Oat Bran Dinner Muffins

They're savory! And they're not just for dinner--they make a fine breakfast or a tasty snack, too. This is a new variation on a theme.

Like all my oat bran muffins, they're very satisfying without making you feel, well, overstuffed. They're loaded with fiber and you know oat bran can help reduce cholesterol. Because they're filling and not fattening, they're great for if you want to lose weight.

They're delicious, too.

And easy to make. What I do is buy oat bran in bulk and create several dry mixes ahead of time. I put the mixes into zip bags and stack them in the refrigerator. It's nice to not have to fiddle with measuring spoons in the mornings!

Some of my mixes already contain brown sugar in them, so all I need to do is add the liquid ingredients (3 egg whites, 2 tbsp. of oil, and about a cup of other moisture) and little handfuls of whatever dried fruits, raisins, nuts, or carob chips sound good.

But I always keep a few mixes unsweetened--and these I can take in a savory direction. Here's a great example.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare muffin tins with cooking spray or by lining with paper muffin cups. This will make a dozen muffins.

Start by mixing together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

The base mixture is:

2 1/4 cups oat bran
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder

To this I added (quantities are approximate):

1 tsp. Italian seasoning (a blend of oregano, basil, rosemary, marjoram, whatever)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
a sprinkle of garlic powder
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use a microplane grater, but whatever)
1 small red chili pepper, minced (use your best judgment here, folks)
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

Whisk together the following liquid ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine with the dried mix:

3 egg whites
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup tomato juice (these come in little cans; very convenient to keep around)

Before filling the muffin cups, adjust liquid: The mixture should be about the same consistency as for corn muffins. Stir in more tomato juice or water if you need to.

Spoon into muffin cups.

Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they start turning golden on top and a toothpick comes out moist, but not wet.




You know . . . these are so healthy, you might even give yourself permission to spread a little real butter on them while they're still hot!