Egg Muffins
Egg muffins, or egg muffinos as we affectionately call them, are a staple in our household. I make them once a week and they sit in the fridge ready for those lazy "I need a snack quick" moments.
This recipe came about after several discussions in clinic with other naturopaths and nutritionists about what was the perfect snack. Now eggs and I don't agree with each other so I tend not to eat them, however, I remember thinking these would be perfect for my husband as they are high in protein, are packed with loads of veggies and have a decent carbohydrate content. This makes them the perfect afternoon or post workout snack.
Following this discussion, I spent an evening researching egg muffin recipes and to be honest wasn't really happy with any that I found. They either only used part of the egg (which seems pointless to me, I mean what do I do with the yolk if I only need the whites) or were too low in carbohydrates for what I was wanting them for. Now before you say vegetables have carbs too, let me finish. Firstly, everyone needs carbohydrates. They are essential for hormone production, energy production, energy storage and aid in building muscle by preventing the breakdown of proteins for energy (1). I agree with a low carbohydrate diet in certain situations, on a short term basis and when an individual client needs it, however the general person needs a moderate carbohydrate intake on a daily basis. I am also not talking about refined carbohydrates. Secondly, the vegetables in this recipe all have a low carbohydrate content. So in order to get an adequate amount of carbohydrates in the muffins, the amount of vegetables would need to be quadrupled and hence the recipe wouldn’t work. To increase the carbohydrate content to a level I was happy with I added sweet potato- a complex, whole source of available carbohydrate.
Now I say these are a great post workout snack as for optimal muscle glycogen replenishment and repair post exercise, it is recommended to consume between 30-40g of carbohydrate and 20-25g of protein within half an hour of finishing exercise (2)(3). These tick all the boxes with approximately 20g of protein and 34g of carbohydrates per serve (2 muffins).
These also wrap nicely to pop in the kids lunchbox for recess or lunch and can be eaten warm or cold.
Before I get to the recipe I should say, if you are someone who needs exact measurements and measures things out perfectly, my recipes may not be for you. I tend to just wing things and hope for the best. The occasional fail doesn't deter me and to be honest my husband still usually eats it (as long as it doesn't taste like charcoal). This recipe is perfect also as if there are too many veggies to fit in a muffin pan, I’ll whisk a couple more eggs and make more muffins.
I strongly recommend purchasing a silicon muffin tray for this recipe as this reduces the need to use muffin cups or baking paper. I have one with steel reinforced edges which is perfect for making these as it holds straight and firm like a regular tray and doesn’t crumple in the middle spilling the egg mix everywhere. It is also super easy to clean and they pop out so easily!
The cooking fat I use in the recipe is the fat I skim off the top of bone broth and is perfect to use with the muffins as it adds a depth of flavor. For an added immune boost use shiitake mushrooms, otherwise button or swiss brown mushrooms work well.
Egg Muffins
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20-25 minutes Serves: 6
Ingredients
Onion- diced
2 cloves garlic- minced
½ capsicum (red or green)- diced
Small sweet potato- diced
1 Zucchini- shredded or sliced
Bacon- diced (optional)
Handful of spinach- diced
Handful mushrooms- diced
Cooking fat
8-10 Eggs (depending on size)- lightly beaten
Salt and pepper
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180. Melt some cooking fat in skillet placed over a medium-high heat. Cook the onion, capsicum, sweet potato, zucchini and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add everything else and cook until soft. Whisk eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper. Add a small amount of cooking fat to 12-muffin tray, spoon in mixture as evenly as is possible and pour in eggs. Use a fork to poke muffins to release any air bubbles and ensure enough egg mix is underneath vegetables. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Enjoy :)
Leisha xx
References
Paxton, 2015. Foundations of Naturopathic Nutrition.
Protein post exercise. Retrieved from www.mysportscience.com
Ivy, J. L., Goforth Jr, H. W., Damon, B. M., McCauley, T. R., Parsons, E. C., & Price, T. B. (2002). Early postexercise muscle glycogen recovery is enhanced with a carbohydrate-protein supplement. Journal of Applied Physiology, 93(4), 1337-1344.