Spinach and Mushroom Muffins (+ A Giveaway)

The best part of designing a cookbook was having access to all the amazing recipes. Like these savory Meat and Spinach Muffins - easily made vegetarian with mushrooms instead of sausage. My photos just don't do them justice (I blame the sun setting at 5:00PM and lack of natural light) but I promise - they're super tasty. Melissa, the author of Well Fed, has not only encouraged me to experiment with veggie-ing up her recipes she's also given me permission to share the recipe with you. The recipe below is modified from Melissa's original.



Mushroom and Spinach Muffins
Prep: 15 min
Cool: 15 min
Bake: 40 min

Ingredients:
2 bags of fresh spinach, washed, dried and chopped (you can use 3 16oz bags of frozen chopped spinach too)
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large package of mushroom, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons raisins
3 large eggs (note: I used 4 smallish eggs - but next time I'll try with just 3)
* as a commitment to eat as local as possible I highlight locally sourced ingredients in green

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

This is crucial step! (If using frozen spinach): Squeeze the excess water from the defrosted spinach. Here’s my trick for removing excess water: Place all the spinach in a colander or wire sieve and press out the water with the bottom of a bowl that fits inside the colander, then squeeze individual handfuls of spinach to wring out the remaining water. You should have about 4 cups of spinach when you’re finished with the squeezing process.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Add coconut oil and allow it to melt. Toss the onion in the pan and sauté, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it’s crisp-tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the chopped mushrooms into the pan. Cook until they release their liquid - you may need to drain the liquid in a strainer and return mushrooms back to the pan. Add the garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, curry powder and raisins and cook until the mushrooms are browned. Stir in the spinach until it’s combined. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

Scramble the eggs in a small bowl with a fork, and when the mushroom/spinach mixture is cool, add them to the mix; blend well. The easiest way to combine everything is to mix with your hands. Dig in!

Place muffin papers in a 12-count muffin pan; they prevent sticking. Pack the batter into a 1/2-cup measurer, then transfer it to the muffin pan, using your hands to pack the spinach tightly into the muffin paper. It should be slightly mounded on top – the muffins puff a bit when they bake, then slightly deflate when cool. Remove the muffins from the pan and store covered, in the refrigerator.

My muffins came out more like miniature quiche but they were still super tasty. And the curry + raisin combination is just one example of "You Know How You Could Do That?" variations that Melissa offers with almost all of her recipes.



Mel is generously offering a Jeremy & Kathleen reader a signed (by both Melissa and myself) copy of Well Fed plus a homemade spice blend by the author herself!

Enter to win by liking Melissa on Facebook or following her on Twitter and commenting below with your email address (so I can get a hold of you if you win). A winner will be picked by random on this Friday, December 23rd at 12PM CST - you have until then to enter.