Salmon Asparagus Muffins

99 out of 100 times, I'll choose salty over sweet.  But I also think baking is great fun.  One answer to this conundrum is the savory muffin.  My favorite is the Salmon-Asparagus Muffin.  I first made it in Copenhagen in 2004, when I experienced my first (and only, actually) Scandinavian winter, and sought solace from the dreariness by baking neurotically and keeping our humble abode "hyggeligt."  These are great and slightly evil little muffins that really should last longer than they do in our household.  I found the recipe in Muffins, Scones and Breads, but, like most recipes I encounter, have modified it to match what we want and what we've got stocked up already.

Basically, you take a bunch of asparagus (usually one of the bunches from the supermarket is good enough, but I think the recipe could handle twice as much for the asparagus nut), heat it (I like steaming it), and chop it up.  Chop up the lox or whatever other cooked salmon you may have.  Make a muffin base: 3 c. flour, 4 tsp. baking powder, 2 eggs, 1 c. buttermilk, about a stick of melted butter (it's fine to use less).  Another simple muffin base recipe is available here (this one doesn't use buttermilk and remember to omit the sugar).

Then add the mustard, asparagus, and salmon to the mix.  You really don't need that much salmon to give it flavor.  If you are using cooked salmon (as opposed to lox), mix the salmon and mustard together before putting in the mix.  I also like adding some ground pepper into the mix (as well as to the topping).

Once you have put the muffins in the form, add your favorite savory topping or some combination thereof (I usually go with sprinkled cheese and/or some herbs and spices).  

Yummers.