Orange-Carrot Juice Pulp Muffins

I juice every morning and (I hate to admit this) throw away the pulp. I've saved it a time or two to make crackers, or to throw into a smoothie later in the day, but 99% of the time I throw it away. A few weeks ago as I was cleaning out the pulp catcher it dawned on me that the flavor combo of that morning's juice would make a fantastic muffin, so I set out to experiment with juice pulp muffins.

The particular flavor of juice I made that morning was orange-carrot-ginger; one of our favorites, but rarely served because we like to get our greens in our juice in the morning. To make enough juice for 2 adults and 2 kids I use 3 navel oranges (peeled) , 6 carrots (unpeeled but with ends chopped off), and about 1/2 inch of ginger root. To get the pulp for the muffins I juiced the carrots and oranges first, collected the pulp in a separate container, and then juiced the ginger. Raw ginger seemed to be a bit too strong and spicy for these muffins, so I wanted to keep it separate.

These muffins turned out wonderful. They are moist and delicious with a hint of cinnamon and no processed sugars. Because of the juice pulp they keep best in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Orange-Carrot Juice Pulp Muffins

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup soy milk
1 cup juice pulp
1/4 cup maple syrup

Start by sifting through the pulp with your hands to remove any large chunks of carrot or orange. Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients through salt, stirring to combine well. In a medium sized bowl combine soy milk, juice pulp and syrup. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix (being careful not to over mix). Fill muffin tins 3/4 full (you should get about 10 muffins out of this). Place in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan until cool to touch then remove from pan and continue cooling on a wire rack.

Grilled Asian Tofu

Guess what friends......I'm back! That's right, spring is in the air, the sun has been shining and I've again been blessed with some inspiration in the kitchen. Our evening schedule has been packed with teaching, kids activities and homework and there's been little time for cooking. Not to mention the cold, gray winter zapped my creativity and left me wanting soups, stews and chilis. But now the days are getting brighter and longer, the produce is looking fresher and CSA season is just around the corner. Our evening schedule probably won't slow down any time soon, and I'm still pressed for time in the kitchen, but indeed as winter fades to spring you will be seeing the frequency of posts increasing here.

Last week the weather the warm and the sun was shining bright and I decided that it was a good night for a salad so I threw together 4 big bowls of deconstructed sushi (edamame sushi salad from Appetite for Reduction). I knew that a salad wouldn't be enough to sustain us and that while the kids love sushi and would happily eat the salad, they'd not be too keen on the fact that there wasn't something else to the meal.

Enter a block of Twin Oaks Tofu I've had sitting in the fridge. Twin Oaks is by far my favorite brand of tofu. It's firm, it's not saturated with water, it holds together nicely on the grill, and it requires little to no pressing before use. I whipped up this quick marinade, let the tofu soak for a few hours, threw it on the grill and............mmmm mmmm good! Enjoy.

Grilled Asian Tofu

1 block extra firm tofu
1 Tbs Brown Rice Miso
1/4 cup Tamari
1 Tbs Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp grated ginger
1 clove garlic minced or grated
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Press tofu is necessary. Slice the block of tofu horizontally into thirds, the cut diagonally to make 6 triangles. In a large container with a tight fitting lid mix miso and tamari, whisking to break down miso. Stir in remaining ingredients. Place tofu slices in the container, seal the lid and shake several times to coat each piece of tofu. Place in refrigerator and let marinate for several hours to over night. Spray outdoor grill or grill pan with oil and heat at medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and place tofu slices on the grill, cook for about 5 minutes on one side (watching and being careful not to burn), flip and grill for 5 minutes on second side.