On the baking front today was some more muffins... I pulled out the last
one I had in the freezer for a snack today. Most muffins freeze quite well and it's nice to have a good supply for snacks as they thaw pretty fast.
This time around I made
Fruit studded Muffins with Almond Streusel. The muffins are quite healthy - filled with ground flaxseeds, whole wheat pastry flour, orange juice, fresh apples and golden raisins. I found them to be moist and a little dense, but not so much heavy. They are slightly sweet with the nutty crowns bringing a crunchy texture difference. I made 14 muffins, but you could stretch them a little more and still have pretty large muffins.
Whew! Tonight's dinner was pretty spicy.
Kung Pao Chicken is heavy on the ginger with a thick sauce that I served over a bed of brown and wild rice blend to soak up some of the liquid. Crisp tender broccoli and juicy chicken bites are coated in a spicy mix of garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, hoisin, soy sauce, chicken broth and soy sauce. Crunchy peanuts are thrown on top to go along with the nutty rice. This takes just a few minutes to throw together and is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. I would add more veggies (maybe carrots and red bell) next time and use cashews for the nuts.
This time around I made Fruit studded Muffins with Almond Streusel. The muffins are quite healthy - filled with ground flaxseeds, whole wheat pastry flour, orange juice, fresh apples and golden raisins. I found them to be moist and a little dense, but not so much heavy. They are slightly sweet with the nutty crowns bringing a crunchy texture difference. I made 14 muffins, but you could stretch them a little more and still have pretty large muffins.
Whew! Tonight's dinner was pretty spicy. Kung Pao Chicken is heavy on the ginger with a thick sauce that I served over a bed of brown and wild rice blend to soak up some of the liquid. Crisp tender broccoli and juicy chicken bites are coated in a spicy mix of garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, hoisin, soy sauce, chicken broth and soy sauce. Crunchy peanuts are thrown on top to go along with the nutty rice. This takes just a few minutes to throw together and is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. I would add more veggies (maybe carrots and red bell) next time and use cashews for the nuts.
Hello. First time visitor here. :) I like your blog, full of mouth-watering photos of your dishes and baked goods. And healthy as well! Wow! :D
ReplyDeleteAnd nuts... I love nuts! Heh.
Oh Yum!! I love muffins, one more to my muffin recipe collection!!!
ReplyDeleteThese must be delicious with the apples inside and the crunchy top, I love apple muffins, and almonds to!
Ana
Both recipes look great and your photos are beautiful. Love the one with the muffin sitting on the almonds. My hubby and I made the Cooking Light Kung Pao for Chinese New Year. I added red bell pepper when we made it, but the carrots are a great idea too.
ReplyDeleteI love how well muffins freeze. I've taken to making them in the jumbo pan, and freezing half, so Matt can alternate his breakfast foods.
ReplyDeleteAnd he LOVES kung pao chicken; 3 out of 4 times we'd order at The Great Wall, that's what he'd get.
Cindy - Thanks for visiting!
ReplyDeleteAna - It was a really good combo!
Jill - Thanks!
Stephanie - I don't have a Jumbo pan... yet!
These muffins do look spectacular, Joe. Can't wait to try them out.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Kung Pau Chicken really sounds like a knock-out dish.
Thanks for sharing.
Joe -
ReplyDeleteI've always shyed away from the flax, but wanted to experiment with at some point. This might be a good tester to turn this into a cookie. Thoughts?
Ruth - Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMark - Definitely try using flax sometime! As far as turning it into cookies, that's a good question! I'll try and compare it to some recipes I have and see what could be done - I think it would be quite tasty.
Tried Kung pao chicken recipe you posted...the dominant taste is the hoisin. Quick and easy to prepare dish. thanks Joe for sharing
ReplyDeleteHere's some pictures:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y111/fawn512/meal/kungpaoindishart.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y111/fawn512/meal/Kungpaochoxdesertculinary.jpg
Great job My! Thanks for letting me know!
ReplyDelete