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Pumpkin Millet Muffins

Pumpkin-Millet-Muffins-2

Goodness, I think I bake way too many muffins around here.  It’s just that they’re so perfect for a quick breakfast,  packing for lunches, and they always seem to hit the spot when I’m in the mood for eating something sweet but not too sweet.  And it’s 15 minutes to make the batter, 20-25 minutes in the oven, and then they are done!  It’s instant gratification in the kitchen.

Pumpkin millet muffins are one of my favorite variations of the more traditional pumpkin bread.  It has all of the warm flavors and spices that you would expect from a pumpkin muffin, but the addition of toasted millet adds extra nutrients and a little crunch.  It’s really quite lovely.  I used coconut sugar as the sweetener as coconut sugar has been one of my top alternatives to refined sugar lately.  It has some caramel undertones to it so I find that it works well as a substitute in recipes that call for brown sugar.  The coconut flavor is hardly noticeable at all in these muffins.  I only used 1/2 cup of sugar since I prefer my muffins not to be overly sweet (theses are muffins after all, and not cupcakes), but go ahead and increase the sugar to 3/4 cup if you prefer a sweeter muffin.  Also, note that this recipe calls for 1 cup of pumpkin puree for 12-muffins.  Since most canned pumpkin comes in 15-ounce cans, I usually double the recipe and just use the entire can of pumpkin.  Serve these warm from the oven or these also store well in the freezer for later.

Pumpkin-Millet-Muffins-4

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Pumpkin Millet Muffins

Pumpkin Millet Muffins | Gather & Dine
  • Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup millet
  • 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter or line a 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the millet and stir with a wooden spoon until millet starts to pop and becomes golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer millet to a small bowl to cool.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add millet to the flour mixture and stir to incorporate.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, milk, butter, pumpkin, and coconut sugar. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  5. Divide muffin batter among prepared muffin cups.
  6. Bake 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

adapted from Whole Foods

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Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash | Gather & Dine

Rough morning today because I woke up grumpy and crabby for no apparent reason.  How does this happen to me?!  Even in the midst of having an infinity number of reasons  to be thankful, my heart was not focusing on them.  I really wanted to curl up and go back to bed, but I was determined to finish preparing dinner in the morning so that I could move on to some work that had been piling up on me later in the afternoon.  After I threw the acorn squash in the oven and quickly put together this quinoa pilaf, I made a cup of hot tea and spent a few quiet moments with God.  The sweet autumn smell of roasted acorn squash began to fill the house and my heart began to soften and slowly fill up with gratitude once again.

This quinoa stuffed acorn squash has an abundance of flavors and textures.  Crunchy hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds, earthy oregano and swiss chard, and sweet dried cherries are all mixed together with quinoa and piled in a golden roasted squash.  And guess what?  I have the best tip ever for cutting raw squash.  Microwave the whole squash for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on the size of the squash and strength of the microwave.  The squash will soften ever so slightly and it will now be much easier to cut in half.  No more struggling trying to get that knife through a rock hard squash ever again.  The best squash tip ever, right?  You are welcome.

This makes double the amount of quinoa pilaf needed to fill one squash so you can either use it for another squash or it is also excellent on its own. Even though I made this ahead of time in the morning, the hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds lose a bit of their crunch after a few hours, so I think it is best served immediately after it is prepared.  Stuffed squash can be a festive side dish (hello Thanksgiving!) or it can be a nice lighter vegetarian main course.  Hope you enjoy!

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash | Gather & Dine

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Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash | Gather & Dine

Ingredients

  • 1 acorn squash
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for brushing on squash and oiling pan
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked (I used half red, half white quinoa)
  • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion, about 1 medium
  • 3 cups lightly packed chopped swiss chard
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
  • 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup dried tart cherries, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • additional chopped hazelnuts and oregano for garnish
  • additional salt and pepper for seasoning squash

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a large baking sheet with olive oil. Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Brush olive oil on both cut sides of the squash and season with salt and pepper. Place halves face down on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Turn halves cut side up and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until squash is tender.
  2. In a medium pot, boil 3-4 cups of water over high heat. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. When the water is boiling, slowly add the quinoa and boil uncovered for 11-14 minutes. After 10 minutes, start checking the quinoa for doneness. The quinoa is done when the “dot” in the middle of the quinoa starts to disappear and when some of the white filaments start to come off the seeds. Drain the quinoa over a fine mesh strainer.
  3. In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until onions start to become translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the oregano and swiss chard and continue to cook for another minute. Add the cooked quinoa, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, cherries, salt, and pepper and continue to cook until the mixture is warmed through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
  4. Spoon quinoa mixture into the acorn squash and garnish with some additional oregano and chopped hazelnuts.

Notes

adapted from The Spicy RD

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup {with Whole Grain Mustard Croutons}

Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Whole Grain Mustard Croutons

It seems like I often order broccoli soup at restaurants thinking that I am going to love it and I often end up disappointed because it’s either too salty, too watery, and/or has mushy, overcooked broccoli rather than fresh, tender broccoli.  This homemade version of broccoli cheddar soup is better than any restaurant broccoli soup that I’ve had.  It’s creamy, hearty, and full of fresh broccoli, carrots, and onions.  I used milk to keep the soup on the lighter side, but the addition of cheddar adds richness and depth.  The whole-grain mustard croutons complement the soup splendidly and add a satisfying crunch with every bite.  Croutons are simple to make at home and are so much healthier and tastier than all of their store-bought counterparts.  It’s also an excellent way to make use of leftover bread.  In addition to boosting the nutritional value, using whole grain bread adds a certain complexity to the flavor that I find missing in white bread croutons.  The quality of the croutons really depends on the quality of bread so use a high quality artisan loaf if you can find it.  I used an ancient grain bread for the croutons here, but I have also used a simple whole wheat loaf in the past with good results.  Making comforting soups like this one is one of my favorite ways of easing into the fall season.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Whole Grain Mustard Croutons

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup {with Whole Grain Mustard Croutons}

Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Whole-Grain Mustard Croutons

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion, about 1 medium onion
  • 1 cup grated carrot, about 2 medium carrots
  • 6 cups small broccoli florets, from 1 large head broccoli
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until onions soften and start to become translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the grated carrots and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, chicken broth, onion powder, garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. While the vegetables are simmering, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes, until mixture starts to turn golden brown. Gradually whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.
  3. Add the cheese mixture to the vegetables and stir until incorporated. If broccoli is not quite tender, continue to cook for another few minutes.
  4. Use an immersion blender to blend soup to desired consistency. Alternatively, transfer soup to a blender to blend soup. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve with whole grain mustard croutons.

Notes

adapted from Annie’s Eats

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Whole Grain Mustard Croutons

Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Whole-Grain Mustard Croutons

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces whole grain bread, cut into cubes (about 3 cups)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Spread the bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, olive oil, dijon mustard, and salt. Drizzle mixture over the bread cubes and toss well to ensure bread cubes are evenly coated.
  4. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until croutons begin to turn golden and crunchy. Halfway through the baking time, gently flip the croutons for even baking.

Notes

adapted from Super Natural Every Day

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