Spinach and Carrot Muffins

Photography by Kristy Plumridge

I love these muffins because not only do they taste delicious, they use the natural sweetness of carrots paired with the incredible antioxidant properties of lemon zest.  It's my second diabetic friendly recipe as part of the eftpos Giveback Campaign for Diabetes Australia.  If you have a favourite healthy recipe you'd like to share, you can submit yours here.

I’ve been using spinach in my dessert recipes a lot lately, remember THAT spinach ice cream?

Using spinach in dessert recipes offers up a healthy dose of iron just when you need it.  I’ve found that one of the best ways to keep on top of my auto immune disease is to make sure my iron levels are topped up and to follow an anti-inflammatory diet.

At the Inflammation Research Foundation, in Massachusetts, USA, Dr. Barry Sears is continuing his ongoing research into treating diabetes and believes that obesity and type 2 diabetes are strongly associated with increased inflammation. As the inflammation in adipose tissue increases, this becomes a strong driving force for the development of increased systemic inflammation that results in metabolic syndrome, eventually followed by the development of overt type 2. He believes that potential reversal of both conditions can be achieved by reducing the levels of inflammation through the use of an anti-inflammatory diet. You can watch him chatting about the realities of obesity and diabetes here. 

They’ve been in the news a bit lately and more of us are starting to learn that good fats are essential to our bodies.  I believe the best way to obtain them is from our food.  Healthy fats are every bit as important as protein, minerals and vitamins when it comes to our overall functioning.

According to a study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, eating a diet high in Omega-6 and low in Omega-3 is associated with increasing levels of cytokines -- proteins released from cells that trigger inflammation. 

Flaxseeds are a good source of Omega 3’s which help to lower inflammation levels.  The primary Omega-3 fatty acid found in flaxseeds is alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA as it is commonly known. Even if you’re using flaxseed in your baked goods, the good news is that the ALA component has been found to be stable for at least 3 hours of cooking at moderate oven temperatures. Bring on the healthy desserts!

Lignans which make up the structure of flaxseeds are fibre-like compounds, which provide antioxidant protection and mucilage which is a water-soluble, gel-forming fiber does wonderful things in the intestinal tract, helping to improve absorption of certain nutrients. You’ll love the effect that these muffins have on your body.

Keep these muffins in a sealed contain in the fridge and they’ll last for over a week.

Makes 6 large muffins or 12 minis

Ingredients:

•  1/3 cup tapioca flour

• 1 cup buckwheat flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 3 tbsp. flax seeds
• Pinch Celtic Sea Salt
• Squeeze of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ground cumin (optional)
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 cup plain sugar free yoghurt
• 2 medium carrots coarsely grated
• 200 g fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 small brown onion, chopped fine
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 1 tsp. lemon rind
• 1 clove garlic
•  1/4 cup pumpkin seeds for topping (optional)

 Method:

• Set the oven at 175 degrees Celsius
• Mix the first eight ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• In a separate bowl add eggs and yoghurt and stir
• Add carrots, spinach, onion, lemon juice and rind and garlic, stir well until combined
• Mix the dry ingredients with the wet and stir with a spatula
• Pour batter in muffin tray and top with pumpkin seeds
• Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean