Sun - dried tomato, basil and parmesan muffins

Today savoury muffins. This time with addition of sun - dried tomatoes, basil and Parmesan cheese. They were very aromatic, tasty. Although a little bit to dry for me. I have sliced them in half and served with fresh tomato and basil with thin shaving of Parmesan, as a kind of sandwich. To make them look nice I have baked them in this big cardboard muffin cases. I was happy with the presentation but the portion size was too big for me. I would recommend to bake them in mini muffin baking tin. The it would be easier to serve them and shouldn't be too dry. Anyway they were tasty and I think you will find them nice. The recipe comes form here.

Ingredients for 6 big or 12 standard size muffins:

• 140g wholegrain flour
• 150g plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly grated black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 250 ml buttermilk
• 60g melted and cooled butter
• 90g sun - dried tomatoes
• 30g grated Parmesan + some for garnish
• 5 g fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Melt the butter and set aside to cool down.

Chop the tomatoes and basil and set aside. Great the Parmesan and set aside. 

Mix the flours, baking powder, salt, pepper and set aside.

In separate jug mix the eggs and buttermilk. Pour this mixture into a bowl with dry ingredients add the melted butter and stir until just combined. Then add the Parmesan, tomatoes and basil. Fold them in gently. 

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cases. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake for   20 - 25 minutes until well risen. Transfer to the wire rack to cool them down. They are the best served with fresh, juicy tomatoes and basil leaves. 

 Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

Mini quiche light

Today I would like to present my try to Lorraine Pascale recipe. This is light version of mini quiche. The regular pastry was replaced with filo pastry, some of eggs with egg whites... I have to say I like them better than regular quiche. The pastry was flaky and crunchy, not soggy. The filling was creamy with crunchy bites of bacon and small onion chunks.  What I like the most was that it took two bites to eat them. This is perfect finger food for this festive season. 

Ingredients for 12 mini quiche:

• 1 onion
• 150g bacon trimmed of any fat and diced
• pinch of thyme
• 200g half - fat creme fraiche
• 75 ml low fat milk
• 25 g finely grated Parmesan
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• pinch of nutmeg
• 4 and 1/2 sheets filo pastry
• 1 tbsp mustard
• slat and pepper
• olive oil

Dice the onion and bacon. Cook the onion until soft then add bacon and thyme and continue to cook until the bacon is cook through. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Brush the muffin tin cups with olive oil. Cut the filo pastry into squares 12 x 12 cm approximately. Line each muffin tin cup with three pieces of filo pastry. Make sure to push the pastry down so it is in the corners of each muffin hole. Then with a brush or your finger spread small amount of mustard on the bottom of each mini quiche. Set aside. 

Pour the milk, creme - fraiche, Parmesan, eggs, egg whites, nutmeg, salt, pepper into a measuring jar and whisk them with fork until smooth. 

Place the muffin tin in front of you divide the fried bacon and onion among all mini quiche bases, then pour in the mixture of eggs and cream. Brush the exposed pastry with a little oil.

Insert the muffin tin into preheated oven. Bake until the filling won't be wobbly in the middle and filo pastry turns gold, about 30 minutes. 

Remove from the oven. Leave for a few minutes in muffin tin. Then holding gently by exposed pastry twist a little and lift up. Sprinkle with chopped chive.

 Enjoy !