Honey & Cream Cheese Filled Fig Muffins

I found this recipe on Eating Well and I made some adjustments to suit our tastes.  The original recipe calls for goat cheese.  I don't mind goat cheese, but I don't normally have it on hand, so I used cream cheese.  I also used orange zest rather than lemon zest.  Again, I didn't have a lemon on hand.  I know, weird, I did actually have figs on hand, but then I love figs.  Another big thing that I changed is the cooking temp and time.  They had it at 425 but that is way too hot to cook a muffin.  Enjoy!

Filling:
6 oz   reduced fat cream cheese
2 T     honey
1 t      lemon zest (or orange)
1/4 t   vanilla

Dry ingredients:
2 c        whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t   baking powder
1/2 t      baking soda
1/4 t      salt
1 t         cinnamon
1/2 t      cardamom

Wet ingredients:
2            eggs
3/4 c      brown sugar
1/2 c      milk
1/2 c      orange juice
1/3 c      canola oil
1 t          vanilla

1 1/4 c    dried chopped figs

3 T          turbinado (or granulated) sugar for topping


Preheat oven to 350.  Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.  Thoroughly combine filling ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Lightly beat eggs and egg white in a medium bowl.  Add brown sugar and rest of wet ingredients.  Stir until smooth. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Stir until just combined.  Fold in figs.  Spoon half of the batter into the muffin cups.  Add about 1 teaspoon of filling mixture to each cup.  Add remaining batter.  (The filling should not be visible.)  Sprinkle the muffins with sugar.  Bake until the edges start to brown and the tops spring back when gently pressed, about 15 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.  Enjoy!

Spinach, Sausage, and Feta Frittata

This is Kyle's absolute favorite breakfast.  This past summer, he requested it for his birthday breakfast.  Well, we were camping.  So we managed to pull it off in a dutch oven.  Tasted even better on a chilly mountain morning.

1 T oil
1 medium onion, chopped
10 oz baby spinach
1/4 cup sun-died tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
4 links fully-cooked chicken sausage, sliced (Alfresco and Aidells both have some really yummy flavors)
8 eggs
4 oz fat free crumbled feta (Trader Joes) (or regular feta)

Preheat oven to 350.  Using a large, flat pan that can go in the oven, saute the onion for 5 minutes on medium to medium-high heat.  Add sliced sausage, saute 3 minutes.  Add spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, saute 2 minutes.  Whisk eggs.  Pour over sausage mixture, stir.  Top with feta.  Cover.  Cook in oven for 5-8 minutes or until set in middle.  Enjoy!

Basic Muffin Recipe

This is a simple recipe that you can customize however you like.  We've enjoyed it with berries, cinnamon swirl, bananas...

Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare muffin pans by using cooking spray or paper liners.  Makes about 16 muffins.

Combine dry ingredients
     1 3/4 cup flour
     2 tsp baking powder
     1/4 tsp baking soda
     1/4 tsp salt

Combine wet ingredients
     1/2 cup sugar or brown sugar
     1/4 cup oil
     1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
     1/4 cup skim milk
     1 egg
     1/2 tsp vanilla or extract of your choice

Add dry ingredients gradually to wet ingredients. 

Add your choice of mix-ins
    3/4 cup fruit, berries, nuts, chocolate chips, etc, or a combination of things.
    0r 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon which will then be lightly swirled into batter

Divide evenly into muffin cups.  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Enjoy!

Bren's Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkins are loaded with vitamins A, C, and K as well as potassium, zinc, calcium, and lutein. Low in calories and high in fiber, pumpkins are a powerhouse of nutrition. Generally, I try to reduce the amount of fat and calories in any recipe I use. However, in order for your body to absorb all of these wonderful vitamins and minerals, you need to have some fat in the recipe. The recipe works if you replace the oil with yogurt, but your body will thank you if you leave the oil in the recipe. Enjoy!

Combine filling ingredients, mix until smooth. Put in refrigerator to firm back up.

6 oz light cream cheese (softened)
3 T sugar

Preheat oven to 350

Combine topping ingredients and set aside

1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
3 T butter (softened)

Combine dry ingredients

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
2 T pumpkin pie spice
2 t baking soda
1 t salt

Combine wet ingredients

1 1/3 cup brown sugar
15 oz solid pack pumpkin
2/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until just blended.

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray or use paper liners. Put small amount of batter in each muffin cup, spread evenly on bottom. Divide filling mixture evenly among muffins, placing about 1 tsp into the center of each muffin. Do not spread out. Divide remaining batter among muffins. Top each muffin with about ½ T topping mixture. Bake for 14-15 minutes. (For large muffins, use about 2 tsp filling mixture and 1 T topping and bake for 17-18 minutes)

Nutrition (makes 30 small or 15 large muffins)
Small muffin: 169 calories, 5.7 gm fat, 26.3 gm carbs, 2.4 gm fiber, 4.1 gm protein
Large muffin: 338 calories, 11.3 gm fat, 52.6 gm carbs, 4.7 gm fiber, 8.2 gm protein