Pistachio-Sundried Tomato Polenta Muffins

Few things are as versatile as muffins. They fit in your hand, they are usually individually wrapped, kids love them and you can make them out of just about anything you've got around. Sweet and packed with fruit, maybe with a streusel topping, they are a great Sunday  breakfast. But as much as I like sweet pastry and breads, my true love is savory. Savory breads are always such a surprise. You never know what to expect when you open one up. Will it be salty, cheesy, herby? Or something altogether different? Some roasted garlic, perhaps? The combination of flavors in warm breads and muffins is paradise to me. So it is with a hankering for something completely different, savory, yet still undiscovered that I sat down to make muffins for Muffin Monday. Mom brought over a cookbook of coffee cakes, and it was here that we found a recipe for Sun-Dried Tomato Pistachio Polenta Cakes. These yummy looking bites of heaven would be our muffin project for the afternoon.

We started with some sun-dried tomatos that I had been marinating in olive oil, garlic and basil, and added chopped pistachios, corn meal, Romano cheese and herbs. The batter was a lovely orangey color, flecked with green herby bits. I knew these were going to be special muffins. And they were. Warm, substantial, with a hint of cheese and garlic herb flavor, they were be an elegant addition to a winter dinner of soup and salad. The cornmeal gives each bite a nutty crunch, and the color and flavor of the pistachios was subtle. Give these a try, you'll come to see muffins in a whole new light. Cheers!    

Muffin Monday is generously hosted by Elena at Experiments. Join her to see all of the delicious muffin contributions to Muffin Monday.

Sun-dried Tomato Pistachio Polenta Muffins

2/3 cup combined Marinated sundried julienned tomatos and Olive Oil

2 Eggs

2 T. Honey

1 T fresh Basil

1 t. Dried Oregano

13/4 cup Flour

3/4 cup Polenta flour

3/4 t. Salt

1 t. Baking Powder

1/2 t. Baking Soda

3/4 cup Plain Yogurt

2/3 cup chopped unsalted Pistachios

2 oz. grated Romano Cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 10 large muffin tins. Whisk eggs until light. Add honey, herbs, tomatoes and olive oil. Stir until well combined. Mix dry ingredients together and then alternating with yogurt, combine with the wet mixture. Reserving 2 T. each, stir in Romano and pistachios. Spoon into muffin tins, and sprinkle with remaining cheese and pistachios. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with a salad and a glass of wine! 

Comments

[Elena]

Wow Chelsea! You almost read my mind! I love tomatoes & luurve sun-dried ones! They must taste so so good! I am going to be experimenting with a muffin recipe this weekend and you've got like half the ingredients I want to use in mine - I'm going to try mascarpone cheese! This is wonderful, thank you for your contribution to Muffin Monday!!

[Orchidea]

Very interesting recipe... I like your muffins.
Ciao.

[deinin]

I love savory muffins as well - partly because I'm not really used to sugary breakfasts, so a sweet muffin at any time of day makes me feel more guilty than a savory one (and if I have to feel guilty about it, it had better be cheesecake or a tart of some kind, so there).

Pistachio and sundried tomato was actually one of the combinations I toyed around with when thinking about my Muffin Monday entry - yours look fabulous and I will definitely have to try something similar!