Saturday, September 19, 2015

Out of Sync - Down and Dirty Lemon Zucchini Muffins


Nothing that was supposed to happen today happened today.  I seem to be experiencing an annoying increase in palpitations, real rib-knockers, the type I haven't had in many years. I know what causes them - I have a tricuspid valve prolapse - and I know what to do about them - I have been faithfully taking a daily dose of propanalol, aka Inderal, since the early eighties - and it is rare indeed that the palpitations break through the beneficial effects of the medication. These are not life-threatening, at least I don't think they are, and by the way I have a little heart murmur as well, a souvenir from scarlet fever in the sixth grade, but they are annoying and they do knock me out.  Which is why I still haven't crept downstairs to start my day, although it is embarrassingly late, and that totally precludes my pack-and-go visit to the office. Crap. Better luck Monday. 

  • I finally did make it downstairs to make a cup of coffee and pick up Chelsea (her brothers were upstairs with me, leaving her to bark her lonely little head off) but we headed back upstairs, and if I could, I would stay here the rest of the day, drinking coffee, napping, blogging, knitting and coloring. Yes, coloring. Very relaxing. No cooking today, as I wore myself out yesterday making soup and brownies. Cooking tomorrow, or maybe Sunday. Today's recipe is for the muffins I made a few days ago - my blog and recipes are rarely in sync - like me, ha ha.  What I do have to do today is pick up a few dozen eggs and semolina flour.  I have to resolve NOT to make this an opportunity to stroll up and down the aisles at Publix for two blissful hours. Even that can be too tiring for me, and I'm starting the day physically exhausted and mentally off-kilter (just a tad. Kind of nice.)
  • I picked up a big bag of gorgeous zucchini at BJs last week, with no clear idea of what I was going to do with them. So far, I used them while preparing the 5776 Brisket and in the Cherry Tomato Pasta Salad.  I think what I had in my head all along, though, was to use them in a muffin. So I typed "zucchini muffin" into the browser, and was rewarded with a whole bunch of possibilities, but they all had the same basic flavors - cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, nuts - and I was looking for something different.  Especially, as it turned out, one of those recipes that showed up on search was my own. Ha! I thought briefly about making that one - the Carrot-Zucchini Muffin from January of this year - but I really wanted something different. No cinnamon, as much as I adore it. No brown sugar or applesauce.  Maybe lemon. Lemon and zucchini go so well together, right?
  • I found an interesting recipe on a site called "iFOODreal" which combined the fresh zucchini with whole wheat flour, avocado or coconut oils, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and lots and lots of lemon. The mom who writes the blog is working on feeding her family "clean eating" recipes. While my version does not qualify as "dirty eating" I have made changes to use more conventional ingredients. If you would like to check out her recipe, just click on the link to iFOODreal.  The topping she developed is absolutely fabulous. 
  • Down and Dirty Lemon Zucchini Muffins

  • 2 extra large eggs, lightly whisked
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup Log Cabin syrup
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • juice and zest of 1 large lemon
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, excess liquid squeezed out (I use a dish towel)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour

  • Topping:
  • 1/4 cup rolled quick oats
  • 1 tablespoon Log Cabin syrup
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • zest of 1 large lemon
  • 3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, Log Cabin syrup, canola oil, lemon juice and zest, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk well to combine, making sure baking powder and baking soda have dissolved. You're going to get some foaming action here. Stir in the shredded zucchini and set aside briefly.

  • Sift together the two flours and the salt;  add to the zucchini mixture and stir gently to combine. Do not over mix.  

  • In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and mix with a spoon. Using a large ice cream scoop, fill the muffin tin with batter. Spoon some of the mixed topping on each muffin..  

  • Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let muffins cool in the tin for at least 60 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack to cool off completely.  Do not skip this step, otherwise the paper liners will stick when you try to peel it off.

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