chana masala.

today i made this chana masala from orangette. i won't retype the recipe here, because molly is a genius and i trust her every move.
the only thing i would add is that i've never cooked with cardamom pods before, so i learned that the pods can stay in the food while you're cooking and they will impart extra flavor to the dish. just don't eat the pods. or maybe you can. i was a little scared to eat them.

it was SO delicious and hearty! i served it with roasted broccoli and a handful of grapes. perfect dinner for a cold night.

apple breakfast muffins.

in the grand scale of muffins, this a relatively healthy recipe. lots of fiber, little fat, and some fruit! grab a muffin in the morning and a banana, and you'll start the day off right.

heat the oven to 450 F.

in medium bowl, mix together:
1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 TB cinnamon

in large bowl, mix together:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
1/4 white sugar
1/4 dark brown sugar
mix all ingredients together until fluffy, then mix in one egg.
add 1 cup of plain yogurt, and about 1/4 cup of applesauce. i used chobani fat free yogurt (yum!)

slowly mix the dry ingredients into wet.
peel, core, and coarsely chop 2 apples and add into mixture.

grease muffin tin or use papers. load up your muffin tin with the dough. sprinkle a little dark brown sugar on top if you like a little extra added sweetness (i do!).

bake for 10 minutes at 450 F, lower to 400 F, and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
this recipe should yield about 18 muffins.