The only thing I like better than Indian food is Mexican food.
Depending on the day.
On this MLK Day, I am celebrating equality Mexican-style with soup. After seeing Jenn’s Crock-pot Chicken Tortilla Soup, I was craving a batch. Alas, I have no crock-pot and I can’t follow a recipe. This is what resulted:
Sriracha and I have a long relationship.
Second only to my relationship with my hair stylist.
Spicy is a food group all its own in my house. I put Sriracha or some sort of heat source on nearly everything. Even my chocolate sauce is “Mexican” with the addition of cayenne. Why should muffins be any different?
If adding Sriracha to muffins isn’t strange enough, I also added veggies. I choose red peppers, zucchini, and shiitake mushrooms to compliment the Vietnamese feels of the Sriracha. You can easily change it up with your favorites.
This spicy little number is also low carb thanks to coconut flour. I also added stay-powder with healthy amount of cottage cheese and eggs to amp up the protein.
Heat up your morning (or your evening) with a spicy little number. They’re good from the freezer too – just pop it in the microwave ~30 seconds to thaw.
It may sound strange, but it’s good.
[Tweet “Sriracha and veggies… in a muffin?! These are #strangebutgood!”]
Sriracha Veggie Muffins
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20-25 mins
Keywords: bake saute snack bread gluten-free low-carb low-sodium low-sugar nut-free soy-free sugar-free vegetarian coconut flour cottage cheese egg egg whites Asian
Ingredients (12 muffins)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375. Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.
Heat pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Saute veggies until tender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in wet ingredients. Lastly, fold in sautéed veggies.
Divide evenly into muffin tins. Bake 20-25 mins, until toothpick come out clean.
Can be stored 5-6 days in the refrigerator, or 3 months in the freezer.
Approximate nutrition (per muffin): 81 calories, 1.6g fat, 88.8mg sodium, 8.5g carbohydrates, 2.2g fiber, 1.3g sugar, 7.3g protein
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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It’s finally going to be sunny all weekend here! Perfect timing for a long weekend.
What is your favorite hot sauce or spice?
Do you prefer savory or sweet muffins?
It’s rare that I repeat a meal.
Except dessert.
Variety is one of the keys to staying on track. I know this is different for everyone, but if I don’t stay entertained by what I’m eating it’s not pretty. Which is why I’m shocked by this story about a woman eating nothing but Starbucks for a YEAR.
The 40-year-old woman, Beautiful Existence, is a mother of two. Yes, that’s her legal name. She still cooked for her kids, but – even on holidays – only ate Starbucks food.
She said she spent $500-$600 a month on meals, and ended up saving money and losing weight. Her first non-Starbucks meal? Fish and chips from Seattle restaurant chain.
I would’ve done a lot better than that after year of bagels!
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This WIAW I did not eat at Starbucks. I did repeat a meal, and for that I am ashamed. Kidding, kidding.
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…
Easy has been the name of the game lately.
Don’t worry, I have something more complex coming.
After a month of holiday party baking and creating, I’m appreciating the simple more and more. I was particularly glad when Heather brought back her Meatless Monday link up with the simplest of ingredients: oats. Simple doesn’t have to mean typical though!
Please ignore my janky nails.
…
I struggle with brevity in recipe-naming.
Funny, because I’m always telling my mom she uses too many words.
I really wanted to name this Wasabi-Avocado-Blue Cheese Massaged Kale and Broccoli Salad. Despite my restraint, the title is still too long. How does one communicate all of the delicious elements of a dish in 3-5 words?! I feel so trapped.
In writing out my original title, you probably already have an understanding of what this salad is. Wasabi and blue cheese dressing was a strange combo to me when I first had it in Portland, but it was so good that my sister and I couldn’t stop eating it.
Naturally, I had to recreate it at home. I used Lighthouse Blue Cheese (a Greek yogurt-based dressing). Maybe not the cleanest ingredient, but it’s good and not too bad for you as far as dressings go. I amped up the cream-factor (I can’t re-read that without laughing) by mashing avocado into it. The wasabi I used is a paste, but you could also use the powdered variety. Adjust it to your liking… I like it really hot.
What you are left with is a delicious tangy, spicy coating for your kale salad. You’ll also love the texture contrast between the sturdy kale and the creamy dressing. I added some broccoli and grapes in mine, and topped it with fish (you know I need my protein).
The best part is that, because kale is so hearty, you can make it a day or two in advance and take it to work!
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In a small bowl, mix together blue cheese, avocado, wasabi, and pepper.
Place kale in a large bowl and massage the dressing into the leaves.
Can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in fridge.
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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
***
Between the shock of being back in the office after the holidays and the insane weather, I couldn't be happier for this week to END.
What is your favorite salad dressing?
Are you on a greens kick? I can't get enough after Dessert December!
No one likes a complainer.
Especially me.
I’m making an exception. It’s COLD. This arctic tundra has got to go. I live in the South. I should never see this:
Ice in my shower is something else I should never have to see. I left my faucet dripping just like the newsman said because we hit a record low of 6 degrees in Atlanta. When I woke up, I was rewarded with an ice-lined tub.
Try motivating to shower for work when faced with this:
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This WIAW I am FINALLY back on track. I had the biggest meal prep in weeks on Sunday and felt ready to get back to the “real” world of having a routine.Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…
Apparently there’s a Brussels gene.
I got the version that is addicted to them.
For the New Years Eve pairing dinner I co-hosted, I made Brussels and Prosciutto Skewers. People loved them… except I was told by one person that there is a gene (like the cilantro gene) where some people think they taste bitter.
Apparently about 50% of the world has this gene. If you’re not one of those unfortunate people, you’ll love this recipe. (Recipe at the bottom of post.)
Luck and wealth are good things to start 2014 with.
We certainly ate like lucky wealthy people on New Years Eve.
This salad would be good at any time, but it’s ingredients make it especially good for NYE. Grapes for luck and greens for wealth. We also had the black-eyed pea hummus. This year should be extra lucky!
The part that may be strange is that I roasted the grapes in this salad. You know how blueberries warmed from oatmeal burst in your mouth? How decadent and sweet and juicy they are? Roasted grapes are like that, but better because they’re bigger. (Insert dirty joke here.)
When roasted, grapes become even more delicious. Their sugars caramelize a bit, the skin softens, and the native sweetness shines. The thick, savory balsamic and rosemary balances the sweetness perfectly. Make this once and you’ll never be satisfied with dried fruit on a salad again.
The thick, jammy juice that forms during roasting is the perfect thing to use as a dressing. Combined with olive oil, vinegar, and garlic, it makes a fabulous warm coat for the kale.
Salads are so easy to make larger or smaller, so below is hardly a recipe. There are no measurements for anything besides the dressing. Even that is just equal parts oil and vinegar, so you can adjust that up or down to suit your needs.
You don’t even have to bother with the salad if you aren’t feeling it. Just pop some grapes in the oven and you’ll have a simple, decadent snack in 15 mins or less.
Preheat oven to 450.
Toss grapes on a foil lined pan with vinegar and rosemary. On a second pan, toss kabocha with shallots and a bit of olive oil. Roast each for 15 mins, stirring occasionally. The skin of the grapes should be slightly crisp but the inside still soft. Note: the kabocha may take longer.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Strain excess grape juice into a small bowl to reserve for dressing.
Add oil to small skillet and allow to warm over med heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 min). Stir in grape juices and champagne vinegar, cooking 2-3 mins longer to allow dressing to thicken a bit.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Taste, adding salt and pepper to preference.
Place kale in large salad bowl. Pour warm dressing over the kale and massage the greens to soften. Add grapes, kabocha, and fresh parmesan (if using).
Enjoy!
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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I’m thinking I need to do these for breakfast on a biscuit or coffee cake thing…
What is your favorite salad topping?
Have you ever had roasted grapes?
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