Stud Muffin: Pear Cardamom Oatmeal Muffins

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups diced pears

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine the oats and milk and let sit for 15 minutes. In another mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Stir the oil, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla into the soaked oats. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the pears. Pour batter into greased muffin tin. Bake for about 20 minutes.

TikTok Pasta

 Ingredients:

• 4 pints of cherry tomatoes
• 1 shallot, quartered
• minced garlic to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 8-oz. block of feta cheese
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 12 oz. cooked pasta
• Fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9x13 baking dish, combine tomatoes, garlic, shallot, Italian seasoning and olive oil. Place feta cheese in the middle of the baking dish. Bake until the tomatoes are bursting and feta is golden on top, about 45 minutes. Combine with pasta and chopped basil. 

Zuppa Toscana

 

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon
• 1lb. ground pork
• 1 onion, diced
• minced garlic to taste
• 64 oz. chicken broth
• 4 large russet potatoes, skinned and chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• a handful of kale, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream

In a large pot, sauté the bacon on medium heat until golden brown. Remove bacon and crumble on separate plate. Cook ground pork in bacon drippings. Once pork has browned, add onion and sauté until tender. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, fennel, chicken broth, and potatoes. Bring to a slow boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Stir in kale and cook until the leaves are tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Then add cream and crumbled bacon.