Potato nests

I have seen this recipe in ' The Little Paris Kitchen. Cooking with Rachel Kahoo'. I like the idea very much and decided to try it in my own kitchen. Because this dish is baked in muffin tin I have decided to publish it on my blog. The recipe is also available on line on this website. 

Ingredients for 6 large potato nests:

• 1tbsp butter
• 500g potatoes (used those which don't fall apart while being cooked)
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 200g smoked bacon
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 250g Reblochon cheese I used Camembert

Grease the muffin tin holes. Preheat the oven to 180C.

Peel of the potatoes, then cut them into matchsticks size pieces.Set aside.

Dice the bacon. Chop the onion. Finely chop the garlic. Dice the cheese.

before baking

Put the butter, bay leaf, garlic, bacon  and onion on frying pan and cook until bacon golden brown. Then add the wine and reduce it until only a few tablespoons of liquid remain. Remove bay leaf. Add the potatoes and stir them in. 

Remove pan from the heat and add the cheese. Stir well and transfer to prepared earlier muffin tin. 

Bake for 15 -20 minutes until golden warm. Serve hot.

 Enjoy !

Mexican muffins

I was looking for something on-line and came across interesting Mexican muffin recipe. When I read list of ingredients I was sure they going to be very tasty. I wasn't wrong. These muffins taste lake omelets for me and what is more important portable omelets. You don't need a plate and cutlery to eat one. I think they are great finger food.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 1 red pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 390g (1 can) red beans
• 125 ml salsa
• 3 large eggs
• 250 ml egg whites
• 60g grated cheese ( i had mozzarella and cheddar)
• salt and pepper

Chop the onion into small chunks. Heat up the frying pan, add small amount of  oil and fry the onion. 

In a meantime dice the red pepper. When the onion is getting soft add the pepper and fry for a little bit longer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Drain the beans, rinse with water.

Put the beans into a big bowl, add salsa and fried vegetables.

Combine them together.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Prepare muffin tin. In case of those muffins I would recommend to use silicone moulds as it is easier to take the muffins out when they are ready. it would be good to slightly grease muffin moulds.

Into a big bowl or measuring jug put the eggs and egg whites, add some salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs. 

With a spoon divide the vegetables  evenly among all muffin moulds. Pour egg mixture to cover the vegetables. Sprinkle each top with grated cheese. 

Put the muffins into oven for 25-30 minutes. Before remove check with toothpick if baked in the middle. Take them out of muffin cases and let them cool down on a wire rack.

Enjoy !

 

Ham, cheese and leek muffins

Those savoury muffins dissapeared almost immediately after being baked. In my family opinion they were very tasty, although children did not like them. They were fluffy, salty. I would recommend them for a quick brunch. 

Ingredients for 6 muffins:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 leek
• 140g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1 egg
• 150 ml Greek - style natural yogurt
• 25g melted butter
• 15g grated Cheddar cheese + some to sprinkle
• 75g chopped, cooked ham or susage or frankfurters.

Wash the leek and finely chop it. Heat the oil on frying pan over a low heat. Add the leek and cook until leek is soft. Remove form the heat and set aside to cool.

Chop the ham, and grate the cheese, set aside. Melt the butter and set aside.

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

Sift the flour, baking powder, soda into a big bowl and whisk together. 

In a measuring jug whisk together the yogurt and egg. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients. Pour melted and cooled down butter. Add the leek, cheese and ham. Leave some  ham to add on the top of each muffin.

Spoon this batter into paper cases, sprinkle with cheese and ham. Bake for 20 min until well risen. Cool them down on wire rack. Enjoy !!

Seed muffins

It was lazy Saturday morning. I was wondering what to prepare for breakfast when I found interesting recipe for seed muffins on this web site. As I had all ingredients at home I decided to bake them immediately. I would not be myself  if I did not change this recipe a little. I partly swapped plain flour with wholegrain one, and added more seeds on the top. Those muffins turn out to be a little dry, so I would recommend to slice them and spread with butter and eat with some vegetables. I believe that seed lovers would fully enjoy them.   

Ingredients for 7 muffins:

• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 25g pumpkin seeds
• 80g wholegrain flour
• 100g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 30g grated cheese (I used mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheese)
• 1 egg
• 125ml milk
• 60g melted butter
• 1 tbsp sesame and sunflower seeds to sprinkle on the top

All seeds place on frying pan and roast them as long as sesame seeds tour out brownish and set aside to cool down.

Preheat the oven to 210C. Grease muffin tin.

Sift the flours, baking powder, salt and cheese into big bowl and whisk them together.

Break the egg into separate bowl and whisk it with fork, pour milk into the egg and whisk together. Melt the butter. When the butter cools down pour it into dry ingredients mixture along with milk mixture. Combine all ingredients. Spoon the batter into muffin tin. Sprinkle with seeds. Bake for 20 min. Check with toothpick if batter is baked in the middle. Cool down on wire rack. Enjoy :)