People who want to lose excess weight, fight a type 2 diabetes diagnosis or simply explore healthy eating have a new champion in the Caldesis.

Restaurant owners Katie Caldesi and her husband Giancarlo, who live in Gerrards Cross, published their latest cookbook last week.

The Reverse Your Diabetes Cookbook is packed with advice from High Wycombe nutritionist Jennie Phillips and Dr David Unwin GP, explaining the huge benefits of healthy eating for a wide range of issues.

The recipes are designed to make low-carb eating fun. Try Katie’s Magic Muffins when you want a tasty treat.

She says: “These were so popular from The Diabetes Weight-loss Cookbook that we have come up with more ways to cook them for this book.

"The muffins are an adaptation of the popular mug cake, but with a fraction of the carbs. It’s a really versatile basic recipe - make it sweet with an apple or savoury with a courgette.

"The mixture can make one large mug muffin, two smaller ones or 12 mini muffins.”

Basic Magic Muffin

Serves 1–2/Makes 1 standard-size mug muffin

  • 1 egg
  • a knob of butter, melted, or 2 teaspoons coconut or olive oil
  • 50g (1¾oz) ground almonds
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ apple or pear or ½ medium courgette, coarsely grated
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and/or pinch of ground cinnamon or
  • mixed spice (for sweet muffins)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper (for savoury muffins)

Mix the egg and fat together in a bowl. Add the ground almonds, baking powder, the grated fruit or courgette and either the vanilla and spice (for a sweet version) or seasoning (for a savoury version) and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into one or two microwaveable mugs. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes or until cooked through.

Alternatively, to cook them in the oven, generously grease and line the mugs or use paper-lined or silicone muffin moulds.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6 and bake for 20–25 minutes.

You can also divide the mixture between 12 mini muffin cases and bake for 10–12 minutes.

Check the muffins are cooked through by piercing them with a skewer. If it comes out clean, they are done; if it is wet, put them back into the oven for a few minutes.

Anna’s Greek Feta Mug Muffins

Serves 2/Makes 2 small mug muffins

  • 1 egg
  • a knob of butter, melted, or 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 50g (1¾oz) ground almonds
  • 1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried or fresh tomatoes
  • ½ courgette, coarsely grated
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 x 15g (½oz) cubes of feta
  • 5 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the egg, butter, almonds, tomatoes, courgette, baking powder, seasoning and oregano together in a bowl. Spoon half of the mixture into two small microwaveable mugs.

Tuck pieces of feta into the centre of the mugs and cover with the remaining mixture.

Arrange the halved tomatoes onto the tops, cut side up. Cook as for the Basic Magic Muffin.

Pink Berry Mug Muffin

Serves 1–2/Makes 1 mug muffin

  • 70g (2½oz) strawberries, hulled
  • 1 egg
  • a knob of butter, melted, or 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • 50g (1¾oz) ground almonds
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

This fun pink-coloured muffin is naturally sweet and ideal cut into circles and topped with cream and berries.

Cut half the strawberries into small pieces and put them into a bowl. Mush them to a pulp with a fork. Mix with the remaining ingredients and spoon into a mug. Cook as for the Basic Magic Muffin.

The Reverse Your Diabetes Cookbook by Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi with Jenny Phillips (Kyle Books, £20). Photography: Maja Smend