The Muffin Tin Cookbook (5 page)
Read The Muffin Tin Cookbook Online
Authors: Brette Sember
Appetizers
and Snacks
Whether you’re making an appetizer for a party, a snack for yourself or your family, or just want to make something fun and small, muffin tins are a terrific way to cook. Not only can you make perfectly portioned appetizers and snacks, you can also create perfectly shaped bites as well.
Makes 12
8 ounces raw shrimp, peeled
½ the green part of a scallion
⅛ stalk of celery
⅛ teaspoon dry mustard
¾ teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons panko
1 egg white
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of Old Bay seasoning
Mini
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Fill 12 mini muffin cups with paper liners and spray them with cooking spray.
3. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the vegetables are completely chopped and the ingredients are completely mixed. If you do not have a food processor, finely chop shrimp, scallion, and celery. Mix with the other ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Fill each cup to the top.
5. Bake for 9 minutes, until the cakes are set and the shrimp cooked through.
Dipping sauce:
1. Mix ½ cup light mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a small bowl. Serve as a dipping sauce or place a dollop on top of each shrimp cake.
You can also make this recipe in a regular muffin tin and serve it on a bun with the mayo sauce as a shrimp burger.
| CALORIES | 20 calories |
| FAT | 0.5 gram |
| PROTEIN | 2.8 grams |
| SODIUM | 115 mg |
| CARBOHYDRATES | 1 gram |
| SUGARS | 0.13 gram |
| FIBER | 0 grams |
Makes 12–20, depending on mushroom size
10 ounces baby bella or white mushrooms, stems removed and reserved
¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon light cream cheese
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for topping
Pinch dry mustard
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ small garlic clove
1 tablespoon shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated fontina cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
Mini
1. Preheat oven to 400°F, and prepare as many mini muffin cups as you have mushrooms (since sizes vary) by spraying with cooking spray.
2. Place one mushroom cap in each muffin cup.
3. Place remaining ingredients and 4 mushroom stems in food processor and pulse until completely mixed.
4. Divide mixture among the mushroom caps.
5. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked through.
6. Remove from oven, remove foil, and sprinkle a large pinch of Parmesan cheese on top of each cap.
7. Return to oven uncovered, and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve.
This recipe is a great way to make stuffed mushrooms because the caps don’t slide around. The muffin cups hold them in place. Add 1 slice chopped cooked bacon to the stuffing, for some additional flavor.
| CALORIES | 53 calories (for 12-serving batch) |
| FAT | 3.5 grams |
| PROTEIN | 2.6 grams |
| SODIUM | 73 mg |
| CARBOHYDRATES | 2.8 grams |
| SUGARS | 0.75 gram |
| FIBER | 0.4 gram |
Makes 8
½ pound lean ground beef
½ cup salsa (your choice of heat)
2 cups Fritos, plus additional for topping
1 cup shredded taco cheese
4 teaspoons chopped green chilies
Jumbo
1. Preheat oven to 400°F, and prepare 8 jumbo muffin cups with foil or silicone liners.
2. Cook beef in a pan, until browned.
3. Stir in salsa, and cook until reduced.
4. Place ¼ cup Fritos in each cup.
5. Top with 1 tablespoon cheese in each cup.
6. Top with beef, divided among cups.
7. Top with 7 or 8 Fritos in each cup.
8. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese on each.
9. Top with ½ teaspoon chilies on each.
10. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
I love having individual servings of this snack. These fun treats are easiest to eat with a fork, but fingers are definitely allowed. Try some for your next Super Bowl party!
| CALORIES | 180 calories |
| FAT | 10 grams |
| PROTEIN | 16 grams |
| SODIUM | 369 mg |
| CARBOHYDRATES | 6 grams |
| SUGARS | 0.2 gram |
| FIBER | 0.2 gram |
Makes 12
12 sea scallops, washed, cleaned, and dried
1 garlic clove, chopped
¼ teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Mini
1. Preheat oven to 400°F, and prepare a 12-cup mini muffin tin by spraying it with cooking spray.
2. Place 1 scallop in each cup.
3. Mix other ingredients and spoon over the scallops.
4. Bake for 4–5 minutes, until the scallops are cooked through. Serve these yummy little bites on a plate of lettuce with a toothpick in each.
Sea scallops are the larger scallops and are used in this recipe. Bay scallops are the tiny scallops and don’t work as well in this recipe because they cook too quickly.
| CALORIES | 35 calories |
| FAT | 2.3 grams |
| PROTEIN | 2.6 grams |
| SODIUM | 111 mg |
| CARBOHYDRATES | 1 gram |
| SUGARS | 0 grams |
| FIBER | 0 grams |
Makes 24
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 8-ounce package light cream cheese
1 egg
½ cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper
½ 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
Green part of 1 scallion, chopped
Mini
1. Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare 24 mini muffin cups by spraying with cooking spray.
2. Mix bread crumbs and unsalted butter and then press into bottoms of muffin tins.
3. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl and divide among muffin tins.
4. Bake for 20 minutes until set and slightly brown and serve warm.
Great leftover idea: These are good reheated and crumbled over salads the next day.
| CALORIES | 62 calories |
| FAT | 4 grams |
| PROTEIN | 3.3 grams |
| SODIUM | 159 mg |
| CARBOHYDRATES | 3 grams |
| SUGARS | 0.8 gram |
| FIBER | 0.4 gram |