Veggie & Egg Breakfast Muffins

We so know what its like to be rushing around in the morning, trying to get yourself ready, maybe even your kids, trying to find clean clothes and drink bottles and all that jazz.  Getting a good breakfast in can be nearly impossible during these mornings! Some of us can handle that, but Renee absolutely cannot go without breakfast so she whipped up this veggie loaded, egg muffin recipe that you can make in advance and eat a couple on the go!

They make great, nutrient dense snacks too and freeze well, so you can double the recipe and freeze some for busy, busy times. Enjoy!

Makes 10 muffins

INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs
• ½ medium zucchini, grated with excess moisture squeezed out
• ½ small sweet potato, grated with excess moisture squeezed out
• Large handful of leafy greens, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup of milk (soy, rice, almond, dairy etc)
• Salt and pepper

Optional additions:

• 100 g beef mince, cooked in a pan with a little olive oil
• 50 g feta, crumbled
• 1 tbs savoury yeast flakes
• handful fresh, chopped herbs such as chives, parsley, basil

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease 2 muffins trays with a little olive oil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add the zucchini, sweet potato and leafy greens and combine well. Add any of the additional ingredients and mix well.
3. Pour mixture into muffin trays, half filling each segment.
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until brown on top. These will keep in the fridge for 5 days, and freeze well.

Sweet Garlicky Asparagus

We love veggie laden side dishes, they're quick to make and an easy way to bulk out main meals and get more veggies into you!

With asparagus season in full swing, why not have a try of this sweet, garlicky dish? Asparagus are a great source of vitamin C and the fibre they contain acts as a prebiotic, which means that it helps to feed the good bacteria in our gut!

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12-16 asparagus spears (I aim for 3-4 spears per person)
• 2-6 cloves of garlic (depends on how much you like garlic)
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp rice malt syrup
• Lemon slices

Method

1. Chop the woody ends of the asparagus off (usually around an inch). Finely chop the garlic.
2. Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Over a medium/low heat, add the garlic and asparagus and sauté for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the rice malt syrup, a few dashes of balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes or so (cook depending on how soft or crunchy you like your asparagus, I like mine a little crunchy so I cook it for 4-5 minutes tops).
4. Serve with a few slices of lemon.

Caramelised Dutch Carrots

This is another simple, yet tasty side dish that will fill your house with the wonderful smell of caramelised onion and oregano. It's sweet, salty and fragrant, and really takes no time to prepare at all. This serves 4 as part of multiple side dishes, or serves 2 as a side dish on its own. It can be prepared in advance, will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, and can be gently re-heated before serving.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch dutch carrots*

• 1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 3-4 sprigs fresh oregano

• salt and pepper

• balsamic vinegar

• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

1. Prepare your steamer to cook the carrots; fill the bottom pot with 1/4 water and bring to the boil. While the water is boiling, gently clean the carrots, taking care to remove all dirt. Once the water is boiled, place the carrots in the steamer on the top and steam for 7 or so minutes, until the carrots are cooked with slight firmness. Set aside.
2. While the carrots are steaming, add the olive oil to a pan and bring to a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and oregano, and cook for a further 5 minutes. The garlic and onions should look translucent and golden, with a touch of crispness.
3. Add salt (around 1/4 tsp) and pepper to taste and a couple of dashes of balsmic vinegar and stir through.
4. Add the carrots, gently mix the onion mix through and serve.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Chickpeas, Zucchini and Greens

Serves 2-4 (2 on it's own, 4 bulked out with rice, quinoa or soft polenta)

Ingredients

• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium sized zucchini, grated
• 3 large handfuls of baby spinach, or 6 kale leaves finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, finely diced
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Pierce each tomato with a knife, removing any stalks and place in a small baking tray. Drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of salt and pepper over all the tomatoes and give a shake to cover them completely. Roast for 30 minutes.
3. While the tomatoes are roasting, heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes until almost caramelised. Add the zucchini, chickpeas, and garlic and sauté for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the lemon zest and juice, leafy greens, pine nuts, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar and cook for another minute until the greens have wilted. Stir through the roasted tomatoes, making sure you get all the juices from the baking dish as well. 
5. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with cooked brown rice, quinoa or soft polenta.