Muffin in a Mug (Update)

Some days breakfast can be a challenge - no eggs, no bread, no cheese. It’s pretty limiting especially on weekdays when time is scarce.

There was a cool little Tweet from Tiny Recipes that got me thinking—

mug cake - mix in a mug: 2T flour, 4t sugar, 1/4t baking powder, 2t cocoa, pinch salt, 2T milk, 1/4t vanilla, 3/4t oil. microwave 1 min.

Would this work for a gluten-free, vegan muffin? It took a bit of tinkering but I think it’s finally right.

At first I used cake mix but ewwww, too sweet. Muffin mix was a definite improvement and muffins are a more appropriate breakfast food. A little more futzing—add some GF oatmeal, a little flax, some nuts and fruits—and, will wonders never cease, it worked.

It’s a cross between oatmeal and a muffin and you eat it with a spoon. It’s warm, tasty and quick. Works for me.

There are so many variation possibilities. If you try something new please share!

Muffin in a Mug

¼ cup GF oatmeal
¼ cup GF muffin mix
1 teaspoon ground flax
sprinkle cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 ½ teaspoons chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon raspberries
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon applesauce
cinnamon sugar

I like to pulse the oatmeal in a small food processor until it resembles very coarse flour.

Put the oatmeal, muffin mix, flax, cinnamon, and salt in a microwavable mug. Mix it together. Add 1 teaspoon of the walnuts and stir again.

Mix the vanilla and water together. Pour into the mug and stir until combined and the mixture resembles cake batter. Add the applesauce and incorporate thoroughly.

Gently stir in the raspberries.

Place in the microwave on high for one minute. Remove and top with the remaining walnuts, a few more raspberries and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Microwave another minute. Cool for a few minutes and then enjoy.

Note: You can substitute many other fruits for the raspberries: dried cranberries, raisins, strawberries, or apples. Also, banana might be a good substitute for the applesauce if you want to make banana muffins. If you don’t use oats try replacing them with the same amount of the muffin mix. It will probably work just fine.

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Update on May 15, 2009 by Nancy Kohler

Interesting variations:

Pumpkin Spice Muffin in a Mug

Substitute 2 tablespoons pure pumpkin puree for the applesauce. Add 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar. Reduce water to 1/3 cup. Omit raspberries. I had to microwave an extra 30 seconds.

Banana Muffin in a Mug

Substitute half a very ripe banana (well mashed) for the applesauce. Combine the banana, water, and vanilla before adding to the dry ingredients. Omit the raspberries.

Double Chocoloate Muffin in a Mug

Add 1 teaspoon dutch processed cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and 2 teaspoons Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips to the dry ingredients. Omit the raspberries and walnuts.

Orange Blossom Muffin in a Mug

Use half the water. Substitute orange juice with a teaspoon of orange marmalade mixed in for the other half. Halfway through cooking sprinkle with walnuts, a dollop of the marmalade, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Finish cooking. (This one seemed to rise more than the others so make sure you use a big enough mug.)

Chicken Salad with Chia Seeds

I frequently eat salad for lunch and occasionally for dinner. You know, the lettuce kind of salad. There are so many varieties of greens and add-ins that no two ever need to be alike. Salads are really a life saver if you have to live with food sensitivities and restrictions. Most restaurants — no matter how large or small or expensive or inexpensive — have salads. Some are better and more satisfying than others but you can always get something green and fresh to eat when you’re hungry.

But, to be truthful, a person can only eat so much lettuce.

So, one day when I couldn’t eat another green salad and wanted to incorporate my newly found super food — chia — into something other than orange juice I made a version of classic chicken salad. It looks good, it tastes good and it hits the spot. Tell me what you think.

Chicken Salad with Chia Seeds

2 chicken breasts, cooked
10 grapes, yellow or red seedless
1 stalk celery, diced
3 tablespoons radicchio, chopped
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 teaspoons chia seeds
salt and pepper
Creamy Lemon Aioli

Chop the chicken into 1 inch cubes. (I use antibiotic-free, hormone-free roasted chicken from my local grocery store.)

Cut up the remaining ingredients - quarter the grapes, small dice the celery, chop the walnuts and radicchio. Add the diced ingredients and dried cranberries to the chopped chicken.

Add salt and pepper to taste and mix all with the Creamy Lemon Aioli - recipe here. (It can be chilled at this point until ready to serve.)

Sprinkle with the chia seeds just before serving.

Tips: This would work well with a variety of fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Fruits: pineapple, apple or pear. Nuts and seeds: pecans, sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Vegetables: endive.

To make this vegan substitute tofu for the chicken.

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