Rhubarb Strawberry Bran Muffins

Rhubarb is only in the spring/summer season for a month in Michigan, so I have been buying it at the farmer's market to enjoy the season to the fullest. It isn't the best raw just because it is so stringy and tart, but when it is bake it turns into something sweet, tart...almost like a tart apple. Lately, I have been dreaming up a rhubarb muffin recipe to enjoy. I had some rice bran that I bought to try out and so I thought why not experiment with a bran muffin. When I think of bran muffins I think of rocky hard muffins with lots of fiber. Rice bran is similar to wheat bran in nutrients, but obviously gluten-free compared to wheat bran and it does taste different and a little more moist. And I know you're thinking...."I haven't had a bran muffin in a while, something like that would tear up my insides..." Well, maybe if you have a gluten/wheat allergy that would happen for sure, but rice bran is non-allergenic and gentler on the digestion.

Rice bran is a very nutrient dense food. It is very high in B-vitamins and antioxidants. Some reviews say that there are more than 100 antioxidants available. It is also quite amazing that it holds some essential fatty acid and amino acid content because of it being the central part of the protein in rice. Here is a constructive and informative link on rice bran. I enjoy trying new ways to get the most nutrients I can out of baking and cooking. This is a new ingredient that I have found to love in baking. So, why not add some bran to rhubarb.

Dry:

1/2 cup of buckwheat flour

1/4 brown rice flour

1/2 sweet sorghum flour

1 cup of rice bran

1 ts. baking powder

1/2 ts. sea salt

1/2 ts. baking soda

1 cup sucanat

1 ts. of cinnamon

1/2 ts. of cloves

Wet:

1 TB honey

1/3 cup coconut oil

2/3 cup of almond milk

1 med/large smashed ripe banana

2 eggs or egg-replacement

1/2 of fresh lemon juice

1 ts. of real vanilla

Add last:

2 cups of finely chopped rhubarb

Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately and then mix together. Make sure all the dry is fully mixed in and then add the 2 cups of chopped rhubarb. I thinly sliced my rhubarb to make the muffin a little more delicate and easier to bake, but it is your preference on cut. Mix all together and dish into 12 large muffin cups. Top with a sliced organic strawberry (sliver or half the strawberry). The strawberry just adds a little bit of sweetness and flavor. And it smells divine once it is baked. So... bake at a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. To make sure it is baked through stick a toothpick in the middle of the middle muffins on the tray to make sure nothing gooey comes up.

Let cool and eat warm out of the oven. These are so moist and delicious for bran muffins and you will really enjoy the texture as well. It doesn't seem like it could possibly be gluten-free and dairy-free, but it is! I am loving the flavor combo and I have to say that I start loving rhubarb more and more after muffins like these. You will start growing, picking, buying and searching for rhubarb to make these muffins again. They are delish, and so full of nutrients too. I hope you enjoy making, smelling and devouring these.

Hm.... this is my 2nd muffin that I couldn't stop picking at...hmmm good. Peace to you today.