Pumpkin Black Sesame Seed Muffins

I have a few pumpkins stored for the winter; and by stored I mean that they are still sitting in the corner by the front door where they once served as autumn decorations. But this spot is relatively cold and is as good a place as any to store a pumpkin. With the warm winter we’ve had, the garage hasn’t been an option this year. 

Last week I noticed that one wasn’t going to make it through the rest of the winter so it was time to roast it up. With lots of pumpkin in the freezer already I thought I’d better go ahead and use this batch.

I get tired of standard muffin flavors, even pumpkin, so I added some black sesame seeds that were leftover from the Whole Wheat Black Sesame Cookies. Not a bad combination, this pumpkin and black sesame. I can see it paring up again sometime in the future. 

These muffins use virgin coconut oil, whole wheat pastry flour and raw sugar. Other ingredients such as butter and unbleached AP flour, or even a non-dairy milk, can be substituted if that is how you roll. 

 Pumpkin Black Sesame Seed Muffins

¾ cup milk, room temperature

¼ cup cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil, melted

½ cup raw sugar

1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree 

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tbsp black sesame seeds, plus more for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 12-muffin tin with some coconut oil.

In a bowl, mix together the milk and coconut oil. Next whisk in the sugar, and the egg until blended. Add in the pumpkin and vanilla. 

Add the baking powder and salt, and gently fold in the flour just until barely blended. Add the sesame seeds, continue to fold just until all ingredients are combined.

Distribute batter into the 12 muffin tins. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with more sesame seeds. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 5 - 7 minutes, remove from muffin tin and serve or store in an airtight container.  Makes 12 muffins.

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Coconut Lime Granola

This is how it goes down. 

You open the webpage and think to yourself – what is this?  You scroll down the page, and you spot something. Your brain says – oooooohh, pretty!

Click, repin, and you’re a goner.

The next thing you know two hours have passed, and you have a visual list of things you want to make, how you want to decorate, and where you want to travel. 

Yes, this is Pinterest. 

When I was younger I used to carefully cut photos out of magazines and paste them on the pages of notebooks. These were my plans, my inspirations, and they most often had to do with fitness goals or dream houses.

It dawned on me today that Pinterest is my modern version of this; the adult me keeping dreams and inspiration alive. Note: This is my positive spin on the fact that I’m addicted. 

I’m not quite sure how to create a natural transition from Pinterest to granola; other than the fact that I probably have some granola recipes pinned on my boards. 

Here it goes anyway. 

Limes are one of the things I miss most about Brazil. I used to go to the market and get a bag of 10 or 12 of the best tasting limes for about 44 cents U.S. Needless to say, 44 cents per lime was tough to handle when we returned to the U.S. So when they are on sale, I stock up. 

I love the combination of lime and coconut, and have included it in breads, but never in granola. So I tried it. Aside from it being a fabulous way to use up some limes, it’s also the perfect excuse to bake with some coconut oil. The flavors came out so well, and it has added quite a positive spin to my yogurt this week. 

Coconut and Lime Granola

¼ cup molasses

¼ cup maple syrup

Juice and zest of 2 limes

¼ cup virgin, cold pressed coconut oil, melted

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

½ cup raisins

½ cup raw almonds, chopped

1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

½ tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the molasses, maple syrup, lime juice, lime zest and coconut oil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, sunflower seeds, raisins, almonds, coconut and salt. Pour the molasses mixture over the oats and stir to coat. 

Turn the granola out onto an ungreased baking sheet. Spread in a single layer. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. Cool and store in an air tight container. Makes about 6 cups. (I like to stir in a little plain coconut before serving to add some color and a different texture.)

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Whole Wheat Black Sesame Cookies

I’m looking for some variety in my baked goods. I’m not sure why I’m so bored of chocolate chip cookies and standard flavors such as vanilla. Perhaps it’s all the time I spend exploring on the Internet. Yes, that could be it. 

I see apricot, rhubarb, mocha, green tea, red bean and…black sesame. I came across these cookies towards the end of last year and had every intention of making them for the holidays. That didn’t happen, so I revisited the goal this weekend.

I’m a big black sesame fan, and if you like anything with a slightly nutty flavor, you will be too. I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers, Green Cilantro. Ideal with coffee, tea, or milk, these cookies are only slightly sweet; perfect for an afternoon snack or post-run treat, whatever the case may be.

Whole Wheat Black Sesame Cookies

Adapted from Black Sesame Cookies by Green Cilantro

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup raw sugar

1 egg

2 tsp milk

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 tbsp black sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until well blended. Mix in the egg and milk. 

In a small bowl, combine the baking soda, salt and flour. Gradually add the dry mix to the mixer. Mix medium-low until the dough comes together in a ball. 

By hand, stir or knead in the black sesame seeds. Place dough between two pieces of wax paper and roll to about a ¼ inch thickness. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. 

Cut into shapes and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8-9 minutes; just until the edges are slightly browned. Cool on a cooling rack. Makes about 30 cookies, depending on the size of your cutter.  

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Quick Butternut Squash Curry Over Lentils

I don’t intend to mislead when I use the term quick in a recipe. It’s become an all encompassing term for a recipe that isn’t entirely authentic. It’s says – warning, while tasty and similar in flavor, what you are about to make is not the real deal.

My kind of quick still requires that you peel and cube the butternut squash, but it is well worth the effort. It will also be on the table in about 30 minutes, if you error on the side of speedy with your peeling and chopping. 

I’ve made this dish twice now, and the first version left a little to be desired; namely protein. So the second time around I added lentils. I thought I’d stir them in the curry and serve it over rice, but then I decided to chuck the rice all together and serve the curry over the lentils. 

This quick dish works well with any kind of winter squash. It’s the perfect reason to pull them out of storage in the garage or basement, and put them to use.

Quick Butternut Squash Curry Over Lentils

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 ½ tsp curry powder

1 can coconut milk

¼ cup water, optional

2 Kaffir lime leaves

1 tsp salt, or to taste

3 cups cooked lentils

In a deep skillet, or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic. Cook about 3 minutes. Add the butternut squash and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir to coat the vegetables.

Next, add the coconut milk. Add ¼ cup water if desired. (This makes just the right consistency for me, but you can add more or less.) Bring the milk just almost to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in the Kaffir lime leaves. Simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender. 

Add salt to taste and discard the lime leaves. Spoon over lentils and serve. Makes about 4 servings. 

If your still hungry for winter squash curry, check out Pumpkin and Shrimp Curry from A Nutritionist Eats.