Blueberry Wild Rice Muffins

I made a pot of wild rice the other night for a pilaf I threw together. It contained sauteed kale, shallots, and freshly diced yellow pear tomatoes (yum!) and revitalized my love of wild rice. I set aside a generous cup of it to make these muffins and I can say that I love the texture it adds: pleasantly chewy and substantial.

I like to think of these as summer/fall transition muffins as they are filled with the juicy blueberries of warmer months and hearty with wild rice which I associate with cooler weather. Here in Minnesota, wild rice is quite common and I don't think I eat it enough.

The batter for these muffins is quite stiff so don't be worried when folding it all together. Make sure to only moisten the ingredients, but not overwork the batter or they will be rocks instead of muffins. The resulting treat is subtly sweet, healthy and perfect for an on-the-go breakfast.

For a dozen muffins:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1 cup cooked wild rice

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the blueberries and mix to coat. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, and buttermilk. Stir the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture until just blended. Fold in the wild rice and pecans.

Spoon into a 12-cup muffin pan that has been greased or lined with muffin cups. Bake in the center of the oven for 18-20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for a couple minutes before removing from the pan.