugar free syrup if you are trying to watch those carbs, otherwise, pure Maple Syrup or honey  for our family.

 Creamy Cottage Cheese Coconut Pancakes
 Ingredients:

1 cup cottage cheese

4 eggs

1/2 cup coconut flour ( I use slightly under 1/2 cup, just loosely measured)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Coconut oil for flying

Instructions:
A well seasoned or non-stick pan and a low heat setting are important for these pancakes, because they need to cook a little longer than you would normally cook a pancake, and will brown quickly.  Also, the cottage cheese has a sticky factor to it, so having a well seasoned pan is important.  Be sure it is heated fully and coconut oil is well distributed before dropping the batter onto the pan.

1. Put cottage cheese and eggs in a blender and blend together until thoroughly mixed.
2. Pour blender ingredients into a bowl and add remaining ingredients.
3. Stir well and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  The batter will thicken while it sits.
4. Put 2 tablespoons or more coconut oil into a frying pan and bring to low heat. 
5. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter and pour onto frying pan.
6. Cook about 3 minutes on 1 side and 2 minutes once flipped.
7. Serve with fresh berries, or a sugar free syrup.

Enjoy!

Creamy Cottage Cheese Coconut Pancakes

For any of you who came to this post earlier and liked it or shared it, I had to repost, due to a link error, so I am redirecting you to this link; sorry about that.  And by the way the Pinterest Problem has also been fixed; they were so prompt to figure out the problem and all is well now pin away.

Asian Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

I made an Asian Chicken Salad the other day when the girls came over.  Asian Salad with Peanut dressing is one of my favorite salads. 

 I have been growing some salad veggies along with my flowers in little pots on my back patio/deck, and they have been making me mull over ideas for salads.  I went to the farmers market on Saturday and got the rest of the veggies I needed.

I washed and dried my vegetables, then prepared the dressing.

Then I was ready to chop and layer the salad.

Chopped Cabbage

Chopped greens

Chopped red onion and sweet red pepper

Snow peas

Chopped chicken breast (pre-cooked)

Sauteed mushrooms

Mandarin organges

Chopped Cilantro

Chopped peanuts

Add Peanut Dressing

Toss together with dressing until all is covered. Serve and Enjoy.

Asian Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped or shredded cabbage
3 cups chopped salad greens of choice
1/3 - 1/2  red pepper sliced thin (Julienned)
1/8 of a medium sized red onion sliced thin (Julienned)
1 handful of snow peas
2 chicken breasts, poached and sliced (I poached my in shallow liquid and added teriyaki).
5-6 mushrooms, lightly sautéed (I sautéed mine in peanut oil with a few drops of sesame oil added).
1 or 2 fresh Mandarin oranges divided into segments, or a lightly sliced orange with rind removed. Or 1 small can of Mandarin orange segments, drained.
2-3 sprigs fresh Cilantro chopped
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Peanut Dressing (see below)

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients by rinsing, drying and chopping vegetables. Poaching chicken breasts, and sautéing mushrooms
2. Layer Salad in order of listing
3. Drizzle with  dressing
4. Toss and Serve

Peanut Dressing

Ingredients:

2 cloves fresh garlic

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh onion

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons vinegar (rice vinegar, cider vinegar or wine vinegar are all good)

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

3 Tablespoons coconut sugar, sucanat, honey or sweetener of choice

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup water

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend approximately one minute or until all is smooth.
3. Drizzle over salad.  
4. Enjoy!

 Enjoy~