Apple-Cinnamon Muffins

When you go grocery shopping, do you ever stock up on tons of fruits, then realize later in the week that there is absolutely no way you are going to be able to eat it all before it starts rotting?  Unless I'm careful about what I'm purchasing, this happens nearly every week.  Before I go to the store, I make a menu, write down my grocery list needed for the meals, then I generally put "fruit" at the bottom of the list so I can pick and choose once I'm there, depending on prices.  

However, once I get there, I see sale prices.  It all looks so juicy and delicious that, before I know it, I have enough fruit to not only feed my husband and me, but probably all of my 10 siblings, too!  I know you're probably thinking "Just put some back!", but I don't usually realize it's way too much until I'm at home putting everything away.  Fruit is sneaky like that.

Don't worry, I really try not to let it go to waste.  Our freezer is packed with cleaned, chopped fruit: very handy when throwing together a smoothie or some blueberry muffins!  Apples, however, are trickier for me.  If any type of fruit gets wasted in our home, it's generally the apples.

These babies were created so I didn't have to feel the guilt in my chest as I chucked a half dozen braeburns.  If you're not looking for a way to use up your fruit like I was, go buy some apples just for this recipe.  You won't regret it.  They are pretty tasty.

Don't worry too much about the type of apples you use, any kind will do!

(I think I had a mixture of braeburn and gala.)  

Apple-Cinnamon Muffins

Makes about 32-36 muffins.

Ingredients

APPLES:

4 c. apples, peeled, cored, and diced small

4 tsp. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

BATTER:

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. coconut oil

2 c. cane sugar

2 eggs

2 chia eggs*

4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. unsweetened almond milk

CRUMB TOPPING:

butter, melted

flour

sugar

cinnamon

oatmeal

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the apples, combine the flour and cinnamon and toss with the apples. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set this aside, too.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar with the butter and coconut oil until creamy.

Add the eggs, one at a time.

Beat in the chia eggs and vanilla.

Begin adding the flour mixture and the almond milk, alternating between the two, just until combined.

Fill lined muffin tins about 3/4 full with the batter. (I filled 24 muffin liners, then poured the remaining batter in a greased loaf pan.)

Now, it's time to mix the crumb topping.  I melted 1/2 cup of butter in a small bowl, then mixed in a couple teaspoons cinnamon, about 1/4 cup sugar, about 1/2 cup flour, and about a 1/2 cup oatmeal.  If it's still too wet, add more flour or oatmeal until it resembles a coarse crumble topping.

Sprinkle over the muffins and bake for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from pans and let rest on a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

*For each chia egg you want to mix 1 tablespoon chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water and set aside for 5-10 minutes or until gelled. (So for this recipe, you will be using 2 Tbsp. chia seeds & 6 Tbsp. water.)

A warm, apple-cinnamon muffin fresh out of the oven and a hot cup of coffee in the morning sounds like a pretty perfect breakfast to me. :)

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

I can't believe I'm writing this post.  Not only does it feel strange blogging, since I haven't been very good about keeping on it lately (sorry about that!), but I'm posting yet another recipe about black bean burgers.

Over a year ago, I posted a recipe for Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Burgers.  At the time, I liked them, but now I realize that I didn't know any better.  That was the first "meatless" burger I had ever had.  They were good, but they weren't something I would choose to eat regularly. 

The Black Bean Veggie Burgers that I'm posting today?  Phenomenal.  At least that's my opinion. And my husband's.  As well as other family members we have made these for.  The combination of it all makes these "burgers" so amazing, I find myself craving these over a big, greasy, real cheeseburger.  I have already lost count on how many times we have made these over the last 6 months.

If you make these, I order highly suggest you make the burgers exactly as written below (with the chipotle sauce) before branching out on your own version.  The combination of these patties with a toasted kaiser roll, smothered in the chipotle sauce, and topped with thick slabs of avocado, tomato, a few slices of red onion, and a mound of leafy greens is truly unbeatable.  I can't promise you a truly delicious "burger" if you make them any other way. :)

BLACK BEAN VEGGIE BURGERS

Recipe adapted from Tastes Better From Scratch.

Makes about 5 patties.

Ingredients

BURGERS:

1 kaiser roll, torn and baked to dry out

3 mini sweet bell peppers, stems & seeds removed

1 small red onion

2 tsp. garlic paste

1 egg

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

salt & pepper

1 can (16 oz.) black beans, rinsed, drained, and patted dry with a paper towel

*CHIPOTLE SAUCE:

1/3 c. mayonaisse

2/3 c. plain Greek yogurt

2 canned chipotle chilies, seeds scraped out

1 Tbsp. adobo sauce

juice from 1/2 lime

salt & pepper

SERVE WITH:

toasted kaiser buns

chipotle sauce (*recipe above)

avocado

red onion

tomato

lettuce

Directions

Place a large cast iron skillet or cooking stone on the middle rack in a cold oven.

Turn the heat on to 400 degrees.

Once preheated, tear the kaiser roll to pieces and spread onto a large cookie sheet.

Bake in the oven until the pieces feel dry and crumbly.

Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the peppers, onion, and garlic paste.  Pulse until the veggies are in small pieces.

Add the egg, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Pulse until well combined.

Add the baked kaiser crumbs. Pulse until mixed.

Lastly, add the black beans and pulse a few times until they are mixed in as well.

Carefully pull out the rack holding the skillet/stone and spray with non-stick spray.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of the mixture, form a ball, place on hot skillet and pat into a patty.

Repeat with the remaining mixture. (Makes about 5 patties.)

Bake for 10 minutes.

Lightly spray the tops of the patties with non-stick spray and gently flip.

Bake another 10 minutes.

While the patties are baking, combine all ingredients for the chipotle sauce in the food processor and blend until well combined.

A few minutes before the patties are done, place the remaining kaiser buns face up in the oven to "toast".

Serve patties on the toasted buns with a generous dollop of the chipotle sauce, avocado, a thick slice of tomato, red onion, and leafy greens.

Enjoy!

Normally we serve these burgers with a mound of well seasoned, oven-baked sweet potato fries and a side of the chipotle sauce for dipping.  SO good together!