Banana Nut Muffins

So, I have a new obsession….greek yogurt! It’s so yummy, creamy, and good for you – I love it! And since I am wildly experimental, I’ve been using it in some baking projects. I haven’t been able to use it a whole lot yet (I’m not very good at substituting things and having it work out), but there are a few things I have successfully used it in, this being one of them.

This isn't anything too original. I'm sure just about everyone has a banana bread recipe that they love. I'm still working on finding mine, but so far, this one is great. The original recipe calls for ½ cup of butter, and I really didn’t want to have to use it, so I just switched it out for greek yogurt instead, and added 1 tbsp of oil - it gives it just enough fat and moisture to be moist and dense, but they are still low-fat enough to snack on, or for a healthy breakfast.

Banana Nut Muffins

1 cup pecans or walnuts

1 ¾ cups flour (all white, or half/half with wheat)

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

*3 large, over-ripe bananas, mashed well

2 large eggs

2/3 cup full-fat yogurt (I like to use greek)

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp canola oil
couple tbsp of milk

*Whenever I have some bananas that go brown before I get a chance to eat them, I will put them in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer (thanks for showing me that, Mom!). I have about 7 or 8 of them in there right now, so I can make banana things anytime I want. Seems a little gross, but works just great =) Just thaw them out beforehand.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (see my new baking sheets from Christmas? Thanks to the in-laws ! =). Spread out nuts and lightly toast for about 8 minutes, or until you start to smell them. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn. Once done, take them out, let them cool, and then chop coarsely. 

Combine dry ingredients and nuts in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in small bowl. Gently fold the wet into the dry, until just combined. Add some milk, a tbsp at a time, until the batter is just a little more moist. You don't want it to be runny, but not thick, either.

Divide between greased or lined muffin tins. I used my new mini-muffin tin (thanks to one of my good friends for that one =), and a few on the bigger tin.

Bake for 9-15 minutes (9 for mini's, 15 for large). Do NOT over-bake, or they will dry out quickly. Test the bigger ones periodically to make sure that you don't cook them too long - 15 minutes may be too long, depending on how full you fill the tin. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove from tins and finish cooling on a wire rack. Store properly to prevent them from drying out.

These muffins are SO great! Especially if you are in hurry in the morning, you could just pop it in a plastic bag and go. Cut it in half, spread on a little peanut butter on it for some more protein, grab an apple, and go! And the fat content is so low in these - they are so yummy and healthy, especially if you use wheat flour in place of some white.

(HEALTHY) Crunchy Chicken Fingers

Chicken fingers. Breaded, deep-fried, covered in grease, dipped in ranch….they are my weakness, and if I gave in to them, would very quickly gain back the ten pounds I have recently lost, as well as head towards an early heart attack. This recipe, however, is A GOLDMINE! These fingers are quick, easy, cheap, oh-so-freaking-good, and healthy! When we first made them, I was hard-pressed not to eat them all =)

And the flavor possibilities are endless! You can add different spices and liquids to the buttermilk, and add different spices and herbs to the breading. This version is my favorite, but as these will quickly become a staple in our house, you can bet I’ll be trying it many different ways. (In case you can't tell, I love that blog!)

Crunchy Chicken Fingers

1 lb chicken tenders

1-2 cups buttermilk (just enough to cover)

½ cup whole wheat flour

3 cups panko bread crumbs

1 cup cornflake crumbs (probably 1 ½ cups uncrushed)

1 tsp sea salt (can use regular salt – half as much, I think)

1 tsp black pepper

1 packet ranch seasoning

½ cup parmesan cheese (optional) 

Place (thawed) chicken tenders in a large, re-sealable plastic bag, and cover with buttermilk. Marinate at least 2 hours, but anywhere between 2 and 24. The longer you have to marinate, the better.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. With the amount of crumb mixture this makes, you could make this at least three times, probably more like four or five. I store it in my cupboard in a large plastic bag, and I just take out what I need. That way I don’t over-use it, and it lasts as long as possible.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place a wire cooling rack on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray.

Pour one cup of crumb mixture in another large, re-sealable plastic bag. Going one at a time, take the tenders from the buttermilk, shaking off the excess, and place in the crumbs. Shake around to completely coat in crumbs, pressing them on if needed. Place on wire rack (please ignore my sad and destroyed cookie sheets). Add more crumbs to the bag as you go, if you need to.

Once all the tenders are coated, lightly spray each with cooking spray. The cooking spray isn’t absolutely necessary, but it helps the crumb coat stay on and crisp up a bit more.

Bake for 12 minutes. Flip them once, spray again with cooking spray (if desired), and bake for another 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and serve warm with some raw veggies and your favorite dip. Mine is ranch, but my hubby’s is BBQ sauce mixed with ranch. Yum.

I’ve had some of my single, college-student friends ask me about meals, and I imagine this one would be really great. The buttermilk will last in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks, the ingredients for the crumbs are really cheap and make so much, and these keep in the fridge pretty well. Just re-heat on a baking sheet in the oven.