Super Healthy Protein Muffins

I have so many recipes on my list to write about but this one just jumped the queue.  A tasty treat that ticks all the right boxes.  It’s healthy (high in protein, fibre and even omega 3’s), low allergy (nut free, dairy free, egg free), child friendly (low in sugar, bright in colour) and like most muffins is really quick to make especially in a Thermomix.  And what’s most important is the kids keep coming back for more!

Super Healthy Protein Muffins

It started as a quest for healthy carrot cake muffins to make for a last minute morning tea gathering to find no carrots in the fridge.  But I found a beetroot and a zucchini calling out to me.  I was also on a tofu craving (which I strangely often get) so with a little Google searching I found the idea of using silken tofu as a replacement for the liquid component of healthy muffins.  So it really is a hidden goodness muffin with protein from the tofu, fibre from the veggies (you could use carrots instead but who can resist the colour from the beetroot), and omega 3s from the chia seeds.

Nothing better than licking the batter...

Call the savoury, call them sweet, just try them or your own version and you can call them whatever you like.

Super Healthy Protein Muffins

Zest and juice from one orange

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

50g rapadura sugar

1 beetroot peeled and roughly chopped

1 zucchini roughly chopped

300g silken tofu

1 tbls chia seeds

60g grapeseed or other light flavoured oil

150g wholemeal flour

150g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

• Preheat oven to 180° and grease 12 large hole muffin tray or 24 small (or use silicon cupcake liners)
• Place orange peel into Thermomix bowl and zest on speed 9 for 10 seconds or until finely chopped
• Add cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, beetroot and zucchini and chop for 4 seconds on speed 5
• Add tofu, chia seeds, orange juice and oil and mix for 10 seconds on speed 4
• Add flours and mix until just combined – around 5 seconds on speed 4
• Pour into muffin trays and bake for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when pressed

Enjoy!

Little Finn after a long walk and a piggy back home...

Pumpkin, Chickpea and Zucchini Pesto Scrolls

Pumpkin, Chickpea and Zucchini Pesto Scrolls

 

As many of you may know Veggie Daddy has been busy building something in our backyard.  No it’s not the 2^nd veggie patch which we adore, but a rather large structure he adores called a skateboard ramp.  Call it a mid life crisis, call it what you want but I think I have been very generous in letting this become part of our garden even with the removal of trees, time taken every weekend, etc, etc..  Veggie daddy has been skateboarding for about 25 years and feels that this way he can enjoy it with the kids – he’s just a big kid himself.

Daddy's litle helper



Testing the ramp out with daddy



 

 

 

 

 

The kids have loved watching the ramp being built and helping when they can.  Even I was up there helping bend plywood today!  The kids are also having fun riding bikes up and down and it looks like it will be an extension of our outdoor style of living.

So what better lunch to whip today than Pumpkin, Chickpea and Zucchini Pesto Scrolls that everyone could eat on the run.  Special thanks to my Thermie cousin who pointed out this great recipe by Arwen on the Thermomix Recipe Community.  I tweaked it a little by using sweet potato today instead of pumpkin and made my own Zucchini and Basil pesto from the bountiful garden.  The extra nutrition from the chickpeas is great and they make about a dozen good sized scrolls.  Which is handy because it’s hard to stop at one!

 

Pumpkin & Chickpea Bread Dough

 

100g dried chickpeas

100g pumpkin (or sweet potato) roughly chopped

400g bakers flour

20g olive oil

1 tsp salt

300g lukewarm water

20g pepitas

8g dried yeast

 

Pesto

40g Parmesan cheese cubed

1 clove garlic

1 bunch fresh basil

60g cashew nuts

60 zucchini roughly chopped

30g extra virgin olive oil

80g cheese grated extra

• Add chickpeas to Thermomix bowl and mill for 1 min at speed 10
• Add pumpkin and process for 5 secs on speed 5
• Add remaining ingredients and mix 5 secs on speed 5 then set to closed lid position and  knead for 2 minutes on dough setting.  Add a little flour if needed
• Remove dough and wrap in thermomat or in a covered oiled bowl for about an hour or until doubled in size
• Meanwhile make Zucchini pesto
• Place parmesan cheese and basil into TM bowl and chop for 5 secs on speed 8
• Add all other ingredients & process for 10 seconds on speed 8
  
• Shape dough into a large rectangle
• Gently stretch and shape dough into a long rectangle about 1.5cm thick on mat or floured surface
• Spread with pesto, sprinkle with grated cheese
• Carefully roll from long edge to form a long roll then cut into approximately 12 pieces
• Arrange in 2 springform tins lined with baking paper and allow to rest again while heating oven to 220°
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and hollow sounding when knocked

Best eaten straight from the oven.  Enjoy!

Chocolate and Zucchini Cake

A close cousin of mine has changed her cooking completely since her Thermomix purchase all in aid of better nutrition of her 3 gorgeous children.  We visited them today (much to my kids delight) and  when I saw her children who are often a little veggie phobic asking for more Chocolate and Zucchini Cake I giggled inside with glee!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This cake is based on the Zucchini Loaf in “A Taste of Vegetarian” Thermomix book and makes 2 loaves which are quiet moist, keep well and can even be frozen.  They are handy when you have a busy social calendar (like us this weekend!) as they’re quick, easy and somewhat healthy for the kids.  The first time we made half as per the book then added good quality cocoa to the other half.  A winner by far as everyone thinks they’re eating a delicious, moist chocolate cake with little idea of the green goodness that’s packed inside them.

The original Zucchini Cake and the Chocolate version

While the original recipe used 350g of raw sugar I find that 200g and a little honey is plenty for the 2 loaves.  You could leave the walnuts a little coarser but I find when you’re trying to disguise the goodies a little finer helps.  Anyway, just grab some in season zucchini, from the garden if you can and bake it!

Chocolate and Zucchini Cake

100g walnuts

300g zucchini cut into 3cm chuncks
3 free range eggs
200g raw sugar
20g honey
250g grapeseed oil
2 tsp vanilla
370g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
3 tbls good quality cocoa powder

• Preheat oven to 180° and grease and line 2 loaf pans with baking paper

• Place walnuts into Thermomix bowl and set dial to closed lid position and pulse by pressing Turbo button 3 times for 1 second each then set aside

• Place zucchini in bowl and chop for 4 seconds on speed 4 and set aside

• Place eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla into bowl and blend for 20 seconds on speed 4

• Add all remaining ingredients including zucchini and walnuts and mix for 10 seconds on speed 3 in Reverse

• Pour into loaf tins and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean

Enjoy!

Zucchini, Lentil and Haloumi Fritters

How good are home grown zucchini’s?!?!

The new vege patch is proving very worthwhile as we’re picking on average a zucchini a day and don't they taste amazing!  The kids eat them like cucumbers and the list of recipes to use them in is endless.  I’ve made Baked Zucchini Flowers, Zucchini Cake, delicious Sautéed Zucchini with Pinenuts and Figs as a side, but the family’s favourite is my Zucchini, Lentil and Haloumi Fritters.

Zucchini's grown happily in the new vege patch!

They’re quick, easy and super tasty.  They're great served warm with some yoghurt and salad or cold the next day for the kids as fingerfood.  You can add whatever herbs you have in the garden but I find a little bit of mint gives them a lovely kick and a bit of a Greek flavour alongside the haloumi cheese. On that note, the haloumi can easily be substituted for feta.  I add the lentils not only for added protein but also for little colour and texture flecks which works well.

Mint and chives

And I may need to apologise in advance as I cannot find my written recipe for these fritters so am going by memory.  Here goes...

Zucchini, Lentil and Haloumi Fritters

100g Puy Lentils
180g haloumi
2 medium zucchinis
5-6 mint leaves
A few chive sprigs or spring onions

1 free range egg
80g plain flour (more if needed)
Freshly ground pepper
A little olive oil for pan frying

 

• Place Puy lentils in a saucepan with plenty of water and boil for approximately 20-25 minutes or until tender and set aside in a colander to drain well.  Alternatively use a tin of lentils but Puy lentils have a much nicer texture for this recipe
• Place herbs in Thermomix bowl and chop for 4 seconds on speed 4
• Add roughly chopped haloumi and chop for 5 seconds on speed 5 then set aside
• Place roughly chopped zucchini in Thermomix bowl and chop for 2 seconds on speed 4.  Avoid over chopping as this releases extra moisture
• Add all other ingredients including haloumi and herbs and mix on Reverse for 20 seconds on Speed 2
• Set aside for 10 minutes for moisture to absorb a little while you heat a frying pan with a little olive oil to medium heat
• Place large spoonfuls of mixture int frying pan and cook on 2 minutes each side until golden and the fritters hold together
• Drain on paper towel

Serve with Greek Yoghurt and a side salad and enjoy!

Zucchini, Corn and Ricotta Pancakes

Zucchini, Corn and Ricotta Pancakes

Living near the beach and being an active family, swimming has been a part of our kids' lives since they were each only a few months old.  Summer has been doing lessons since 4 months old and now she’s in the big kids group swimming on her own.  I just can’t believe how well she’s improved in the past few months, swimming proper strokes and diving like a duck.
 

It’s a busy morning on swimming lesson day but these Zucchini, Corn and Ricotta Pancakes are a perfect pre and post swimming snack for the kids.  They are great as cold finger food for little olds but also serve up delightfully for a light lunch or dinner with chutney and Greek yoghurt.  The chutney we used to day was the delicious Red Hot Apple Chutney that Summer made at kinder for Father’s day.

 

These fritters are high in protein and low in fat with the egg whites and are a great way to disguise veges for fussy kids.  You could substitute 2 whole eggs for the eggs whites and they just wouldn’t be quite as light. I had egg whites left over from making a Custard Tart yesterday and thought this was a healthier option over macaroons or meringue.  While the ricotta adds some protein, using cottage cheese or haloumi instead would boost this even further.

 
Zucchini, Corn and Ricotta Pancakes

4 egg whites
1 spring onion
1 zucchini
100g red capsicum
200g corn kernels
200g flour (I used 1/3 wholemeal)
120g ricotta
Salt & Pepper optional

• Place egg whites in a clean Thermomix bowl with butterfly attached
• Whisk for 2-4 minutes 50° speed 4 until no liquid remains then set aside
• Place spring onion, zucchini and capsicum in bowl (no need to wash between) and chop for 4 seconds speed 6 (you may need to scrape down and repeat for 1 second)
• Add corn kernels, flour, ricotta and seasoning if using and mix on Reverse 5 seconds speed 4 using spatula if required
• Add egg whites and mix until only just combined on Reverse 4 seconds speed 3
• Heat frying pan to moderately hot with a little melted butter
• Place spoonfuls into fry pan and cook approx 4 minutes or until bubbles just start to pop before flipping and cooking a further 2 minutes

Little fritters make a great sized finger food for little hands!

 
Enjoy!