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

Gently flatten the bread slices with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thick. In a flat-bottomed bowl, lightly beat the eggs, milk, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the nutmeg. One at a time, soak the bread slices in the egg mixture for 10 seconds per side, letting the excess drip off. Gently press into 6 jumbo muffin cups, forming a cup shape. Bake until the bread is crisp, about 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss together the peaches, lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Heat the peach mixture in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until the peaches have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir together the yogurt and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Divide the peach mixture among the French toast cups and top with vanilla yogurt.

MICROWAVE QUINOA CAKES WITH MAPLE-ALMOND BUTTER

Armed with silicone muffin cups, you can whip up quick, and surprisingly good, whole-grain breakfast cakes (slash) muffins in the now-ubiquitous microwave. Don’t try these with metal tins! You can cook the quinoa the night before or use leftover cooked quinoa from another recipe. Take these cakes up a notch by bejeweling them with the creamy maple-almond topping. Serves 3 G, V, F

1 medium banana

1/2 cup cooked white quinoa

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or other granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons unsalted smooth almond butter

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

In a large bowl, mash the banana. Stir in the quinoa, eggs, raisins, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and almond extract. Divide the batter among 6 medium silicone muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Microwave on high power until set, about 2 1/2 minutes, rotating the cups once halfway through cooking if needed. In a small bowl, stir together the almond butter and maple syrup. Serve the cakes topped with almond-maple butter.

FRENCH TOASTIES WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

French toast is the epitome of casual breakfast fare. This whimsical twist on a breakfast classic hits all the right flavor notes: sweet, warming, and toasty. Serves 4 V, F

French Toast:

6 slices whole-grain bread

3 large eggs

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat milk

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar or other granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon salt

Blueberry Compote:

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the French Toast: Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then beat in the milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cardamom, and salt. Stir in the bread cubes until they are all moist. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the bread cubes among 12 medium muffin cups and pour any leftover egg mixture on top. Bake until they start turning golden on top and the egg has set, about 22 minutes.

For the Blueberry Compote: While the French toast bakes, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the blueberries, maple syrup, cinnamon, and orange zest. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute more. Serve the French toasties topped with the blueberry compote.

FRENCH TOASTIES WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE, page 28

PARMESAN HASH BROWNS, page 30

PARMESAN HASH BROWNS

With their crispy exterior and moist tender interior, iconic hash browns are hard to resist. Especially this gussied up version—the mustard is a must! Some supermarkets sell bagged shredded potatoes in the refrigerator section, which can be a time saver. Serves 4 V, G

4 cups peeled and shredded white potatoes (about 2 large)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)

2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons grainy mustard

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 shallot, finely chopped low-fat sour cream, to serve (optional) salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In batches, roll the shredded potato in a clean kitchen towel or between a few sheets of paper towel and press out as much water as possible. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, Parmesan cheese, thyme, olive oil, mustard, garlic powder, and shallot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the mixture among 12 medium muffin cups and lightly press on each to pack down. Bake until the edges begin to brown, about 45 minutes.

Let rest for several minutes, and gently lift the hash brown cups out of the muffin cups. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

TURKEY-PARMESAN MUFFINS

This is definitely one of my favorite savory muffin recipes. The turkey and Parmesan team up to create a powerful flavor punch. Because recipes are only as good as their ingredients, make sure to use a high-quality Parmesan. These contain meat, so make sure to store them in the fridge. Serves 12 V, F

1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil

1 pound turkey sausage

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar or other granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about

4 ounces)

3 garlic cloves, grated or very finely minced

1 cup plain low-fat or whole milk yogurt

1/4 cup low-fat milk

1/4 cup melted coconut oil or other oil

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the sausage from its casing, crumble into the skillet, and cook until brown. Make sure the sausage is in small pieces. Let cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, rosemary, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Stir in the Parmesan cheese,