I don’t think there’s a better way to start your day than with homemade muffins warm from the oven. I usually try to bake with fresh fruit but today I resorted to frozen (poor planning on my part). Thankfully I didn’t really notice any difference. The recipe I like to use is actually for Blueberry Muffins, but I simply replace the blueberries with raspberries. In addition to the lemon zest, I also add a tablespoon or so of lemon juice directly to the batter. Mmm muffins!

Cream Together	Add the Eggs
Combine the Milk, Dry Ingredients & Berries	Spoon Into Tins & Top With Sugar
Bake @ 375 for 25 Minutes	Butter & Enjoy!

Raspberry-Lemon Muffins (Based on the Blueberry Muffins Recipe from the Food Network Kitchens)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for preparing the muffin tin
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for the top of the muffins
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly brush a 12-muffin tin with butter and set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand-held mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter, zest, lemon juice and 2/3 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour in 3 parts into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Take care not to over mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool muffins in the pan on a rack. Serve warm.

I was actually nervous about making Fruited Chicken Curry even though it is a Rachael Ray recipe and that practically assures you of a foolproof meal. I suppose you can chalk it up to old kitchen fears rearing their ugly head, stemming perhaps from the days when I used to refuse to cook with meat (because if I had to handle raw flesh there was no way I could eat it afterwards). Rest assured that any nerves were soon forgotten as I began to cook.  Honestly, I think I went into a food trance completely mesmerized by the amazing aromas of curry, ginger, garlic, and onions. The actual recipe that I used can be found in Rachael’s “365: No Repeats” cookbook, but there is a similar Chicken Curry recipe online. The only real differences being the addition of sliced green apple, raisins, and dates (and the deletion of mincemeat).

Instructions	Shopping List
Lightly Brown the Chicken	Garlic, Ginger, Coriander, Onions & Apples
Flour to Thicken	Add Stock & Bring to a Bubble
Curry Paste, Raisins & Dates	Into the Pan They Go
Return the Chicken	Simmer for 10 Minutes
Meanwhile	Make Fluffy Rice
Gather Toppings	Eat Your Curry

It’s fairly obvious from the selection of recipes I’ve featured so far on erincooks.com that I am a Food Network addict. When I was living on my own after college for the first time I was made thoroughly aware of the fact that I was extremely deficient in the cooking department. After living on Pasta Roni and Skillet Sensations for a few weeks I’d had enough. One of the first actual meals I cooked was a Spinach Lasagna that I found on Kraftfoods.com. I vividly remember being incredibly proud of myself for putting together this dish on my own. I had always enjoyed baking cookies or cheesecake, but I’d really never tried to make dinner. Thanks to one good kitchen experience I had the courage to keep trying my hand at new recipes and the Food Network became my constant inspiration, especially Everyday Italian. I think I could eat pasta for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if left to my own devices. Thankfully I do have some modicum of self-control. Anyway, Giada’s Chicken Ragu recipe is super easy, although I’ll caution that I’d probably just use diced boneless, skinless chicken breasts next time and not boneless chicken thighs. Personally, I wasn’t a big fan of the chicken thighs (I hate dark meat). However, I am a big fan of garlic, cheese, and red sauce. I use Pastene Kitchen Ready Tomatoes as a base and then add garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, and just a little brown sugar (like a tablespoon). Trust me, it’s delicious!

Shallots, Thighs, Linguine, & Rosemary	Chopped & Minced
Cook Until Golden (Add Shallots & Garlic)	Wine
Add Rosemary & Mix	Pour in the Marinara
Meanwhile, Boil	Strain
Simmer	Combine

Garnish & Serve

This Pea Soup is the easiest meal I’ve ever made. After a long day of errand running I was less than thrilled about the prospect of making dinner…OK…that’s a lie. I always like to cook, but I bet you’ve had plenty of moments when you have absolutely zero desire to do anything more than eat a bowl of cereal (It’s a well known fact that CK practically lived on Peanut Butter Puffins until we moved in together). Fight the Lucky Charms urge! This soup is healthy, hearty, and way more satisfying than anything that comes out of a box. Give it a try, I promise you wont be disappointed. Plus, this would be a great kid friendly dish for an upcoming Halloween themed meal. After-all, Pea Soup looks a lot like Witches Brew. Don’t forget to pick up some good, crusty bread. Dipping is the best part.

Gather & Prep	Toss in the Pot, Simmer
Slice (No Nibbling!)	Blend

Comfort & Joy

I actually saw this recipe on Rachael Ray’s new morning talk show.  A husband and wife were pitted against one another in a competition to prepare the dish with their own unique flare.  Then they were judged by children.  The wife won (of course).  Honestly though, I can’t watch Rachael’s morning show.  Rachael is something to be enjoyed in small doses (preferably no more than 30 minutes) and only when she’s drinking decaf…Anyway, break out the Corona and enjoy the Mexican Lasagna.

Scallions & Red Onion	Shredded Cheddars
Black Beans, Drained	Chicken, Spices, & Onion
Add Tomatoes, Sauce, Beans, & Corn	Stir, Heat, & Season
Layer of Meat	Layer of Cheese
Repeat & Top with Onion	Bake @ 425 Degrees

Mmm…SPICY!

Top Chef is my kind of reality TV.  I have watched and re-watched last season’s episodes over and over.  I never seem to get bored with Tom Colicchio telling Stephen belligerently that “This isn’t Top Sommelier” or Harold’s face when he learned about the junk food competition (Cooking with SPAM – oh the horror).   So I was super excited to watch the first episode of the new season this week.  The producers are hard at work already setting Marcel up as this season’s new “Tiffany.”  He really doesn’t appear to need very much creative editing to make it in the villain department as his pompous attitude and ridiculous hairdo are quite enough.

I thought the secret ingredient challenge was great.  I would freak out if I was given a box with frog legs or artichokes and American cheese.  I’d toss my apron and be out of there before you could even heat your pan.  The only way I would have survived that one was if they gave me a box of chocolate chips and some brown sugar.  I have such admiration for all of the chefs for being able to come up with anything edible given the circumstances, and I have to admit that I totally would have eaten the frog legs that Mia breaded in buttermilk and cornflakes.  I guess her dish wasn’t sophisticated enough for the judges, but she would have gotten my vote any day over Ilan’s Baked Escargot.   Yuck!

Right now I’m most intrigued by Elia, Mia, and Marisa (because I want a chick to win).  Elia is opinionated and fiery and this is totally superficial but I love her accent.  Marissa is a pastry chef and since that’s my new dream career I’m definitely rooting for her to go far.  I also really like Mia, because you can tell that she’s a no-nonsense, take no prisoners, go out and get it done, kind of person.  I’d love to see one these women win so I’ll go out on a limb now and predict that Elia will win it all.  Hopefully she won’t get voted off next week!   If I had to choose a guy to win I’d probably pick Ilan since he’s probably going to be the young superstar of the show.