Pumpkin Lentil Spice Muffins

These are an alteration from this All Recipes find.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup unbleached four
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 & 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup flax seed meal
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons each: ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 14 oz can pureed pumpkin
- 1 cup cooked & mushed red lentils
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons soy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven @ 350 degrees
2. Sift dry ingredients.
3. Mix wet ingredients really well.
4. Stir wet into dry until smooth.
5. Pour into greased muffin, loaf or cake pans and bake away. Muffins are about 20 minutes, same with a shallow cake pan. A loaf would take about 30 minutes, but keep a close eye on it.

This recipe produced 12 well-risen muffins (filled at 3/4 full when uncooked) and one 8" cake pan full. I added extra sugar to the cake-shaped muffins and a hand full of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I plan to ice this with either buttercream or cream cheese icing, to serve more like a dense cake.

Food Tip

Don't drink hot chocolate made with milk when you are allergic to milk.

Parkdale Market

I live a ten minute walk from the Parkdale Market. There I find lots of truly local farm fresh produce which makes me happy. 30km is fantastic, even if it means I pay a little more.

>>Side note: how ridiculous is it that food that has to travel half-way around the world costs significantly less than local, Canadian farmed food?! Support local farmers!!

I picked up a bunch of tomatoes because I could only purchase a bunch of tomatoes. And what do you do with a bunch of tomatoes? Salsa!

Here's a recipe I found and altered for fresh tomato salsa:

Ingredients:

* 6+ roma tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 cup finely diced onion
* 2 serrano chiles, finely chopped (watch out, they're hot!)
* 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 clove garlic chopped
* 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
* one lime's juice

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, onion, chili peppers, cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator before serving.


This salsa has been excellent with toasted baguette, in an omlette (with eggs, soy milk, cheese, sesame seeds), and as an addition to salad in place of dressing. Yum yum yum.