Recipe Makeover: Muhammara Egg bites

I painted myself into a corner this week, metaphorically speaking.

I proposed to my boss that we offer staff heart healthy recipes during American Heart Month, in February, on a weekly basis.

Then I said I would make one of the recipes, and when I proposed egg bites, she liked the idea so much, I couldn't change her mind afterward.

I would have been fine making egg bites, except almost recipe I had found had some form of cheese or processed meat, and how is that heart healthy? The one exception was the recipe I found from whole foods, but my boyfriend/ test subject is allergic to mushrooms, and I felt that just vegetables lacks the pizzazz required to win people over to the side of "healthy can still taste good".

So, I was forced to invent something, which for better or for worse is in my oven right now. These new egg bites were inspired by muhammara from Turkey and the nutty omelets of Dubai.

Ingredients

2 cups pasteurized egg whites or 8 whole eggs
12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 Tbsp chopped mint
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika (or smoked paprika/ aleppo pepper)
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar (or pomegranate molasses)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Lightly oil a 12-cup muffin pan.

Combine roasted red peppers, lemon, garlic, paprika, mint, walnuts, balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a bowl, and stir. Divide the mixture among the prepared muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites. Pour evenly over vegetable mixture in the muffin cups.

Bake until egg mixture is puffed and cooked through, about 16 minutes. Cool 2 minutes, then run a knife around inside of muffin cups and remove omelet bites.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Allergens: eggs

Nutrition (3 bites, with whole eggs): 192 calories, 13 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 372 mg cholesterol, 298 mg sodium, 146 mg potassium, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 13 g protein, 34% vitamin A, 51% vitamin C, 11% iron, 5% calcium,16% vitamin B-12, 20% vitamin D, 12% folate, 20% phosphorous, 20% riboflavin

Nutrition (3 bites, with egg whites): 108 calories, 4 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 357 mg sodium, 188 mg potassium, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 15 g protein, 34% vitamin A, 51% vitamin C, 3% iron, 1% calcium
Cost (1 recipe, with whole eggs): $4.02