Recipe: Moist Whole Grain Carrot Muffins (egg-less)

I came up with a new recipe in the kitchen today because I wanted to make carrot muffins and was out of eggs. I found that if you use a large amount of fresh ingredients such as carrots or even bananas then the muffins do not need as much leavening. These muffins turned out moist and tender and the lack of eggs didn't leave them dense or heavy feeling because I used both baking soda and baking powder to help with the leavening. They are 100% whole grain, but they are tender and delicious and not lacking at all in the flavor department. In fact, I think they taste much better than muffins made with all purpose flour. Happy Baking!


Moist Whole Grain Carrot Muffins (egg-less)

Ingredients

1 1/2 -2 c. finely shredded carrots

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. of canola or vegetable oil

1 c. quick oats plain

1 c. whole wheat flour 

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp .baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

2/3 c. of almond milk, I use vanilla almond breeze (or substitute with regular milk)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit and line desired amount of muffin cups with paper liners. This recipe makes 10-12 muffins depending on how large you want them to turn out. It can also be used for 6-8 really large muffins. 


Then mix together the oil and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the shredded carrots mix well. Mix flour and oats in a separate bowl. Then add the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the flour and oats, mix thoroughly. The you add the flour oat mixture to the carrot mixture until it is all incorporated. Then you begin to thin the batter out with the 2/3 cup of milk. The mixture should not be so thin it can be easily poured, but it should also not be at all stiff or dry. 


Then distribute the batter evenly among the paper cups in the muffin tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on size and how brown you desire muffins. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 


Thanks for reading and look for pictures and step by step instructions to go with this new recipe to be up in a few days! :)

Black Bean Pork for Tacos

This post describes how to make pork for use in tacos or even simply to eat by itself. It uses a two part cooking method (fricassée) which ensures optimal moisture retention and flavor. Many recipes such as Coq au Vin use this type of cooking method, which is simply browning the meat in a fat, and then simmering it in a liquid or gravy until it is fully cooked and tender.

Slow Cooked Pork Fricassee  

The pork I am using here is boneless country style ribs.

The spices I am using here are garlic powder, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, goya spice (as pictured above). 

The pork is a good one to use because it is thick and had lighter and darker meat as well as a little bit of fat marbling, and once it is cooked it stays tender and flavorful throughout.  

Once the pork is spiced it should look like the picture above and then you're ready to prep your skillet and sear in the flavor. Once you have the seasoning done you should heat up a stainless steel skillet and prep it with hot oil so the meat doesn't stick, or you could also use a non stick skillet. 

Medium high heat is best to achieve the great brown color you see in the pics. It is also very important to not over fill the skillet as it will prevent the meat from getting nice and brown on all sides. When the meat is stuffed into a pan it will not saute properly but will instead steam the meat and you will not get any caramelization.  For this reason it will take 2-3 steps to get all of your pork browned. 

After you turn the meat over and have properly browned the top and bottom of each rib, you then need to brown the sides just as thoroughly. 

Once you have done this to all the ribs in the pan then you need to transfer them to a large cooking pot that will accommodate them all without stacking them on top of one another. Then start to brown up the next batches in the same manner. If the pan is dry add a little more oil to ensure a thorough browning on all the meat. Searing the meat before simmering it will keep all the juices in as it cooks.

Once all the ribs have been browned on all sides arrange them in the pan so they all fit in nicely with each other. This will allow the liquids to be all over each and every piece equally.  Now you can get the bean juice ready and then deglaze then pan. 

Allow the black bean juice to drain out of the can into a strainer while you deglaze the pan. Measure out 1 cup of chicken stock and get ready to pour it into the hot pan while the pan is still on the burner. Deglazing is done to make sure you get all the tasty fried up pieces of pork and seasoning off the bottom of the pan. 

 Pour the stock into the pan and use a spatula or your tongs to loosen up the stuck on bits. Once this is done you can add the bean juice to the stock. Then it is ready to pour into the large pot of pork. 

It should look nice and brown like this. 

After you pour in the liquid it should come up high on the meat but not cover it up. This is when you turn the heat on and get it to a boil. Once the liquid begins to boil you turn the heat down to a very slow simmer, place the lid on the pot, and cook it for 1-2 hours. Depending on your time and patience. The longer you wait the more tender the meat will be. Low and slow is the key to tenderness. 

After the pork is done you can use it immediately by shredding it with 2 forks and put it in tacos, you can just eat it as is and make a sauce from the liquids. It can be added to black beans and rice. There are many different things that can be done with this type of pork. Whatever you do it will be amazing! :) I get requests to make this type of pork from friends all the time.