One of the many ways life has changed since my heart attack is the way in which I approach food. I always loved to eat, had an interest in food and cooking, and was a vegetarian for many years. But I didn’t necessarily focus on the quality of my food.
But then, when life threw a curve ball and there was so very little I could control, what I put into my mouth became one of the few things I had a direct impact on. So I started cooking, looking for healthy recipes, experimenting with spices and every vegetable under the sun, and looking for ways to incorporate fruits and veggies into every meal.
This recipe is too good not to share! If you like to cook and like trying new things, you may love these Blueberry Spelt Muffins like I do. They are sweet and moist with a zesty nutty flavor.
In case you aren’t familiar with it, spelt is an ancient grain in the wheat family. It tastes great, a lot less wheaty than traditional wheat flour. You will find it in a grocery store with bulk bins; buying just a couple cups for this recipe should cost just a couple dollars. Orange juice and orange zest gives them a unique flavor boost, and applesauce cuts down on the sugar content.
Blueberry Spelt Muffins
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) softened butter or canola oil (not super healthy but could be worse) 2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce 2 eggs 1/2 cup orange juice 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups spelt flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1/4 teaspoon salt (again, not great but could be worse) 2 cups fresh blueberries
Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl, cream together butter or oil and sugar. Stir in applesauce, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla.
In a second large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, zest and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter-egg mixture until just combined. Gently stir in blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
This recipe is thanks to the Whole Foods Market website: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Yum! Maybe you’ll bring some to work someday? 🙂