I was crossing a parking lot a week or so ago, and Jamie, a friend of mine, called me over to his truck. He expressed his sympathy with the various personal & financial travails I have been slogging through, and in parting he gave me some peppers.
I kidded him that I would cook something out of them–maybe muffins.
As I walked away, I began to think about it…..
The first experiment was a bit of a failure, but the flavour was there. This was the second attempt. Next time, I believe I will try a different fruit than pineapple–too sweet, and I have no patience for sweet. I believe maybe blood oranges, or thinly slice Meyer Lemons with the peel.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (Whole wheat, white, both, as you wish)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup of white sugar
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ginger
• 1 or 2 jalapeño peppers
• 3 or 4 small sweet peppers
• ½ cup chopped pineapple
• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup oat or wheat bran
• ½ cup TVP and ½ cup or so of a liquid–I used an ale, but you can use what you want–to soften it.
• ½ cup pecans
• 1 cup cooked sweet potato (I like it baked, but I assume canned will do)
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup buttermilk or Greek yogurt
• ½ cup butter

Step 1, Ready? Bake the sweet potato, soak the TVP, make sure you have all the ingredients.

Step 2, Set: Pre-heat the oven to 350°, chop the pineapple and the sweeter peppers, either grease the muffin tins or put in the cupcake liners (I usually spray a little canola oil in the bottom of these to make things come out easier). I get 2 dozen medium-sized muffins out of this mix.

Step 3, Go! mixing the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the sweet peppers, pineapple, sweet potato, spices, oatmeal, TVP, pecans, melted butter, salt and sugars. With a garlic press or something similar, mince the hot peppers in–the juice should be there, and the meat very fine, to blend the heat.
I mix all this separately, so I can taste it and see if I need to adjust the flavour–more heat? More sweet?

Step 4, mixing the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift the flours, baking soda, and bran.

Step 5, combining the big mess: Add the eggs and yogurt to the wet ingredients, mix, then add the dry ones and mix well. The consistency of the mix should be much firmer than batter, but a little more liquid than cookie dough.

Step 6, baking: Fill two dozen or so muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 or more minutes. See how they look. It is best if they are a bit toasted. Stick a toothpick in one and see if it comes out battery.

Step 6, sharing: Unlike most muffins, these are actually better for supper paired with a strong entrée than they are for breakfast. Like all muffins, they are especially great to share with a friend or loved one. I gave some to Jamie, who had given me the fresh peppers, and then ran them around to 10 or more different friends, which was complicated but fun.