Healthy Afternoon tea:-Almond and Walnut Muffins

If you could find a way to incorporate a food that provided you with magnesium and Vitamin E, could lower your blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol you would eat it, wouldn’t you? And what if that food could also reduce hunger and assist with weight loss? It would be a miracle!
But it is not. This ‘miracle’ food is almonds and unless you are allergic to nuts, this is a great way to incorporate almonds into your diet, even if you don’t like eating whole almonds themselves.

Almond and Walnut Muffins

Ingredients:

• 150g Anchor Lighthouse Self Raising Flour
• 50g Almond meal (ground almonds)
• 85g brown sugar
• 1 tsp Mixed Spice
• 55 g chopped nuts – I use a mix of walnuts and pecans
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup (125mL) milk
• Pinch salt

Method:

1. Sift all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
2. Combine butter, eggs and milk.
3. Pour into dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Line muffin tray with paper muffin cases.
5. Fill cases to 2/3 full
6. Bake at 170ºC for 20-25 minutes or until inserted skewer comes out clean

Sprinkle with cinnamon for an additional health benefit!

Something delicious and healthy to Ponder About

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Mineral-rich Chicken Salad

A nice recipe below. They substituted ham, but I like the idea of shredded chicken. One could replace the pistachios with almonds ( in their kernel) or walnuts, or even brazil nuts, and increase the magnesium content of this dish.

Pistachio and ham salad.

This is based on a traditional Armenian recipe of pistachios, soured cream and shredded chicken breasts. You can also use chopped ham with salted pistachios for different results.

Serves 6

175g halloumi, washed and cut into 1cm cubes
4 small eating apples, cored and cut into 1cm cubes
500g cooked ham, cut into 1cm pieces (or cooked chicken breast, shredded)
250g celery, cut into ½ cm slices
2 spring onions, including green heads, cut into ½ cm pieces
175g shelled pistachios or other nuts
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp turmeric

For the dressing
300ml yoghurt
300ml mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp parsley, chopped
4 tbsp chives, chopped
4 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

1 In a large bowl, toss together the halloumi, apples, ham, celery, spring onions and pistachios.

2 To make the dressing, whisk the yoghurt and mayonnaise until well blended. Add the mustard, lemon juice and herbs, then mix well.

3 Pour the yoghurt mayonnaise over the salad, together with the lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper. Mix well then place in the refrigerator and allow to chill for around an hour.

4 Garnish with the turmeric  and serve.