Eat a Muffin

Last year, after routine blood tests, the doctor told me that I had an elevated cholesterol level. The next thing I knew I was giving up eating red meat and before long jumped on the oat bran wagon. Weekend breakfasts of eggs and salami were soon replaced with oat bran pancakes and maple syrup (no butter). Within months, not only was the cholesterol level lower, but as an added bonus I lost 15 pounds.

Every week or so I make up a double batch of oat bran muffins. With all the ingredients on hand it takes roughly ten minutes to mix up the batter, and another fifteen minutes to bake them. They are great with fruit or cereal for breakfast, with salad or soup for lunch, as a low-calorie, high-fiber snack, or even to keep the wolves from the door at bedtime.

Oat Bran Muffins

2 1/4 cups of oat bran (not bran flakes)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar or maple syrup
2 tbsp chopped almonds
A handful of raisins or blueberries
1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)
1 1/4 cup nonfat milk
2 large overripe bananas
Whites of two eggs, or one large egg if you're not concerned about cholesterol.

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Blend all other ingredients into a puree and mix thoroughly with the dry ingredients. Fill muffin tins, allowing some room for mix to rise.

If you use blueberries, it's easier to add them by hand to the filled muffin tins.

Bake at 450 degrees until top of muffins are brown (about 15 minutes) Makes approximately one dozen muffins. As soon as they're cool, we bag them and put them in the freezer. Whenever we want one, we pop them in the microwave oven for 30 seconds on high.

Enjoy the long weekend!