Glorious Morning Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins (standard muffin tin)

Time to Table: 60-75 minutes

Ahhh, morning, such a glorious time!  At least, it should be.  Weekday mornings can be such a rush which can result in poor choices for the most important fuel of the day.  Breakfast is the meal that kicks your metabolism and brain into gear. Most muffins are laden with fat and sugar and are really just cake in disguise.  This recipe can easily and successfully be converted to gluten free and is full of lovely fruit, carrots, coconut, nuts and whole grain (see end of recipe for substitution ideas).  They are dense, moist and freeze beautifully. I wrap them individually or in twos before freezing and then pull them out the night before or when I first get up and they are ready to eat in a snap.  These were a top seller in my bakery and I hope you will like them as well!

Ingredients:

2 Cups Flour (I use 1 cup Whole Wheat and 1 cup unbleached white) *See note

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp kosher salt

2 cups packed grated carrot (about 5-6 carrots)

1 cup grated or finely chopped apple (about 1 large apple, I love using a Granny Smith here)

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup finely grated, unsweetened coconut (health food store)

½ cup diced almonds

3 eggs

1/3 cup local honey

1/3 cup olive oil

4 Tbsp thawed apple juice concentrate (freezer section)

2 Tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°.

2. Add the first five ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine.

3. Add the next four ingredients (carrots through almonds) to the bowl and stir well to evenly coat.

4. In a separate bowl, blend the final six ingredients (or do this step in a blender or food processor).

5. Add the wet ingredients on top of the dry in the large bowl and stir well to combine.

6. Prepare a standard muffin tin with muffin cups or lightly grease with a little olive oil on a paper towel.

7. Evenly distribute the batter to the muffin cups (about ½ cup per muffin). This batter will not rise much at all, so it is nice to mound it a little on top.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, on a rack in the lower 1/3 of your oven.  Muffins are done when a tester comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes and then remove muffins to a rack to cool all the way.

Substitutions: This recipe is so flexible for making substitutions, so you can really make it your own.  The general rule is if it is a dry ingredient, swap it for a dry ingredient. If it is a wet ingredient, swap it for a wet ingredient (sugar is considered a wet ingredient).

Here are some ideas: 

Swap out the cranberries and coconut for 1 cup of chopped dried cherries

Swap out the cranberries for ½ cup of chopped dried apricots and use walnuts instead of almonds

Remove the coconut and double the amount of nuts

*Note: Regarding the flour, I use 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup unbleached white flour; however, I have found great success with using all whole wheat flour and using a gluten free blend. My general, go-to, gluten free blend is as follows: ½ cup brown rice flour + ¼ cup almond meal/flour + ¼ cup coconut flour + 1/8 tsp of Xanthan Gum = 1 cup of wheat flour (so you would double this for this recipe (2 cups).  “Gluten Free Mama” makes several great blends of all-purpose flours that are gluten free. My favorite is her Almond Blend.

Smokey Red Rub

One key to eating healthier is to start with whole foods vs. prepackaged, processed items. We all get stuck with what to do with that piece of fish or chicken once we get it home. How do we add flavor and variety without an entire afternoon in the kitchen? Getting to know all the wonderful spices and herbs that are available make this challenge much easier. 

So, what is the difference between an herb and a spice? Aren’t they the same thing?   Herbs and spices both add flavor to our food and drink but botanically speaking they are different. Herbs are the leaves of plants and spices are from the bark, flowers, seeds, roots, or fruits of plants. There are a few examples of plants that produce both an herb and a spice. Can you think of one?  Coriandrum sativum (fancy name) gives us cilantro leaves (herb) and coriander seeds (spice). 

Some examples of herbs:

Basil, cilantro, thyme, mint, sage, oregano

Some examples of spices:

Ginger (root), vanilla (underdeveloped fruit of an orchid), saffron (female reproductive part of a saffron crocus), cinnamon (bark of a tree), and peppercorns (dried berry of a vine).

Salt is neither an herb nor a spice, but a mineral.  It is essential in flavoring food and we do need very small amounts in our diet. However, processed/packaged foods contain entirely too much salt which is really not good for our health. But you already knew that, right?

Using a seasoning rub on meat or vegetables prior to cooking is a great way to add tons of flavor in a healthy manner (watch the amount of salt and oil, please).  Combine a few spices, herbs, a bit of salt and a little oil or water and create a paste to “rub” onto your food before cooking.  In this form, the seasonings stay put on the food better and if you let them sit for a bit before cooking it will allow the flavors to seep in, adding all the more lovely flavor.

Here is a great rub that is fabulous on fish, chicken, root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.) and squash.  If you are feeling adventurous, try it on fresh peaches or nectarines in July/August and then grill them for a few minutes, until golden brown and juicy. DELICIOUS with a little scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt!

Smokey Red Rub

2 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 Tbsp chipotle in adobo (finely chopped)

1 Tbsp honey (local, of course)

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. (Now that was easy, wasn’t it?)

2. Generously, rub onto your choice of meat or veggies (or fruit). 

3. Cook as you please (grill, roast, bake, saute). For the fish pictured above I massaged the rub into some fresh cod and baked it at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Wonderful over a kale salad or pretty much life changing as fish tacos.  Tortillas, freshly shredded cabbage, add your favorite salsa or hot sauce and you are living the high life.

If you have left over rub, it can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week, or put it in a freezer container and freeze.