Turmeric and blueberry muffins

Unlike most muffin recipes that are promoted as breakfast (even though they are in fact filled with sugar and are more like a dessert) these only have ingredients that you actually would eat for breakfast.

So, technically, this is oat porridge, banana pancakes and a bowl of buttermilk smashed together into beautifully golden muffins that are quick to make and taste out of this world. One or two grated carrots can also be a delicious addition.

DRY INGREDIENTS

100g (1 cup) rolled oats

100g (1 cup) walnuts

100g (2/3 cup) buckwheat flour, plus 2 tbsp arrowroot (or potato starch) or 100g (2/3 cup) spelt flour

1 tbsp ground turmeric

1½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

½ tsp sea salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

WET INGREDIENTS

2 ripe bananas, peeled

6 tbsp runny honey or 6 soft dates, pitted

160ml (1 cup) buttermilk or full-fat plain unsweetened yoghurt

80ml (? cup) extra-virgin olive oil or butter, melted

3 free-range eggs

150g (1 cup) blueberries or berries of choice, fresh or frozen

for the granola topping

2 tbsp virgin coconut oil or butter

2 tbsp runny honey or pure maple

syrup

60g (½ cup) rolled oats

TIPS

If you can’t find soft dates, soak dried dates in hot water for 20 minutes.

For a nut-free alternative, replace the walnuts with sunflower seeds.

For a vegan alternative, replace the buttermilk with a plant- based yoghurt and replace the eggs with 3 tbsp of chia seeds soaked in 9 tbsp of filtered water for 20 minutes.

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a 12-hole muffin tin or line it with paper cup liners.

Place the oats and walnuts in a food processor and blend until the texture resembles coarse flour. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Make a well in the centre and set aside.

Mash the bananas and dates (or honey) with a fork and place them in the food processor along with the buttermilk or yoghurt, oil or butter, and eggs. Blend until smooth then pour into the well of the dry ingredients with the blueberries. Using a spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined, making sure not to over-mix.

To make the granola topping, melt the oil in a small saucepan on a low heat then remove from the heat. Add the honey and oats, stir until combined and set aside.

Fill the muffin tin with the batter and top each muffin with a tablespoon of the granola. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden, turning the tin around halfway through cooking to ensure they bake evenly, and a skewer inserted in the centre of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool slightly in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Store the muffins at room temperature in an airtight container and they will keep for a few days. Alternatively, freeze them.

This is an edited extract from Green Kitchen At Home by David Frenkiel & Luise Vindahl, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $39.99, and is available in stores nationally. For more on the authors head to their website.