Nuts all over....

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.

Recipes
Kung Pao Chicken
Fruit studded Muffins with Almond Streusel