These muffins are great alongside the stuffed eggplant and zucchini recipe I posted on the website, and the muffins also are good with salads and breakfast eggs. Try them for something a little different from the usual sweet muffin. You only need a little cooked spinach, so if you have some loitering in your refrigerator, you're in luck! The Parmesan cheese lends a bit of smoky-salty flavor, and Italian herbs make the muffins smell and taste wonderful. I use white whole-wheat flour in the muffins for a whole-grain flavor and health benefits, but you can use all-purpose flour (or a combination), if you'd prefer. The muffins will be lighter with the all-purpose flour.
Savory Spinach-Cheese Muffins -- Makes 12
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 egg
3/4 cup of low-fat milk
1/4 cup of cooked chopped spinach
1 teaspoon of Italian herbs
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of minced dried onion
1 1/4 cup of white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line the tin with cupcake papers and spritz the papers with a little non-stick spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, and milk. Stir in the spinach, herbs, garlic powder, and minced dried onion until everything is well combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until just moistened. Stir in the cheeses until distributed throughout the batter. Divide the batter among the muffin tins. Bake the muffins for 18-24 minutes or until golden brown. The muffins are best served warm.
