Monday 13 June 2011

Healthy Breakfast Treat!

"A couple of years ago, I became fascinated by my own liver." No, this is not the start of some bizarre, French novel. Let me explain...

A couple of years ago I got glandular fever (that's 'mono' to our American friends and Epstein Barr for the pedants and medics). It's a common virus and the vast majority of people who get it shrug it off after a few weeks.

Unfortunately I wasn't one of them. I was one of the unlucky souls who found their liver under severe attack from the nasty virus particles. It left me with really odd post-viral symptoms which took several months to clear. Thankfully it went away but it was very unpleasant at the time.

I'd never really thought about my liver before. It's the unsung hero of the body - not as sexy as lungs or hearts or brains but just as vital. Think of it as a kind of battery and filter combined. When your liver gets clogged you can start to feel pretty tired and rotten.

So, when I saw this book on Amazon recently I got curious. I bought a second hand copy and found it full of cool recipes, mostly very low in saturated fat and high in fruit, veg, nuts etc. It's that time of the year in work where everyone is shattered. I'm finding myself eating whatever rubbish is to hand because I'm too tired to cook. This isn't good so tonight I decided to make one of the recipes for breakfast muffins - and they are surprisingly tasty. I say surprisingly because they are amazingly low in fat and sugar but don't taste like they are.

Anyway, if you feel adventurous here's the recipe. There are lots more in the book. Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS (For metric - check conversion websites)

1.5 cups wholemeal self-raising flour (or plain plus 2 level tsp baking powder)

0.5 tsp mixed spice

0.5 tsp cinnamon

0.5 cup sultanas

2 egg whites, beaten

2 tblsp plus 2 tsp cold pressed almond oil (I used walnut oil and it was fine)

1 cup cooked, chopped apple (roughly 2 Pink Lady apples - all I had!)

1 tblsp plus 1 tsp honey or concentrated apple juice.

0.5 cup soy milk - I used ordinary milk.


  • Heat oven to 176deg C (350 Fah)


  • Mix the wholemeal self-raising flour, cinnamon, mixed spice and sultanas. Keep separate.


  • Peel and finely slice 2 apples and cook in a little water until soft. Mix the apple with the beaten egg whites, oil, honey and (soy) milk.


  • Blend wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.


  • Cook in an oiled muffin tin (I used paper cases instead) for roughly 17 mins.





    • 7 comments:

      Lisa said...

      Sounds yummy...always love a good recipe. I too contracted mono when I was in college...let it go too long, ended up w/ mono-induced hepatitis, 6 weeks in bed w/ weekly bloodwork done; so I understand the whole liver obsession thing.

      Sweet Lily said...

      Wow! Wow!
      Lovely, delightful, yummy!
      Thanks for sharing, you're wonderful!

      ellie said...

      These muffins look so good. I'm sure having that bout with this virus has made you more stronger and healthier than you just might be.

      Great post!

      =e said...

      these look mighty tasty! i may just have to try out this recipe!

      live=e

      Tom said...

      Hmm....it looks so tasty! Yummy!!!

      Tom

      A said...

      That would have been a good book for me. Mono took me out for a couple of months. I didn't know I had it until a few weeks into it...bleh.

      Anonymous said...

      Gnam gnam! :)
      Great blog!
      I'm following you! And you? Can you follow each other? :)
      kiss,yumiKo

      http://yumikontheworld.blogspot.com

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