Multi-Veg Muffins

My lovely nephew D inspired me to create these savoury muffins. D is a big fan of cheese. He also loves snacks (especially from Nonna’s pantry). He is, however, not always so keen to eat his vegetables. So I wanted to come up with a recipe that combined the nutritional value of veggies with the attractiveness of cheese and the allure of muffins. And so, ‘Multi-Veg Muffins’ were born.

These muffins are quite amazing: they include four (yes four!) different types of vegetables, are incredibly more-ish and children seem to love them (parents are also partial to a few). My daughter’s verdict was ‘Yummy. More’. She then wanted to eat them for her snack before bedtime and then breakfast the next day. Success!

This recipe made 18 mini muffins. They are lovely eaten warm from the oven, perfect eaten on the same day and still good the following day (if you still have some left).

Ingredients

• 100g self raising flour
• 65g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 40g courgette, grated (from half a courgette)
• 40g carrot, grated (approx. one small carrot)
• 1 tbsp red pepper, finely chopped (approx 1/8 of a pepper)
• 2 tbsp sweetcorn kernels (from a tin/ carton or defrosted)
• 1 egg
• 50ml light olive oil or sunflower oil
• 50ml whole milk

Instructions

1. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Mix in the grated cheese.
2. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg, oil and milk until loosely combined. Mix in the grated courgette, carrot, pepper and sweetcorn.
3. Pour the wet vegetable mixture into the bowl with the flour/ cheese. Stir together until just combined.
4. Prepare your mini muffin tins by greasing with butter or lining with cases. Put a heaped teaspoon of the muffin batter into each muffin hole.
5. Bake at 200C for 10 mins or until they have risen, are golden brown and  a skewer inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
6. Leave the muffins in their tins for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire tray to cool completely (or to your mouth so as to eat them whilst warm).

Nutritional Highlights: The vegetables bring multiple vitamins and fibre to these snacks. The cheese offers protein and calcium. First served at: 26 months A-L rating: She really liked these savoury bites and, as I mention above, she wanted to eat them for her snack-time and then breakfast on the following day! Freezer friendly? Yes Adult adaption: These are great as they are.