Blueberry Streusel Muffins

There's something oh-so comforting about baking. My roommate bakes when she's upset. And while it's probably bad to eat her "I'm incredibly upset" banana bread (you ingesting all her anger and rage via a piece of bread). But these muffins are so good I might just piss her off on purpose so she has to be these!!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cups fat-free skim milk
- 2 cups fresh blueberries (Frozen are fine, but they have to be thawed!)

Streusel Topping
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1/4 c. each sugar and flour (on the side)

How to:
1- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place muffin liners in muffin tin
2- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside
3- Using a mixer, beat egg with 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add sour cream and beat until thoroughly combined; blend in vanilla extract.
4- Add half the flour and half the milk to sugar mixture; beat until combined. Add remaining flour and milk.
5- Fold in blueberries and fill the muffin tin. Set aside

Streusel Topping:

How to:
1- Combine the 1/4 c. of sugar and flour. Pour in melted butter. Combine with fingers. (Uh, yes please. )
2- Divide crumbs over muffins and press (gently!) in batter
3- Bake muffins til slightly golden for 30-35 mins. Cool for 10-15 mins, then transfer to rack.
4- Eat!!!

Eggs Whites and Sugar

My mother is trying to make me a housewife. We've been cooking cookies for days, mostly for Christmas Day. But now Christmas is over! So I have many a cookie recipe saved up. First up:



Espresso Chip Meringue

Ingredients-
- 3 egg whites (at room temperature)
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup superfine sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chip

How To:
1- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper
2- Using a mixer, beat the whites and salt on medium-low until frothy, about 1 minute
3- On meduim-high, add sugar one tablespoon at a time (this is important!!)
4- Add cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and espresso powder.
5- Increase speed to high and beat until the mixture is thick and holds stiff peaks (3-5 mins)
6- Fold in Chocolate chips
7- Place onto baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turn and bake another 30 mins.
let cool for 2 hours in the oven.
8- Eat those suckers!!!

If you want Peppermint Meringues try this:

- Take out the espresso powder and the chips. Add 1/2 teaspoons of peppermint extract. Feel free to top with sprinkles!
- So the beauty of these cookies are that they are low in sugar and basically fat free. If you make them right, they basically melt in your mouth!

Holy Cats! Green Chile Sauce!!!

So I just made the realization that though I talk about Green Chile all the time, I've yet to actually give my recipe!

So here's the low-down on New Mexican Green Chile: this particular type of green chile is only grown in NM and the best batches come from Hatch, NM. Once a year these chiles are harvested and roasted in parking lots all across New Mexico. Every year my mom buys about 5 pounds from Whole Foods, in the parking lot. You can smell it for miles.

If you can't get to a poor parking lot in New Mexico, you may be able to buy canned green chile. Bueno is a good brand to buy and you can get it frozen, in hot or mild flavors (I suggest getting both. Or you can get mild and add jalapenos for spice).

Green Chile Sauce:

Right, let's get this straight- it's called sauce. It's not a salsa or dip; it's sauce, people!

Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons corn oil (whatever, I used canola oil)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup onion , chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 cups roasted New Mexican green or (4) 4oz cans work well here) chilies,peeled/seeded/chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- add cayenne pepper, jalapenos or hot sauce for spice. Trust me, you'll want the extra kick.

How To:
1- In heavy-bottomed sauce pan, saute onions in corn oil until they begin to brown.
2- Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes
3- Stir flour in with onions and garlic so that it thickens
4- Add chopped chilies, chicken broth and salt and mix well
5- Bring to a boil and simmer 20 to 30 minutes to allow mixture to reduce
6- The sauce should be thick enough to bind chilies and onions together
7- Sauce can be refrigerated for three days, or frozen

NB: Remember to remove the skin if you are using whole chilies.

Enjoy!

My Search for the Best Breakfast Burrito

Suck on that, Santa Fe Reporter!

What inspired this entry is that my brother came to visit me in Santa Fe for the first time. Like me, he appreciates good food. Except for a few things. For example: he loves a burrito chain called Freebirds (look it up). I personally can't stand burrito chains like this or Chipotle. I also don't believe in burritos that aren't smothered in green chile sauce. New Mexican-style, mutha-ucka!

Thus started my search for the best burritos. I asked around and ate around and this is what I came up with:

The Cheap Ass Burritos:

Burrito Spot- is my favorite for college drunken burritos. When you're wasted/sloshed/drizzunk, nothing taste better than a 4 dollar B-Spot burrito. Just don't eat the lettuce, you will get E.coli (shout out, Lydia!)

Baja Tacos- are probably my favorite cheap burritos (they're about 5 bucks). The potatoes are more like hash browns, the green chiles are cooked in, and there's lots of flavor! My other favorite is that this taste good an hour later (I can never eat a whole burrito in one sitting. So I prefer burritos that can sit in my purse, while I take a drunk nap, then wake-up and it's hangover food!)

Posa's- has great burritos, if you don't mind a small mess. The green chile is cooked inside, which is yum. But the potatoes are a little bland, and frankly, while I don't mind messy dishes, I don't like burrito juice off wiping my arms.

Restaurant- Burritos:

The Pantry- I believe has the best breakfast burritos. Or at least that's what I hear. Personally, I almost always eat their Buenos Dias plate. I can say without a doubt that Pantry Fries are the best homestyle fries in the city. (suck on that, Tecolote!) Their green chile is incredibly flavorful and the eggs are always perfectly cooked. Pantry is my absolute favorite go-to place to eat. (Also: try their Pantry burger. Yuuuuuummmmm!)

The Tune-Up- Once again, I've never had the burritos here, but everything else I have had here (like the enchiladas or buffalo burgers) has been crazy delish! The dining area is cozy, but tiny. Sit outside if possible.

Santa Fe Baking Company- I think I have had their burrito, but it wasn't the most memorable thing I've had here. Their food is amazing, so I like to try most everything they have (like their omelettes and their blue corn.)

Aztec Cafe- This is probably my least favorite breakfast burrito. There's black beans on the inside and no potatoes. Boo. the green chile was kinda bland. I have also had their Breakfast Sandwich and it was kinda wah-wah. Maybe it's cos I wen here at like 2 in the afternoon, right before they stopped serving breakfast....

Spiciest Burrito:

Horseman's Haven:
So I started eating at Horseman's Haven this semester. Now, I loooove spicy food. And this totally fulfills my needs. It's almost too spicy; the level 1 is that kinda of spicy that is face-sweating, jaw-pounding, clean your sinuses spicy. In fact, one time I had a stuffy nose and decided to go to Horseman's specifically to clear it. The breakfast burrito doesn't much matter as long as that green chile is on it. But I did have it for breakfast the next day and it was good!

HOWEVER, the Level 2 made me cry, made my jaw clench, and made my stomach turn. And I only dipped a chip in the sauce! I couldn't finish my level one meal.

Favorite ABQ Burrito:

Sophia's Place:
Right, so I really only eat one place in Albuquerque. And it's this place. My mom and I saw it once on Food Network. I've probably eaten here 4 times. And I've probably only eaten in ABQ 7 times. Do the math.

What's cool about this burrito is that you have your choice of beef, chicken, or carnitas to add to the usual potatos, eggs, and cheese. And it's smothered in their fantastic green chile! Their duck tacos and their blue corn pancakes are to die for, and their bison burger might be the best burger I've ever eaten in New Mexico. Just saying.....