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Happy Friday, Foodies!

Spring fever has officially taken hold of me—it’s such a relief to be waking up to weather in the 50’s, 60’s and even 70’s. It’s perfect, not too hot and not too cold. And it’s not just the warmer weather that has me excited for this season, it’s of course, the FOOD too! I love eating the freshest food I can find, and often that means eating the produce that’s at the height of the season. Right now that’s things like spring peas, rhubarb, strawberries, artichokes, green beans and one of my favorites, asparagus. This super food brings us back to eating fresh green veggies after the cold winter months. Did you see my recipe video for how to make my Cream of Asparagus Soup? If not, watch it below—it’s such a simple soup bursting with spring flavors, one of my favorites!

Eating foods that are in season is becoming more and more popular. Have you heard of the farm-to-table trend? It would be hard not to these days, as it’s become a huge cooking trend for chefs and home cooks alike. It refers to the idea of cutting out the middlemen in the food production process and having all those yummy fresh fruits, veggies, eggs, meat and dairy go directly from hardworking farmers to our tables! No processing, packaging, or altering required—just good old-fashioned fresh food. It’s really the way our grandmother’s used to cook—I know mine did all her own canning, filling our shelves with homemade bread and butter pickles and much more, so that we could enjoy the bounty of the growing season all year. These days, it’s easier than ever to find a local farmer’s market and stock up on some goodies to make your own farm-to-table meals. This weekend, I challenge you to find a farmer’s market near your house, pick up a bunch of fresh asparagus and try my Cream of Asparagus Soup recipe! We also have a seasonal produce guide in our Culinary Corner, so you can find ways to use those other jewels you find at the market. If you’re interested in hearing more about farm-to-table and live in the New York area, tune your radios to WOR-710 this Sunday (April 27) at 10:35am to hear my interview with radio host, Joan Hamburg, talking about some of my favorite spring cooking trends. It was so much fun!

Eating seasonally is a great way to get healthy. When something doesn’t taste good, we won’t eat it, period. Many times people get lack-luster produce and then think they don’t like vegetables. It’s the same rule of thumb with anything that claims to be “healthy,” first and foremost, it has to TASTE good, am I right?! That’s why I’m so excited to share with you my recipe for Mini Honey-Wheat Muffins. There are so many tricks to making baked goods just a bit healthier, without sacrificing any of the flavor. Chef Andrea teaches me things all the time and I love being able to share them with you. In this recipe, we substituted Greek yogurt and cinnamon applesauce for the butter or oil you typically find in muffin recipes without losing any of the moisture. We swapped sugar for honey, and the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and wheat bran are all unprocessed ingredients filled with fiber, so the muffins will keep you full longer—no sugar crashes, no growling tummies. And of course with the mini muffin pan, we’ve got our built-in portion controller!

Mini Honey-Wheat Muffins

Makes 24 Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup wheat bran


• 1/4 cup wheat germ


• 2/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt


• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour


• 1/2 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp baking powder


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon


• 4 Tbsp cinnamon applesauce


• 1 egg


• 1/3 cup honey


• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.


2. Lightly coat a 24-cup mini muffin pan with oil spray. Mix together the wheat bran, wheat germ, and yogurt. Let the mixture stand for 12-14 minutes.


3. Place the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and set aside. Add the apple sauce, egg, honey, and vanilla to the bran mixture and mix until well combined and the batter has no lumps. Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture and mix until evenly incorporated. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan.


4. Bake on the lower-middle rack of the oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a      toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and run a knife around the edges of each muffin to      loosen them from the pan. Cool for 15 minutes and then carefully remove the muffins and place them onto a cooling rack to cool.

This recipe is prepared using the Temp-tations® 24-Cup Mini Muffin Pan with Wire Rack (K38522).

Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.

I promise you—you will LOVE these little things. And, there’s no harm in spreading a little butter on the muffin before you eat it, yummmmmm. Who would have thought you could bake without sugar and butter and have a delicious, moist final product? Do you have a secret cooking tip or ingredient that helps you stay healthy without losing flavor? Maybe you use fresh herbs for flavor instead of salt, or do you cook with coconut oil instead of vegetable? Do you swear by whole-wheat bread? I want to know your secret ingredient! Can’t wait to catch up this Sunday at 12pm ET on In the Kitchen with David!

Keep it Flavorful!

—David