Apple Granola Muffins

I love muffins, it's basically a free pass to eat cake for breakfast. So what's better than cake for breakfast? How about cake and granola. Yum! I would never have thought to put granola inside a muffin until I saw this pear granola muffin recipe, but granola really is a wonderful filling and topping for a muffin and makes them a little more breakfasty. You can choose any granola variety you like, but I would recommend one without raisins. I used special K granola. Enjoy!

Apple Granola Muffins:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp of plain greek yogurt
2 tbsp of milk
2 tbsp of butter, melted
1 cup of all purpose flour
3/4 cup of wheat flour
2 tsps of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 apples (1 granny smith, 1 gala), diced
3/4 cup of granola

Topping:
1 cup of granola
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
6 tbsp of butter, chilled

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners and lightly spray with non-stick spray. In a large bowl mix together eggs, sugar, yogurt, milk, and butter until well combined slowly mix in flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until just combined. Mix in apples and granola. Fill each muffin tin with batter approximately 3/4 full. Make topping: Mix together granola, flour, sugar and salt. Chop butter into pieces and cut into granola mixture using your hands, until clumps form. Distribute the topping over the muffins. Bake until a fork inserted comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Make 18. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

Apple Cabbage Salad

Sometimes, I forget just how much wonderful produce grows in the fall. It may not be as glamorous as the abundant summer crops, but there are a world of new fruits and veggies to locally enjoy. Wonderful root vegetables, cabbages, Brussels sprouts, amazing sweet squash, pears, and of course apples. I love rediscovering all the delicious flavors. I love the first taste of mashed butternut squash, where you totally forget that you are eating a vegetable, and think" how is this good for me?" I love combining them in new ways as well, taking an old favorite, apples and pairing it with my vegetable obsession, cabbage, to make a truly delicious warm salad. I served this over a garden fresh baked potato.

Apple Cabbage Salad:
1 apple
1/2 head of green cabbage
2 tbsp of good quality balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of water
4 oz of ground beef
salt, pepper
olive oil for pan

Heat the olive oil over medium high in a large pan. Chop the apple into small pieces and add to the hot oil. Chop the cabbage and add to the pan. Add the vinegar and stir, reduce heat to medium-low, add water and cook until the liquid has evaporated and cabbage in tender, about 6-8 minutes. Return heat to medium-high and add beef, stir in and cook until beef browns, about 1-2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over a baked potato or by itself.

Happy Eating.

Apple Quinoa Salad

It's been awhile since I've shared a delicious side dish. To be honest, I have been making this for lunch, where half the recipe makes a perfectly sized, wonderfully healthy, and amazingly yummy lunch for me. But it also makes a great fall side or salad, filled with the best of the season apples and mushrooms. Plus, I don't know if it's the color, but something about red quinoa absolutely screams fall to me. This salad is good hot or cold, although I prefer it cold. If you are serving it cold, it can be made in advance, just leave the lettuce out until right before you serve it. If you are serving it hot, stir the apples and the lettuce in right at the end, so they don't go soggy. Enjoy a wonderful, healthy, seasonal meal or side!

Apple Quinoa Salad:
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of red quinoa (raw)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup of mushrooms, pieces
2 tablespoons of almonds, sliced
1/2 an apple
1 cup of lettuce
1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon of olive oil
salt, pepper

Bring the water to a boil and add the quinoa and the garlic. Cover and reduce to a simmer, cook until liquid has absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove lid and add mushrooms and stir, cook until mushrooms are tender, about 3-4 minutes. Toast the almonds in the oven and stir into quinoa. Let the quinoa cool. Chop the half apple and add to the quinoa. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Chop the apple and the lettuce and stir into the cooled quinoa. Toss together, add dressing and toss again. Season with salt and pepper.

Happy Eating.