Home Smells Like Cooking: Week 6 Thursday: Blueberry Muffins; Greek-Style Beef with Eggplant, Orzo and Cookie Pizza

It's Thursday morning of Week Six.

On today's breakfast menu is classic blueberry muffins. I am going to do a brown sugar based crumb topping because I love how it pairs with sweet, tart blueberries.

For dinner we are trying a recipe I haven't made before. Greek-Style Beef with Eggplant. My kids haven't had a lot eggplant before, so I hope they like it. It sounds really good, a rich flavorful tomato based sauce with oregano and a hint of cinnamon.

For dessert is a true indulgence - cookie pizza. Some types of cookie pizza have fresh fruit and lower sugar amount that other desserts. Not this one. This one is a rich cookie dough loaded with peanut butter chips - topped with chocolate chips and marshmallow with two types of frosting drizzled over. Mmmmm... can't wait!

Blueberry Muffins

Greek-Style Beef with Eggplant, Orzo and Cookie Pizza

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. Rinse and blot dry the blueberries.

6. Stir the blueberries into the batter. Then generously grease the tins of a muffin tin or use cupcake liners. Pour about 2/3 cup of batter into each one.

7. Make the crumb topping. Mix brown sugar, butter, flour and cinnamon in a bowl with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over muffins.

8. 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. ENJOY!

DINNER:

1. Peel and cut eggplants into chunks and put in crockpot.

2. Chop peppers and onions and add to crockpot.

3. Salt and pepper the vegetables in crockpot and then add olive oil.

4. Sprinkle oregano and cinnamon over.

5. Pour tomato paste and wine (or grape juice) over.

6. The recipe calls for ground beef if using that cook and crumble it. I decided to use a beef roast so I cut it into bite sized pieces.

7. Place parsley over it all. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or so.

8. Serve on its own or over pasta - like orzo - with Parmesan sprinkled over. ENJOY!

DESSERT:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put shortening and sugar in bowl of stand mixer. Mix well - until light and creamy.

2. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.

3. Add salt, flour and baking soda. Mix well.

4. Stir in peanut butter chips.

5. Grease 10-12 inch round pan. Press dough into it in an even layer.

6. Bake for 11-13 minutes, then take cookie out of the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips and marshmallows over.

7. Put back in oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned.

8. Remove from oven and let cool a bit. Then put chocolate chips and a shortening for the chocolate icing in a microwaveable container. Melt in microwave - I put it in for a minute or less. The chocolate chips will hold their shape - so stir them to see if they are melted.

9. Make frosting according to recipe or else slightly melt canned frosting. I put it in the microwave for 25 seconds. Stir.

10. There are different methods to drizzle the chocolate and frosting. Anyway that gives you control over the a thick or thin stream held over the cookie will work. Sometimes I put the drizzle in a ziplock bag, seal it and snip a corner off - then squeeze over the dessert. This time though, I just used a fork - dipped it in the chocolate frosting and held it over the cookie as I drew lines one way across the dessert - and then drew lines the other way. Do the same with the vanilla frosting.