On Sundays I try and keep the afternoons quiet at home. The small people tend to keep themselves occupied by playing with their toys; in my younger one’s case, she uses the time to explore the kitchen cupboards and empty their contents everywhere. I normally watch over them whilst using the time to batch cook, think about the week’s upcoming meals and cook a snack that may last for a few days.
A couple of Sundays ago I made some carrot muffin’s which were adapted from a cookbook that I have called The Healthy Apple. They are full of good stuff including carrots and zucchini. They last for 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container. My son loves them and inhaled three in a row. They’re the perfect treat after a day of nursery or for a mid-morning snack. I love to toast them and add a layer of nut butter on top with a cup of tea if I’m peckish. Although; I must admit my daughter isn’t such a fan … yet … you can’t please them all but I’m working on it.
INGREDIENTS
3 TBSPs oil – I use hemp but coconut is good too
2 TBSPs chia seeds
6 TBSPs water
1 large ripe mashed banana
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 1/2 TBSPs pure maple syrup
2 large carrots – peeled & grated
1 courgette – peeled & grated
1&1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1 TSP baking powder
1 1/2 TSPs ground cinnamon
1/2 TSP baking soda
1/2 ground ginger
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 180c. Line a muffin tin with oil (or paper liners).
In a small bowl mix the chia seeds & water; leaving them for 5 minutes to form into a gel.
Mix the banana, applesauce, maple syrup, oil & chia seeds in a bowl. Fold in the grated carrot & courgette.
Pop the pumpkin seeds into a blender & grind down to form a flour. Put this, the oat flour, raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda & ground ginger into a bowl and combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients gently to create a batter.
Put the batter into the muffin tin. Bake the muffins for 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oven and leave for 10-15 minutes to cool so that they can set before taking them from their tin.
Enjoy with a cup of something warm!
Michelle Shepherd
Becoming a mum really made me think about being the best I could be for both myself and our children; and a large part of that was learning about the best foods we could put into our bodies. Since having my first child, Phoenix, I have become passionate about cooking healthy plant based meals for our family; focusing on trying to create balanced meals full of nutrients and, hopefully, deliciousness too!
I love browsing through pretty cookbooks, drinking coffee, chocolate and the gym. I also work as a freelance interior designer, when I find the time to fit in a project or two, but the other main love of my life (other than my husband, of course!) is our pack of sausage dogs; Daphne, Dora and Alan!
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