Vegetable and Goat's Feta Muffins (gluten and grain free)

I've been a long time fan of home baked sweet muffins (anything that combines sweet and home baked is pretty much a sure thing with me). Homemade sweet muffins look or taste nothing like those big, puffed up blueberry muffins that in every second cafe these days. They look a bit rustic, each one a little unique with good sized chunks of berries or nuts bursting through the nicely golden top. And warm from the oven with a dollop of butter you've got yourself a perfect any time of the day treat. 

Until about a month ago savoury muffins had never really registered on my radar. I don't recall ever having had a savoury muffin, possibly the closest thing would have to be a mini frittata muffin and I would have to rate them as average. At a friend's place recently I was introduced to Tania Hubbard's Gluten Free Grain Free Food We Love cookbook and after sampling two of the grain free recipes that my friend so kindly cooked us for lunch (thanks Kirst, it was an amazing meal) I rushed out the next week and borrowed the book from the library. 

Tania has a great wholesome recipe for savoury muffins and I got straight to testing it out. The result you ask...wholesome goodness!  Very easy to make, extremely satisfying, nourishing, great to pack for lunch or when you're in a rush and they freeze well. And you don't have to stick exactly to the recipe. The goats feta though is a must!  I've made quite a few batches now, each time including different vegetable combo's depending on what I have on hand, and slightly mixing up the flour mixture.

Wholesome Vegetable and Goat's Feta Muffin Recipe 

Recipe adapted from Tania Hubbard's cookbook. 

(gluten and grain free) 

2 small zucchini
2 small carrots
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin
1/4 cup firmly packed silver beet, stalk removed
1 tsp dried thyme or mix of dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil and sage
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
180g goat milk feta
1/2 cup buckwheat flour (you could use coconut flour instead or 1/4 buckwheat and 1/4 coconut flakes chopped finely)
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp creme of tartar
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 180C. Use a 12 muffin tray, either grease or use cupcake papers. I used left over roast pumpkin, if you don't have any on hand, chop pumpkin and roast for 20mins both sides. Grate zucchini and carrots into a large bowl. Chop or crumble goat milk feta into small pieces and add to bowl. When your pumpkin is done add to the bowl. I used my hands to shred silver beet into smallish strips, add to bowl. Add dried herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper to the bowl. Use a spoon and combine until well mixed through. Add flour, bicarb soda and creme of tartar. Blend well. In a separate bowl lightly whisk the 6 eggs and pour into the main mixture. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. 

Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they spring back when lightly pressed in the middle. Or use a cake tester and put through the middle of a muffin, when cooked it will come out dry. They will be golden brown on the top. Take out and let sit for 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack until ready to eat. Serve warm with good quality butter and a side salad.

Keep in the fridge for about 4 days. Excellent to freeze.

Makes 12.

Rustic Carrot Cake Recipe

Growing up, dessert was always a much anticipated ending to the main meal in my family, from homemade cakes to plain old fruit and ice-cream. This week in an attempt to encourage dad to eat healthier sweet options, (because the truth is he's not going to forego sweets so better to accept and provide healthier options) I tested out this carrot cake recipe from 101 cookbooks which uses whole flours and natural sugar ingredients. 

Not your traditional carrot cake, I kept calling it a banana cake for a while, it's packed with dense and rich all natural ingredients. I stuck with using wheat flour, as using a gluten free option just would have been too 'strange' in dad's eyes. The natural sweetness of bananas and dates works really well, and I really like the inclusion of yoghurt and walnuts to increase protein and good oils. I made a few small changes, used half wholewheat and half white flour, replaced one of the eggs with 2 egg whites and used slightly less than 1/2 cup of dates.  Even with skipping the icing I still made a HUGE mess in the kitchen!

The result...success! Though dad did comment he could taste the absence of sugar, he enjoyed it and was very happy to eat another piece the following day.Next time I'd like to try a gluten free option using rice and amaranth flour as mentioned in the readers comments on 101 cookbooks.

Rustic Carrot Cake Recipe

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup good quality white baking flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped finely

110g unsalted butter, just melted

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 cups grated carrots

1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt

1 egg and 2 egg whites, lightly whisked 

Preheat oven to 175C. Butter a 9x5x3 loaf pan or 8x8 cake pan and line with baking paper. Sift together flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir in walnuts. Stir the dates into the melted butter, breaking up the dates into smaller pieces.

In a separate bowl combine bananas and carrots. Stir in the date-butter mixture, breaking up any date clumps. Whisk in eggs and yoghurt. Add the flour mixture and stir gently until everything just mixed. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean in the centre of the cake - bake for around 45minutes if you are using the cake pan. Remove from oven and cool. Best stored in the fridge.

Makes one cake.