PB&J Mini-Muffins {made with Cherry-Rhubarb Jam}

Ever wake up earlier than necessary...and feel like baking?  Yeah, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, I pour myself a nice tall cup of coffee and embrace the baking instincts.  I'm sure it's nice for the other person(s) still sleeping to wake up to the smell of not only strong fresh coffee...but muffins too.   I had just made an amazing batch of homemade cherry-rhubarb jam the other night, and was itching to find a way to incorporate it into a meal (I don't normally keep toast around).   So what would be more perfect than peanut butter & jelly...muffins??!

It's not quite "PB&J", as I didn't use peanut butter.  These sweet little minis were made with sunflower nut butter.  I was pretty impressed that they came out absolutely perfect in terms of texture and didn't stick to the pan at all!  These have no added oil or butter (other than the nut butter).   Fairly good for you, gluten-free and... YUM!   I took half on my friend's boat with me today...and the other half were devoured by my other half. ;)

Ingredients:

1 c flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose)
1/4 c almond meal/flour3/4 c brown sugar1.5 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c nut butter (I used Sun Nut butter)
1/2 c milk or water (I just used water)2 eggs3 T jam or jelly (I used home made cherry-rhubarb)

Coconut oil (for greasing).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a mini-muffin pan with coconut oil.  Mix dry ingredients: flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt.  Mix wet ingredients: milk/water, eggs, peanut butter. Stir until creamy and well combined. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Don't over work. Batter will be thick.

Reserve 1/2 c of the batter, and swirl with the jam. 

Fill each muffin cup approx half full of the first batter (non-jam).  Layer the jam-batter on top.  

Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until a small knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Feta & Herb Baked Salmon + Couscous, Cuke & Kale Salad

Happy Friday! I was craving salmon & salad for dinner...this really hit the spot. My mom & dad make lamb in a similar way (baked in individual foil packets), so I thought I'd try with salmon. As a Greek girl, I have a strong affinity for lemon + garlic + herbs. ;) The tang from the lemon & feta is delicious, and all in all, is a really quick & SUPER healthy (see below) meal.

Feta & Herb Baked Salmon
(4 servings)
Prep time 10 min, Cook Time: 25 min


1 lb Wild-Caught Salmon
4 oz Feta Cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tsp finely chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano. Some mint, dill or a combo would work)
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1 tsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Red onion (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 375. Clean and pat dry your fish, and cut into 4 portions. Salt & Pepper. Mash up the topping: feta, olive oil, lemon, herbs and fresh cracked black pepper. I added some red pepper flakes too. Portion the topping on each individual piece of fish and wrap into 4 neat foil packets, topped with a few thin slices of red onion. Bake for 20 minutes, then unwrap the packets and cook an additional 5 min.

Kale, Cucumber & Couscous Salad
(4 servings)
Total time: 10 min

1/2 bunch organic kale (I used red kale)
3/4c dry couscous, cooked according to package directions
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt & Pepper

Wash, dry and trim kale of thick stems. Coarsely chop. Throw into a mixing bowl with a little salt and olive oi. IMPORTANT: Massage with your hands until kale breaks down and softens a bit (about a minute). Toss with couscous, cucumber and then add lemon (and a bit more olive oil, maybe a tsp or two and toss.

Plate the finished salmon on top of the bed of salad and devour. ;)

Best part about this meal? Super nutritious and well-balanced. This meal is highly anti-inflammatory and blows your daily requirements of Omega-3, Omega-6, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Vitamin C out of the water.

Nutrition per serving:

487 calories
39 g protein
35 g carbs
21 g fat