Work has been kind of crazy lately (hence fewer recipes posted... I apologize) and I generally get home completely beat, so I have been trying to maximize my hours of sleep as much as I can. I noticed that if I set up the coffee machine to get it's magic done while I shower, and if breakfast is something I can grab and eat (none of that fancy toasting business - no time to waste!), I can get up almost an entire half hour later!
Being a grown-up with a grown-up job is tough sometimes. Silly office clothes are merely the tip of the iceberg, but let's not change subject. Breakfast food that's quick and awesome is the subject. Focus. I'll bitch about office attire later.
Muffins are a great solutions when mornings are a race against the clock because you literally just pick it up and eat it. But the quality of store-bought muffins always being something highly questionable, I decided to go on a little muffin baking spree, and have delicious and nutritious breakfast food that I can just grab and devour while wrestling with my pencil-skirt.
The two recipes below are from "Vegan with a Vengeance", and they are almost variations on a theme: healthy and raisins. Eating breakfast is important, but eating it on your way to the bus stop is bad. So if you are gonna follow my horrible example, you should at least eat healthy stuff as you chase public transportation around in high-heels (don't forget to throw a fruit in your bag for the bus ride and fill your thermos bottle with OJ!).
Both recipes call for you to soak the raisins in hot water. That step is not mandatory though highly recommended. It resurrects the raisins from dried and insignificant fruits to plump and chewy wonders. It won't take any time at all: fill a bowl with hot water and leave the raisins in there while you measure and mix your other ingredients.
I also generally double the recipes, keeping only 6 muffins out and defrosting them overnight as needed, but bake and freeze according to your needs (e.g. if you are one of my brother's friends who eats his weight in food twice a day, don't bother freezing the extra muffins).
Carrot-Raisin Muffins (12)
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
14 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, or grease lightly with canola oil. Soak the raisins in a bowl of hot water. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Create a well in the center and add the milk, oil and vanilla extract; mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Fold in the grated carrots. Remove the raisins from the water and fold in as well. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire-rack.
The longest part of this recipe is grating the carrots, but it's worth the effort! These muffins are moist, chewy and delicious.
Ginger-Raisin Bran Muffins (12)
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup bran
1 1/4 cup rice or soy milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup crystallized ginger
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin pan. Soak the raisins in hot water to cover, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Mix in the bran. Create a well in the center and add the rice milk, oil and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon just until combined. Drain the raisins and fold them in along with the crystallized ginger. Fill each muffin cup most of the way full and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clear. Cool on a wire-rack.
This one is slightly more adventurous, with the sweet and zesty crystallized ginger pieces.
Both recipes fill the kitchen with a lovely smell, and though the carrots and the bran make them wholesome, they also taste delicious enough to eat just because they are yummy. Enjoy, but do try to sit down when eating your breakfast!
The two recipes below are from "Vegan with a Vengeance", and they are almost variations on a theme: healthy and raisins. Eating breakfast is important, but eating it on your way to the bus stop is bad. So if you are gonna follow my horrible example, you should at least eat healthy stuff as you chase public transportation around in high-heels (don't forget to throw a fruit in your bag for the bus ride and fill your thermos bottle with OJ!).
Both recipes call for you to soak the raisins in hot water. That step is not mandatory though highly recommended. It resurrects the raisins from dried and insignificant fruits to plump and chewy wonders. It won't take any time at all: fill a bowl with hot water and leave the raisins in there while you measure and mix your other ingredients.
I also generally double the recipes, keeping only 6 muffins out and defrosting them overnight as needed, but bake and freeze according to your needs (e.g. if you are one of my brother's friends who eats his weight in food twice a day, don't bother freezing the extra muffins).
Carrot-Raisin Muffins (12)
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
14 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, or grease lightly with canola oil. Soak the raisins in a bowl of hot water. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Create a well in the center and add the milk, oil and vanilla extract; mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Fold in the grated carrots. Remove the raisins from the water and fold in as well. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire-rack.
The longest part of this recipe is grating the carrots, but it's worth the effort! These muffins are moist, chewy and delicious.
Ginger-Raisin Bran Muffins (12)
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup bran
1 1/4 cup rice or soy milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup crystallized ginger
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin pan. Soak the raisins in hot water to cover, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Mix in the bran. Create a well in the center and add the rice milk, oil and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon just until combined. Drain the raisins and fold them in along with the crystallized ginger. Fill each muffin cup most of the way full and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clear. Cool on a wire-rack.
This one is slightly more adventurous, with the sweet and zesty crystallized ginger pieces.
Both recipes fill the kitchen with a lovely smell, and though the carrots and the bran make them wholesome, they also taste delicious enough to eat just because they are yummy. Enjoy, but do try to sit down when eating your breakfast!
Brill post! And thanks for sharing your yummy recipes!
ReplyDeleteHi I’m Heather! Please email me when you get a chance! I have a question about your blog. HeatherVonsj(at)gmail(dot)com
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