5 4 ingredient dinners Recipes

green giant frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain, garlic-an-herbs spreadable cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese ( 1-oz ), shredded 5-cheese or 6-cheese italian cheese blend ( 1-oz ), freshly grated pecorino romano or regular romano cheese, chopped shallot or onion, garlic powder, salt, pepper, pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls ( 8 rolls ), paper-thin slices ( about 4 inch diameter ) smoked ham ( from two 9-oz packages ), freshly grated parmesan cheese

muffin pans, a special metal baking pan , sometimes referred to as a muffin tin, with 6 or 12 cup-shaped depressions. most often this pan is made from aluminum., muffin cups are, standard muffin cup is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter., giant or texas-size muffin cup is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 5/8 cup batter., muffin cup is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and holds 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp batter., muffin-top cup is about 4 inches in diameter but are only 1/2 inch deep ., substituting a different size muffin cup, substitute another size muffin cup for original size listed in recipe. if substituting a larger size muffin cup the recipe will yield fewer muffins and if using smaller size muffin cup the recipe will yield more muffins. the bake time will be changed also. bake a larger muffin longer than the original time and smaller muffins a shorter time., tips on baking muffins, grease muffin cups by spraying each cup with no stick cooking spray or using a paper towel dipped in shortening to grease each cup., use paper liners in muffin cups for easy clean-up., if muffin cups are filled more than 3/4 full the muffins will have flat, flying saucer tops. if sufficient room is not allowed for muffins to expand before reaching the top of the cup the muffin will flatten on top., if some muffin cups will remain empty during baking , put 2 to 3 tbsp water in the unused muffin cups to keep the pan from warping., if baked muffins stick to the bottom of the muffin cup, place hot muffin pan on a wet towel for about two minutes., source : land o lakes, all about muffins, are you eating muffins or cupcakes, hot breads are always a hit and muffins are 1 of the easiest to make. they are more quickly and easily made than biscuits and no kneading, rolling or cutting is required. they can be a savory, last minute dinner muffin or a sweet delicious breakfast muffin. made using whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, bran, honey, fruits and nuts they can be very nutritious. but like the healthy granola craze which turned into candy bars, muffins also can quickly turn into cupcakes. eating cupcakes for breakfast is your choice, but don tsp tell yourself you are eating healthy breakfast muffins. a recent magazine article revealed some muffins available in new york delicatessens were claimed to be low fat, but actually contained up to 23 g of fat. that s more fat than two egg mcmuffins., what is the difference between muffins and cupcakes, some say cupcakes have frosting. a basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tbsp sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, shortening or butter, 1 cup milk. when the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level., other technical difference between muffins and cupcakes, method of cooking is different for muffins and cupcakes. the muffin method is by far the fastest and easiest. flour, sugar, baking powder and salt (all the dry ingredients) are mixed together. this is where the leavening can be uniformly dispersed into the flour. sugar is mixed with the flour to prevent the flour from lumping when combined with the wet ingredients., making and baking muffins, in a large bowl, oil (or melted butter) and egg are beaten together to form an emulsion to disperse the fat more uniformly. then the milk is stirred in. this much mixing can be done ahead and held. the two are combined just before baking., combine, cut and fold liquid into the dry ingredients. mix only to combine. batter will be lumpy but no pockets of dry ingredients should remain. the general rule is only 12 strokes., bake as soon as it s mixed. when filling cups, do not mix batter between scoops. excessive mixing causes loss of leavening., cake method for making muffins, sometimes muffins are made using the cake method , i.e. cream the fat and sugar, add eggs, add the dry ingredients and milk alternately. this is more time consuming but produces a lighter, more tender, cake-like muffin., perfect muffin, perfect muffin has a thin brown crust , a slightly rounded top with a pebbled appearance and a moist, even interior. there should be no peaks, no tunnels which are usually caused by excessive mixing and too much liquid (muffin batter should not be fluid)., more leavening is not better, just because a recipe is in print does not mean that it is in balance. a guide for leavening 2 cups of flour in a recipe is either 2 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder, or 4 tsp fast acting baking powder, or 1/2 tsp soda plus 1 cup buttermilk (for the acid) and 1 1/4 tsp baking powder. excess baking powder and soda taste bitter., here are a few tips for altering muffin recipes, substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg in the recipe. if these are stiffly beaten and folded in at the end it will produce a lighter muffin with less fat., use non-fat milk instead of whole milk ., use salad oil in place of butter. in place of the fat in the recipe , use 1-fourth of the oil and replace the other three-fourths with fruit puree such as applesauce. jars of baby food fruits provide a quick choice of purees other than apple. adding non-gluten grain products (bran, germ, oatmeal, corn meal) for part of the flour makes a more tender muffin., create your own taste sensations, begin with the basic formula and change 1/2 cup of the flour to corn meal, bran, wheat germ, rye, oatmeal or leftover cooked cereal. add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped apple, dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, figs, blueberries, cranberries, cheese, nuts., make your favorite muffin mixes by measuring the dry ingredients twice (or more ) into two separate bowls. use 1 and package 1 with the list of wet ingredients to be added when mixing at a later date.

cobb salad with grilled chicken, mercury , in dallas, special equipment 4 four-inch ring molds approximately 2 inches tall, champagne vinaigrette 1/4 cup champagne vinegar, egg yolk, creole mustard, canola oil, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, in a bowl whisk together the vinegar , egg yolk, and mustard. then slowly pour in the oil, whisking to emulsify. season with salt and pepper. refrigerate until ready to use., salad 2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and flesh broken into large pieces, hard-boiled eggs, grated, ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced, cooked bacon, diced, blue cheese , preferably roquefort, approximately 1 cup champagne vinaigrette (recipe above), head romaine , cut in julienne strips 2 inches long, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, in a large bowl toss the avocado , grated egg, tomato, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and enough champagne vinaigrette to just moisten the ingredients. with a spoon, mash everything together until it resembles a loose guacamole. season with salt and pepper. if you are not using immediately, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate., when you are ready to assemble the salads, set out 4 dinner plates. place a ring mold on each plate and fill it with salad. using moderate pressure, press the salad down with a spoon or fork until it is flush with the top of the ring. refrigerate the salads for 1 hour., chicken 4 boneless chicken breasts, approximately 6 oz each, basil oil (for garnish , optional), chile oil (for garnish , optional), grill the breasts until just done , about 5 minutes per side. may be sauteed, if you wish. keep warm., unmold the salads , hold down the top of the salad with 1 hand while you carefully remove the ring with the other, giving it a slight twist as you lift up if it doesn tsp move easily., warm chicken and place on top of the salads in a grid fashion, 2 pieces 1 way, 2 the other, and so on. drizzle the plate with the basil and chile oils, if desired. serve immediately. serves 4., this recipe comes courtesy of chef chris ward and his four-star dallas restaurant, the mercury.

cobb salad with grilled chicken, mercury , in dallas, special equipment 4 four-inch ring molds approximately 2 inches tall, champagne vinaigrette 1/4 cup champagne vinegar, egg yolk, creole mustard, canola oil, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, in a bowl whisk together the vinegar , egg yolk, and mustard. then slowly pour in the oil, whisking to emulsify. season with salt and pepper. refrigerate until ready to use., salad 2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and flesh broken into large pieces, hard-boiled eggs, grated, ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced, cooked bacon, diced, blue cheese , preferably roquefort, approximately 1 cup champagne vinaigrette (recipe above), head romaine , cut in julienne strips 2 inches long, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, in a large bowl toss the avocado , grated egg, tomato, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and enough champagne vinaigrette to just moisten the ingredients. with a spoon, mash everything together until it resembles a loose guacamole. season with salt and pepper. if you are not using immediately, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate., when you are ready to assemble the salads, set out 4 dinner plates. place a ring mold on each plate and fill it with salad. using moderate pressure, press the salad down with a spoon or fork until it is flush with the top of the ring. refrigerate the salads for 1 hour., chicken 4 boneless chicken breasts, approximately 6 oz each, basil oil (for garnish , optional), chile oil (for garnish , optional)