Sweet Fruit Muffins

These are the most fluffy and extremely moist fruit muffins I have ever had.  They are sweet, with a slight sugary crust and an amazing white texture bursting with warm berries with each bite.  I ate them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I'm pretty sure you will too.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp. pure almond extract
2 c. fresh blueberries - rinsed, drained and patted dry
1 c. chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the top of a muffin pan with non-stick coating, and line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix together 1 3/4 cup of the flour and baking powder. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk and almond extract, mixing just until incorporated. Crush 1/4 of the blueberries and stawberries, and stir into the batter. Mix the rest of the whole blueberries and chopped strawberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of the flour, and fold into the batter. Scoop into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with sugar. Makes a dozen very large muffins, or 24 mini muffins + 6 large muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown, and tops spring back when lightly tapped (about 18-20 minutes for mini muffins).

Practically Perfect Pizza Dough (especially PERFECT for Grilling)

Wondering what to do for what could be your last meal on the grill (unless you're like me, and grilling season lasts all year long)?  This Labor Day, make yourself some GRILLED PIZZA!  Due to this recipe, I will no longer be able to eat pizza from the oven.  It's THAT good.  When you grill it, it tastes like it comes straight out of the brick oven from your Italian grandmother's kitchen.  It's crunchy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside.  The crust is the perfect complement to whatever toppings you like.  Look no further folks.  This is IT.

This pizza crust recipe is GREAT for grilling, but is just fine for oven pizzas too. Yields 6 individual crusts.

DOUGH:
1 1/2 cups very warm water
1 TBS sugar
1.5 TBS yeast
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
3 TBS olive oil
3 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. whole wheat flour

Mix yeast, sugar and warm water.  Let sit until frothy (about 10 minutes).  Add salt, oil and 1 c. whole wheat flour.  Mix well.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until it pulls from the side of your mixer (or if mixing by hand, until well incorporated).    Knead for 8 minutes.  Dough should become elastic. 

Place in greased bowl and cover with a warm, damp cloth.  Let rise until double in size.  Meanwhile, flour a clean countertop and prepare your pizza toppings, cheese, and sauce in separate bowls so they are ready to go.  Divide dough into 6 ball-sized portions (do not stretch out to pizza crust yet).  Let sit for 15-20 minutes on floured surface.  Preheat grill tto medium-high.  Coat dough balls with flour, and with floured hands, stretch out crust - about 6-8 inches, depending on how you think you like it.  Place it on well-oiled grill grates and grill one side for about 2 minutes.  Flip.  Add sauce, cheese and toppings (our favorites are fresh garden tomatoes, roasted zucchini, roasted peppers, roasted garlic, green onions, and chopped spinach with garden tomato marinara).  Close grill cover and cook for about 2 more minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Once you've had this pizza, you won't want to make it any other way.

Mexi-Chip Chicken

My cousin told me this chicken tasted like chips and salsa as a main dish.  It was an easy, non-fried version (ok, well, fried if you count the fried tortilla chips, but I didn't fry those...) of chicken with a twist.  I really liked the garnish on these.  Sometime I can skip it, but the cilantro and guacamole completed this for me.

3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. honey
4 chicken breasts, halved
1 c. finely crushed tortilla chips
1 bottle of your favorite chunky salsa
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Guacamole
Sour cream
Fresh cilantro

Combine lime juice, honey, and oil. Dip chicken in lime juice mixture then coat with crushed chips. Place in ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear. Spoon a tablespoon or two of salsa over each chicken piece and sprinkle with Cheese, bake for 20 more minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serve with guacamole and sour cream and garnish with fresh cilantro.