Tomato muffins for a healthy breakfast

Muffins are a rather popular breakfast and snack item in the US. One of my friends gave me a tip that has made muffins one of my favorite (if very heavy) breakfasts - halve a cranberry or blueberry muffin, butter the inner sides of the halves and lightly toast. As the muffin toasts up it releases a fantastic buttery aroma that is very distracting; it is perfect bliss in the early mornings when coffee just isn't enough to kickstart the day!

However, most muffins pack quite a many calories given the buckets of butter used. Recently, I came across a recipe that was light, simple and, most interesting, had a very low fat content, which makes it a perfect breakfast item. Its base is a mixture of garbanzo (chickpea) and all-purpose flour, which is not a common combination in the muffin world but packs a healthy punch. Chickpea flour is often used in the Mediterranean and Middle East to make flat breads and savory pancakes.

The tomato muffin is made simply with tomato slices and scallions. I used grape tomatoes for extra flavor but you can use any kind. A little of cheese, a balanced nutrient content afterall, and a lot of protein from the garbanzo flour* makes this muffin a wonderfully light and healthy snack!

* Garbanzo flour can be bought in stores carrying Spanish groceries or in Indian grocery stores labeled as besan.

Breakfast Tomato Muffins

(makes 10 muffins)

4 T unsalted butter
4 green onions (scallions), finely chopped
2 T minced fresh dill

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup garbanzo flour
3-1/2 tp baking powder
1/2 tp salt

1/4 tp cayenne powder
1 -1/4 cups milk
2 eggs
5 T gruyere cheese, grated; You can also use goat cheese which adds a great flavor

10 grape tomatoes halved; If you are using other tomatoes dice them so you have 3 pieces per muffin.

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Grease 10 standard muffin cups with butter and fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping. In a small frying pan melt the butter over low heat. Saute the green onions until almost translucent and then stir in the dill. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients - all-purpose and garbanzo flours, baking powder, salt and cayenne. In another bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until blended. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour in the milk mixture and the butter mixture. Stir just until evenly moistened, using no more than 15 to 20 strokes. The batter will be thick and lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each half full. Layer three-fourth of the grated gruyere over the batter top. Place the tomato pieces on top of the cheese and gently press into the batter. Cover the cheese and tomato with batter until level with the rim of the cup. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the muffins.

Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch, 18 to 22 minutes. Do not overbake. To check the muffins, carefully lift a muffin from the pan; the sides should be browned. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spiked Apple-Cranberry Relish

I made this cranberry-apple chutney to accompany the stuffed chicken breast for my first ever Thanksgiving dinner. To celebrate the occasion, I adapted the recipe I got from Williams Sonoma cookbook and spiked it a little with Rum. The alcohol gives a well-rounded kick to this sweet side dish. And biting into a spiked candied fruit piece just hits the spot! Just like the Apple Chutney, this relish can be used with pork, turkey or chicken, as also a spread on toast for a snack ...

Spiked Apple-Cranberry Relish

1/2 orange
2 cups water
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, pippin or McIntosh
3 cups fresh cranberries
1-1/4 cups sugar

3 T light rum
1/2 tp ground cinnamon
1/4 tp ground cloves

Squeeze the juice from the half orange and set the juice aside. Remove the inner membrane of the orange and cut the rind into small dice. In saucepan, combine the rind and two cups of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Peel and core the apple. Cut into 1/2-inch dice and place in a saucepan. Sort the cranberries, discarding any soft ones. Add to the apples along with the orange juice, orange rind, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan partially. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally. As the sauce thickens add the rum and mix well. Cover and keep cooking until the apple is tender and the cranberries have burst, 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer the cranberry sauce to a heatproof bowl and let cool for 1 hour before serving. The relish can be refrigerated in an airtight container for storage.