I've been on an oat kick lately. By far, I eat oats this way the most often: soak 1/2 C. oats & 1 T. chia seeds in 1 C. water overnight. In the morning, add your milk of choice (mine is usually almond or soy) and voila! I prefer the texture of soaked oats to the traditional stove-top method--- they retain some of the their texture.
However, here's another way to get your oats (oat bran) in--- a way that my kids enjoy, too!
The only caveat is that the best muffins are made from Trader Joe's Chunky Spiced Apples. It's perfect for these muffins!
Oat Bran Muffins
1/2 C. dark brown sugar
1 1/2 C. Oat Bran
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 C. Trader Joe's Chunky Spiced Apples
4 T. vegetable oil
Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Either line or grease a 12-C. muffin tin.
Mix the dry ingredients together (oat bran, flour, leavening, spices, salt) in a bowl. Mix the sugar, eggs, and oil together in another bowl and allow the sugar to dissolve a bit. Mix the two together and stir until just blended (it's okay if there are bits of flour not stirred in--- don't over stir)!
Fill each muffin tin 3/4 the way full. Bake for approximately 15-minutes or until golden brown.
Added: If you don't have a Trader Joes nearby, you can make your own chunky applesauce to use for this recipe or to eat all on its own!
The way I'd do it would be to peel and quarter three apples (1 granny Smith to hold its shape and two others) and place in a saucepan over medium heat. Add a little apple juice concentrate (or brown sugar if you want), 1 tsp. cinnamon, a dash of mace and nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and about 2 tsp. lemon juice. Cook over medium-low heat until the apples are cooked through but retain some of the shape. Remove half the apples and puree and return to the chunky ones. Yummy!
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I have a fun giveaway coming up on Monday! Hint: It's clothing related... :-)
