Spinach, Feta, and Egg Muffins

Amounts below match 4 servings. Each serving is still about 27g protein and 2g fiber. Salt amounts assume kosher salt — if you use table salt, use half.

• 12 large eggs
• 1 cup plain cottage cheese
• 3 oz feta cheesecrumbled
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 bell pepper
• ½ small yellow onion
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Protein and fiber are estimates for teaching, not a medical plan.

How to cut and prepare

Open a card before you start chopping. The picture shows the shape you are aiming for.

Wash and chop spinachHide

1. 1

   Fill a bowl with cool water and swish the leaves. Grit sinks. Lift the leaves out instead of pouring the grit back over them. Repeat if the water was sandy.

2. 2

   Tear off long thick stems if they feel tough. Baby spinach stems are tender — leave them.

3. 3

   Stack the leaves and cut them into ribbons, then across into bite-size pieces. Wet spinach shrinks a lot. A heaping handful cooks down to a spoonful.

Common mistakes

• Adding a huge volume of wet leaves to eggs all at once. Squeeze a handful lightly so you are not pouring water into the pan.
• Cooking spinach for many minutes. It only needs until it wilts, about a minute.

Dice a bell pepperShow

Dice an onionShow

Cook it

You will need: A 12-cup muffin tin, A large bowl, A whisk or fork, A skillet, A knife and board.

1. 1

   Heat the oven and start the vegetables

   Heat the oven to 375°F. Rub the muffin cups with a drop of oil, or use paper liners if the tin is sticky. Dice the onion and pepper. Chop the spinach.

2. 2

   Cook the onion and wilt the spinach

   Warm the teaspoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Soften the onion and pepper for 4 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts, about a minute. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Hot vegetables will scramble the eggs when you mix them.

3. 3

   Mix the eggs

   Whisk the eggs, cottage cheese, salt, and pepper until the cottage cheese is in small pieces. Stir in the feta and the cooled vegetables. The cottage cheese is why these stay moist and higher in protein than eggs alone.

4. 4

   Bake

   Divide the mixture among the 12 cups. They will be nearly full, and that is fine. Bake until the centers are set and a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. They puff, then settle as they cool. Cool 5 minutes in the tin, then lift them out with a small spatula.

5. 5

   Store

   A serving is 3 muffins. Keep the rest in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat one or two in a skillet over low heat, or eat them cold.