Morning Glory Muffins {Fall Version}

My breakfasts have been suffering lately. I usually like to be awake for an hour or two before eating, so on days where I have to be on the road before the sun comes up it's difficult for me to eat. Sometimes I'll force feed myself a yogurt or maybe a bowl of cereal, but I'm ravenous an hour later.

I found these muffins during the summer, and thought they would be perfect to have in the freezer so I could grab one or two and eat it later on when I'm actually ready to eat my breakfast. I finally got around to making them about a week ago, and they are just as moist and delicious warmed from the freezer as they were fresh.

I had a bit of fun making these, as I improvised a lot. The ingredient list is crazy long, so use what you have! I used the original recipe as a guide, but put a fall spin on it. I substituted pumpkin for half of the oil, used dried cranberries in place of raisins, and apple cider in place of orange juice (though orange juice would be awesome...reminds me of my favorite muffin). I also used a combination of chia seeds and ground flax seeds in place of the wheat germ.

 

I'm glad I have these waiting for me in my freezer for those cold, early morning drives!

Morning Glory Muffins {Fall Version}

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups peeled and grated carrots

1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and grated (or leave the peel on, your choice)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans, or nut of choice

1/3 cup combiniation of chia seeds, ground flax seed, wheat germ, etc. (optional)

3 large eggs

1/3 cup pumpkin

1/3 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup orange juice or apple cider
 
Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line it with papers and spray the insides of the papers.

In a small bowl, cover the cranberries/raisins with hot water, and set them aside to soak while you assemble the rest of the recipe.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir in the carrots, apple, coconut, nuts, and seeds/wheat germ etc. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, oil, vanilla, and juice. Add to the flour mixture, and stir until evenly moistened. Drain the cranberries/raisins and stir them in.

Divide the batter among the wells of the prepared pan (they'll be full almost to the top; that's OK). Bake the muffins for 25 to 28 minutes, until they're nicely domed and a cake tester inserted in the center of one of the inner muffins comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes in their pan on a rack, then turn out of pans to finish cooling. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Recipe Source: adapted from King Aurthur Flour

Three-Bean Turkey Chili

After a month of silence, it feels great to finally have something nummy to share with you all today. This past month has been so busy I've hardly cooked or baked anything at all! I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to stand over the stove and give this chili a stir. It was good for my soul. 

I made this chili last year, using a vegetarian three-bean chili recipe as a guide. The result was outstanding, and I can't believe I haven't blogged about it until now! If you want to make it vegetarian, check out the original recipe which uses cubed butternut squash and veggie stock. Based off of the outstanding reviews, I'm sure it would be equally as delicious!! 

I chose to top the chili with shredded jack cheese, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro. I think some avocado would be divine. Can you tell I'm a girl who loves her garnishes?? :)

I will be submitting this recipe to Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen. There's always a great line up of soups, salads, and sandwiches every Sunday, so check it out!

Three-Bean Turkey Chili

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 pound ground turkey (dark meat if you can find it!)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups chicken broth

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained (no salt added)

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can great northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Garnishes (optional...I guess): sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, shredded jack cheese, avocado, whatever you like!

Directions

Preheat broiler. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove and discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place pepper halves in a zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and chop peppers.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add onion and turkey, and cook until meat is browned. Stir in cumin and next 4 ingredients (through garlic). Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers, broth, and tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Add beans, simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. If you want a thicker chili, leave the lid off after you add the beans. I like it a little more soupy, so I just took the lid off for the last 15 minutes or so. Totally up to you!

When ready to serve, top with your favorite garnishes and serve with tortilla chips!

Recipe Inspiration: Cooking Light