Cheesy Egg Muffins with Mushroom, Courgette, & Spinach

I’ve been itching to try this recipe since last week when I found Kalyn’s Kitchen Blog and the recipe for these yummy looking, South Beach Diet Phase I compliant Egg Muffins. I even went out and bought one of those blissfully-easy-to-use silicone muffin trays.

I’ve been waiting and waiting, but our chickens aren’t laying much at the moment – either that or they’ve set up yet another secret nest for us to discover (either that or someone will come back with a bunch of chicks in a few weeks). We went to the local vegie shop yesterday and I got a tray of free range eggs, in anticipation of making this recipe. Well, today was the day! Let me tell you, they don’t disappoint!

Here’s my version of these delicious egg muffins…

Ingredients:
6 eggs
2 T water
1 teas Herbamare ® Herb Seasoning Salt
1 medium courgette, deseeded
3-4 large spinach leaves
1 large mushroom
1 cup finely grated cheese (approx)
12 cup silicone muffin tray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray muffin tray with olive oil spray.

How to deseed a courgette

Deseed the courgette. This is a trick I learned from Suzi who writes The Cook’s Cupboard, I love courgette raw but I didn’t fancy cooked courgette much until I tasted it prepared this way. You know how the seeds and the bit in the center goes all mushy and tastes a bit sour? That’s the part I didn’t like. Here’s how you avoid it. Cut the courgette in quarters lengthwise. Draw a paring knife down the length of each quarter, slicing off the ridge of seeds. You don’t have to get all the seeds, just slice off about the first 5mm (1/4 inch) and that should be enough. Make adjustments if you have really big seeds.

Cut the quarters of courgette into thin slices. Finely dice the spinach and mushroom.

Distribute the vegetables evenly into the muffin cups. Add grated cheese into each muffin cups. You want to aim to just about fill the muffin cups slightly below the top.

In a 2-cup measuring cup with pour spout, break the eggs, add the herb salt and 2 T water. Beat well.

Egg Muffins Ready to Cook

Carefully pour the egg mixture into the muffin tins, until it nearly fills each cup. It may look like there’s not going to be enough room for the egg, but don’t worry it will flow into all the spaces between the other ingredients.

Put into the oven with plenty of room above them, the muffins will rise up out of the cups while cooking. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until golden brown. The muffins will drop down to the size of the muffin cups when you take them out.

These cheesy vegetable egg muffins are delicious eaten warm or cold. Kalyn says they freeze well too, just wait until they cool, put them in bags and pop them into your freezer.

Makes 12 muffins.

This is a great accompaniment to enchiladas or burritos for a delicious and nutritious meal. It’s a great way to use up vegies that are starting to go a bit wilted too, since you are baking them in a casserole dish the will turn out nice and tender and full of flavor.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Brown Rice
3 T extra virgin olive or coconut oil
1/2 cup each of any of the following: chopped onion, capsicum, parsley, courgette/zucchini, mushroom
2x cloves garlic (finely chopped or pressed)
1/2 teas. each of salt, paprika
3 cups boiling water

Instructions:
Wash the brown rice well and drain through a sieve. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chopped vegetables and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the herbs and rice. At a very high heat get the rice sizzling. Pour everything into a casserole dish with a lid, add the 3 cups boiling water.

Cover and place in oven at 180C / 350F for 35 minutes. You’ll get a nice potful of tasty, fluffy rice.

Eat on it’s own with a side salad, or serve with enchiladas or burritos.