Carrots For Breakfast

In my last post, I mentioned having your 5-a-day (as in daily quota of fruit and veg as recommended by the World Health Organisation for maximum health benefits).  However, there was news in the press this week to say that 5-a-day should be the minimum and this should now be upped to 7 a day (but even better up to 10 a day!).

As a vegetarian, I do eat quite a lot of fruit and veg already but sometimes don't always manage 5 a day but this has now made me re-think my own diet and I have decided to put more effort in!  This week-end, I opened the fridge door and was confronted by a surplus of carrots, and so created a batch of carrot and coconut (gluten free) breakfast muffins, which were pretty delicious though I say so myself!

Here's how I made them:

1 individual portion size coconut yogurt (use the pot as your measure)

1 x measure of vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)

1 and a half measures of sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp runny honey

3 x measures of gluten free self raising flour

half tsp baking powder

1 medium to large carrot, grated

Method (makes approx 12 - 15 muffins):

• Empty yogurt into a mixing bowl, add vegetable oil and sugar using the empty yogurt pot.  Mix these ingredients together
• Add the 2 lightly beaten eggs, vanilla essence and honey
• fold in the flour and baking powder
• gently mix in the grated carrot
• spoon into muffin cases 
• bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees C (180 degrees for a fan oven) for 25 - 30 minutes.  Cooking times may very depending on individual ovens, so use a clean knife to test - if it comes out clean, they're done.

Most of my recipes are gluten free since I gave up eating wheat and gluten last year, but this recipe should also work well with normal flour.

If you're interested in knowing more about the latest on 7-a-day, here's a link to the BBC newspage