Super foods special-Banana, Dates and Chia Seeds Muffin

Dear Readers,

I am back with a really yummy and healthy breakfast muffin recipe. You must be thinking yummy and healthy don't really go hand in hand but you will be surprised by this little beauty. The sweetness of the bananas and dates along with the goodness of oats, almonds and chia seeds makes for a very delicious and nutrient packed start to the day. 

Health benefits:

Chia seeds are one of the richest sources of  Omega 3 and are considered a super food. They are gluten free, high in protein (it's a complete protein with 8 amino acids) and Vitamin C. They improve our health and general well being and are incredibly versatile and easy to incorporate into our diets. Sprinkle over cereal, or add it to the bread dough, or add it to smoothies, muffins, cookies, the possibilities are endless.

Oats or Muesli add fibre to our diet and we all know how good oats are to reduce cholestrol levels and improve our cardiovascular health. Muesli is a combination of uncooked rolled oats, fruits and nuts and makes for a nourishing breakfast.

Dates are delicious and a great source of iron, dietary fibre, vitamin A, B and K and flavonoids like beta carotene and lutein, that  protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful effects of oxygen-free radicals.

Bananas are not only yummy but are a great source of potassium, magnesium and anti oxidants. They are easy to digest and gentle on the stomach, and that's the reason why mashed bananas are the first solid food gen to babies.

The combination of all these deliciously healthy ingredients makes these muffins a very healthy and yummy start to the day.This recipe is very forgiving, feel free to experiment with the proportions of ingredients to suit your needs. Enjoy!

Love,
Cookie

Recipe                                                                                               Print Recipe

yields 12-14

Ingredients
150 g Wholemeal Self Raising Flour (if not available use plain wholemeal flour and add 2 tsp baking powder for every cup of plain flour)
50 g Muesli or Oats - powdered (I grinded mine in a spice grinder)
50 g Almond meal (ground almonds)
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp nutmeg
a pinch of salt
60 g brown sugar
40 g Caster sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 over ripe bananas
60g Chopped dates
1 tbsp Chia seeds
5 tbsp vegetable oil
60 ml plain yoghurt

Tips:

1. You can reduce the sugar and replace with honey.

2. You can make the recipe gluten free by completely omit the flour and replace it with powdered muesli, it will make a slightly denser but delicious cake.


Method

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C and 160 C if fan forced.

Grind the oats/muesli to a fine powder and set aside. Put all the dry ingredients - flour, almond meal, powdered oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl.

Muesli

In a large bowl crack the two eggs and whisk it with the sugar till combined. Now add the vanilla, mashed bananas, yoghurt and oil and mix everything well with a wooden spoon. 

Liquid ingredients

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix till well combined and lump free. Fold the chopped dates and chia seeds into the batter.

Chia seeds

Line a 12 cup muffin tray with cases and spoon the mixture into the cups equally. Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes till they are golden and well risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the center of the muffins. Let them cool on a cooling rack and then store in an airtight container.

Muffins and tea

Enjoy!

Mixed berries, Goji Berry & Chia Seeds Smoothie

Trying to be healthy is not a fad. Looking after yourself and eating healthy should be a way of life. In today's busy busy life we often forget ourselves and our bodies cry out for some love and care. In my attempt to lead a more balaced and healthy life I have been reading up on superfoods and their benefits and have been trying to make them a part of my routine. In this recipe I am using two Superfoods - Goji Berry and Chia Seeds.

Goji or wolfberry is the fruit of Lycium barbarum (Chinese: 寧夏枸杞; pinyin: Níngxià gǒuqǐ) and Lycium chinense (Chinese: 枸杞;  gǒuqǐ), two very closely related species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae . It is native to southeastern Europe and Asia. They have a lot of health benefits and have been used in Chinese Medicine for a long time.

Source: Wikipedia

Chia Seeds

I found a great website that explained all the health benefits of Chia Seeds. It is both inspiring and informative - The Wellness Warrior

1. Chia is gluten free
2. It is super high in dietary fibre, making it great for digestion and healing digestion issues.
3. It contains 20% Omega 3 ALA, making it a super food for the brain and heart. Chia has eight times more Omega 3 than salmon!
4. It boasts 20% protein
5. The protein is a complete protein with all 8 essential amino acids
6. It is high in antioxidants (It has a four times higher ORAC value than blueberries)
7. Chia contains five times more calcium than milk
8. Chia contains seven times more vitamin C than oranges
9. It contains three times more iron than spinach
10. It contains twice the potassium content of banana
11. It is food for healthy skin, hair and nails
12. It has a positive impact balancing blood glucose levels (making it awesome for diabetics)
13. Chia makes a great egg replacement. Just combine with water to form a gel, and add it to recipes that call for egg.

This smoothie uses both goji berries and chia seeds and is a wonderful healthy way to start the day.

Mixed berry, Goji Berry and Chia Seed Smoothie

Frozen Mixed Berries

Goji Berries & Chia Seeds

Recipe                                                                                              Print Recipe

Yields 1 glass

Ingredients

Mixed berries (I used frozen berries)

250 ml Light Milk/Almond Milk

1 tbsp Honey

5-10 g Goji berries

1 tsp Chia Seeds

Method

Using a stick blender, combine all the ingredients to get a delicious berry smoothie.

Super food smoothies- Banana Spirulina smoothie

Dear Readers,

2013 is my year for fitness, I really let myself go last year buckling under stress and work pressure. I promised myself this year will be different, on my path to healthy eating I have discovered Spirulina. This monster vomit green smoothie is Spirulina, banana smoothie. I think the colour green makes it a lot more fun to drink, it will be a great hit with kids am sure. 

Spirulina is an algae comprising of 60% protein.  It also contains vitamins B₁ (thiamine), B₂ (riboflavin), B₃ (nicotinamide), B₆ (pyridoxine), B₉ (folic acid), vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin A and vitamin E. It is also a source of potassium, calcium, chromium,copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, sodium and zinc. It has been in dietary use since the age of Aztecs and is again fast becoming a popular dietary supplement. I purchase it online in the form of a powder which makes it really easy to use in smoothies and juices. If you live in Australia you can visit  Cheap Super Foods for more information. If like me you are looking for simple ways to improve your health and well being, you should give this a go.

Love,

Cookie

Banana Spirulina Smoothie

Recipe                                                                                                   Print Recipe

Yields 1 glass

Ingredients

1 Ripe Banana

1 tsp Organic Spirulina Powder

250 ml Light Milk/Almond Milk

Method

Using a stick blender, blend the milk, banana and spirulina powder to get a smothie. I do not use sugar or sweetener as the banana sweetens the smoothie. This makes a great breakfast addition. Enjoy!

Spirulina Powder

Blender Smoothie Action

Banana Spirulina Smoothie