Rainy Day Muffins

An overcast day sent me switching on the oven and baking a batch of muffins. The ingredient list reads long however do not let that stop you, short on prep and full of flavour.  An orangey zest that will certainly bring on the sunshine.  

Rainy Day Muffins

---------------------------------------------------------------------

MAKES 12 MUFFINS

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup soy flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 cup (100 grams) finely ground almonds
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Grated peel from 1 large orange

1/2 cup cranberries

1/2 cup diced dried apricots

2 large eggs, beaten

1 cup plain low fat Icelandic yoghurt  

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350ºF. 

Grease or paper-line a muffin tin, set aside.

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients and dried fruit together. In another bowl, combine and mix the wet ingredients together. Stir the wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened. Batter should be thick and lumpy. Fill the prepared muffin tin about 2/3 full. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden.  

Notes: The batter will be really thick so do not worry. For more fibre, substitute the 1/2 cup wheat germ for 1/3 cup wheat bran.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far. - JD 

The Soy Gourmet

The other day I posted about our vegan/vegetarian dinner we had. The main was marinated tofu burgers and the recipe was from this cookbook, The Soy Gourmet. The author, a chef, wanted to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Cutting down on the high fat, high cholesterol foods when working in a professional kitchen. She became a vegetarian and eliminated meat and diary products. She wanted to recreate those skilled dishes and not give up on taste, flavour, and texture. Developing cooking techniques and menu ideas with that in mind while using natural meatless and dairy free ingredients. Hence the cookbook. 

Not all of us are trained chefs. Most of our skills we learn from family, friends, and trial  and error. Regardless what your kitchen know how level is or you are wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle this cookbook offers delicious recipes that are worth a try and that many may master. The baked marinated tofu was easy and very delicious and became the base for the tofu burgers.

Baked Marinated Tofu
-------------------------------------------------
1/3 cup safflower oil
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup low sodium tamari 
2 teaspoons sugar (or natural sweetener)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pound firm tofu, cut into 1/2 -inch-thick slices

Combine all the ingredients, except the tofu, in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Place the tofu in a shallow baking dish. Pour the marinade over the top. Allow the tofu to marinate 30 minutes or more, turning once.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF degrees. Bake the tofu in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the slices over and bake 10 minutes longer. Remove the tofu from the marinade with a slotted spatula to serve. 

Serves 4.

Notes: I used vegetable oil instead of the safflower oil. I crushed the garlic and added a bit more then stated. I decided to use 2 packages of extra firm tofu instead. The tofu was sliced in half and then those halves slices again to make 2 square blocks. Even though the recipes states it serves 4; I was able to marinate 8 square pieces of tofu, as you can see from the above photo. 

The end result. Delicious and very much enjoyed by everyone!  

Enjoy!  - JD