Herby Veg Muffins

This is a great, versatile savoury muffin recipe for using leftover cooked veg. I like using pumpkin and feta as a start, adding other vegetables I have on hand. These are particularly delicious topped with cream cheese and a dollop of relish or your favourite chutney.

Makes 10 - 12 standard size muffins

HERBY VEGETABLE MUFFIN BATTER

cooked & cooled pumpkin/butternut/kumara (steamed/roasted/mashed), about 250g (250ml or 1 cup)

feta cheese (or a feta-style cheese), 100g

another cup (250ml or about 220g) cooked vegetables or your choice - chopped roast red capsicum or caramelised onions (about 2 medium) are delicious

spinach, 120g fresh or 70g steamed/blanched/wilted/defrosted from frozen (about 1/2 cup, excess moisture having been squeezed out) - optional

herbs (thyme/parsley/chives/dill or a combination works well), a handful fresh or 30ml (2 tablespoons) dried

eggs, 2

milk, 250g (250ml or 1 cup)

olive oil, 50g (60ml or 1/4 cup)

plain/cake/all-purpose flour, 300g (500ml or 2 cups)

baking powder, 20ml (4 teaspoons)

fine salt, 5ml (1 teaspoon) - optional depending on your taste

black sesame seeds, to taste, for sprinkling on top - optional

TO SERVE

cream cheese, about a tablespoon per muffin - optional

relish or chutney, about a tablespoon per muffin - optional

fresh herbs - optional

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a 12-hole standard size muffin tin with baking cups (or grease well with butter).

Roughly chop the pumpkin (if needed) and capsicum (or leftover roast vegetables if using).

Roughly chop the feta cheese (or crumble into chunks).

If you are using fresh spinach, blanch, steam or wilt the spinach before squeezing out excess the moisture (it should weight about 70g after you have squeezed the moisture out) then chop it fine (or defrost frozen spinach before chopping).

Place these in a large mixing bowl, then add all the wet ingredients including the herbs (finely chop the herbs if using fresh herbs). Mix well.

Add the dry ingredients (except for the sesame seeds, if using).

Gently mix together until just combined.

Divide the mixture among the baking cups (about 2/3 full) before sprinkling with sesame seeds.

Bake for approximately 20 - 25 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean).

Delicious warm out of the oven or cold topped with cream cheese and relish or chutney.

These keep for a couple of days stored in an airtight container in the fridge (or freezer for up to three months).