Week 5 Thursday: Jelly in the Middle Muffins; Chicken Cacciatore with Broccoli, Breadsticks and Triple Treat Blondies

 It's Thursday of Week 5


On today's breakfast menu is jelly in the middle muffins. I love these. Soft muffin with a jelly flavored center. You can use any kind of jam or jelly. My absolute favorite to use is my cinnamon red-hot apple jelly. It's jelly I make using cinnamon red hots in place of some of the sugar in the jelly recipe. Right now I'm out of that (I'm due to make more!) so I am just using raspberry jam. We all love raspberry jam.

Today's dinner menu is chicken cacciatore. My children love pasta (who doesn't?). So they should love this - it's a departure from the typical spaghetti with meatballs and marinara - with chicken cooked in marinara with broccoli, mushrooms and bell peppers. It's going to be fantastic.

For dessert is Triple Treat Blondies. This is a rich, golden caramel cookie bar base with 3 flavors of baking chips mixed in: milk chocolate, peanut butter and white chocolate. These are a family favorite. I can't wait to end the day eating these!

Raspberry Jelly in the Middle Muffins




Chicken Cacciatore with Broccoli, Breadsticks and Triple Treat Blondies



BREAKFAST:

 

 

1. First put the egg in warm water to bring it to room temperature. Then measure the 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium size mixing bowl.

 

2. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk well to combine.

 

3. Make a "well" in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk, oil and egg.

4. Whisk to incorporate. If the batter is too thick or if there is not enough liquid to incorporate the dry ingredients, add a little more milk. The batter should be thick but stir-able. {The batter needs to be thick enough to hold the jelly but thin enough to make a tender crumb.}

5. Generously grease the tins of a muffin tin. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter into each one.
Then put 1-2 Tbsp of any flavor of jelly or jam in the middle of the batter in each tin.
I used Raspberry today.

6. Use the remaining batter to cover the jelly in each tin. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the batter to completely encase the jelly inside of batter in each tin.

 7. Bake at 425 degrees for 14-16 minutes or until the tops of each muffin is just beginning to turn golden brown. Let them sit for a few minutes before removing them from the tins. The jelly inside will be burning lava hot - so let cool a bit. But the wait is worth it because they are so good. ENJOY!

DINNER:

1. Heat a large frying pan over medium high het. Pour oil into it. Add chopped onion. Cook until onion is softened and translucent.

 2. Add garlic and oregano (I used fresh oregano from my garden). Salt and pepper it all.

 3. Add mushrooms and white wine (or chicken stock.)

 

4. Add tomatoes, stir and let simmer for several minutes. (I also added some fresh yellow bell tomatoes from my garden.)

5. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into chunks. Then add to the sauce in the frying pan. Cover and let cook.

 

 

6. Meanwhile, chop the green bell pepper and broccoli.

 

 

7. Add them to the frying pan. Cover and let cook until the vegetables are tender and chicken is white and cooked through,

 

8. Serve over spaghetti with refrigerator breadsticks on the side. ENJOY!

 

DESSERT:

 

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a medium size sauce pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar.

2. Heat until browned and lightly boiling.

 

3. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla and then the eggs. Whisk really well.

 

4. Whisk in flour and salt. Mix well.

5. Stir in 2/3 cup each of chocolate, peanut butter and white chocolate baking chips. Stir gently to mix through-out batter.

 

6. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Spread the batter into the pan evenly.

 

7. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

 

8. Let cool slightly before serving. ENJOY!