Frittata Cups with Zucchini and Ricotta cheese

Extremely soft, fluffy and simple to make

oven-baked frittata cups with zucchini and ricotta cheese

Here is a recipe that you will want to know about. This is one of those easy-to-make dishes perfect for every occasion: from a Sunday brunch to a light family dinner; from a party with friends to a picnic on the beach. Also, way not pack it in your kids lunch box? They will have a full serving of protein and vegetables, all in one cup. And it's a cute way to disguise the zucchini in the eggs. Those picky eaters won't even know what's hiding in there.
For this recipe I used my silicone muffin molds. As you know, I really love them. You don't need to spray or grease with anything. They are non-stick, easy to clean and very durable. A great investment! I use them not just for muffins, but many other recipes.
Also, think about it: making food in smaller size always helps control your waistline. As I said many times when readers or friends ask me what is my secret to stay in good shape while eating all the food that I cook: portion control ... and regular exercise of course!

Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make 6 cups

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup (150 gr) of ricotta cheese, better if fresh and whole milk
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) of milk
• 1 large (or  small) zucchini
• 6 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt

Preparation time: about 40 minutes
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, with the ricotta cheese, milk, and salt.

2. Fill 6 muffin tins with the egg mixture. Grease with spray if you are not using a silicone baking pan.

3. Cut the zucchini paper thin, using a sharp knife, or a peeler. Place a few slices of zucchini in each cup, starting from the outer edge moving in.

4. Top each cup with one tablespoon of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

5.Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the egg are set in the middle. Carefully run a knife along the edges and remove the frittatas from the muffin cups and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Butter-Free, Easy and Delicious Blueberry Muffins

Homemade, butter-free muffins

Soft, moist and filled with sweet blueberries 

One of the great things about living in California is that you find fresh berries at the farmers' market pretty much all year long. Yesterday I bought these delicious organic blueberries and couldn't wait to come home to bake some muffins. These are super easy to prepare, and so delicious. To make them healthier, I didn't use butter in this recipe but vegetable oil. The results are as great!
Blueberry muffins are one of my favorite. The berries add a fruity and sweet flavor in every bite. Blueberries are not only delicious but, as I'm sure you are aware of, are a great source of antioxidants. But did you also know that studies suggest that blueberries are  beneficial for our brain, by improving our memory, and slowing down memory loss that normally comes with aging? I have been feeling so forgetful lately. It could be that I have way too many things in my daily schedule. Or yes, it could also be that I'm getting older. Either way, I better start improving my cognitive functions now, and have all of these muffins for myself ;-)


Ingredients: to make 20 regular muffins, or 18 extra large

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup (200 gr) of sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups of milk (375 ml) (I used whole milk)
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) of vegetable oil
• 8 oz (225 gr) of fresh (organic) blueberries 
• 4 cups (600 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1 (15 gr) tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/3 teaspoon of salt
• about 2 tablespoons of coarse raw sugar for decorating

Preparation time:
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F (200º C). In a bowl, whisk the eggs together with the sugar until fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla extract and the oil and mix until combined. 

2. Add the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix until combined. Do not over-mix or your muffins will not turn out as soft.

                                        

                                        

3. Fold in the blueberries using a spoon.

4. Line 18-20 muffin tins with paper liners. Spoon the batter evenly into the cups (should fill almost to the top). Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.

5. Bake at  400º F (200º C) degrees for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 375º F (190º C), and bake for another 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden. Test with a toothpick for readiness.

Enjoy!

Banana Muffins with Hazelnuts and Nutella

Soft and moist, butter-free  banana-hazelnut muffins stuffed with creamy Nutella 

Do you have a bunch of ripe bananas sitting on your kitchen counter? And are you wondering if today is the day you will finally throw it away? Because let's face it: no one will eat those bananas. They are way past their kind-of-ok stage, and way into the too-mushy-to-be-any-good phase.
Like you, I really hate throwing away food. So my bananas just sit on the counter for the longest. But it's really not my fault. No one  in my house likes bananas when they are still green, and definitely no one eats them if they are ripe. Thi means, each banana has a about a three day time-span in which it should be eaten. Not a day less, and surely not a day more!
Today I decided NOT to throw away my ripe bananas and find a creative way to use them. So I baked these super yummy butter-free muffins, filled with hazelnuts and with a heart of nutella. Delicious! And I'm sure you know by now, hazelnut and Nutella combination is one of my favorite! Here is how I made these muffins:

Ingredients: to make 12 muffins

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) of vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups (225 gr) of all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1 cup (75 gr) of chopped hazelnuts
• 12 teaspoons of Nutella
• about 1 tablespoon of raw coarse sugar (optional)

Preparation time: 50 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350º F (175º C). In a large bowl mash the bananas with a fork, or a potato ricer (like I did) and mix in the eggs.

2. Blend in the sugar, vanilla extract and the vegetable oil.

3. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, until all is combined.

4. Add 3/4 cup of chopped hazelnuts.

5. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners, or grease with butter and flour. Spoon a little bit of batter (about half full). Add one teaspoon of nutella into each and cover with more batter. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped hazelnuts and some raw sugar (if you like).
Bake for about 25 minutes until the top are brown.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Muffins

Enjoy the inviting aroma of just-baked cranberry muffins, fresh from your oven.

Moist and soft. Every delicious bite filled with the fresh flavor of cranberries and a hint of sweet oranges

Do you have half a bag of leftover cranberries in your fridge after making your Thanksgiving cranberry sauce? Yes, I'm sure at least some of you do. Just like me.
Cranberries are not the type of fruit you can have in the refrigerator and eat like that. They are a little rough on the palate when raw. But they are simply delicious when baked in muffins, scones or pies.
So this weekend I baked. I know. Only one day after cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I baked some more. That shows you how much I love cooking, and well... eating sweets. Anyways, I used all the cranberries left and made these soft, moist and buttery muffins, with a hint of orange zest and juice. Cranberries and oranges are really perfect together.
And to make you feel better about these muffins, did you know that cranberries are super healthy? With their vibrant red color, cranberries don't just make these muffins look beautiful. They are considered superfruits, packed with tons of nutrients and anti-oxidants, and very low in calories. After all the eating this holiday weekend, I should not really be counting calories. But anything helps!
I almost forgot. Here is a picture of me enjoying one of these muffins.

He clearly had his eyes on me :-)

Ingredients: to make 12 muffins

• 4 tablespoons (half stick, 55 gr) of unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of white sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 gr) of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 orange, zest and juice (about half cup)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup  of milk
• 2 cups (300 gr) of all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1.5 cups (150 gr) of fresh cranberries
• 1 tablespoon of pure cane, raw sugar, for decoration

Preparation time: 45 minutes (20 minutes, plus 25 minutes baking)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C). Melt the butter cut in pieces in the microwave checking every 10 seconds. In a large bowl, blend the melted butter with the eggs, brown and white sugar.

2. Blend in the salt, vanilla extract, milk, orange zest and orange juice - no seeds please :-),

3. Whisk in the flour and baking powder until all well combined.

4. With a spoon, fold in the cranberries. If you'd like, save a handful of cranberries to place a couple on top of each muffin before baking (so that the muffins will look beautiful).

5. Line a 12 muffin pan with cupcake liners, or grease with spray or butter. Spoon the batter evenly in the 12 cups. Add a couple of cranberries on top of each, and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for about 25 minutes.  Check with a toothpick. If inserted in the middle should come out clean 

 Enjoy!