Muffin Tin Chef by Matt Kadey (good beach reads .TXT) 📕

Spread out the rounds on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and the sour cream, rosemary, paprika, and nutmeg. Place a roasted sweet potato round in each of 12 medium muffin cups. Divide one-half of the cheese mixture and one-half of the Swiss chard among the muffin cups. Place a second sweet potato round on top of the greens, and top with the remaining cheese mixture and Swiss chard. Place a third sweet potato round over the chard and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before unmolding.

ROASTED GARLIC CORNBREAD

Pumped full of garlic loveliness, these individual cornbreads are best made jumbo-size so it takes longer before only crumbs are left on my plate. You certainly can prepare them in medium muffin cups, but you’ll need to reduce cooking time by a few minutes. Serve warm with butter. Serves 6 V, F

2 small garlic bulbs

1 1/4 cup coarsely ground yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or other granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease 6 jumbo muffin cups with butter. Remove any excess papery covering on the garlic bulbs and slice off the tops of the bulbs so most of the cloves are exposed. Wrap the bulbs in foil and bake until the garlic is very soft, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 400°F. Once cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape out the garlic pulp into a small bowl and mash well.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and thyme. In a second large bowl, lightly beat the eggs and whisk in the buttermilk and olive oil. Stir in the mashed garlic. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stir to combine, then fold in the Parmesan cheese.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and bake until golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before unmolding.

EDAMAME-STUFFED RUTABAGA CUPS

Although commonly compared to turnips, the larger rutabaga has a sweeter flavor with less of a peppery bite. When cooked and mashed, it is a wonderful alternative to potatoes in recipes. Serves 6 V, F

3 pounds rutabaga, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or other flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

2 teaspoons grainy or Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper salt

Steam or boil the rutabaga until very tender. Transfer the cooked rutabaga to a bowl of a food processor along with the flour, butter, thyme, mustard, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Blend until well combined. You can also do this in a large bowl using a potato masher or even a fork.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the edamame and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Place the edamame, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste in a food processor and process until the edamane has been reduced to tiny bits. Fill 12 medium muffin cups halfway with the rutabaga mixture. Make a small indentation in each with your finger and evenly distribute the edamame mixture among the cups. Top with the remaining rutabaga mixture. You may have some rutabaga left over. Bake until nicely browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before unmolding. To unmold, run a butter knife around the edges, place a flat object such as a cutting board over the muffin tin, and turn the muffin tin upside down.

EDAMAME-STUFFED RUTABAGA CUPS, page 108

RICE-VEGGIE BAKE WITH ALMOND CREAM SAUCE, page 110

RICE-VEGGIE BAKE WITH ALMOND CREAM SAUCE

Here’s a nice package of whole grains and vegetables that also works well for weekday lunches. Serves 4 V, G, F

Rice-Veggie Bake:

1/2 cup Wehani rice or other brown rice

1 cup water

1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil

1 shallot, finely diced

1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

4 large eggs

1/4 cup unflavored almond milk or other milk

Sauce:

2 cups unflavored almond milk

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1/3 cup whole almonds

2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

2 small crushed dried red chiles or

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper juice of 1/2 lemon

For the Rice-Veggie Bake: Bring the rice and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender and the water has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, bell pepper, and peas, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the thyme, salt, and coriander, and cook 1 minute more. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the almond milk. Stir in the rice and the vegetable mixture. Divide the mixture among 10 medium muffin cups and bake until set, about 18 minutes.

For the Sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Carefully puree in a blender and serve over the rice cakes.

MASHED POTATO CUPS WITH CURRY SOUR CREAM

Kids and adults alike eat up this