Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

We had some overnight guests this week, and I wanted to make something light for breakfast because we had a heavy dinner the night before.  These were quick and easy, and paired with some fresh fruit, made for a delicious breakfast!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins (from Skinny Taste)

You will need:

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (the original recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour.  I couldn't find this and instead used white whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine applesauce, egg, vanilla, and melted butter.  Add to the flour mixture and stir just until well blended.  If your batter seems too dry at this point (mine did), add a few tablespoons of milk.  Fold in blueberries.

Pour batter into 12 lined muffin tins.  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool slightly before serving. 

Rattlesnake Pasta

I've made this dish twice now and it has not disappointed!  Rattlesnake Pasta is a favorite of my mom's and mine at the restaurant J. Alexander's, so I decided to make it for Mother's Day and recently made it again.  Warning: this dish definitely has a pretty high spice level, and is not a "light" dish by any stretch of the imagination!

Rattlesnake Pasta (adapted from Tastebook)

You will need:

• 1 lb. linguine (I've used whole wheat and regular pasta- both were good!)
• 8 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• 1 yellow pepper, julienned
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 lb. grilled chicken (Brett has grilled fresh chicken for me both times I've made this, but the orignal recipe says you can use the pre-cooked stuff as well)
• Seasoning mix:
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. red pepper (cayenne)
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in large saucepan over low to medium heat.  Add flour and work in with a wire whisk.  Work in remaining butter (I inadvertently skipped this step this time, and did not notice any difference in the flavor or consistency of the sauce.  So you could definitely cut down on the butter if you'd like).  Slowly add the cream using the whisk.  Add parmesan cheese and continue to whisk until melted.

Add seasoning mixture to sauce.  Like I mentioned, this recipe has a good kick to it, so you may want to start lighter on the spices and work your way up to the recommended amounts if you can handle the spice!

Combine chicken, peppers, onion, garlic, and lime juice and add to sauce.  Continue to saute until sauce is creamy and all ingredients are hot. 

Meanwhile, cook linguine to al dente and drain.  Combine pasta and sauce, toss well, and enjoy!