Paleo Muffins ???

[tex]

I don't understand the theory behind this. As any taxidermist can tell you, salt is the perfect coating for drawing moisture out of anything that it is applied to. Taxidermists use it on safaris, or other extended hunting trips, to dehydrate hides, so that the hides will keep without refrigeration until they can get them back to civilization. Primitive civilizations used salt to cure meat, by drawing out the moisture. Without moisture, bacteria, molds, etc., cannot function, so dessicated meat will not decompose for extended periods. But meat without moisture is not tender -- jerky and pemmican are fine, but other types of meet need to be rehydrated, IMO. What am I missing here? It appears that the emperor has no clothes.

Tex

[Sheila]

Tex, I think you are thinking about just using salt as a preservative vs. using heavily salted water as a brining agent.
I have brined a few turkeys and the birds are pretty moist but the process involves a heavy turkey in a huge pot full of water that is impossible for a small woman to move.

Whatever process was used on the Empire turkey certainly did turn out a dried up, tasteless bird. I think I'll take Leah's advice and just buy the necks, wings, etc to make stock.

Sheila W

[tex]

Hi Sheila,

I was referring to the part of the Cook's Illustrated remarks that said:

During processing the Empire bird is covered with salt to draw out impurities in the meat, so it never needs to be brined in a saltwater solution to pump up the flavor or juiciness of the meat

That sounds to me as though they coat it with dry salt, not a brine solution. That's the part I don't understand. How could a procedure normally used to dehydrate hides or meat be expected to add moisture?

Tex

[Gloria]

I usually buy Norbest or Honeysuckle turkey. I've occasionally had some that tasted tough, but I couldn't tell you why they were. I cook the whole turkey in a bag and the breast in a crock pot.

I make almond flour from the pulp that is leftover from making almond milk. It is very fine and white. Trader Joe's flour is cheaper because it contains the skins. I am using the flour faster than I'm using the milk, now that I no longer make pudding, so I supplement it with Honeyville blanched almond flour. It's available here: http://shop.honeyville.com/products/gluten-free.html

Grinding almonds fine enough to make flour in a food processor will result in almond butter. I have posted my method for making almond milk and the resulting flour in Dee's Kitchen: http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... sc&start=0

It's really very easy and takes me about 1/2 hour. I make it about once a week, since the milk spoils after that.

• *After blending the water and blanched almonds, I pour the milk into a 64 oz. container lined with a paint strainer bag.
  
  *When the container gets full, I pour the filtered milk into another container with a plastic strainer lined with organza, which I hemmed. I bought the organza at a fabric store.
  
  *Once the milk is strained a second time, I fold the four corners of the organza over the pulp and press it in the strainer with a spoon to squeeze out the remaining milk. Then I unfold the organza and put the pulp on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The pulp slips right off the organza.
  
  *Then I pour more milk from the 64 oz. container into the strainer and repeat the process.
  
  *Once all of the milk has been strained, I squeeze the remaining milk out of the paint strainer bag by twisting it. This gives me the bulk of the pulp, which again easily slips out of the bag onto the parchment paper. I strain the last of the milk to get a little more pulp.
  
  *I spread out the pulp on the baking sheet and dry it in a small convection oven at 140-150 degrees for 3-4 hours. After it has dried, I blend it in the blender to make a fine powder. This takes about 2 minutes for each of the two batches. Two cups of almonds give me about 1 3/4 cups of fine white flour and 64 oz. of almond milk.

I buy 3 pounds of almonds at Sam's Club for about $10-$11. Three pounds makes about 4 batches of milk/flour, costing me about $2.50 for each batch. I like my homemade milk and flour more than the store-bought products, and they are cheaper. Any nut milk and flour can be made using this method.

Gloria

[wonderwoman]

The one time that I made almond milk I threw away the pulp I had strained. Didn't know anything about nut flours at the time.

[Lesley]

What a creative person you are Gloria. That is a labor intensive operation you have there. You can, make milk, flour and what else? Color me impressed (again!)

If I were to use walnuts or pecans to do that the milk would be wasted, because I cannot take nut extracts in any form, particularly almonds. The last is very telling because, although I love almonds, I can't take the extract in any form. Not even the smell. I loathe marzipan.

I will let you guys know how the grater works.

[Deb]

That sounds to me as though they coat it with dry salt, not a brine solution. That's the part I don't understand. How could a procedure normally used to dehydrate hides or meat be expected to add moisture?

I think that is for kosher reasons and I think it is soaked afterward. I think for moisture/eating reasons a brine would be preferable though they advise against that for poultry that's been preinjected with whatever stuff they use.:(

[Sheila]

I finally made pumpkin paleo muffins. They are a bit heavy and a bit crumbly. I added pistachio nuts since I can't have my favorite walnuts. The zucchini muffins taste better to me and held together better. I cut the pumpkin muffins in half and froze them. Perhaps this will help with the texture.

BTW, wine is now off limits due to gastritis. Tums seem to turn off the pain so I expect the problem is acid. This just sucks and is pretty depressing. Wine made preparing one of these lousy GF/SF/DF/ meat heavy meals tolerable.

Sheila W

[garina]

Oh Sheila, that's awful about the wine. Maybe, you'll be able to add it back one day soon. Wine does help make everything taste better, even anything bland.

I have been contemplating the idea of using pumpkin for the muffins, also, and I thank you for the tip. Maybe, we could use less pumpkin or tweak it some way that would work. Personally, I don't think I can get along without our Paleo muffins. They have become a staple. I grate two packages of organic carrots, use the two cups for a batch, then freeze the rest for the next batch. I love these muffins with almond butter for breakfast, sometimes an egg.

garina

[Lesley]

Sheila - I had to stop wine a couple of months ago. I hung on as long as I could, drank a glass at a neighbor's house, and felt SO bad after I had to stop. I still crave it in the evenings, but the memory of the pain I had puts me off.

I have been experimenting (to the delight of my friends) with different paleo and vegan muffins. Each time they get a little better. I change flours and try different blends.

When I have a bunch of recipes I will post them.

[Lesley]

OK, these are DELICIOUS! I have been playing with the recipe. This is the latest, and best, iteration.
I made walnut flour with my new grater. It's lighter than walnut meal when you make it in a blender, which becomes oily,and like walnut butter.

Makes 10 regular size muffins.

1 cup of walnut flour
1 cup of chestnut flour
2 tbls of date syrup or agave, or maple or honey
1 tsp vanilla paste or essence
3 eggs
1/2 a cup of coconut oil
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 a cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup CHOPPED walnuts for crunch
1/2 tsp lemon zest.

whisk or blend eggs, oil, vanilla, sweetener

Whisk dry ingredients, and slowly add to egg mixture (I will try making these with egg substitute next time, but I think they should work well, just as the others do. In fact, many people liked them better.)

fold in the apricots, nuts, and zest.

bake in greased muffin tins at 325 for about 25 minutes.

The fruit sinks to the bottom because there isn't the wheat flour to suspend them. I might puree half next time as a moistening agent and make the batter thick enough so the nuts and fruit are suspended.


Made with egg substitute they are vegan.

As I said, they are delicious!

[Sheila]

Sounds delicious! Pretty soon we will be known as the Muffin People.

They are life savers for me at either breakfast, for a snack, with soup or if I'm just hungry. I'm going to try to apple/banana muffins next.

Sheila W

[Mim18]

My sister made the Morning Glory Muffins. They were delicious and I need to make my own batch ..............SOON! I want more of them!

[Martha]

I made a batch of zucchini morning glory muffins today. They don't seem quite as moist as the carrot ones. I'm going to California to visit my mom on Friday, so thought it would be good to have something along to eat on the flight.

Lesley, do you make chestnut flour, or buy it? If you buy it, where do you get it? I don't think I've seen it at Sprouts.

[Lesley]

Martha,
I got this one last time as it was the cheapest, though they are all much of a muchness.

http://www.iherb.com/Fun-Fresh-Foods-Gl ... m_medium=c

Making the morning glory with zucchini - I have found the addition of some well softened prunes adds sweetness and moistness.
In fact when I made the muffins without eggs the prunes made them very moist, and people liked them better.

I made some muffins using almond flour and chocolate. I can't eat them, but people who did loved them. The recipe isn't good enough yet to put in here. The collapsed a little, but seemed to be moist and good.

My neighbors know when I am baking and follow their noses to my door for samples. I am making them in mini tins so I can distribute them for sampling.