Quick, Fairly Healthy Dinner

Every once in a while, I cook dinner for the family who I babysit for. It's rather exciting, since I get to cook, but it's also a challenge to create a meal using a pantry that I didn't stock and, to my knowledge, was not stocked with any particular meal in mind.

Trying to rack my brain for a tasty, nutritional meal that would only require the ingredients that I have on hand, I decided on a broccoli chicken divan and whole wheat dinner muffins. I used my own whole wheat flour in the muffins, which allowed me to eat the left over muffins for breakfast the rest of the week =). I was totally fine with that.

The broccoli chicken divan is good. It's definitely a recipe to keep around due to it's ease, yumminess, and requirement of pretty much no fresh food (yay pantry recipes).

The muffins might be the yummiest complex carbohydrate addition to any dinner. They are also good for you! I think my favorite part about them is that they are just as delicious for a quick snack or breakfast as they are for dinner.

Wheat Dinner Muffins

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour or graham flour

2 Tbs. yellow cornmeal

3 Tbs. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs, separated

3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted, or sesame oil or olive oil

1 cup buttermilk (or, pour 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a large measuring, then fill to the 1 cup line with milk)

2 Tbs. sour cream or plain yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Unsalted butter or jam for serving

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Grease 9 standard muffin cups; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, butter, buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla until blended. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

In a clean bowl, using a mixer with spotlessly clean beaters on medium speed, or a balloon whisk, beat the egg whites just until they form soft peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter until blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one level with the rim of the cup (seriously, fill to the top).

Bake the muffins until they are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and serve warm or at room temperature, with butter. Makes 9 muffins.

Adapted from The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook, Edited by Chuck Williams (Free Press, 2008).

Broccoli Chicken Casserole (serves 4-6)

3 cups frozen broccoli

1 1/2 pounds chicken, raw, cubed

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon wet garlic

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of *whatever* soup

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream or mayo, whatever you have on hand

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Cook broccoli according to decorations on bag (I put mine in a microwave safe bowl with a 1/2 cup of water and cook in the microwave for 3 minutes and then drain). Place the cooked broccoli in a 8x8 inch baking dish.

Place onion and garlic in a sauce pan over medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes. Season chicken with paprika and oregano, then add to the saucepan and cook about 10 minutes or until white all the way through.

In a bowl, mix the soup, sour cream, and milk, and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and then sprinkle bread crumbs over the cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown.