Darling Muffins, Daring Tortilla Soup

Last week I bought some whole wheat flour, with the idea that I would make healthier foods. I think it's sort of working.

The bread that was becoming staler by the day in my refrigerator, the bread that I bought vaguely a month ago, had so little left that I salvaged what was still soft and threw the rest in the freezer to make breadcrumbs later. I wouldn't buy bread for a couple of weeks, I decided, so I made some wheat tortillas to go along with my salsa (these days I make food that I can take to work for lunch without reheating, since none of the schools I work at have functioning microwaves...quesadillas were last week's menu).

The tortillas came out pretty well. I used the same recipe as usual, except that half of the flour was whole grain wheat. They're not quite as flexible as my usual batches, but of course they have an earthier taste.

Sunday night, after I made these, I didn't want to eat a quesadilla like I would for the rest of the week, or even a taco. Over the phone my mom suggested soup. She meant just putting the soft tortillas right into the soup, but I had a different thought.

I cut the tortilla, fried it in my trusty canola oil, no extra salt, to make chips. A couple spoonfuls of salsa went into a saucepan, as did a cup or so of water, a few chopped leaves of spinach, some slices of carrot and fresh tomato, an extra dash each of cumin, cayenne, and black pepper so the water wouldn't dilute the flavour too much. Into a bowl went the soup, the whole wheat tortilla chips, and some shreds of cheese.


I didn't expect much, but it was some of the best tortilla soup I've ever had, to be completely honest. And I'm picky about my tortilla soup.

Later in the week I found a recipe on Taste Spotting for some whole wheat carrot muffins, but I didn't have all the ingredients. Oh well, time for some improv :)

Darling Muffins

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar (or just under)
1 cup milk (I used evaporated)
1 large egg (I used 2 small eggs--in the States eggs are generally the same large size though, so use that)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I have soybean oil this round)
1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup finely shredded carrot
1/4 cup raisins or assorted small dried fruit
(I would have added 1/2 cup chopped nuts, if I had any)

1. Combine dry ingredients (first set above) in a large mixing bowl, make a well with it (push most of it to the edges of the bottom of the bowl, leaving empty the middle), set aside.
2. Combine wet ingredients (second set above) in a medium mixing bowl, wisking well. Pour into well in dry ingredients, mix thoroughly. Add carrot, fruit, nuts. Preheat oven to 400F.
3. Pour into greased muffin tins or paper cups in muffin tins. Bake for 17-21 minutes. They're done when a toothpick poked in comes out clean.

Because I have small muffin tins, 18 darling little muffins came out. I didn't have paper cups, so I made some from wax paper as suggested.


I meant for them to be healthy-ish, so they're not really sweet, but they're incredibly moist and have a nice round flavour. Better than bran muffins, for sure. Perfect with tea as breakfast or snack for your darlings, with a dollop of peanut butter if you don't have chopped nuts around.