Savory Muffins (Greens & Pesto)

savory muffins with greens and pesto (photo by jhy)

You will need:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1 t. salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1/2 c. yogurt (at least)
• 1 c. milk
• 10 oz cooked greens (spinach, nettles, others) See Nettles
• 1/2- 1 c. pesto See Garlic Mustard Pesto
• 1 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, etc)

mixing spoon or fork
spatula
2 medium bowls
measuring cups & spoons
muffin pans for regular size (2 1/2 inch) muffins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare 12 muffin cups. You can insert liners, but for less bread loss on the paper, try How to Bake Muffins that Won't Stick to the Pan (link coming soon).

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, add oil, milk and yogurt and mix well. Add the squeezed out cooked greens (save the juice). If the liquid seems thick add in a little of the juice from the greens. This is where you have to do some guessing in this recipe because the amount of liquid in the greens, and the thickness of the pesto may require the addition of more liquid.

savory muffins ready to bake (photo by jhy)

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid all at once. Stir until thoroughly moistened, but the batter will still be lumpy. Over-mixing muffins will make them tough and dry. If the batter is really too stiff to stir, you can add more greens juice or yogurt, but don't stir excessively.

Finally, fold in the cheese and pesto until distributed.

Fill the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tester or toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pans.

Autumn Olive, Orange, Poppyseed Muffins

glazed autumn olive, orange, poppyseed muffins (photo by jhy)

You will need:
autumn olive berries, about one cup, washed, stems removed
2 1/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. + 1 T sweetener (all sugar or part stevia, Splenda, etc)
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. yogurt
grated zest of one orange
juice from that orange
1 t vanilla
2 T. poppy seeds

(for glaze: 1/2 c. confectioners sugar, part of the zest and juice, and 1/2 t. vanilla)

Equipment:
muffin tins for 12 muffins
wax paper, scissors and shortening; or muffin cup papers
sifter (optional)
bowl
whisk or fork
fine grater
manual juicer (or strong hands)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare 12 muffin cups. You can insert liners, but for less bread loss on the paper, try [link coming soon].

Grate the outer orange rind to produce the zest, and then juice the orange.

Sift together, or thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
Whisk together the eggs and sugar (granulated sweetener).
Add oil, yogurt, 3 T orange juice, vanilla, poppy seeds, and all but 1 T of the grated zest to the eggs and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
Stir the berries into the liquid.

liquids mixed with berries added, but not yet stirred (photo by jhy)

Add the dry ingredients all at once and fold together only until there are no more dry lumps (overmixing muffins will make them tough).



Spoon the mixture into 12 muffin cups. They will be full.

muffin cups will be quite full (photo by jhy)

Bake for 12-15 minutes until inserted tester comes out clean, cool slightly and remove from pans.

Glaze if desired. Mix the reserved zest with the confectioners sugar, add vanilla and enough of the remaining just to make a soft glaze. Drizzle over warm muffins.

3B Muffins (Butternut, Buckwheat, Blueberry)

3B muffins (photo by jhy)

You will need:

• 1 1/3 c white flour
• 3/4 c buckwheat flour
• 1/4 c sugar (or go half and half with substitute)
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1-2 eggs (1 large is plenty or you can use 2 small to medium)
• 1 c mashed butternut squash
• 1/2 c milk (fat free works fine)
• finely grated peel from 1/2 an orange
• juice from 1/2 an orange (about 1/4 c)
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 3/4 c blueberries (wild or cultivated)
• rolled oats

2 bowls
spoon
measuring cups, spoons, etc
muffin pans for regular size (2 1/2 inch) muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare 12 muffin cups. You can insert liners, but for less bread loss on the paper, try How to Bake Muffins that Won't Stick to the Pan (link coming soon).

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and mix well.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquid all at once. Stir batter just until all dry ingredients are moistened. It will be lumpy. One secret to tender muffins is to not overmix.

Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon into muffin cups. Sprinkle a few rolled oats on top of each and press lightly to help them stick.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until inserted tester comes out clean, cool slightly and remove from pans.

These muffins are one of our favorites. The buckwheat is a dark, nutty grain and the squash keeps it moist. I've also made this with pumpkin. In the fall I usually prepare a number of one-cup packs of squash and put in the freezer for these muffins next blueberry season. I almost always double the recipe.

Low-Fat Pear Oatmeal Muffins

pear-oatmeal muffins (photo by jhy)

You will need:

• 1 c quick oats (divided)
• 2 c white flour
• 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c sugar (or 3/8 c sugar and 3/8 c sugar substitute)
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt (you can reduce or eliminate this for low-salt diets)
• 1/4 t ground cinnamon, mace or cardamom
• 1/4 t ground allspice
• 2 c chopped ripe pear (the smaller the pieces the better)
• 3/4 c low-fat buttermilk or sour milk (you can add 1 T vinegar to regular milk to sour it- be sure to start it about 30 minutes ahead to give it time to sour)
• 1/3 c lowfat cottage cheese
• 1/4 c vegetable oil (we now use Smart Balance, but canola, or any vegetable oil works fine)
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1 egg plus one egg white OR 3/8 c Egg Beaters™ or similar product
• shortening or vegetable spray

bowls spoons, scrapers, etc. measuring cups muffin tins These muffins are really delicious. We've been making them for years, and after my husband had a heart attack, we made some substitutions to make them even more healthy. Preheat oven to 400F, and if you need to create the sour milk, mix the milk and vinegar and let it sit a few minutes. Prepare tins for 18 regular-size muffins. Combine 1/2 c of the oatmeal and all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the pear pieces and mix gently to disperse and coat them. Mix the rest of the ingredients and stir or whisk till well-combined. Make a shallow well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid all at once, and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

fill muffin cups to the top (photo by jhy)

Spoon immediately into the prepared muffin tins. For this recipe you will fill the cups to the top (some muffins should only be filled to three-quarters). Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal over the muffins, and press in lightly. Bake for 18 minutes or until done. Muffins will be lightly golden. Remove from pans immediately and cool on a rack. These freeze well, if you can refrain from eating them all right away! With half sugar substitute, and lowfat milk, chottage cheese, etc. these muffins are only 120 calories each.