Breakfast of champion

Last weekend, I competed in the US Masters Swimming Michigan state championship meet.  Now, I don't mean to brag, but I wanted to tell you that I had a great time, and that I won four events: the 50 and 200 freestyle, the 200 backstroke, and the 100 IM.  And sure, that's the result of hard work and months of training, but let's be honest: I think we all know that it's mostly about what I had for breakfast during the meet.

As you may recall, I wouldn't settle for something as simple as Wheaties.  I believe that breakfast is far too important a meal  to waste it on cereal.  In college, I got in the habit of cooking or baking for myself most mornings.  Later, when I started working regular hours and having less time for morning baking, I started making a large batches of something on the weekend and reheating it throughout the week.  One of the easiest items to make, freeze, and reheat is muffins.

Coincidentally, muffins were also one of the first breakfast items I tackled back in the good old Wanda days.  For one thing, I had a 6-muffin pan that was a perfect fit for the limited space in a toaster oven.  But more importantly, muffins are quick and easy and are super tasty.

I've played around with a number of recipes, but one has really stuck with me.  It's a little denser, and a little less greasy, than your average all-white flour muffin (no bald cupcakes for me), because it's made with oats, bran, and whole wheat flour, which give it a full, hearty, wheaty flavor.  I nearly always toss in a handful of berries or diced fruit - strawberries are probably my favorite - which cook into pockets of sweet, fresh goodness.  Fresh out of the oven, the warm muffins are heady with sweet aroma and pleasantly crisp on top, but after a day or two in an airtight container, when the flavors have had a chance to meld together for a while, I think they're even better.

This past weekend I packed myself a dozen of these muffins (made with raspberries, which I happened to have in my freezer awaiting just such an occasion) to have for breakfasts during the meet.  Though I can't promise they'll make you a champion swimmer all on their own, I can say that they make a fantastic breakfast spread, whether served hot from a basket at Sunday brunch, or room temperature in a cheap hotel room.  Yum.

Berry Oat Muffins

This is one recipe that I love to play around with.  Try using fresh or frozen strawberries, raspberries, cherries, or even rhubarb (with a little additional sugar).  With blueberries, toss in half a lemon worth of zest.  Alternatively, you could use diced apple and a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Try replacing 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup of almond flour for a rich nutty flavor, or replace half the sugar with honey for a different take on sweet.  I've even added in a half cup of canned pumpkin for quick pumpkin muffins, in which case the fruit could be replaced with chocolate chips. 

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats (I like quick cooking)
1/3 cup bran
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1/2-3/4 cup berries (fresh or frozen), or other fruit cut into small pieces


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and prepare a muffin tin with 10-12 muffin papers.

In a small bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, salt, and sugar, then mix in the oats and bran.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the egg, then whisk in the oil, and finally mix in the milk.  Stir in the dry ingredients and the berries, mixing until just combined.  Spoon the batter into the muffin papers, filling to 2/3-3/4 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown around the edge and firm when the top is lightly pressed.  Remove from the pan to cool on a rack, or into a basket to be served immediately.

Makes 10-12 muffins, depending on how full you fill the muffin cups and how much batter you sneakily eat.