Doesn’t matter. Now you know the muffin lady. Howdy friend!
I love making muffins. Even more so, I like eating them. Recently, I’ve been toying with several pumpkin recipes- soups, butters, breads, and muffins. When they are fluffy and moist, they are obviously at their best but it’s hard to get that consistency when you’re baking gluten-free. Or so I thought. This is the perfect light and airy muffin that you can spread apple butter over or enjoy with a nice cuppa tea. Easy to make, even easier to enjoy at 110 calories a muffin! You are most welcome! 
Pumpkin-Walnut Spice Muffins- Paleo Style- makes 15 muffins
Ingredients:
-1 can pumpkin puree (not the pie filling- they will be right next to each other so look closely! I used Libby’s cause if it’s Libby’s on the label, you will like it on your table!)
-1 cup almond flour
-1/2 cup chopped walnuts
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-1/4 tsp ground cloves
-1/4 tsp allspice
-1 tsp ground ginger
-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
-1/8 cup almond or apple butter (check out my homemade recipe here)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3 eggs
-shredded coconut
Dry ingredients.
Wet ingredients.
Mixed together.
Homemade apple butter and Libby”s pumpkin filling!
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl with the can of pumpkin.
3. In your food processor, pulse together the wet ingredients.
4. Add the dry ingredients in with the wet and mix until it thickens.
5. Fold in the walnuts and stir together.
6. Spoon into muffin tins and cook for 20-25 minutes, using a toothpick to check!
Fresh out of the oven! Add shredded coconut and enjoy!
Look how moist they are!
Here on the Central Coast, our summer has officially started so it’s been quite warm lately, but this New Englander will always equate September/October with pies, squash, harvest parties and apple/pumpkin picking. I’m trying out a new Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup recipe this afternoon after hitting up the beach with my friend Jen (recipe next week). I know, the beach and soup in the same sentence. Sick, but that’s California for you!
Since we have a farmers market at every corner (they’re as popular as Dunkin’) it’s easy to make fresh salads daily for lunch. I’m really into radishes these days, thanks to my student Jennifer who brought me fresh ones from her garden, and that tasted better than any I’d had before. Slice them extremely thin, or you can use your mandolin slicer if your knife skills are worry-some! Check out my easy Citrus Vinaigrette to dress this salad with. It’s light, flavorful, and a healthier option than bottled salad dressings.
Ravishing Radish Salad- serves two
Ingredients:
-1 bunch of radishes, sliced finely
-1 mango -1 cucumber (I used a lemon cucumber given to me by a student!)
-1 avocado
-1/2 red onion, chopped finely
-1 heirloom tomato
-1 head of Butter/Boston lettuce
Directions: Chop all the ingredients and mix in large bowl. Pull leaves off your head of Boston lettuce and toss with vinaigrette. Enjoy!
Toss on a head of butter lettuce and wallah!
Dressing.
Oh! Last night I made the easiest Littleneck Clam Bowl, steamed in white wine, lemon, garlic and shallots. Took me about 10 minutes to prepare and less than five to eat! I found these amazing rosemary rolls at Trader Joe’s and they compliment the dish perfectly! I had to sneak these by Andy because he’s all freaked out about Japan’s nuclear accident and the possible health risks associated with fish. I however am not. Yet.
Pick a nice white wine to cook with and drink the rest with dinner!
Littleneck Clams and steamed with Io’vino’- serves one
(BTW- Iovino is my maiden name… it means “I am wine” in Italian, fitting eh?!)
Ingredients: -1 cup white wine (I liked the Trader Joe’s Sauvignon Blanc at $4.99 a bottle)
-1 shallot
-3 cloves garlic
-juice of one lemon
-1 pound littleneck clams
-1 Parm-iago roll from TJ’s -fresh basil
Cook until garlic and shallots are brown.
Amazing rolls at 120 calories each!
Directions: 1. Finely chop the shallot and cloves of garlic.
2. In a small pan, brown them with a bit of butter or olive oil.
3. In a small pan, add the wine, lemon juice and clams, garlic and shallot mixture, and bring to boil over medium heat.
4. Within two minutes, the clams will open.
5. Remove pan from heat and pour into bowl. Add fresh basil on top and toast your roll.
6. Manga!
Steaming in the white wine and lemon broth.
Clams close-up.
Add some fresh basil and Manga!
It was so good I drank up the broth!
What a nice Friday I night I had, I hope you did too. I relaxed! It’s hard coming back from vacation and delving back into the swing of things! I taught a fun class at Harmony House yesterday afternoon, where the apex was Ashtavakrasana (eight limbs pose) and almost everyone got into it! I love when that happens… especially when every student is looking at me like “hell no” and doubting themselves and then that moment happens, and it’s all smiles!
Me in 8-limbed pose while in Big Sur.
Niccola, does the almond flour affect the consistency of the muffins or would any gluten-free flour do? They look amazing!!
any gluten-free flour will do… use half if you are using coconut flour for that flour is more dense than the rest! Enjoy!